4. Building local capacity promotes country ownership and leads to self-sufficiency.

For development assistance to work, it must be directed toward efforts that its
beneficiaries identify, design, and value. Country ownership, through the participation of
a strong civil society and effective and transparent public institutions, is vital to building
programs and investments that are sustainable for generations to come. Truly effective
assistance must hold all stakeholders - donors, civil society, and government - in the
development process accountable for achieving the defined results that lead to
measurable impact and sustainable changes in well-being.

5. Harmonize priorities among the U.S. government agencies, multilateral institutions and
recipient governments to assure the best use of resources.

In order to achieve the greatest impact for each foreign assistance dollar, partnership,
collaboration, and dialogue with other donors, both bilateral and multilateral, are critical.
Such efforts allow humanitarian and development programs to build upon best practices
and avoid wasteful duplication. Bilateral and multilateral efforts each have distinctive
contributions and should be seen as complementary. Aid works best when donors work
together, each using their comparative strengths to achieve agreed-upon goals to which
both governments and citizens are committed.

6. Humanitarian assistance programs should continue to be a core part of foreign aid and be
guided by the principle of impartiality to conform with international humanitarian law.

The U.S. government has long been a leader in providing assistance to refugees and
others affected by natural disasters and conflict. These programs should be a core part of
U.S. foreign aid and continue to be guided by the humanitarian imperative, which dictates
that help should be provided to all of those in dire need, regardless of politics and creed.
Similarly, programs focused on global health threats such as HIV/AIDS and avian flu
should benefit all of those exposed to risk of illness.

7. U.S. foreign assistance programs should be under civilian control and run by development
professionals in order to be appropriate for the public abroad.

Currently the Department of Defense has unprecedented influence over our nation’s
largest and most visible development assistance programs: those in Afghanistan and Iraq.
Additionally, there are recent indications that the Pentagon seeks an expanded role in
foreign assistance activities traditionally undertaken by civilian components of the U.S.
government and American non-governmental organizations. To remain consistent with
American traditions and the image the U.S. wishes to project abroad, the military should
be engaged in foreign assistance delivery only in exceptional circumstances when they
have unique capabilities or responsibilities, e.g. during natural disasters when the
logistical capabilities of the U.S. military may be crucial in providing life-saving
assistance, or during conflict which precludes the presence of civilian aid workers. In
any reorganization, the U.S. Foreign Assistance Program should be under civilian
control.