Building U.S. Support

Earlier this month, President Barack Obama and his administration passed the $1 trillion Omnibus bill in an effort to bolster the economy and prevent further stagnation.  Most surprisingly, this bill contained an allocation of nearly $2.6 billion to multilateral, international agencies such as the IMF (a 37 percent increase from 2011) and $21.5 billion allocation to foreign assistance programs.  This funding comes as a surprise to many developmental analysts who found recently polling of Americans to suggest that "70 percent of respondents said cutting foreign aid would have a large impact on reducing the U.S. deficit."  Perhaps even more concerning was the fact that polls also found that "Americans believed that 20 percent of the federal budget was being spent on aid, when the actual figure is less than 1 percent."

This monumental shift toward globalized, rational funding sends a clear message to the world that the United States is intent on maintaining its influence on the global market.  More importantly, this sends a message that the U.S. is intent on fostering relationships in the global market while focusing on providing aid to those that need it most.  As any policy analysts can attest to, there is always a desired return on social investment.  According to Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner, the return is "enormous."  In a policy sense, the U.S. is able to ensure that they, "encourage a level global playing field for businesses...apply rigorous social and environmental standards to development projects...and focus more on fragile states, which helps address global security concerns and also advances U.S. security interests abroad."

As the quoted Brookings Institute article frames it, "The amounts involved are a very small fraction of the U.S. budget but can help hundreds of millions of the world’s poorest people."

-Kenneth Louis

SOURCE: The Brookings Institute - Global Economy and Development

U.S. Withholds Funding in Light of Turbulent Times

UNESCO’s Director General, Irina Bokova, addressed regretfully the recent decision made by the United States to withhold dues to the agency.  The consequence of this action will surely have an impact on program implementation, support for emerging nations, and the fight against extremism.  She strongly believes it is strategically vital to promote global stability and democratic values during this time of economic turmoil and social transformation. 

Support from the U.S. enabled the agency to develop and sustain free and competitive media in Iraq, Tunisia, and Egypt as well as implement literacy programs in other conflict-affected countries gradually alleviating extremism. 

“The U.S. is a critical partner in UNESCO’s work.  The withholding of U.S. dues and other financial contributions – required by U.S. law – will weaken UNESCO’s effectiveness and undermine its ability to build free and open societies,” states Ms. Bokova.

Should the U.S. be pulling back knowing all the good it’s capable of doing?

-Georisa Chang

SOURCE: UN News

Can The AIDS Fight Stay Funded?

The world has currently reached a turning point in AIDS treatment. New evidence has shown that the AIDS epidemic can finally be controlled. However, this means more international aid spending at a time of global economic recession. Estimates have shown that funding from donor nations to fight AIDS actually fell in 2010. This is the first decline ever in spending on the fight against HIV/AIDS, a virus that afflicts the lives of 33 million people globally.

In early May, a study, funded by the US National Institute of Health and led by Myron Cohen, proved that AIDS drugs (antiretrovirals) not only are able to restore health to those inflicted with HIV, but also make them less infectious compared to those not taking the drug. Those on antiretrovirals are 96% less likely to transmit the virus to their sexual partners. Experts have found that treatment combined with other preventive tools could potentially "turn the tide" on the epidemic that kills 2.5 million people every year.

On June 8-10th in New York, The UN High Level Meeting will be held regarding HIV/AIDS. The point of contention is whether to set targets for how many people to put on AIDS treatments. These targets cannot be met though if funding continues to decrease. After the drop in 2010 due to the economic crisis, new money will need to be used/donated in order to buy medicine for people fighting the disease. By the end of 2009, 5.2 million people were on the treatment. Globally, donors gave $15.9 billion that year. But with the global economic crisis still taking a toll, the multinational Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria has been witness to many nations failing to meet their pledges. Italy rejected any payment at all for 2009 and 2010, creating $192 million in arrears, according to the Global Fund. Netherlands has similarily reduced its payment by $41 million.

The UN meeting is proposing to endorse a declaration on how to combat the epidemic. Activists want to have 15 million people on treatment by 2015 and the US strongly supports the ambitions. The US has taken leadership and set its own goal at treating over four million people in poor countries by the year 2013. The United States is even ahead of schedule! There are 3.2 million patients on antiretrovirals as of September 2010.

-Gabrielle Gurian

SOURCE: WALL STREET JOURNAL
Interested in the ongoing AIDS battle?
Watch the video interview with NIAID director Dr. Anthony Fauci on his thirty years fighting AIDS

Aid To Libyan Rebels: Should The U.S. Do More?

Since the Libyan crisis began, the United States has seized $30 billion in assets from Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi. The authoritarian ruler refuses to step down from power and continues to resist the Libyan rebel forces, backed predominantly by NATO. As a result, the United States plans to to help the Libyans in rebel controlled areas by releasing these assets to them.

NATO officials along with many Arab countries and international organizations said they would come together to create a special fund for humanitarian and other financial assistance to flow into the rebel areas. This is being done despite the UN sanctions that apply to Colonel Qaddafi's government. Kuwait has pledged a total of $180 million to this fund, while Qatar also said it would contribute between $400 and $500 million.

The rebel political and military forces are loosely organized and would not have the necessary resources to confront Qaddafi if they were not backed by NATO and these other international organizations. Washington has pledged $53 million in humanitarian aid along with $25 million in non-lethal assistance, but this is a great deal less than that of even Kuwait and Qatar.

Italy, France and Qatar have all formally recognized the rebel opposition in Libya and on Thursday, Mr. Franco Frattini, the Italian foreign minister, called on other countries to do so as well. The crisis in Libya is not a civil war stated the Frattini, "Rather it could be defined as the Libyan people's resistance to the aggression of Qaddafi's personal army" and authoritarian, tyrannical rule.

Italy and France have proven to greatly support the rebel's in Libya, yet the United State's has already stepped back from the front line and handed off the mission completely to NATO. Also, when Libyan rebel forces requested more international assistance, Mrs. Clinton did state that she would request Congress to allow some of the frozen assets to help them. Yet, an executive order to unfreeze these assets and legislation is still required by the Treasury Department, stalling needed aid and assistance. Many European countries have even called for a clearer strategy from the U.S.

The United States economic interest in Libya is low. Egypt and the Gulf are its main focuses now, but the United States will not have chance to fix the Mideast if Libya, a divided, conflict ridden country poses as a gaping black hole in the middle. As Frattini stated, we cannot leave a "divided and insecure Libya as a playground for Qaddafi's mercenaries."

--Gabrielle Gurian

SOURCE: NY TIMES