The Global Development Program and its objectives
In 2003, the Hewlett Foundation approved the creation of the Global Development Program (GDP).[1] The majority of the grants that had previously funded the USLAR program (except for those falling under the environmental agenda, which moved to the Environment Program) were transferred to the newly created GDP.
The main objective of the GDP was to create the right conditions to reduce poverty. Two goals were set to carry out this objective:
Goal 1: Increase the amounts and effectiveness of global and local development funds. This goal covered work to promote aid effectiveness, diaspora and in-country philanthropy, transparency, and accountability in the public expenditure of funds.
Goal 2: Reduce the barriers to agricultural trade that disadvantage producers in developing countries. This goal covered work on reforming multilateral trade rules to give producers in developing countries access to open markets. This component, however, was discontinued in 2010.[2]
With the GDP program objectives and goals set, the Hewlett Foundation in Mexico began to fund organizations that guaranteed and promoted access to public information, and that produced technical recommendations to extend the national rights under the Ley de Transparencia y Acceso a la Información Pública to sub-national entities.
[1] Since 2001, the foundation had focused on supporting academic programs between top-tier Mexican and American universities.
[2] Mendoza, G. (2012) The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation Transition Memorandum: History of the Global Development and Population Program Grantmaking in Mexico, p. 2.
