We just wrapped up our Doha blogging series, but wanted to share this video we put together recapping the trip. Enjoy!

-Chris Scott

There is a final document! We don’t have to reschedule our flights. And there seem to be quite some people who think that this is a good outcome.

We are not too overwhelmed by the results. Clearly: this was a difficult environment for such a conference with one of the biggest financial crisis since decades going on and the US as most important player in-between two administrations.

In the final communiqué donors gave a weak reaffirmation of existing commitments. Interesting is the language on timetables encouraging all donors to present by the end of 2010 timetables how they want to reach their aid commitments. This is particularly relevant for the EU countries. They will have to tell their population and development partnershow to reach the famous 0,7% by 2015, the fraction of GNI which is supposed to go to development. It also includes detailed language on aid effectiveness, without explicitly endorsing the Paris declaration.

What we think is positive is that it is acknowledged that adaptation to climate change in the developing countries will demand additional funds – but not specifying who has to contribute those additional resources (which is not so positive). The climate change conference in Poznan will have to confirm that it is the polluter (i.e. developed countries) that should pay.

The main thrust in the area to tackle corruption came through a number of side events. This topic was clearly on the top of the list of many NGOs and was muched talked about in the hallways. The document mentions “effectively combating tax evasion” but unfortunately does not name measures against tax havens explicitly. It also urges all states to “consider ratifying” UNCAC.

It is quite a success for the developing countries that they managed to have a UN-conference in 2009 on the highest level about the impact of the financial crisis on development. This was something they and many NGOs fought for very hard because the concern was that the poorest countries would not have a say in the new financial architecture if it would be only discussed among the G20. Other language on trade and debt relief were rather general.

These were interesting days, talking to delegations and journalists and following the negotiation process. The special envoys of the Secretary General, the German Minister Heidemarie Wieczorek-Zeul and the South African Minister Trevor Manuel did a good job in pushing for more and better aid and encouraging progress on innovative financing for development. The story will continue next year in London at the G20 conference. Until then we say “over and out” from Doha! Thanks for following us through these days!

-Sergius Seebohm

In Zimbabwe yesterday, state media reported that water supply in the capital Harare has been cut off due to a shortage of purification chemicals. The news comes amidst an outbreak of cholera, which has killed nearly 500 people in recent months and infected over 11,000 since August. The disease has reached 9 of the country’s ten provinces, and Zimbabwe’s health ministry warned yesterday that the outbreak could spread even further with the onset of the rainy season in November.

Cholera spreads through contaminated water and is closely linked to a lack of safe drinking water and a functioning sanitation system. Outbreaks are usually concentrated in urban slums and refugee camps where basic water and sanitation infrastructure is generally weak. Although the majority of cholera patients can be treated through the with oral rehydration salts costing as little as 50 cents per dose, a shortage of medicines and the disintegration of Zimbabwe’s health infrastructure has driven patients across the border into South Africa for treatment.

The outbreak is the latest in a series of alarms signaling the collapse of basic services in Zimbabwe. In addition to fueling an acute food crisis and skyrocketing inflation, the country’s ongoing political and economic crisis have dealt a crippling blow to the country’s health and education systems, which were once among the most promising in Africa.

Pressure is mounting for the Zimbabwean government to declare a national emergency in hopes that it will help mobilize aid to address the outbreak. Earlier today, opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai called on the world to help respond to what he called labeled a “man-made” humanitarian crisis. Aid groups and medical charities like Oxfam and Médecins Sans Frontières are also calling for urgent action by the government.

-Nora Coghlan

The City of Miami recognized the 20th anniversary of World AIDS Day yesterday with a candlelight memorial and tree lighting ceremony at the Miami Riverside Center. ONE volunteers participated in the event to help raise awareness, educate and motivate people to continue to fight the disease.

The event began with an invocation by Reverend Raymond Carvil, Sr. and featured several speakers including Miami Mayor Manny Diaz, Ed Resto from the Jackson Health System and Lillian Rivera, Miami Dade County Health Department Administrator.

After the tree lighting and candlelight vigil we had an opportunity to speak with Mayor Diaz and his staff. We talked about the goals of the ONE Campaign and thanked them for their commitment to raising awareness locally about HIV/AIDS and the devastating impacts of the disease.

We also talked to Commissioner Joe Sanchez about ONE’s presence in Florida, some of our recent activities in the area and our efforts to engage local leaders to help us raise awareness about extreme poverty and preventable diseases like HIV/AIDS. We gave him a ONE shirt and look forward to future meetings with his office.

By the end of the night we had passed out all of our wrist bands and made many new friends who share our commitment to fighting AIDS. With a collective voice, we believe that we can motivate our leaders to do more in the fight against poverty and HIV/AIDS.

-Sara Paterni

Associated Press: French first lady joins global fight against AIDS
As ceremonies marked World AIDS Day, Carla Bruni-Sarkozy signed on to become a goodwill ambassador for the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, which said it has provided lifesaving treatment to two million people living with HIV worldwide. Article also includes the following comment: “Irish singer and activist Bono called her appointment ‘a great coup’ for the Global Fund.”

CNN: Obama, Blair laud Bush’s AIDS work in Africa
On Monday, President-elect Obama offered the outgoing head of state accolades for battling AIDS in Africa. “I salute President Bush for his leadership in crafting a plan for AIDS relief in Africa and backing it up with funding dedicated to saving lives and preventing the spread of the disease,” Obama said in taped remarks to the Saddleback Civil Forum on Global Health.

Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Q&A / HELENE GAYLE, president and CEO of CARE USA: HIV/AIDS progress made; more to do
A question and answer session with Helene Gayle, President and CEO of CARE USA.

Associated Press: Testing newborns for HIV can save lives
Early treatment for babies born with the virus that causes AIDS can significantly increase their chances of survival, according to a report Monday by four U.N. agencies. Far too few pregnant women know their HIV status and in 2007 less than 10 percent of infants born to HIV-positive mothers were tested for the virus before they were two months old, the report said.

-Chandler Smith

Last week, ONE released its transition briefing to President-elect Obama’s transition team. Our transition briefing builds on the already robust agenda laid out by the President-elect with a series of short- and long-term policy pitches to the transition team along with a detailed sketch of how the Obama Administration can meet its commitment to double foreign assistance.

A transition briefing like this is meant to provide our thoughts on new priorities that could be taken up early on in the Administration and that also fit well with President-elect Obama’s vision. It is not meant to be a comprehensive list of all the things that ONE will support during the next four years whether they be existing priorities or new ideas that may emerge.

President-elect Obama’s campaign commitment to double foreign assistance provides us a framework for our requests and while it may sound ambitious, it is a critical necessity to the overarching goals. We are not naïve to the financial realities our country is facing, but for far too long development has played a supportive role in our overall foreign policy. It is our hope that President Obama will act on the vision he described as a candidate and raise the profile of development. We believe this briefing provides a roadmap to do that.

We hope that you find this briefing helpful and look forward to working with President Obama, his Administration, Congress, and all of our members to make this vision a reality.

-Erin Thornton, ONE’s Policy Director

UPDATE: Here’s a video of some highlights from the forum.

This morning I was lucky enough to get to go to the Saddleback Civil Forum here in DC on behalf of ONE. I only found out about this event late Sunday, so I wasn’t sure what to expect. I am very glad I got to go, because today was a great day in the fight against AIDS around the globe.

The event was hosted by Pastor Rick Warren (you may know him as the man who wrote A Purpose Driven Life) and was in honor of all that President Bush has done over the course of his Administration to advance the fight against HIV/AIDS. President Bush received the first ever “International Medal of PEACE” from the Global PEACE Coalition for his unprecedented contribution to the fight against HIV/AIDS and other diseases. As Pastor Warren, Ban Ki-moon, Tony Blair, Bill Gates and Bill Clinton all said today (in person or in video messages sent from around the world), President Bush has done more than any world leader on these issues, ever.

President Bush was quick to point out that the credit goes to the people who also have a heart for this work and inspired this program, among them Condoleezza Rice and Mike Gerson. The President also credited the dedicated men and women who work tirelessly to make sure PEPFAR is run well and ensure the program’s success, among them PEPFAR’s Coordinator, Mark Dybul. President Bush asked Mark Dybul to stand and be recognized at the event, and I don’t think Dybul would’ve done so if anyone but the President asked; he’s clearly happier being the man behind the scenes who makes sure everything is running right.

PEPFAR is a huge program, and a huge success. There is certainly much credit to go around, and much work left to do. Today, on the 20th anniversary of World AIDS Day, it’s important to celebrate the progress we’ve made in the fight against HIV/AIDS and to recommit ourselves to the challenges that still lie before us. President-elect Obama sent a video message echoing his own commitments to fight HIV/AIDS, which he often repeated on the campaign trail. In an event honoring what’s been accomplished in the current president’s Administration, it was a great end to the Saddleback Civil Forum to look to the future and see the next president pledging to continue this great program and America’s lifesaving work.

-Kimberly Cadena

Today we’ve been posting backgrounds and other key information on President-elect Obama’s security team as announced earlier today. Below is some information on Dr. Susan Rice, who Obama has announced will be nominated to serve as Ambassador to the United Nations.

Foreign Policy Related Activities (from U.S Center for Global Engagement website)

As Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, Dr. Rice visited the majority of the 48 states in Sub-Saharan Africa and lobbied for increasing foreign aid to the region. She supported an all-African peacekeeping force to avert conflict on the continent and supported a congressional measure that allowed Washington to provide food assistance to the rebels in Sudan. Dr. Rice’s work at the Brookings Institution has focused on U.S. foreign policy, weak and failing states, the implications of global poverty and transnational security threats.

Selected Statements

Rice, President-elect Obama Security Team press conference, 12/1/08

“With your election, Mr. President-elect, the American people have signaled to the world that our nation is on the path to change. Now, we must fulfill that promise by joining with others to meet the challenges and seize the opportunities of the 21st century to prevent conflict, to promote peace, combat terrorism, present the spread and use of nuclear weapons, tackle climate change, end genocide, fight poverty and disease.

“All of these goals are vital to America’s security but none can be accomplished by America alone. To enhance our common security, we must invest in our common humanity. And to do so, we need capable partners and far more effective international institutions.

“The United Nations was, in major part, America’s creation.”

Read the rest of this entry »

In his security team rollout this morning, President-elect Obama announced that Robert Gates would be staying on as the Secretary of Defense.

Below are some of Gates’ notable statements about global development.

Gates, Remarks at the 2008 US Global Leadership Campaign Tribute Dinner, 7/15/08

“Broadly speaking, when it comes to America’s engagement with the rest of the world, you probably don’t hear this often from a Secretary of Defense, it is important that the military is – and is clearly seen to be – in a supporting role to civilian agencies.”

“It has become clear that America’s civilian institutions of diplomacy and development have been chronically undermanned and underfunded for far too long – relative to what we spend on the military, and more important, relative to the responsibilities and challenges our nation has around the world.”

“In recent years the lines separating war, peace, diplomacy, and development have become more blurred, and no longer fit the neat organizational charts of the 20th century. All the various elements and stakeholders working in the international arena – military and civilian, government and private – have learned to stretch outside their comfort zone to work together and achieve results.”

Gates, Remarks at the University of Kansas, 11/26/07

“What is clear to me is that there is a need for a dramatic increase in spending on the civilian instruments of national security – diplomacy, strategic communications, foreign assistance, civic action, and economic reconstruction and development. Secretary Rice addressed this need in a speech at Georgetown University nearly two years ago. We must focus our energies beyond the guns and steel of the military, beyond just our brave soldiers, sailors, Marines, and airmen. We must also focus our energies on the other elements of national power that will be so crucial in the coming years.”

-Chris Scott

“It’s down to only the last three issues.”
“It is starting all anew.”
“We will have a final document within the next hours.”
“There won’t be a solution before Tuesday.”

Rumors are flying back and forth in the hallways of the Sheraton hotel at the 3rd day of the Doha conference. While the side events at the conference continue and stir useful discussions about new and innovative financing or Africa’s reaction to the financial crisis (check out Miki only steps away from Tanzania’s president Kikwete) the delegations are wrestling behind closed doors about the final outcome document.

And while we are busy finding out if the new agreement would be a good or not so good outcome we are struck by the news that the delegations are renegotiating large parts of the document again.
After several hours and a repeatedly postponed press briefing of the US delegation the heads of the US, German, Japanese and other industrialized countries took an unusual break: Obviously tired from endless negotiations in closed hotel lobbies they decided to meet for a quick chat among themselves at the terrace of the hotel – attracting quite some attention by the participants.

But obviously this airy meeting under the starry skies of Doha did not lead to the final breakthrough. Right now the negotiations are still ongoing, particularly about how to reflect the financial crisis. The poor countries want to have more influence on the global financial framework reforms.

-Sergius Seebohm