CGD and Foreign Policy Magazine honored Senator Richard Lugar, winner of the 2012 Commitment to Development Award. The award is bestowed annually since 2003, and honors an individual or organization that has made a significant contribution to changing attitudes and policies towards the developing world.
As the Republican leader of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, Senator Lugar has employed his statesmanship to overcome partisan divides and push for a more effective US development strategy and for US foreign assistance programs that promote capacity, accountability, and transparency. During his chairmanship, the Committee passed legislation including the Global AIDS Assistance Program and the creation of the Millennium Challenge Corporation. Senator Lugar has also co-authored several key pieces of development legislation including Section 1504 of the 2010 Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, often called the Cardin-Lugar Transparency Provision; the 2009 Enhanced Partnership with Pakistan Act; and the 2007 Vaccines for the Futures Act.