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The Transatlantic Taskforce on Development launched its report on February 10, entitled "Toward a Brighter Future: A Transatlantic Call for Renewed Leadership and Partnerships in Global Development." A project of the German Marshall Fund of the United States (GMF) and the Swedish Ministry for Foreign Affairs, the Washington, DC, launch events consisted of a launch event at the House of Sweden, followed by briefings on Capitol Hill.

At the main launch event, welcoming remarks were provided by Jonas Hafström, Ambassador of Sweden to the United States. This was followed by a presentation of the Taskforce mission and aims by co-chairs Gunilla Carlsson, Minister for International Development Cooperation in Sweden; and Jim Kolbe, Senior Transatlantic Fellow of the German Marshall Fund of the United States and former member of the United States House of Representatives. Four other members of the 24-person Taskforce, which consisted of development leaders from North America and Europe, presented recommendations on different development challenges. Mark Lowcock, Director General, Country Programmes, United Kingdom's Department of International Development detailed the group's findings on development, democracy, and security. For climate change, Michael Hofmann, Executive Director of the World Bank for Germany led the presentation. Carol Lancaster, Professor at Georgetown University and Fellow at the Center for Global Development, discussed food security. Finally, Mr. Rodney Bent, Deputy Chief Executive Officer, Millennium Challenge Corporation, closed with the findings on effective support for development. 

The key points raised were:

• Development, Democracy, and Security: Transatlantic policy makers should bridge the security-development "divide", and be clear on roles and responsibilities. The new U.S. administration should improve the autonomy and vitality of USAID. Support for democracy should be long-term and strategic and much broader than elections, prioritizing rule of law, good governance, and checks and balances.
  
  
• Climate Change: A new global post-Kyoto deal is needed, and must link the development and climate change agendas to be effective. Funds and technical expertise need to be transferred to developing countries and could be tailored to take into account the different capacities and growth trajectories for countries.
  
  
• Food Security: We must get the Doha Development Round back on track and concluded. The United States and EU should eliminate or significantly reduce their domestic agricultural and biofuel subsidies. Developing countries should eliminate their own barriers to trade (South - South) as a means to boost food security. Policy makers should prioritize investment in agriculture.  all options to increase food production, including GMOs, must be considered in recognition of growing world population.
  
  
• Effective Support for Development: Transparency and accountability in assistance should be boosted at the local, national, and international levels with a particular focus on stimulating local demand for accountability in developing countries. Development assistance should be managed for results and promote country ownership. Private sector growth should be stimulated as it is critical towards business and job creation.

Podcast interviews with Taskforce members during the launch events are available for download below:

Rodney Bent and Robert Fisher discuss the Transatlantic Taskforce on Development report

Mark Lowcock, from DFID, on the key messages from the democracy, development, and security workstream from the Taskforce report

The Brookings Institution's Noam Unger discusses they key Climate Change takeaways from the Taskforce report

The Taskforce is launching its findings over the next six weeks in Stockholm, London, Belgrade, Paris, Berlin and Brussels.