Samantha Power on Development Diplomacy

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Heads of state and top leaders are arriving in New York for the annual United Nations General Assembly, where governments work together to reach agreement on global issues. Beyond its U.N. mission, the Biden administration also relies on the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) at summits such as this to help devise its development strategy and prioritize where its aid money goes.

USAID Administrator Samantha Power is tasked with figuring out how to distribute America’s global aid and development budget. Power is also a member of U.S. President Joe Biden’s National Security Council and a former ambassador to the U.N., so she wields considerable influence in the White House.

Ahead of the United Nations General Assembly, she joined FP editor in chief Ravi Agrawal for a wide-ranging interview. The two discussed USAID’s priorities for UNGA, Russia’s war in Ukraine, and how the Biden administration views the United Nations. 

Video clips from this event

  • Asked about Russia’s role in the food crisis, USAID Administrator Samantha Power says the toll has been significant and discusses ways her organization is helping Ukraine find workarounds to export its grain.

  • Samantha Power on her discussions with African heads of state about Russia’s promises of free grain: “There’s no delivery. There’s promise and no follow-through.”

  • USAID Administrator Samantha Power on the increasing shift to prioritize climate change within the organization she heads.

  • Watch Samantha Power’s response to criticism that the United Nations is paralyzed and that the United States is prioritizing clubs over the multilateral system.  

Read the Transcript

Samantha Power on America’s Development Diplomacy

The USAID administrator says U.S. contributions to the U.N. are at a “high watermark.”

Insider  |  Ravi Agrawal

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Samantha Power on Development Diplomacy

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