View all text of Part I [§ 2151 - § 2152k]
§ 2151–1. Development assistance policy
(a) Principal purpose of bilateral development assistance
(b) Form of assistance; principles governing assistanceAssistance under this part should be used not only for the purpose of transferring financial resources to developing countries, but also to help countries solve development problems in accordance with a strategy that aims to insure wide participation of the poor in the benefits of development on a sustained basis. Moreover, assistance shall be provided in a prompt and effective manner, using appropriate United States institutions for carrying out this strategy. In order to achieve these objectives and the broad objectives set forth in section 2151 of this title and in subsection (a) of this section, bilateral development assistance authorized by this chapter shall be carried out in accordance with the following principles:
(1) Development is primarily the responsibility of the people of the developing countries themselves. Assistance from the United States shall be used in support of, rather than substitution for, the self-help efforts that are essential to successful development programs and shall be concentrated in those countries that take positive steps to help themselves. Maximum effort shall be made, in the administration of subchapter I of this chapter, to stimulate the involvement of the people in the development process through the encouragement of democratic participation in private and local governmental activities and institution building appropriate to the requirements of the recipient countries.
(2) Development planning must be the responsibility of each sovereign country. United States assistance should be administered in a collaborative style to support the development goals chosen by each country receiving assistance.
(3) United States bilateral development assistance should give high priority to undertakings submitted by host governments which directly improve the lives of the poorest of their people and their capacity to participate in the development of their countries, while also helping such governments enhance their planning, technical, and administrative capabilities needed to insure the success of such undertakings.
(4) Development assistance provided under this part shall be concentrated in countries which will make the most effective use of such assistance to help satisfy basic human needs of poor people through equitable growth, especially in those countries having the greatest need for outside assistance. In order to make possible consistent and informed judgments in this respect, the President shall assess the commitment and progress of countries in moving toward the objectives and purposes of this part by utilizing criteria, including but not limited to the following:
(A) increase in agricultural productivity per unit of land through small-farm, labor-intensive agriculture;
(B) reduction of infant mortality;
(C) control of population growth;
(D) promotion of greater equality of income distribution, including measures such as more progressive taxation and more equitable returns to small farmers;
(E) reduction of rates of unemployment and underemployment;
(F) increase in literacy; and
(G) progress in combating corruption and improving transparency and accountability in the public and private sector.
(5) United States development assistance should focus on critical problems in those functional sectors which affect the lives of the majority of the people in the developing countries; food production and nutrition; rural development and generation of gainful employment; population planning and health; environment and natural resources; education, development administration, and human resource development; and energy development and production.
(6) United States assistance shall encourage and promote the participation of women in the national economies of developing countries and the improvement of women’s status as an important means of promoting the total development effort.
(7) United States bilateral assistance shall recognize that the prosperity of developing countries and effective development efforts require the adoption of an overall strategy that promotes the development, production, and efficient utilization of energy and, therefore, consideration shall be given to the full implications of such assistance on the price, availability, and consumption of energy in recipient countries.
(8) United States cooperation in development should be carried out to the maximum extent possible through the private sector, including those institutions which already have ties in the developing areas, such as educational institutions, cooperatives, credit unions, free labor unions, and private and voluntary agencies.
(9) To the maximum extent practicable, United States private investment should be encouraged in economic and social development programs to which the United States lends support.
(10) Assistance shall be planned and utilized to encourage regional cooperation by developing countries in the solution of common problems and the development of shared resources.
(11) Assistance efforts of the United States shall be planned and furnished to the maximum extent practicable in coordination and cooperation with assistance efforts of other countries, including the planning and implementation of programs and projects on a multilateral and multidonor basis.
(12) United States bilateral development assistance should be concentrated on projects which do not involve large-scale capital transfers. However, to the extent that such assistance does involve large-scale capital transfers, it should be furnished in association with contributions from other countries working together in a multilateral framework.
(13) United States encouragement of policy reforms is necessary if developing countries are to achieve economic growth with equity.
(14) Development assistance should, as a fundamental objective, promote private sector activity in open and competitive markets in developing countries, recognizing such activity to be a productive and efficient means of achieving equitable and long term economic growth.
(15) United States cooperation in development should recognize as essential the need of developing countries to have access to appropriate technology in order to improve food and water, health and housing, education and employment, and agriculture and industry.
(16) United States assistance should focus on establishing and upgrading the institutional capacities of developing countries in order to promote long term development. An important component of institution building involves training to expand the human resource potential of people in developing countries.
(17) Economic reform and development of effective institutions of democratic governance are mutually reinforcing. The successful transition of a developing country is dependent upon the quality of its economic and governance institutions. Rule of law, mechanisms of accountability and transparency, security of person, property, and investments, are but a few of the critical governance and economic reforms that underpin the sustainability of broad-based economic growth. Programs in support of such reforms strengthen the capacity of people to hold their governments accountable and to create economic opportunity.
(c) Worldwide cooperative effort to overcome aspects of absolute poverty
(Pub. L. 87–195, pt. I, § 102, as added Pub. L. 95–424, title I, § 101, Oct. 6, 1978, 92 Stat. 938; amended Pub. L. 96–53, title I, § 104(a), Aug. 14, 1979, 93 Stat. 360; Pub. L. 99–83, title III, § 301, Aug. 8, 1985, 99 Stat. 213; Pub. L. 106–309, title II, § 203(b), Oct. 17, 2000, 114 Stat. 1092.)