Multilateral Aid Review Act Establishes Interagency Task Force to Evaluate Performance of Multilateral Institutions
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) and Chris Coons (D-Del.), both members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today introduced bipartisan legislation to review and improve the accountability and effectiveness of U.S. participation in international organizations. The Multilateral Aid Review Act of 2017 would establish an interagency task force with peer review to conduct regular evaluations of how well multilateral institutions carry out their missions and how they serve American interests and taxpayers. Cosponsors of the legislation include Senators Todd Young (R-Ind.), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.), and Bob Casey (D-Pa.).
“American taxpayers deserve to know how our involvement in these organizations benefits this country,” said Corker. “Establishing an interagency review process will give us a more thorough and objective way to evaluate the performance of these institutions. From there, we can make more informed decisions about how to prioritize scarce resources and demand better outcomes. I thank my colleagues for joining us in support of this good governance initiative that we believe can be a useful tool for advancing U.S. interests abroad more effectively.”
“I'm pleased to introduce this bipartisan bill to strengthen U.S. foreign assistance efforts around the world. It is in our nation’s best interest to provide transparency and to maximize the impact of what we spend overseas,” said Coons. “I’ve seen real humanitarian need first-hand in places like South Sudan and northern Nigeria, and the great response from partners like the World Food Programme and the International Committee for the Red Cross. At a time when some question the value of foreign assistance, I am proud to lead this bill which will provide data to analyze the effectiveness of our investments with these agencies and others. I hope to see this bill pass into law, and I’m looking forward to the results of the review.”
Full text of the bill can be found here, and a one page summary is available here.
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