Travel Diary: Women as Drivers of Growth and Social Inclusion

Posted by DipNote Bloggers / October 16, 2012

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, left, Peru's President Ollanta Humala, center, and Michelle Bachelet, Chile's former president and U.N. Women executive director, pose for photos at the opening of a conference on women's empowerment in Lima, Peru, Oct. 16, 2012. [AP Photo]

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Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton traveled to Lima, Peru, on October 15 and 16. In Peru, she met with Peruvian President Ollanta Humala to discuss bilateral and regional cooperation. After her meeting with the President, Secretary Clinton said:

"...The United States and Peru work together on many shared challenges and priorities. We are working together to promote citizen security and to work against the drug traffickers. We are working to support you in your ongoing efforts against the terrorists who have for too long brought violence to too many people throughout… more »

Posted under: Western Hemisphere

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Namibia: A Model for Community-Led Conservation Efforts

Posted by Robert D. Hormats / September 20, 2012

Zebras, as seen on Under Secretary of State Robert Hormats' travel to Namibia [State Department photo]

Frequently we can learn a lot from seeing what other nations are doing to improve the lives of their citizens. I did, on a recent visit to Namibia.

Namibia has pioneered significant innovations in community engagement designed to protect its spectacular natural resources -- particularly its wildlife -- and provide a new source of income for its people. Its practices also give its people an opportunity to became more engaged in the decisions that affect their lives and their communities.

During my visit to Namibia, I met with the leaders of the King Nehale Conservancy, bordering on the magnificent Etosha National Park, to learn how Namibia's system of conservancies is benefiting local community members and encouraging those same members to play a greater role in both the management of wildlife and the development of sustainable tourism enterprises. These… more »

Posted under: Africa

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Announcing the Better Than Cash Alliance

Posted by Priya Jaisinghani / September 20, 2012

A man receives money at a bank that was sent by his mother in Hong Kong through his cell phone in San Miguel town, Bulacan, northern Philippines, September 6, 2007. [AP File Photo]

On September 19, 2012, USAID Administrator Raj Shah said, "We are excited to be joining our partners in announcing the Better than Cash Alliance today. Committed to moving the global community onto electronic payments in place of physical cash, the Alliance will help the world's poorest families join the modern economy and realize the benefits of a more transparent, inclusive, cash-light world. I'm optimistic that this Alliance will help usher in a new era of opportunity for some of the most vulnerable people on earth."

As surprising as it may sound, physical cash can undercut many development objectives. From improving aid effectiveness to promoting transparency, cash gets in the way. That is why I am excited about the launch of the www.betterthancash.org, a global public-private… more »

Posted under: Policy

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Travel Diary: Secretary Clinton at the APEC 2012 Summit in Vladivostok

Posted by DipNote Bloggers / September 09, 2012

Leaders from Pacific-rim nations pose for a group photo on the final day of the APEC summit in Vladivostok, Russia, Sept. 9, 2012. From left to right are South Korean President Lee Myung-bak, Vietnamese President Truong Tan Sang, Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, Thailand's Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, Chinese President Hu Jintao, Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, Peruvian President Ollanta Humala, Australian Trade Minister Craig Emerson , New Zealand Prime Minister John Key, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Mexico President Felipe Calderon, Sultan of Brunei Hassanal Bolkiah, Papua New Guinea Prime Minister Peter O'Neill, Chilean President Sebastian Pinera, Philippines President Benigno Aquino III, Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak, Taiwanese Special Envoy Lien Chan and Hong Kong Financial Secretary John Tsang. [AP Photo]

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Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton traveled to Vladivostok, Russia, where she led the U.S. delegation to the 20th Annual Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Leaders' meeting, September 8-9. APEC is the premier forum for U.S. economic engagement with the Asia-Pacific region. Secretary Clinton discussed trade liberalization, food security, and green growth, including initiatives to fight wildlife trafficking, with heads of state and other regional leaders, including business representatives.

On the… more »

Posted under: East Asia and the Pacific

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An Update From APEC Leaders’ Week in Russia

Posted by Atul Keshap / September 06, 2012

Atul Keshap, U.S. Senior Official for Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), shakes hands with delegates at the APEC Leaders' Week in Vladivostok, Russia, September 2012. [State Department photo/ Public Domain]

This week, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will join leaders from 20 other economies in Vladivostok, Russia, to advance efforts to liberalize trade and investment across the vibrant Asia Pacific region and demonstrate robust and sustained U.S. commitment to broad economic engagement across the Asia Pacific region. Our engagement at APEC reinforces our message that the United States is a resident Pacific power committed to strengthening regional institutions to confront 21st century challenges.

As the U.S. Senior Official for Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), it's my responsibility to work with my counterparts in APEC and with a U.S. team from the State Department, U.S. Trade Representative, Commerce,… more »

Posted under: East Asia and the Pacific

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ABCs: Building Blocks for Better Relations

Posted by Robert O. Blake / September 04, 2012

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]

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 »

Posted under: South and Central Asia

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Public Diplomacy Leverages Innovation To Promote Economic Growth

Posted by Tara D. Sonenshine / August 23, 2012

Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs Tara Sonenshine prepares for her swearing-in ceremony with Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton at the U.S. Department of State in Washington, D.C., on April 24, 2012. [State Department photo by Ben Chang/ Public Domain]

As we advance deeper into the 21st century, emerging countries are seeking to leverage their economic strengths as foundations for political and diplomatic leadership across the world. At the same time, from challenges facing the eurozone to those in the post-Arab Spring regions of the Middle East and North Africa, global markets and economic forces are driving an ever-larger share of our foreign policy realities.

The best way for America to remain central to the world's diplomatic leadership is to put a premium on advancing our economic statecraft, so that our foreign policy reflects the growing power of economic forces, and contributes to growth abroad and here at home.

As Secretary Clinton has said, our global challenges see no divisions between global economics and international diplomacy. Neither should our solutions. That's why the Department of State… more »

Posted under: Behind the Scenes

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U.S.-Russia Subnational Engagement: Breaking New Territory

Posted by Reta Jo Lewis / August 09, 2012

The Triumph Palace skyscraper is seen in a picture done from the top of the

I just returned from a 10-day trip to Russia, where I visited Moscow, St. Petersburg, Yekaterinburg, and Vladivostok -- the host city to the 2012 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit. As the Special Representative for Global Intergovernmental Affairs, I lead the Department of State's efforts to collaborate with state and local leaders and their counterparts abroad. While in Russia, I met with representatives of the federal and local authorities, as well as leaders of Russia's business and academic communities, to discuss and further the development of a U.S.-Russia subnational engagement effort.

During these meetings, we discussed a framework for expanding opportunities for engagement between the United States and Russia at the subnational level. This framework would provide the foundation for potential cooperation in trade and investment, education, and… more »

Posted under: Europe & Eurasia

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The “American Brand”—A Symbol of Quality and Innovation

Posted by Robert D. Hormats / July 30, 2012

President and CEO of General Electric ASEAN, Stuart Dean, second from left, signs documents during the signing ceremony between Sea Lion Co. Ltd., General Electric Healthcare and Bahosi and Pun Hlaing Hospitals in Rangoon, Burma, July. 14, 2012. Witness at the signing are from left., U.S. Ambassador to Burma Derek Mitchell, Stuart Dean, U.S. Under Secretary of Commerce for International Trade, Francisco Sanchez, Managing Director of SEA Lion, Win Zaw Aung, and U.S. Under Secretary of State for Economic Growth, Energy and the Environment, Robert Hormats. [AP Photo]

On the Fourth of July, I wrote an entry celebrating the "American Brand." I feel even more strongly about the importance and value of the "American Brand" after a recent trip to South East Asia and the Middle East.

I traveled throughout Vietnam, Cambodia, and Burma with businessmen and women from over 50 of America's best companies seeking opportunities to increase trade and investment in the region. The delegations -- which were organized by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the U.S.-ASEAN Business Council -- met with Secretary Clinton and senior foreign business leaders and government officials, including several heads of state.

Our delegations were enthusiastically greeted in every country we visited. Business and government leaders there recognized… more »

Posted under: Policy

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An “IdEA” That Runs Deep: Engaging America’s Diaspora Communities

Posted by Maura O'Neill / July 25, 2012

In this photo released by Nature Conservancy, the Rio Grande Valley, eastern Jamaica, is pictured on January 20, 2007. [AP File Photo]

Growing up, John Henry Thompson was fascinated by technology. His family's farm in Jamaica had no running water or electricity. But when he immigrated to New York with his parents at the age of 12, he quickly proved his technological aptitude. He devoured books on electricity and the latest editions of "Popular Mechanic." For his seventh grade science fair, he built a rudimentary computing device. This science fair marked the beginning of what would become a lifelong passion for computer programming.

There are lots of John Henry's from India to Colombia to the Philippines who have come to the United States to learn and create new futures. Currently, more than 60 million Americans are first- or second-generation Diasporas, and many of them have close ties to countries with critical needs. Instead of just sending money back home, imagine what they could do to help improve… more »

Posted under: Behind the Scenes

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