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The Big Picture
President Bush has placed development at the forefront
of U.S. national security and foreign policy. USAID
is rising to the challenge -- American diplomacy and
development assistance will continue to be powerful
drivers of political and economic freedom around the
world
To learn more about why development is now an integral part
of U.S. national security and foreign policy: You should read
the 2002 National
Security Strategy which devotes an entire section to expanding
the circle of development, opening societies and building
the infrastructure of democracy. USAID also recently published
an analysis of the main trends - and the related challenges
- now unfolding in the developing world. These two documents
build the case why promoting islands of stability in the developing
world and reducing the roster of failing states are top priorities
of U.S. international policy.
Please take a chance to read through our new ideas, look at the key documents that define us. It is an exciting time to be helping the world.
| Emerging
Policy Issues |
| TRADING PLACES
More than 40 percent of all U.S. exports and half of
U.S. agricultural exports are sold to developing countries
-- these annual exports account for about 4 million
U.S. jobs. However exports to the United States from the 48 least-developed countries (LDCs) amounted to just $8.9 billion or 0.7% of total American merchandise imports in the year 2000. Learn
more about how and why the U.S. government is working
to help poor countries build up their ability to trade
and to negotiate trade agreements.
BAD TRAFFIC
Failing states remain at the nexus of development and
security policy. Human trafficking - along with drug
trafficking, infectious disease and terrorism - remains
a cruel symptom of state failure. Annually, between
700,000 and 4 million people are bought and sold as
prostitutes, domestic workers, sex slaves, child laborers,
and child soldiers. Learn
more about the Agency's new strategy to combat the
trafficking of persons for sexual or economic exploitation.
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