Strategically located at the heart of Central Asia (it alone borders every other country in the region), Uzbekistan just marked 21 years of independence. I recently traveled to its capital, Tashkent, for our third round of Annual Bilateral Consultations, or ABCs, with the Government of Uzbekistan. I returned from Tashkent with appreciation for the increasing breadth and depth of our relationship, as well as its greater trust and candor.
In 2009, we began holding ABCs with each of the Central Asian countries to further cooperation across a broad range of bilateral issues, including security and human rights. The ABCs provide an opportunity to review progress in our relationship, discuss mutual concerns, and identify action to advance common interests. Our relationship with Uzbekistan, as with… more »
During my first trip to Afghanistan as Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women's Issues, I was struck by something one woman said to me during a meeting with a group of female civil society actors in Kabul. She said, "Stop looking at us as victims, but rather as the leaders that we are."
That thought always comes to mind when I meet other Afghan women -- as I often do -- who have defied the odds, made sacrifices, and have emerged as leaders, activists and advocates in so many areas, working to advance not just the rights of women and girls, but the future of their country. This week, I once again had the privilege of speaking with a group of dynamic and dedicated Afghan women, this time from Nangarhar province in eastern Afghanistan, via a video teleconference arranged by U.S. diplomats and military, including members of the U.S. Army's Female Engagement Teams, serving… more »
Less than a year ago, President Obama announced a National Action Plan (NAP) to implement commitments on Women, Peace and Security. It was a historic moment and the product of a tremendous collaboration between the White House, USAID, the Departments of State and Defense, other agencies, and civil society groups at home and abroad. It was also the first step.
Immediately following this announcement, the real work began as each agency began creating an implementation plan, a roadmap to how we would make these commitments real.… more »
It is no secret that when women and girls have the opportunity to pursue an education, they directly improve their communities and help entire societies grow. And sometimes, the goodwill and dedication of individual Americans, connected virtually through sites like Facebook, help girls in a rural district of Afghanistan realize their dreams of education and a better future.
As DipNote reported a few months ago, U.S. Embassy Kabul supports the "Teen Teach" program, where Afghan teenagers are trained and then have the chance to teach in classrooms of younger students.
In Chaparhar, a city in Nangarhar district, about 23 kilometers south of Jalalabad close to the eastern border of Afghanistan and Pakistan, the Shulani School participated in the "Teen Teach"… more »
There's been a lot of talk about how the London Olympics will best be remembered as the Women's Olympics. Not only because of the individual performances of gymnast Gabby Douglas, or swimmer Missy Franklin, or heptathlete Jessica Ennis, but because of the collective achievements of women who participated in these London Games.
The statistics are amazing: Two thirds of the gold medals, and more than half of all medals won by Team USA, were won by American women. And this was despite the fact that women were eligible for 30 fewer medals than the men! The American women did not stand alone in leading their countries to the top of the medal tables. Women from China and Russia (#2 and #3 behind the U.S. in the total medal count), also took home more medals than their male counterparts.
Forty-four percent of all athletes at the games were women, and with the… more »
I recently had the privilege of visiting James Madison University to attend the closing ceremony for the 2012 Senior Managers' Course in Explosive Remnants of War and Mine Action, where I met a select group of individuals serving on the front lines of humanitarian crises and post-conflict environments around the world.
This year, the 17 participants represented 13 different countries, including Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Cambodia, Ethiopia, Iraq, Laos, Lebanon, Libya, South Sudan, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan, Uganda, and Vietnam. These "Senior Managers" are each leaders in their respective national mine action and ERW programs. This diversity the students bring in terms of background and experience is one of the main reasons… more »
Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton attended the July 8 Conference on Afghanistan in Tokyo, Japan, where she reaffirmed our enduring commitment to the Afghan people, met with Afghan civil society leaders, and joined the international community in supporting Afghanistan's development needs.
Building on the decisions made in Bonn and Chicago, as well as the U.S.-Afghanistan Strategic Partnership Agreement, the United… more »
On July 7, 2012, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton traveled to Kabul, Afghanistan, where she met with Afghan President Hamid Karzai. During remarks with President Karzai, Secretary Clinton said:
"It's wonderful being back in Afghanistan and to hear the birds, who are singing about the beautiful day here in Kabul. And I thank you so much for hosting me today and for your leadership and your vision for the future of your country and your people. It is certainly worth thinking for a moment about all of the positive changes that have… more »
This week's "Photo of the Week" shows Deputy Secretary of State Thomas R. Nides presenting an Expeditionary Diplomacy Award to Foreign Service Officer Barbara Ann Bootes. Bootes and others were honored for their service in Afghanistan and Iraq. In recognition of Bootes and others, Deputy Secretary Nides said, "The work you've done in the Frontline States has forever changed the way we tackle new foreign policy challenges."
Deputy Secretary Nides continued in his remarks, saying, "The Secretary's vision of civilian power depends on our partners across the… more »
Today, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton is in Riga, Latvia, the hundredth country she has visited as U.S. Secretary of State. In her present capacity, she has traveled more than 830,000 miles to date. Secretary Clinton told an audience of Latvian youths, "I'm very happy that my 100th country was Latvia, because I have such a great admiration and incredible sense of friendship and solidarity with your country, and so it's a perfect time to be here."
Thank you, Jonathan, for this insightful post on World Food Day and the importance of strengthening our efforts as an international community to end world hunger…
more »
Spokesperson Nuland (Oct. 17): "Assistant Secretary for Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, Michael Posner, led a 22-member interagency delegation from the U.S. to discuss the full range of human rights issues affecting the country." more »
Oct. 16: Judith Heumann, Special Advisor for International Disability Rights, held a conversation with Ann Cody, Director of Policy and Global Outreach, BlazeSports; and Kirk Bauer, Executive Director of Disabled Sports USA. more »
![Assistant Secretary Robert Blake meets with counterparts in the Uzbekistan government as part of the Annual Bilateral Consultations (ABCs), 2012. [State Department photo/ Public Domain]](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20121019001127im_/http://blogs.state.gov/images/Dipnote/behind_the_scenes/2012_0904_sca_blake_m.jpg)
![An Afghan woman, right, looks at handicrafts at the Business Development Center of the Afghan Women's Business Association in Jalalabad, the provincial capital of Nangarhar province, Afghanistan April 11, 2007. [AP File Photo]](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20121019001127im_/http://blogs.state.gov/images/Dipnote/behind_the_scenes/2012_0830_afghan_women_m.jpg)
![Resident walks past soldiers in Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire, April 8, 2011. [AP Photo]](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20121019001127im_/http://blogs.state.gov/images/Dipnote/behind_the_scenes/2011_0410_cote_divoire_m.jpg)
![Students pose before tents donated by PAX Academic Exchanges to be used as classrooms in Chaparhar, Afghanistan, 2012. [State Department photo/ Public Domain]](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20121019001127im_/http://blogs.state.gov/images/Dipnote/behind_the_scenes/2012_0824_afghanistan_tent_m.jpg)
![United States' Missy Franklin, United States' Dana Vollmer, United States' Allison Schmitt and United States' Shannon Vreeland pose with their gold medals for the women's 4x200-meter freestyle relay swimming final at the Aquatics Centre in the Olympic Park during the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, on August 1, 2012. [AP Photo]](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20121019001127im_/http://blogs.state.gov/images/Dipnote/behind_the_scenes/2012_0921_olympics_women_m.jpg)
![Major General Walter D. Givhan recognizes participants at the 2012 Senior Managers Course in Explosive Remnants of War and Mine Action at the James Madison University, June 2012. This year, the 17 participants represented 13 different countries, including Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Cambodia, Ethiopia, Iraq, Laos, Lebanon, Libya, South Sudan, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan, Uganda, and Vietnam. [State Department photo/ Public Domain]](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20121019001127im_/http://blogs.state.gov/images/Dipnote/behind_the_scenes/2012_0712_pm_ceremony_m.jpg)
![U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton meets with Japanese Foreign Minister Koichiro Gemba in Tokyo, Japan, on July 8, 2012. [State Department photo by William Ng/ Public Domain]](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20121019001127im_/http://blogs.state.gov/images/Dipnote/behind_the_scenes/2012_0709_clinton_japan_m.jpg)
![U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Thomas R. Nides presents an Expeditionary Diplomacy Award to Foreign Service Officer Barbara Ann Bootes at the Department of State in Washington, D.C. on June 28, 2012. Barbara was honored for her service working at a provincial reconstruction team in Salad ad Din, Iraq from 2009 to 2010. [State Department photo/ Public Domain]](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20121019001127im_/http://blogs.state.gov/images/Dipnote/behind_the_scenes/2012_0629_service_nides_m.jpg)
![U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton speaks after signing the Supporting Justice Sector Reform in Moldova and Renewed U.S. - Latvia Fulbright Academic Exchange Program Agreement with Latvian Foreign Minister Edgar Rinkevics, June 28, 2012, in Riga, Latvia. [AP Photo]](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20121019001127im_/http://blogs.state.gov/images/Dipnote/behind_the_scenes/2012_0628_clinton_latvia_m.jpg)
