Simon is a Member of the German Marshall Fund Transatlantic Task Force on Development, a position he has held since 2007

The taskforce sets out its missions as: Global poverty is a challenge to us all, because it affects us all. In our interdependent world, we must act together to address this global challenge. Development matters. The Taskforce consists of 24 members from the United States, Canada and Europe. Our countries have a joint population of 740 million people, account for around half of all global trade, and provide more than 85 percent of Official Development Assistance (ODA). It is therefore particularly important for these countries to reassess policies and practices with the intention to improve global development outcomes, such as economic and human progress. The combined leadership of North America and Europe can help to accelerate the pace of human development, but only by working together in partnership will we be successful – rather than working alone, or worse, in separate directions. The Taskforce urges leadership on and commitment to development even in the midst of the economic and financial crises that beset the world.