Noam Unger

Vice President, Global Development Department, Director, Sustainable Development and Resilience Initiative and Senior Fellow, Project on Prosperity and Development
Noam Unger

Noam Unger is an experienced leader in U.S. global engagement, having held significant roles across government, think tanks, and non-profits. With over 20 years examining and implementing U.S. foreign assistance, Unger has a strong background in strategy, including as director of USAID’s Policy Office and as acting chief strategy officer and deputy assistant administrator. His broad understanding of U.S. foreign policy stems from his work under different presidential administrations (Bush 43, Obama 44, and Trump 45). As vice president of the CSIS Global Development Department, he drives research, analysis, and policy recommendations on a range of critical issues, including resilience and prosperity, disaster risk finance, and the future of U.S. foreign assistance. Previously, he served on the executive team of InterAction, the largest U.S.-based NGO coalition spanning development, humanitarian action, peacebuilding, health, and democracy. He was also vice president for Global Citizen Year, and a fellow at Brookings, where he cofounded the Development Assistance and Governance Initiative, managed the annual Brookings Blum Roundtable in Aspen, and served as a founding member of the Modernizing Foreign Assistance Network. His early-career government experience included work as a USAID country desk officer and as a U.S. Department of State humanitarian analyst and foreign affairs officer. Unger also has experience in the private sector, earning a patent as a co-inventor while working as an analyst for a high-growth software company. He holds degrees from Tufts University's Fletcher School and Swarthmore College, and he gained early international experience as a Thomas J. Watson Fellow.

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Into Africa

Beyond Aid: Redefining Africa’s Development

Tjada D'Oyen McKenna, CEO of Mercy Corps, and Noam Unger, Vice-President of the Global Development department at CSIS, join Oge to assess the current state of the international development and humanitarian assistance landscape and explore what challenges and opportunities this moment presents for Africa’s future.
 

Podcast Episode by Oge Onubogu and Noam Unger — April 23, 2026

Photo: CSIS

Unlocking Development Capital Through Insurance | The Futures Summit

Tune in for a conversation between Michel Liès, Chairman of Zurich Insurance Group and Chair of the Insurance Development Forum, and CSIS Vice President Noam Unger as they discuss role of insurance in lowering risk, mobilizing capital, and advancing sustainable development outcomes.

Event — April 16, 2026

A Country-Led Cooperation Approach to Development | The Futures Summit

Executive Director of UNOPS Jorge Moreira da Silva sits down with CSIS expert Noam Unger to discuss what country-led development cooperation can look like in practice, and how the broader development system can close the gap between available resources and real-world needs.

Event — April 14, 2026

The Futures Summit Day 1

Join us on April 10, 2026, for The Futures Summit’s in-person full-day forum as we unlock new opportunities for our sector and chart a more inclusive and resilient global development architecture.

Event — April 10, 2026

A New Landscape for Development

Join the CSIS Global Development Department for the launch of A New Landscape for Development. This event will examine recent U.S. foreign assistance shifts and what they mean for the future of global development.

Event — February 10, 2026