Karin Christiansen was invited by Oxfam America to participate in the seminar What Do Countries that get U.S. Aid Need to Take Ownership of Development?:  A Discussion with Developing Country Leaders on Increasing Aid Transparency and Fighting Corruption in a New Aid Landscape in Washington, D.C. on November 19 and November 20, 2009.

The seminar brought voices from around the world to the Washington policy debate on how to make US development assistance more transparent and predictable.  The events consisted on a panel discussion to underscore the value of transparency and predictability to helping our partners achieve their development outcomes.  Additionally, the event included two smaller discussions with high-level policy makers explore innovative technical solutions to achieve greater transparency and predictability of US assistance.  The goal of these events was both to create political will and serious policy options for adoption by the Obama administration to make US assistance more transparent and predictable.

OXFAM also co-hosted a parenl discussion at the Newseum, with featured speaker Ashraf Ghani, former Afghan Finance Minister and Presidential Candidate.  The panel included: Orazio Bellettini, Exec Director of Grupo Faro, an Ecuadorean NGO that’s been working on transparency issues, Paul O’Brien, Vice President of Policy and Advocacy for Oxfam America and Vivek Ramkumar, senior budget analyst at the International Budget Program.