The Foreign Service Journal, December 2010

D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 0 / F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L 47 zations — the Group of 8 and Group of 20, for exam- ple — has implications for our engagement strategy? A. That’s correct. While IO spends a considerable amount of its collective energy focused on the United Na- tions system, we are sensitive to the fact that there are a large number of other international organizations out there, both formal and informal. One of our enduring challenges is to give thought to the fullest possible range of such organizations in which we can and perhaps should address particular priorities. Part of that equation is doing a better job of tracking and understanding nontraditional or ad hoc organizations such as the G-8 and G-20, as well as nongovernmental or- ganizations, the private sector, and relations among the United Nations and regional groups. Among my earliest actions was to establish a new office in IO dedicated to doing just that. Of course, the Department of State, like other foreign ministries, was established to guide interaction with other governments in a world of nation-states. But the world has changed, and the varied and growing number of ac- tors with interest in and influence on international affairs is remarkable. The global economic slowdown provided an interest- ing window into this phenomenon. I’m thinking, in par- ticular, of the important role played by the G-20 in providing a forum in which major economies and major developing countries could grapple together with some of these serious economic issues. The G-20, like the G-8 and other ad hoc bodies, has proven to be a powerful vehicle, with convening power and influence on the larger inter- national agenda. Q: You are an outspoken advocate for improved ef- fectiveness of international organizations as a means of advancing U.S. national interests. What does improved effectiveness look like? A. The United States has long been active in terms of improving the management and oversight of the United Nations and other international agencies. Greater trans- F O C U S