The United States has laid out its priorities for the upcoming United Nations General Assembly, calling for a “fundamental rethink” of the international humanitarian system and a decreased reliance on the country that was once the world’s largest donor.
“For decades, the United States has led the world in shouldering the burden of international humanitarian assistance,” read an email from the State Department, which was shared with U.S. embassies across the world — and obtained by Devex — on Wednesday. “It is imperative for other donors to step up.”
The email provided the clearest glimpse into how the U.S. is thinking about its plans for the world’s largest annual summit of world leaders. But it shed little light on the administration’s thinking on some of the greatest foreign policy challenges, including the war in Ukraine and Israel’s military siege of Gaza.
About the author
Elissa Miolene
Elissa Miolene reports on USAID and the U.S. government at Devex. She previously covered education at The San Jose Mercury News, and has written for outlets like The Wall Street Journal, San Francisco Chronicle, Washingtonian magazine, among others. Before shifting to journalism, Elissa led communications for humanitarian agencies in the United States, East Africa, and South Asia.
