International Development - Audio

Please join the CSIS Cooperative Defense Project and Project on Prosperity and Development for a discussion on best practices the U.S. government can implement to conduct more effective and conflict-aware stabilization. It has been over a year since the Trump administration published its Stabilization Assistance Review (SAR), providing guiding principles that are relevant now more than ever. This discussiion will feature the launch of a CSIS Policy Brief on the subject and focus on how SAR principles and the newly passed Global Fragility Act can provide frameworks to inform integrated, partnership-driven, whole-of-government approaches in stabilization country contexts.This event is made possible by generous support from Chemonics International.

In late 2019, IOM’s Director General released the tenth edition of the IOM flagship publication, the World Migration Report 2020. Designed to provide the latest data and information on key migration trends around the world, the report includes analysis of global migration statistics, describes recent developments in global governance of migration as well as outlines regional dimensions of migration and displacement. Drawing upon IOM’s expertise in migration operations and management, as well as the depth of knowledge of the world’s leading migration academics, the report provides a wealth of material relevant to strategic policy, program and operational deliberations.This event is made possible with generous support from the Danish Embassy in Washington D.C.   FEATURED

Please join us for a conversation on Sustainable Development Goal #9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure, which seeks to increase connectivity and productivity of developing countries’ industries and build resilient infrastructure systems to bolster economic growth.   Of the 4 billion people who lack access to the internet globally, more than 90% of them are in developing countries. Industrialization in lower- and lower-middle-income countries trails behind developed countries, while critical infrastructure and access to mobile connectivity, electricity, and sanitation remain limited. Developing countries’ industries often lack the necessary infrastructure and innovation opportunities to achieve sustainable economic growth. The result is an increasing disconnect between rural and urban areas, lack of innovation, and stagnating productivity levels. Closing the infrastructure gap and building government capacity in developing countries would create a favorable environment for innovation and entrepreneurship and improve economic growth. Resilient and quality infrastructure systems will catalyze rapid economic development and increase the standard of living of a country’s population. Increasing official and private investment in infrastructure in developing countries, while also providing technical assistance, can help boost industrial and labor productivity.   To that end, this event will seek to answer questions about how developed countries can help lower- and lower-middle-income countries build their industries and workforce better? Furthermore, the event will also look at forms of sustainable infrastructure investments that are necessary for regions like Sub-Saharan Africa to further its efforts to industrialize and modernize its economy.This event is part of the "Chevron Forum for Development" series focused on SDGs and made possible with general support from Chevron. So far, we have hosted events focused on SDG #7: Affordable and Clean Energy, SDG #16: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions, SDG #17: Partnerships for the Goals, SDG #11: Sustainable Cities and Communities, and SDG #4: Quality Education. Our most recent event was SDG #1: No Poverty.

In his new book George Marshall: Defender of the Republic, David Roll chronicles the extraordinary life of American soldier and statesman George Marshall, who rose through the ranks to ultimately become Chief of Staff under Presidents Franklin D. Roosevelt and Harry S. Truman. He later also served as Secretary of State and Secretary of Defense under President Truman. According to Winston Churchill, Marshall was World War II’s “organizer of victory,” and is considered by President Truman to be “the greatest military man that this country ever produced.” Secretary Marshall is perhaps best known for his role in proposing and supporting the European Recovery Program – also known as the Marshall Plan – for which he was awarded the prestigious Nobel Peace Prize in 1953. David Roll works to restore Secretary Marshall back to his rightful role as one of the most widely admired figures in U.S. history. Through his use of primary source evidence, Roll challenges several historical assumptions while offering an authentic and nuanced account of Secretary Marshall. In addition to discussing Secretary Marshall’s WWII legacy, Roll discusses his roles as Secretary of Defense, Secretary of State, and Special Envoy to China – roles that are often not considered when examining Marshall’s overall legacy.This event is made possible through general support to CSIS.

In the United States, there is a sense of "Afghanistan fatigue." While there are certainly valid criticisms that can be levied against U.S. involvement in Afghanistan, a significant amount of social, economic, political, and public health progress has resulted from our engagement and Afghans' own hard work and commitment. The under-five mortality and maternal mortality rates have nearly halved since 2000. Virtually no one in Afghanistan had electricity in 2000, but by 2016, nearly 85 percent of the population did. Women's education was practically non-existent under Taliban rule, but 3.5 million Afghan women are now enrolled in school. 170 radio stations, hundreds of print media outlets, and dozens of TV stations have opened since 2001 as free media, cell phones, television, and the internet have transformed Afghan society. GDP per capita has tripled since 2001, and official development assistance (ODA) as a percentage of central government expenditure decreased from 206 percent in 2006 to 59 percent in 2015. The Afghan National Army is now the primary group fighting the Taliban, and U.S. troop presence has dropped from 110,000 in 2011 to the current plan of 8,600. But Afghanistan's political progress and social gains are at risk of collapse if the United States chooses to completely disengage from the country. Given the mix of gains and disappointments, how do we establish the correct framework for U.S. engagement with a transitioning Afghanistan in 2020 and beyond? This event is made possible through general support to CSIS.

For the last 20 years, the relationship between Pakistan and the United States has been refracted through the prism of Afghanistan. Pakistan and the U.S. have a shared interest in working toward peace in Afghanistan. Pakistan and the U.S. have an opportunity to reframe the bilateral relationship. Prime Minister Imran Khan's meeting with President Donald Trump at the White House last July is seen as a turning point for the two countries after a difficult period. There is a good case for a broader Pakistan-U.S. partnership: Pakistan is the fifth most populous country in the world, located in a central geographic part of the world, has the largest percentage of young people globally, and is the native land of over one million affluent and politically engaged Pakistani Americans. There is tremendous investment opportunity for U.S. companies in Pakistan’s enormous energy, agriculture, and tourism sectors. Please join us for a conversation with Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi of Pakistan as he lays out his vision for the Pakistan-U.S. relationship. This event is made possible through general support to CSIS.

This episode explores the evolution of China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and the developments that have occurred since it was first introduced in 2013 as One Belt One Road. Our guest, Dr. Wang Huiyao, discusses China’s efforts to generate greater buy-in from the international community and to transform the project into a shared objective for sustainable development. He also addresses the concerns of ‘debt-trap diplomacy’ and China’s push for greater transparency and institutional collaboration. Dr. Wang Huiyao is the Founder and President of the Center for China and Globalization (CCG); Vice Chairman of the China Association for International Economic Cooperation (CAIEC) under the Ministry of Commerce; and Counselor for the State Council of the People’s Republic of China (appointed by Premier Li Keqiang in 2015). He is also the Vice Chairman of China Western (Overseas) Returned Scholars Association; and the Vice Chairman of the China Talent Society under the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security.

The Stephenson Ocean Security Project invites you to the second annual CSIS Ocean Security Forum on January 7, 2020. The annual forum highlights how marine resources disputes, exacerbated by climate change and ecosystem collapse, drive instability in key regions of the globe. This year’s event will feature keynotes from U.S. Coast Guard leadership and key members of Congress and will highlight opportunities to improve security and human rights in the global fishing industry. Speakers will explore two themes: Opportunities to address human rights violations in the seafood supply chain through U.S. policy, emerging technologies, and corporate accountability. Implications of Chinese Belt and Road Initiative port investments on ocean sustainability and on the security and sovereignty of developing coastal states. Please follow us on Twitter @CSISOceans   Phil Stephenson, Founder, The Philip Stephenson Foundation Dr. Whit Saumweber, Director, Stephenson Ocean Security Project, CSIS Dr. Dyhia Belhabib, Principal Investigator, Fisheries, Ecotrust Canada Jonathan Hillman, Senior Fellow, Simon Chair in Political Economy, and Director, Reconnecting Asia Project, CSIS Philip Chou, Senior Advisor, Oceana Ernesto Fernandez Monge, Officer, Reducing Harmful Fisheries Subsidies, Pew Charitable Trusts Moderator: Tabitha Mallory, Affiliate Professor, University of Washington, and CEO, China Ocean Institute Roberta Elias, Director of Policy and Government Affairs, World Wildlife Fund Bradley Soule, Chief Fisheries Analyst, OceanMind Jenny Barker, Chief of Party, Seafood Alliance for Legality and Traceability, FishWise Amol Mehra, Managing Director, The Freedom Fund Moderator: Dr. Whit Saumweber, Director, Stephenson Ocean Security Project, CSIS Vice Admiral Daniel B. Abel, Deputy Commandant for Operations, U.S. Coast Guard Dr. Whit Saumweber, Director, Stephenson Ocean Security Project, CSIS This event is made possible with the generous support of the Philip Stephenson Foundation.

Malnutrition has the potential to bankrupt countries and prevent children from reaching their full potential. Unlike other food groups, fruits and vegetables provide beneficial outcomes across all malnutrition forms. Yet, despite the nutritional punch of fruits and vegetables, current global consumption is far below the minimum daily requirements of five portions. Join the Global Food Security Project for the release of Seeds of Change: The Power of Fruits and Vegetables to Improve Nutrition in Tanzania, a new report focusing on how the United States and other donors are trying to boost fruit and vegetable consumption in Tanzania to improve nutrition through multisectoral and public–private approaches. The event will feature a keynote lecture by the former Tanzanian Prime Minister, the Honorable Mizengo Pinda, which will be followed by an armchair conversation. The subsequent panel discussion will explore the unique challenges to fruit and vegetable consumption and current efforts to change dietary behavior.This event is made possible by the generous support of The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

In recent years, USAID has undertaken several significant reforms to support developing countries on their 'journey to self-reliance.' The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) recently published an assessment of these reforms. The GAO established that USAID has generally addressed most key practice areas, but more work can be done. The report encourages a renewed focus on outcome-oriented performance measurements and highlights key workforce planning issues needed to support broader reform efforts.This event is made possible through general support to CSIS. 

In this episode, Dan is joined by Catherine Bertini, former executive director of the World Food Programme and Senior Adviser, non-resident at CSIS, as they discuss Catherine’s recent report for the Chicago Council on Global Affairs entitled, “Leading Change in UN Organizations.” The conversation is focused broadly on what it means to lead a UN organization. They discuss Catherine’s recommendations for reforms within the UN system, specifically targeted to incoming heads of UN agencies to maximize success in the first one hundred days in their roles. Additionally, they discuss Catherine’s distinguished career and her important work on improving gender parity within UN agencies.

House Appropriations Chairwoman Nita Lowey (D-NY) and Ranking Member Kay Granger (R-TX) joined us for a Smart Women, Smart Power conversation on foreign aid and international affairs spending. Moderated by Nina Easton, the pair also discussed why it’s important to invest in women and girls worldwide.

Alexander De Croo, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Finance, in charge of the Fight against Tax Fraud, and Minister of Development Cooperation, Belgium Alexander De Croo, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Finance, in charge of the Fight against Tax Fraud, and Minister of Development Cooperation, Belgium Katarína Mathernová, Deputy Director General, European Commission Moderator: Daniel F. Runde, Senior Vice President, CSIS Liz Lloyd, Chief Impact Officer, CDC Group (UK) Chantal Korteweg, Director, Stakeholders, Strategy & Knowledge Management, FMO (Netherlands) Sanjeev Gupta, Executive Director for Financial Services, Africa Finance Corporation Paul Lamontagne, Chief Executive Officer, FinDev Canada  Moderator: Romina Bandura, Senior Fellow, CSIS Bruno Wenn, Chairman, EDFI On October 8, 2019, the Council of the European Union published a report by a High-level Wise Persons Group on the European financial architecture for development. The report made bold suggestions for setting a stronger policy direction for European development finance and called for consolidating responsibilities between the European Commission, European Investment Bank (EIB) and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD). It also called for a greater emphasis on Africa and climate change in investments by all of European development finance institutions (DFIs) and aid agencies. These proposals make it worth reviewing DFIs' role in mobilizing private investment is and in job creation. DFIs are instrumental in bridging investment gaps and steering private capital into developing countries. Many groups reference the transformative power and scale of the private sector as the answer for filling global development investment gaps, but questions remain from these private institutions around risk and other issues. Private sector development funding now outpaces official development assistance (ODA), underlining the important role DFIs can play in the global development community. DFIs are essential to catalyzing private investment and building the relationship between private sector industries and public sector institutions. There are many channels, including financing for policy reforms, that enable investment within the private sector and improve infrastructure. This will ultimately create jobs, boost growth, and set an example for other private businesses and investors. Maximizing private investment in target markets, therefore, will expand job impact and contributions to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).  CSIS is hosting this event in partnership with EDFI-the Association of European Development Finance Institutions.   

How does language shape diplomatic engagement on a continent that houses such linguistic variety? In our third episode with African Arguments, host Judd Devermont explores this question with Nanjala Nyabola (Author), Catherine Kelly (African Center for Strategic Studies), and Michele Wagner (U.S. State Department). Guests also review the Somalia-Kenya maritime border dispute and Senegalese President Macky Sall’s eyebrow-raising decision to pardon a political rival.

In this episode, Dan is joined by Rick Rossow, CSIS Wadhwani Chair in U.S.-India Policy Studies, as they host two senior bureaucrats from the Indian state of Kerala, Tom Jose and Sanjeev Kaushik. They all discuss how Kerala is becoming a force to be reckoned with and how infrastructure development can take them to the next level. Additionally, they explain why transportation, water, and solid waste management are of high priority for the state; and the role of various development partners in financing Kerala's infrastructure plans.

In this episode, Jude invites Ben Bland, director of the Southeast Asia Project at the Lowy Institute in Australia and author of Generation HK: Seeking Identity in China's Shadow. They discuss the on-going protests and increasing violence in Hong Kong, as well as the controversy with the National Basketball Association and what it means for U.S.-China international business relations.

Climate change is upon us. In places like Nepal, where two-thirds of the labor force rely on agriculture to earn a living, the impacts of rising temperatures, shifting rainfall patterns, and protracted droughts are becoming especially severe. The U.S. government is expanding its investment in programs that build climate resilience, but how can we ensure these investments are inclusive and beneficial to the most vulnerable populations?   Please join us for a panel discussion and the launch of our newest report, Dry Hills, Full Ponds: Climate Change, Resilience, and Agriculture in Nepal, which highlights promising approaches to placing the most vulnerable at the center of resilience-building efforts.This event is made possible through the generous support of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

The international community predominately sees the private sector as the answer to the gap in financing for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), but what other roles can the private sector play in development? Large multinational corporations have been operating in some of the most fragile contexts for years and could offer technical assistance to NGOs and aid agencies. The private sector also supplies 9 out of 10 jobs in developing countries and can help encourage foreign direct investment. Development agencies could also learn from the private sector's longstanding and resilient value chains throughout emerging markets. This event will explore these topics and feature representatives from the U.S. government, multinational corporations, SMEs, and development practitioners. 

In this episode, Dan sits down with Dean Piedmont, Senior Advisor for Disarmament, Demobilization, and Reintegration (DDR) at Creative Associates, where Mr. Piedmont leads the charge in implementing DDR programs in various countries. Dan and Mr. Piedmont discuss the trends, challenges, and successes of past DDR programs, and how they can be redesigned for integration into Afghanistan. Their conversation touches on the critical role of stakeholders and builds a potential strategy for an Afghanistan program.

While the world has seen tremendous improvement in the availability of life-saving vaccines, new, targeted approaches are needed to address remaining gaps in immunization coverage. Among pressing challenges are completing polio eradication; reaching the disenfranchised, including those in fragile and disordered settings; supporting governments as they develop their own sustainable immunization systems, and; addressing vaccine hesitancy. The World Health Organization (WHO), Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, the U.S. government, and other global immunization organizations are striving to meet these demands as they develop new strategies and programmatic enhancements for the next decade of global immunization. If successful, these advances have the potential to significantly enhance global stability and health security.   The CSIS Global Health Policy Center will host a major conference on September 27 that will examine the innovations that will shape this future. The conference will feature keynote presentations by Seth Berkley, Chief Executive Officer of Gavi; Kate O’Brien, Director of Immunization, Vaccines, and Biologicals at the WHO; and Henrietta Fore, Executive Director of UNICEF. Registration will open at 8:30am. Light refreshments will be served in the morning and lunch will be served at 11:30am. J. Stephen Morrison Senior Vice President and Director, CSIS Global Health Policy Center   Kate O'Brien Director, Immunization, Vaccines, and Biologicals, World Health Organization Seth Berkley Chief Executive Officer, Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance Moderated by:Nellie Bristol Senior Fellow, CSIS Global Health Policy Center   Edna Yolani Batres Presidential Adviser of  Health, Former Minister of Health, Republic of Honduras Muhammad Ali Pate Global Director, Health, Nutrition, and Population, World Bank, and Director of the Global Financing Facility for Women, Children, and Adolescents (GFF) Kerry Pelzman Deputy Assistant Administrator, Bureau for Global Health, U.S. Agency for International Development Anne Schuchat (RADM, USPHS, RET) Principal Deputy Director, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Moderated by:Amanda Glassman Executive Vice President and Senior Fellow, Center for Global Development Henrietta Fore Executive Director, UNICEF   Emilie Karafillakis Research Fellow, Vaccine Confidence Project, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine Rina Dey Communication Director, CORE Group Polio Project, India David Broniatowski Associate Professor, George Washington University  with a video message from:Congressman Adam B. Schiff (D-CA-28) Moderated by:J. Stephen Morrison Senior Vice President and Director, CSIS Global Health Policy Center Nahid Bhadelia Medical Director, Special Pathogens Unit, Boston University School of Medicine Rebecca Martin Director, Center for Global Health, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Violaine Mitchell Interim Director, Vaccine Delivery, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation with a video message from:Senator Roger Wicker (R-MS) Moderated by:Katherine Bliss Senior Fellow, CSIS Global Health Policy Center Nellie Bristol Senior Fellow, CSIS Global Health Policy Center  This event is made possible through the generous support of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.  

The Inter-American Development Bank (IADB) is celebrating 60 years of existence. The IADB is the largest source of development financing for countries in Latin America and the Caribbean. 19 of the 26 borrowing countries in the region are defined as “small states.” These small states rely on the IADB’s deep expertise and long-term partnership in ways that larger borrowing countries do not. Since the IADB’s Ninth General Capital Increase, the IADB has aimed to dedicate at least 35 percent of its annual lending approval volume to the small states of Latin America and the Caribbean. In conjunction with the 60 anniversary celebration of the IADB, CSIS is hosting this public event to explore the contributions, challenges, and opportunities of the IADB in small states. Agenda:  3:30 PM-3:45 PM: Opening Remarks3:45 PM-4:45 PM: Panel Discussion4:45 PM-5:00 PM: Audience Q&A5:00 PM-6:00 PM: Event Reception Please join us for this timely discussion on Wednesday, September 25. Upon conclusion of the event, a reception from 5:00-6:00 PM will take place on the first floor. This event was made possible through general support to CSIS.  

This panel discussion looked at progress being made toward achieving gender equality in developing countries and the challenges women and girls still face. The conversation features moderator Beverly Kirk and guests Zoe Dean-Smith, Amb. Mathilde Mukantabana, Johanna Nesseth Tuttle, and Astri Kimball Van Dyke.

Please join the CSIS Global Food Security Project for a discussion with a panel of experts on the relationship between climate change, political instability, and food security using current events on the African continent as a lens. The emerging consensus is that climate change poses significant national security threats. However, specific linkages between climate change and political instability are still opaque. As climate change reshapes the agricultural landscape across Africa, there is concern that higher food prices and falling yields will lead to widespread urban unrest and catalyze participation in armed extremist movements. Preceded by a keynote from Senator Bob Casey (D-PA), the discussion will examine how climate change is interacting with demographic trends in Africa to both heighten risks associated with agriculture in rural areas and those associated with dependence on global markets in urban areas. Our panelists will explore several issues such as how averting crisis in the face of climate change and food insecurity will require:   Better incorporation of agricultural production and food prices—both global and local—into risk assessments. Reinvestment in agricultural and transport infrastructure to reform global agricultural trade to make it more climate-resilient for consumers and producers in the developing world. Opportunities to work with regional governments to develop more inclusive responses to manage political and economic instability. This event was made possible through general support to CSIS.  

Bob and Andrew bring in nonpartisan legal expert Bradley P. Moss, Esq., to explain the Intelligence Community Whistleblower Protection Act of 1989. Mr. Moss tells us how it works, the unique situation regarding the President with respect to the Act, and how the process may move forward. Download the full transcript here.

The United States International Development Finance Corporation (DFC), which starts operations in October 2019, will modernize the U.S. development finance architecture. The DFC will expand the size and capabilities of the Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) and will seek to crowd-in vitally needed private sector investments in low- and lower-middle income countries through new tools such as local currency loans, first-loss guarantees, and equity investments. The DFC is expected to help solidify the work of different U.S. agencies that work on fostering the private sector abroad. During this armchair conversation and panel discussion, the Project on Prosperity and Development will share its findings on how the DFC can work more effectively in the modern international development arena, improve coordination among U.S. allies and local businesses, and better support U.S. national security interests.Please join us for this timely discussion and the launch of our report on September 24th.This event is made possible by the Smith Richardson Foundation's generous support to CSIS.  

Peace talks with the Taliban have dominated recent headlines. If a peace agreement is ever reached, it is worth looking to the future to see how that peace can be maintained and strengthened. What would come next from economic development and governance perspectives? How do we move beyond foreign aid and security cooperation driven paradigms to one that focuses on private sector growth and new investments in promising sectors? Robust policies accepted at the national and local levels, good governance, women’s empowerment, tangible demonstrations of continued security, and other changes would be critical to building upon any eventual peace agreement. And that peace agreement, if it ever comes, will only be worth the paper on which it was written should Afghanistan be unable to move into a new, more sustainable chapter in its history. This event was made possible through general support to CSIS.  

The CSIS Humanitarian Agenda is hosting the first annual Washington Humanitarian Forum on September 19th, 2019. This full-day conference will focus on humanitarian challenges that sit at the intersection of United States national security and foreign policy priorities. This year’s theme is Unlocking Humanitarian Access – Opportunities for U.S. Leadership.   The Washington Humanitarian Forum will include the launch of a report produced by the CSIS Task Force on Humanitarian Access. The Task Force, co-chaired by Senator Todd Young (R-IN) and Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ), looked at ways in which denial, delay, and diversion prevents humanitarian assistance from reaching the most vulnerable populations, and vice versa, in conflict-affected areas. The Task Force report analyzes challenges in priority countries for the United States and includes recommendations for how United States leadership can mitigate the most pressing access challenges.     Video Address: Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Senator Todd Young (R-IN) Introductions: J. Stephen Morrison, Senior Vice President and Director, Global Health Policy Center, CSIS Opening Keynote: Mark Lowcock, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs  Moderator: Kimberly Flowers, Director, Humanitarian Agenda & Global Food Security Projects, CSIS   Ambassador Ertharin Cousin, former Executive Director, UN World Food Programme Patricia McIlreavy, Vice President for Policy and Practice, InterAction  Dr. Paul B. Spiegel, Director, Center for Humanitarian Health, Johns Hopkins University  Anne Witkowsky, former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Stability and Humanitarian Affairs, Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy, U.S. Department of Defense  Moderator: Kimberly Flowers, Director, Humanitarian Agenda and Global Food Security Project, CSIS     The Humanitarian Implications of Cyber Conflict Colonel Gary Corn, Director and Adjunct Professor, Washington College of Law, American University Shanthi Kalathil, Senior Director, International Forum for Democratic Studies, National Endowment for Democracy Moderator: James Andrew Lewis, Senior Vice President and Director, Technology Policy Program, CSIS Yemen’s Crisis Dr. Aisha Jumaan, Founder and President, Yemen Relief and Reconstruction Foundation Peter Salisbury, Consulting Senior Analyst on Yemen, International Crisis Group Sheba Crocker, Vice President for Humanitarian Policy and Practice, CARE Moderator: Jon Alterman, Senior Vice President, Zbiegniew Brzezinski Chair in Global Security and Geostrategy, and Director, Middle East Program, CSIS Access in the Hot Zone: Navigating the DRC Ebola Outbreak Admiral Tim Ziemer, Senior Deputy Assistant Administrator, Bureau for Democracy Conflict, and Humanitarian Assistance, USAID Ella Watson-Stryker, Humanitarian Representative, Médecins Sans Frontières Jeremy Konyndyk, Senior Policy Fellow, Center for Global Development  Moderator: J. Stephen Morrison, Senior Vice President and Director, Global Health Policy Center, CSIS     The Growing Humanitarian Access...

On September 18, CSIS will be hosting a public launch event in partnership with the CrossBoundary Group for a new report, Investment Facilitation Revisited. Drawing on the experience of CrossBoundary's efforts to test and further develop ideas originally presented in the 2013 CSIS report on Investment Facilitation in Transitional and Fragile States, a team of experts at CSIS and CrossBoundary have revisited the issues and strategies identified in the original report and offer new learnings. The report will be released the day of the event. The report updates the understanding of country and firm-level barriers to investment (macro-level constraints, lack of capital for risk/return profile, transaction costs, and information asymmetries), and nuances the suggested interventions to address them. With a particular focus on neglected firm-level barriers, the report describes how supporting pioneer investors and companies with expertise, surge bandwidth, geographic presence, and neutral intermediation can unlock stalled investment opportunities. Buttressing their findings with recent development literature, the report highlights that transaction costs in frontier markets remain high and typically put first movers at a disadvantage in new sectors or geographies. It also emphasizes how information gaps, which can be solved through diligence and analysis, and information asymmetries, which stem from underlying trust and incentive problems, are distinct investment challenges and should be approached as such. Using case studies from CrossBoundary's work in Africa and Asia, the authors stress the need for investment facilitation led by highly skilled intermediaries with deep local knowledge. They also suggest potential improvements in the model to ensure further integration of local advisory actors into the investment process, and the development of intelligent metrics to evaluate progress and align incentives.Please join us on Wednesday, September 18th for this timely event.This event is made possible by the generous support of the CrossBoundary Group.  

In part one of a two-part discussion, Mike is joined by Kelly Magsamen, vice president for national security and international policy at the Center for American Progress and a former pentagon and NSC official; and Mira Rapp-Hooper, senior fellow for Asia studies at the Council on Foreign Relations and Yale Law School China center. With the Democratic presidential primary in full swing, the three discuss the history of Democratic grand strategy in Asia, noting the prevalence of both realist and institutionalist tendencies in Democratic administrations. Stay tuned for a further discussion on the importance of trade strategy, defense issues, and democratic values in a future Democratic administration’s Asia grand strategy in part two Download full transcript here.

In this episode, Dan sits down with Sean Cairncross, Chief Executive Officer of the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC). As CEO, Mr. Cairncross leads the agency and provides strategic direction and vision as MCC fulfills its mission of reducing poverty through economic growth and advancing America’s interests around the globe. Dan and Mr. Cairncross discuss the recent MCC-Cote D’Ivoire compact, the addition of regional compacts, the MCC model, and beyond. They also analyze how the MCC integrates accountability and sustainability mechanisms into their agenda and how its threshold programs lead to successful country compacts.

Millions of people around the world live in and travel through the shadows. Compelled to leave home, they migrate irregularly without proper documentation to gain access to jobs, education, healthcare, food, and other essential services. Irregular migration exists because there are not enough opportunities for safety and prosperity at home and too few conventional means through which to remedy that lack of opportunity. Recognizing the critical, understudied, and often misunderstood nature of this global phenomenon, CSIS produced a research study on irregular migration involving field research in Mexico, Eritrea, and Ghana. This report, which builds on CSIS’ past work on the global forced migration crisis, aims to shine a light on irregular migration and contribute to an enormously consequential conversation.  Read CSIS’s new report Out of the Shadows: Shining a Light on Irregular Migration.  The report and event were made possible by the generous support of the Ford Foundation.

This week, Jude and Andrew discuss last Sunday’s mass migration of Hong Kong protesters in a peaceful march, and what it might indicate for the future. They also analyze the growing role of social media within the conflict, as well as within potential cyber threats from China, and how the White House and U.S. Congress is—or isn’t—responding to it all.

Please join us for an armchair discussion with Sean Cairncross, CEO, to hear more about his vision for the future direction of the MCC and U.S. foreign aid.   Since its creation in 2004, the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) has acted as a key U.S. foreign assistance instrument focused on economic growth, country partnerships, and cost-effective projects. Its impact spans nearly 50 countries around the world in the agriculture, education, energy, health, and infrastructure sectors. MCC's three different grant systems—compacts, concurrent compacts for regional investments, and threshold programs—address the underlying causes of poverty and promote economic growth by working with the private sector and supporting regulatory reforms. Sean Cairncross was nominated by President Donald Trump to serve as Chief Executive Officer of the Millennium Challenge Corporation and was sworn in on June 24, 2019. As CEO, Mr. Cairncross leads the agency and provides strategic direction and vision as MCC fulfills its mission of reducing poverty through economic growth and advancing America’s interests around the globe. Sean Cairncross was the former Deputy Assistant to President Trump and Senior Advisor to the White House Chief of Staff. Before his work at the White House, Mr. Cairncross served as the Chief Operating Officer of the Republican National Committee for the 2016 election cycle. This event is made possible by general support to CSIS.  

Please join us on July 24th for a public event focused on Sustainable Development Goal #5 which aims to achieve global gender equality and empower all women and girls. Inequalities stemming from discrimination towards women have declined in recent decades; however, a significant social, economic, and political divide still exists. Women are consistently paid less than their male counterparts around the world even in many developed countries. Societal and culture norms prevent women from entering the labor force and contributing to the economy. Environmental concerns like access to water impact women the most because they are the traditional collectors. Lack of educational opportunities prevent many women from escaping cycles of generational poverty.  This event will look at the challenges to inclusion that women face in developing countries and also the progress made toward achieving gender equality and empowering all women and girls. Closing the gender gap could add an estimated $28 trillion to global GDP by 2025, but the inequalities to be targeted exist in many different sectors. A wide digital gender gap exists, women in the bottom of the income pyramid earn 30-50 percent less than their male counterparts, making technology, communication, and internet access prices prohibitive, hindering economic inclusion. Women are still underrepresented in managerial positions, with fewer than a third of senior and middle-management positions being held by women from 2009-2015. And based on data from 90 countries, women spend around three times as many hours as men in unpaid domestic and care work. How can women become more employed? Why are there so few women employed in the technology sector? And how can we further improve women's access to finance?This event is part of the "Chevron Forum for Development" series focused on the SDGs and made possible with general support from Chevron. So far, we have hosted events on the role of the private sector, SDG#7 on affordable and clean energy, SDG#16: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions, and SDG#17: Partnerships for the Goals.   

A negotiated settlement may be the only solution to end the 18 years of war in Afghanistan. Though peace is possible, it feels like a distant hope. Afghans and others are cautiously talking about life after armed conflict, but a much-desired peace brings its own challenges. Chiefly among them is to address the livelihood needs of former fighters, some 2 million returned refugees, more than 2.5 million internally displaced persons, and many other vulnerable people. The panel of distinguished experts will discuss challenges, options, and opportunities as Afghanistan attempts to address employment for these at-risk segments of the population. During the panel session, Dean Piedmont of Creative Associates will present a white paper on disarmament, demobilization, and reintegration (DDR) of former fighters in the country. Please join us for this timely discussion on Tuesday, July 23rd. This event is made possible by the support of Creative Associates International.

The air we breathe, the water we drink, and the food we eat all rely on biodiversity – but the demands of a growing population and the practices of unsustainable agriculture are compromising access to humanity’s most basic needs. This was the message from two recent reports launched by Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations' (FAO) publications: Biodiversity for Sustainable Agriculture and The State of the World’s Biodiversity for Food and Agriculture.   The reports detailed the impact of environmental degradation and the impact diminishing biodiversity has on vulnerable ecosystems and food systems, including agriculture and health. Once biodiversity is lost, we cannot recover it. What is driving these changes in nature and how will it impact daily life? What policies and practices need to be put in place to save our planet and our food security?   Join us to hear from experts on the linkages between biodiversity loss and its impact on the global food system. The distinguished panel will reflect on the importance of safeguarding biodiversity for food and agriculture. Sustainable agriculture is key to reversing trends that lead to biodiversity loss, damaged ecosystems, deforestation, and the overall deterioration of our natural resources. The event will include an in-depth, multidisciplinary discussion as well as a nuanced conversation on the two reports.  This dialogue is part of the joint CSIS Global Food Security Project and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Liaison Office for North America speaker series on agricultural development.

Global supply chains are critical to development. Over the past few years, there have been major changes in how goods are produced and delivered, led by the growing role of technology. Digital technologies and innovations like drones as well as management information systems which incorporate blockchain and artificial intelligence offer unique opportunities to strengthen supply chains and spur economic growth. Development practitioners and the private sector are looking to use supply chain data to improve traceability, decrease waste, and make sure that goods and services are reaching their intended targets in developing countries. This event will examine the opportunities to strengthen and track global supply chains through new technologies. This event is made possible by generous support from Chemonics International.   

Download the Brief For many developing countries, the absence of quality infrastructure is a significant bottleneck to sustainable economic growth. A large number of studies have demonstrated that quality infrastructure yields large scale and long-term economic dividends. Political leadership in host countries is required to ensure that quality infrastructure investments are made. With support from donor countries and multilateral development banks, such efforts to pursue sustainable quality infrastructure can be supplemented with planning and procurement practices that look at long-term economic efficiency and life-cycle costs. CSIS, with generous support from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, undertook a comprehensive research study to examine the importance of transparency and sustainability in achieving quality infrastructure, the findings from which have been captured in a short policy brief. Through this public event, CSIS and its panel will share insights that build on the emerging consensus among G20 member states ahead of the Osaka summit. The inputs and recommendations of the policy brief will enable more quality infrastructure.Please join us at CSIS for this timely discussion on quality infrastructure in the context of the upcoming Osaka G20 Summit.This event is made possible through generous support from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan.  

A group of sovereign countries came together out of the ashes of World War II and created the United Nations – the formal name given by the allied countries who won World War II – to solve collective global problems. The United Nations built upon hard lessons learned from the failure of the League of Nations. Senator Arthur Vandenberg was one of the key architects of the United Nations as we know it.   In 1945, seeking bipartisan support for rebuilding the world, President Truman called upon Senator Vandenberg to join him as a member of the U.S. Delegation to the United Nations Conference in San Francisco. Senator Vandenberg worked across party lines with President Truman and played a pivotal role in standing up the United Nations Charter, which assured that the U.S. held veto power in the Security Council. Senator Vandenberg returned to the Senate and ensured that the United Nations Charter received overwhelming support. Thanks in part to his efforts, the United Nations remains the preeminent international problem-solving body in the world today.   Although there are existing criticisms surrounding the United Nations, a functioning United Nations remains in the U.S. interest. One of the most critical roles the United Nations plays is addressing global problems and burden sharing the costs of security, development, and other public goods. CSIS would like to use this opportunity to identify areas of bipartisan agreement over the U.S. role in the United Nations.   Please join us for a public armchair discussion with Governor Bill Richardson and Catherine Bertini which will reflect on the progress made at the United Nations since its formation and will examine how the United States can partner with the United Nations for its economic and national security interests.  This is the second event in a CSIS series focused on “Building Bipartisan Solutions for Foreign Policy Issues: The Arthur Vandenberg Legacy Initiative.” The first event was held in March 2019 focused on “The Case for U.S. Foreign Assistance” where CSIS convened Senator Tom Daschle and Senator Norm Coleman. CSIS has also released a video on the legacy of Arthur Vandenberg.    This event is made possible through generous support from the Meijer Foundation.  

Download the EVENT SUMMARY The CSIS Global Food Security Project invites you to join a discussion with a world-renowned expert and advocate on the opportunity for U.S. foreign policy and business to improve global nutrition. Dr. Lawrence Haddad, Executive Director of the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN), was awarded the 2018 World Food Prize for his exemplary leadership in maternal and child nutrition and efforts to significantly reduce childhood stunting. Please join us to learn Dr. Haddad’s views on why and how the U.S. government should strengthen public-private engagement in its foreign policy to provide optimal nutrition for all. The current state of all three forms of malnutrition—underweight, overweight or obese, and micronutrient deficiency—is unacceptable. With one in three people experiencing malnutrition, every country faces the damaging effects malnutrition has on country-level prosperity and security. Although the current food system faces many challenges today, the private sector must be part of the solution to decrease malnutrition. Industry can play a more integral role in making nutrient-dense food more affordable and available to all populations; this means maximizing profits and prioritizing food and nutrition security and health. U.S. policymakers should build an environment that fosters public-private engagement, fortifies accountability, and shares decision-making.This event is made possible by the support of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Climate, disasters, and other shocks put hard-won progress at risk of crumbling. Anticipating these challenges can help to preserve gains and prevent domino effect collapse. But there are many emerging tools for policymakers and planners to anticipate changes, shocks, and fragility in the developing world.   In Spring 2019, KPMG will publish its annual Change Readiness Index (CRI) as a tool to evaluate a country’s ability to grow and respond to global issues, meet goals, cultivate opportunities, and mitigate challenges. The CRI helps to plan for the shocks described above which can disrupt global development progress, policy, and planning. In the age of information, with competing national priorities and goals, myriad news and analysis sources, and emerging technological tools for evaluating global progress, the CRI is one of the best sources of information that can feed into planning and executing international development strategies.   Please join CSIS for opening remarks from Laura Frigenti, followed by a public panel discussion that will evaluate how public goods like the CRI—in addition to other tools— can help increase preparedness in developing countries with modern analytics.This event is made possible by generous support from KPMG.

Please join us for May 31 for the public launch of our report, Rethinking Taxes and Development: Incorporating Political Economy Considerations in DRM Strategies. This report analyzes the political economy opportunities and constraints of domestic resource mobilization on the road to self-reliance. CSIS, in partnership with DAI, conducted research in Kampala, Uganda and Monrovia, Liberia to assess the current political and economic conditions affecting DRM reform efforts. Uganda and Liberia were selected because both are low-income countries struggling to expand their respective tax bases, increase tax-payer morale, have equitable tax administrations, and implement reforms to mobilize more domestic resources. Many of the constraints in both countries relate to transparency, corruption, underdeveloped systems and low capacity of tax authorities. However, many of the constraints are more political in nature, including a lack of support in parliament, outsized influence of the elite, entrenched bureaucratic interests, resistance from the private sector, unpopular changes to legislation and general distrust of government by civil society. This report offers a fresh perspective for U.S. policymakers and other development agencies on how they can better partner with developing country governments on the shared goal of increased DRM, focusing on addressing the political economy opportunities and constraints to increasing the impact of development efforts.  This report is made possible by DAI's generous contributions to and cooperation with the Project on Prosperity and Development.

On May 21, the CSIS Project on Prosperity and Development will be releasing an essay anthology on the fourth industrial revolution. The authors include Romina Bandura, Christina Campbell-Zausner, William Carter, MacKenzie Hammond, Sonia Jorge, Casper Klynge, Aaron Milner, Maiko Nakagaki, Peter Raymond, Nilmini Rubin, Daniel Runde, and Steven Zausner.  There are not going to be driverless Ubers in Lagos anytime soon. Robots are not going to steal millions of jobs from American miners or factory workers. Nor will our genes be spliced with technological enhancements to defeat diseases and to supercharge our neurons. Not yet, at least.   But we are beginning to see symptoms of the globally disruptive phenomenon known as the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR)*. Rapid periods of past technological industrialization have created tectonic shifts in societies throughout human history. Diverse technologies have grown and scaled to knock off behemoths and traditions to become the next giants themselves.   Some of these technologies that will define next-generation human enterprise, connectivity, and lifestyles already are here, but they haven’t been scaled to everyday utilization. For example, the vertical lift technology for flying cars has been around for years, but the regulatory environment, legal considerations, and other issues currently outweigh the benefit to innovate. Just because society has these technologies does not mean they will roll out. There are growing speed bumps to technology around privacy, competition, and equitable access. Technologies’ dramatic impact on everyday life could take a long time, but just like previous revolutions, if we do not plan for these evolutions now, we won’t benefit from them in the future.This event is made possible through generous support of the Royal Danish Embassy in Washington D.C.

In many countries, financing development challenges such as humanitarian disasters, communicable diseases, and basic social services have, until recently, relied heavily on foreign aid or official development assistance (ODA). The landscape has been slowly shifting towards a development approach that is more “demand-driven”: steered and owned by developing countries in partnership with donors.   In many developing countries, especially low-income countries, foreign aid still plays a significant role in financing government priorities and will continue to play a crucial role in the years to come. Yet foreign assistance is not adapting to the changing landscape of developing countries, and there is concern whether donors like the United States are able to deliver the level of flexibility and variety that countries are demanding. This shift towards demand driven development and increased country ownership requires rethinking the way aid is delivered, and the relationship between donor and recipient countries. In order to ensure that low-income countries—particularly fragile and conflict-affected states—make progress, the United States and other donors will need to embrace new approaches and instruments to tackle persisting challenges.   This event will launch a new report that discusses the concept and importance of a demand-driven approach to development from a U.S. perspective. The discussion will focus on the programmatic and policy changes that need to take place to fully adopt the principles of a demand driven approach.   This event is made possible through generous support of the Royal Danish Embassy in Washington D.C.

CSIS and USA for IOM cordially invite you to a book launch of We’re in Danger! Who Will Help Us? Refugees and Migrants: A Test of Civilization with author James Purcell. While millions of people are displaced around the globe and thousands more contemplate dangerous journeys in search of a better life, We’re in Danger! Who Will Help Us? draws on lessons from the “refugee decade” to inform responses to today’s crises. During the 1980s, major humanitarian emergencies erupted throughout the world. Indochina was the first complex refugee crisis the global humanitarian community faced after World War II. The international community devised new and creative approaches, with victims of crises at the center of policy decision-making, toward humane and durable solutions. Knowledge gained from Indochina and simultaneous crises in other regions proved invaluable in addressing critical challenges in various parts of the world. Mr. Purcell shares his experiences leading the U.S. State Department's Bureau for Refugee Programs (now called Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) to call for multilateral approaches—incorporating refugee-decade lessons learned—to solve current and future humanitarian crises. Please join us for a conversation with James Purcell, author of We’re in Danger! Who Will Help Us? and Chairman of USA for IOM followed by a reception. Mr. Purcell is the Former Director General of the IOM and Former Director of the U.S. State Department’s Bureau for Refugee Programs. Mr. Purcell will be available for book signing from 3:30 PM – 4:00 PM. The public event will run from 4:00 PM – 5:15 PM and will be followed by a food and beverage reception from 5:15 PM – 6:00 PM.Books will be available for purchase and signing before the event. Ten percent of all proceeds will benefit USA for IOM and their work to provide life-saving humanitarian assistance for people displaced by natural disasters and conflicts, as well as assistance to survivors and victims of human trafficking.This event is made possible through general support to CSIS.

Africa’s future is urban. The continent will become 50 percent urban by 2030 and its urban population will double by 2050, yet policymakers have not revised their programmatic approach. In this recording from their 2019 Global Development Forum session, Judd Devermont (CSIS), Jefferson T. Koijee (Mayor of Monrovia, Liberia), Emilio Ciarlo (Italian Agency for Development Cooperation), Dana Omran (100 Resilient Cities), and Somik Lall (World Bank) share how the continent can configure its urban areas to unlock their potential.

The CSIS Global Food Security Project and the CSIS Africa Program invite you to join a discussion on the economic decline and food insecurity crisis in Zimbabwe. According to the Zimbabwe Vulnerability Assessment Committee’s 2018 Rural Livelihoods Assessment, nearly 2.4 million people in rural Zimbabwe were projected to be severely food insecure by March 2019. In the wake of Cyclone Idai, Zimbabwe's dire condition seems poised to worsen. If the current trends continue, Zimbabwe could be facing a severe humanitarian crises that rivals some of the worst in the world.   Is Zimbabwe prepared to reform its economy, address its food security challenges, and develop a sustainable strategy to response to natural disasters? How can the international community and the U.S. government support peace and prosperity in the wake of this disaster? Panelists Ashok Chakravarti, Jason Taylor, and Peter Thomas will tackle these questions and shine a light on the escalating situation in Zimbabwe to the Washington policy community. This event is made possible through the generous support of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Please join the CSIS International Security Program and Project on Prosperity and Development for a discussion on pursuing effective and conflict-aware stabilization in light of the new Stabilization Assistance Review framework, released by the U.S. administration in June 2018.    3:30 PM - 4:00 PM: Keynote Dr. Denise Natali, Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Conflict and Stabilization Operations, U.S. Department of State Moderator: Erol Yayboke, Deputy Director and Senior Fellow, Project on Prosperity and Development, Project on U.S. Leadership in Development, Center for Strategic and International Studies 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM: Panel Discussion Ambassador Barbara Bodine, Director and Distinguished Professor in the Practice of Diplomacy, Institute for the Study of Diplomacy, Georgetown University Frances Brown, Fellow, Democracy, Conflict, and Governance Program, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace Robert Jenkins, Deputy Assistant Administrator, Bureau for Democracy, Conflict, and Humanitarian Assistance, U.S. Agency for International Development Moderator: Melissa Dalton, Senior Fellow and Deputy Director, International Security Program, and Director, Cooperative Defense Project, Center for Strategic and International Studies This event is made possible by support from Chemonics International.

Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has been widely hailed for his promises to open political space, usher in economic liberalization, and remake the country’s poor record on human rights. However, to truly transform his country, Dr. Abiy must first transform agriculture, which is the nucleus of the Ethiopian economy and by far the largest employer. Please join us for the launch of our newest report, Building a Big Tent for Agricultural Transformation in Ethiopia, which examines the past wins, current endeavors, and future challenges of Ethiopia’s Agricultural Transformation Agency (ATA).   Following a keynote message from ATA’s CEO, Khalid Bomba, an expert panel will compare and contrast Ethiopia’s experience in agricultural transformation to that of other countries and explore the role that donors like the United States government can play to support such efforts for country-led development. This event is made possible through the generous support of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Download the Report Download the Brief Over the next 15 years, it is projected that more infrastructure will be built globally than currently exists. Please join the CSIS Reconnecting Asia Project and the Project on Prosperity and Development for the rollout of a new report discussing how the United States can strategically shape the global infrastructure buildout.    Opening remarks by:Matthew P. Goodman Senior Vice President, Simon Chair in Political Economy and Senior Adviser for Asian Economics, CSIS   Featuring a Panel Discussion with:Ambassador Charlene BarshefskySenior International Partner, WilmerHaleFormer U.S. Trade Representative  Stephen J. HadleyPrincipal, RiceHadleyGates LLCFormer National Security AdvisorPeter RaymondSenior Associate, Reconnecting Asia Project and Simon Chair, CSISFormer Global Advisory Leader, Capital Projects & Infrastructure Practice, PwC Moderated by: Daniel F. RundeSenior Vice President, William A. Schreyer Chair and Director, Project on Prosperity and Development, CSIS   This event is made possible by generous support from Bechtel Group, IBM, and the Inter-American Development Bank.