The U.S. State Department today released the full final version of its first Quadrennial Diplomacy and Development Review, which outlines a sweeping reform agenda on U.S. foreign relations and international development.
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton unveiled the 200-page review in a town hall meeting with State Department employees Dec. 15 in Washington D.C.
“The QDDR is a blueprint for how we can make the State Department and USAID more nimble, more effective, and more accountable,” she said, referring to the U.S. Agency for International Development, “a blueprint for how our country can lead in a changing world through the use of what I call ‘civilian power’ – the combined force of all of the civilians across the U.S. government who practice diplomacy, carry out development projects, and act to prevent and respond to crisis and conflict.”
The review focuses on four broad areas of change, namely adapting to the changing diplomatic landscape of the 21st century by capitalizing on U.S. civilian power, elevating and modernizing U.S. development efforts to deliver results by focusing investments and supporting innovation, building civilian capacity to prevent and respond to conflict and crisis, and making smarter use of U.S. resources.
The QDDR was launched last year, spearheaded by the Department of State with the collaboration of USAID. Its release has been marked by several delays; a draft summary of its recommendations was leaked last month to the media.
The QDDR document follows the announcement in September of President Obama’s global development strategy. Since congressional elections in November resulted in a takeover of the U.S. House of Representatives by the opposition Republican Party, it is unclear whether reforms that would require legislative approval will have a realistic chance of advancing.
Read the full QDDR document here. Attached below is an executive summary and fact sheet. Check back for a more detailed analysis of the QDDR. And please share your thoughts by commenting below or by e-mailing news@devex.com.
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