; Whereas the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Secretariat has indicated that by 2050, the cost of adapting to global climate change in developing countries could amount to anywhere between $280 and $500 billion annually; Whereas in 2014, the United States was in 19th place behind most industrialized nations in official development assistance funding as a percentage of gross national income (GNI), totaling $23.4 billion and representing 0.19 percent; Whereas, in April 2015, Secretary of State John Kerry released the second Quadrennial Diplomacy and Development Review (QDDR), as a blueprint for the next generation of American diplomacy that builds on the recognition that development is a co-equal pillar of our foreign policy by focusing on four strategic priorities: fighting against violent extremism, building open societies, promoting shared prosperity, and curbing climate change; Whereas a principal objective of the foreign policy of the United States, as codified in the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, is the encouragement and sustained support of the people of developing countries in their efforts to acquire the knowledge and resources essential to development and to build the economic, political, and social institutions which will improve the quality of their lives ; Whereas broad-based country- and community-ownership, sustainable and responsible trade opportunities, the robust engagement of vulnerable populations, including women, and a commitment to improve governance and the rule of law, are all critical to the long-term success of development programs; Whereas individuals, businesses, and philanthropic organizations across the United States continue to play a vital and increasing role in international efforts to create a more peaceful and prosperous world for all individuals through direct and indirect assistance