Media Note Office of the Spokesman Washington, DC January 6, 2003 Under Secretary of State for Global Affairs Dobriansky To Lead Delegation to AfghanistanUnder Secretary of State for Global Affairs Paula J. Dobriansky will lead a delegation of high-level U.S. government officials and private sector representatives to Kabul on January 8 and 9 where she will convene the second meeting of the U.S.-Afghan Women’s Council, the first to be held in Afghanistan. The delegation will focus on projects to assist Afghan women in areas such as women’s development centers, literacy, political participation, job skills training and small business development. A list of U.S. delegation members is below. In addition, the Council will host a digital video conference from Kabul for a discussion with supporters of Afghan women in New York City, Washington, DC, and Kabul. Members of the delegation will meet with representatives of international and Afghan non-governmental organizations and make a number of site visits.
Under Secretary Dobriansky will also meet with Afghan officials to discuss trafficking in persons, counternarcotics activities, police and justice reform, and the needs of displaced persons and refugees. She will also consult with officials of the Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission and discuss U.S. assistance in efforts to develop an Afghan Conservation Corps. In all her meetings she will underscore the continued U.S. commitment to the government and people of Afghanistan.
The Council, which is co-chaired by Afghan Minister of Foreign Affairs Abdullah, Minister of Women’s Affairs Habiba Sarabi, and Under Secretary Dobriansky, is dedicated to creating public-private partnerships to mobilize resources that facilitate Afghan women’s involvement in rebuilding their country. The first meeting of the U.S.-Afghan Women’s Council was held in Washington, DC on April 24, 2002. Presidents George W. Bush and Hamid Karzai launched the Council in January 2002 on the occasion of President Karzai’s visit to Washington, DC.
For more information, contact Diana McCaffrey, International Women’s Issues Office, (202) 312-9669.
Delegation Members: Karen Hughes Timothy J. McBride April Palmerlee Diana N. Rowan Patricia Sellers Cynthia F. Williams |