About the Author: Ambassador Eileen Chamberlain Donahoe serves as the U.S. Permanent Representative to the UN Human Rights Council.

The United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva just concluded its 21st session, which was the last regular session of the United States’ first term on the Council.  Since we joined in 2009, working together with a broad range of cross regional partners, we made significant progress across a wide array of important human rights issues.

Early in the session, the United States along with the Czech Republic, Indonesia, Lithuania, the Maldives, Mexico, and Nigeria, presented a resolution on the rights of freedom of association and assembly. The resolution reaffirms the importance of respect for the rights of peaceful association and assembly as essential components of democracy. The resolution calls upon States to cooperate fully with the Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom… more »

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton delivers remarks at the Forum on Small States Opening Session at the United Nations in New York, New York on October 1, 2012. [Go to http://video.state.gov for more video and text transcript.]

Remarks
Hillary Rodham Clinton
Secretary of State
United Nations
New York City October 1, 2012

SECRETARY CLINTON: Thank you very much, Foreign Minister, and thanks also to the Secretary General and the UN General Assembly President for their remarks and for their leadership. I’m delighted to have been invited by Singapore to join you at the Forum of Small States to mark the 20^th anniversary of its founding. I think organizing this event and the program that follows this opening provides a valuable opportunity to reflect on the issues that we face as a global community, and in particular, the roles and responsibilities that small states have.

In my time as Secretary, I’ve been honored to travel to over 100 countries and to meet with leaders in government, business, and civil society in every corner of the world. Now of course, this means frequent visits to larger nations and traditional centers of power, but for me, it has been equally important to visit many of your countries, to understand what you’re going through, to share ideas about how we can make progress together, to meet the Millennium Development Goals and then the initiative of the Secretary General, the Sustainable Development Goals.

Just last month, I attended the Pacific Islands Forum in the Cook Islands to talk with leaders of the region about how the United States can build stronger partnerships with their countries, and I’ve had similar conversations with small states from around the world. Now I believe this is absolutely essential because we have a lot of challenges that we are confronting, and I don’t think it’s unfair or inaccurate to say that smaller states often bear the burden of a lot of these challenges. These challenges don’t respect international orders, whether it’s a global financial crisis or climate change or transnational crime. And none of these problems can be solved by three or four big countries sitting around a table. We need partnerships from large and small nations alike. MORE

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton delivers remarks at the Forum on Small States Opening Session at the United Nations in New York, New York on October 1, 2012. [State Department photo/ Public Domain]

Assistant Secretary of State for International Organization Affairs Esther Brimmer, State Department Director of Policy Planning Jake Sullivan, and State Department Spokesperson for the Bureau of Near East Affairs Aaron Snipe discuss their work at the UN General Assembly in New York. [Go to http://video.state.gov for more video and text transcript.]

Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs Roberta S. Jacobson, State Department Director of Policy Planning Jake Sullivan, and U.S. Chief of Protocol Capricia Penavic Marshall discuss their work at the UN General Assembly in New York. [Go to http://video.state.gov for more video and text transcript.]

About the Author: Luke Forgerson serves as DipNote’s Managing Editor.

Our “Photo of the Week” comes to us from the Secretary of State’s official photographer, Michael Gross, and offers a glimpse of the Heads of State luncheon at the 67th United Nations General Assembly in New York on September 25, 2012. Comprising all 193 members of the United Nations, the General Assembly meets in regular session from September to December each year, and thereafter as required. This year’s General Debate is scheduled from September 25 through October 1.

During the Heads of State luncheon, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton expressed appreciation to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon for his leadership. In herremarks, the Secretary also acknowledged the diplomats and development experts from every nation serving and sacrificing far from home. The Secretary said, “They… more »

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton delivers remarks at the Ad Hoc Friends of the Syrian People Ministerial in New York, New York on September 27, 2012. A text transcript can be found athttp://www.state.gov/secretary/rm/2012/09/198455.htm.

Susan E. Rice
U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations
U.S. Mission to the United Nations
New York, NY
September 27, 2012

We welcome the important agreements signed today between Sudan and South Sudan. The understandings reached on security, oil, financial, nationality and trade issues testify to courageous leadership on both sides and skilled diplomacy by President Thabo Mbeki and the African Union High-Level Implementation Panel. Just a few months ago, Sudan and South Sudan were on the brink of war. Today’s agreements demonstrate the impact that strong, united action by the UN Security Council can have on some of the world’s most challenging situations. The Security Council’s adoption of resolution 2046, endorsing the AU Roadmap and setting forth clear obligations on both sides, helped to chart a path out of conflict.

If implemented swiftly and effectively, these agreements will bring enormous benefits to people in both Sudan and South Sudan, lay a foundation for resolution of the remaining issues, and promote lasting peace. The grave humanitarian crises in Southern Kordofan and Blue Nile are unacceptable, and it is imperative that Sudan grant immediate and unhindered humanitarian access to help those in desperate need. We have seen before that the situation in the Two Areas and along the border can unravel efforts to chart a brighter future for both sides. All concerned must build on today’s historic step to fulfill the promise of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement and resolve the final status of the disputed border area of Abyei.