With all the instability in the markets, who the next President selects to be his Treasury Secretary is a key concern. He or she must be prepared to manage the economy, avoid further financial meltdown, and help ensure that the US economy works for working families. He or she also plays an equally important role in shaping our nation's foreign economic policy.
The next President should choose a Treasury Secretary who can manage the economy at home and help ensure more just economic policies for impoverished countries around the world. We have a critical opportunity to re-shape our nation’s leadership in the world and make a call for U.S. leadership that prioritizes global poverty and justice.
The next U.S. president must commit to the following:
- Appoint a Secretary of Treasury who will fight global poverty by working to provide full debt cancellation to all impoverished countries, without harmful economic conditions. The Secretary should also work with international partners to address the issue of odious and unjust debts and to support a new framework for responsible financing in the future.
- Create a new cabinet-level Department for Global Development, which would modernize and efficiently coordinate U.S. foreign assistance and prioritize long-term, poverty-focused development. Once established, this new department should assume responsibility for international debt issues, and oversight over the World Bank and IMF’s work on development in impoverished nations.
The presidential election is a great time to show that United States citizens want leaders who understand that fighting global poverty is not only the right thing to do; it is also the smart thing to do.
SHOW THE NEXT U.S. PRESIDENT YOUR "PICTURE" OF LEADERSHIP ON GLOBAL POVERTY. Our goal is to have thousands of debt and poverty advocates from around the country send a clear message to the presidential candidates: “Picture an End to Global Poverty: Cancel Debts! More & Better Aid!” To send your message, gather your friends, take a picture & sign the petition.
