NEW YORK -- Dr. Rajiv Shah, administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development, today issued the following statement on the President's ground-breaking policy on global development:

"From President John F. Kennedy to President Barack Obama, the United States has a rich history of providing assistance that improves the lives of men, women and children around the globe. Today President Obama issued the first-ever development policy by a U.S. President. In partnership with the host countries where we work, USAID is pleased to play a leading role in the implementation of President Obama's vision for global development. From building sustainable capacity to restoring performance monitoring and impact evaluation to promoting science, technology and innovation, we are transforming our capabilities to support the President's new development policy. USAID is poised and ready to reclaim our place as the world's premiere development agency."

Read more here about the President's global development policy.