March 2012
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Public Schedule for March 31, 2012
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE PUBLIC SCHEDULE SATURDAY, MARCH 31, 2012 SECRETARY HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON Secretary Clinton is on foreign travel to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia and Istanbul, Turkey through April 1. The Secretary is accompanied by Assistant Secretary Feltman, Assistant Secretary Shapiro, Director Sullivan, VADM Harry B. Harris, Jr., CJCS, Puneet Talwar, Special Assistant to the President and...
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Honoring the Legacy of Cesar Chavez
Barbara Shailor serves as Special Representative for International Labor Affairs.
On March 23, President Obama announced that Americans would celebrate March 31, 2012, in recognition of Cesar Chavez. Cesar Chavez, who made it his mission to “ensure respect, dignity, and fair treatment for farm workers,” was a strong advocate for human rights and social justice — for migrants,...
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Moving Food Faster to Those Who Need it Most in...
About the Author: Dina Esposito serves as the Director of the Office of Food for Peace at the U.S. Agency for International Development.
This week, urgently needed food — 33,700 tons of sorghum from American farmers — will depart the United States for West Africa, as a part of the U.S. government’s response to the drought in the Sahel. Due to poor harvests, high food prices,...
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Photo of the Week: President Obama Attends 2012...
About the Author: Hannah Johnson serves as DipNote’s Assistant Editor.
Our “Photo of the Week” comes to us from President Barack Obama’s recent trip to Seoul, South Korea for the 2012 Nuclear Security Summit. The Summit, attended by more than 50 world leaders, addressed securing the world’s nuclear weapons and preventing nuclear terrorism. This photograph, taken...
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Humanitarian Assistance to Sahel Region
Press Statement Hillary Rodham Clinton Secretary of State Washington, DC March 29, 2012
The United States is deeply concerned about the humanitarian emergency in the Sahel region of Africa. Around 10 million people are in need of emergency assistance due to erratic rainfall, failed harvests, high food prices and conflict across the region that includes Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania, and...
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Treaty on Open Skies Marks 20 Years Promoting...
About the Author: Diana Marvin serves as a Senior Advisor in the Office of Euro-Atlantic Security in the Bureau of Arms Control, Verification and Compliance.
On March 24, the United States commemorated the 20th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty on Open Skies, and the role it has played in providing peace and stability for Euro-Atlantic relations. On March 27, Acting Under Secretary...
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Travel Diary: Secretary Clinton Travels to Saudi...
Trip Page | Interactive Travel Map Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton travels to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia from March 30-31, 2012. While in Riyadh, she will meet King Abdullah and Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal. She will also attend the First Ministerial Meeting of the Gulf Cooperation Council-U.S. Strategic Cooperation Forum. In her conversations, she will discuss the full range of...
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Fact Sheet: Key U.S. Outcomes at the UN Human...
The 19th Session of the Human Rights Council underscored the importance of robust engagement at the Council, where the United States continues to work with a diverse range of countries from all regions of the world to address urgent human rights concerns.
U.S. leadership kept the Council at the forefront of the international effort to promote and protect human rights in the Middle East as the...
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Assistance to Tunisia
Press Statement Hillary Rodham Clinton Secretary of State Washington, DC March 29, 2012
I am pleased to announce today that pending Congressional notification and review, the United States will provide a $100 million cash transfer to the Government of Tunisia for short-term fiscal relief. This will go directly to debt that Tunisia owes the World Bank and African Development Bank, allowing the...
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Celebrating the Cherry Blossom Centennial
About the Author: Ambassador J. Adam Ereli serves as Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.
One hundred years have passed since the first two cherry blossom trees were planted around Washington, D.C.’s Tidal Basin as a token of friendship between United States and the Japan. Despite the cold weather yesterday, I watched a historic event...
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Study Abroad Can Change Your Life—And Your Country
About the Author: Fabiola Rodriguez-Ciampoli serves as Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs.
I am living proof of how study abroad can change your life. I came from Mexico to the United States as a Fulbright graduate student. That led to — in addition to a master’s degree — falling in love, getting married, becoming a U.S. citizen, campaigning...
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South Korea Hosts 2012 Nuclear Security Summit
Today, the Republic of Korea hosted more than 50 world leaders for the 2012 Nuclear Security Summit in Seoul. During the opening plenary session, President Barack Obamasaid: “…This gathering is a tribute to the nations that contribute to security and peace that’s playing a leading role around the globe and that’s taking its rightful place on the world stage. When I...
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United States-Japan Nuclear Security Working Group...
Since the announcement of establishing the U.S.-Japan Nuclear Security Working Group at the U.S.-Japan Summit meeting in November 2010, this Group has successfully fulfilled its responsibility to identify and coordinate tangible outcomes for the 2012 Nuclear Security Summit, including the promotion of robust security for nuclear materials at civilian nuclear facilities and during transport, by...
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Joint Statement on Nuclear Terrorism
The governments of the United States, United Kingdom, and French Republic each understand the threat of nuclear terrorism and share the collective responsibility to inform and strengthen international measures designed to secure sensitive information, technology or nuclear material from access by terrorists, and to develop emergency response measures. In recognition of these shared principles,...
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Zimbabwean Women Claim Their Place in the Quill...
About the Author: Sharon Hudson-Dean serves as Counselor for Public Affairs at the U.S. Embassy in Harare, Zimbabwe.
It’s not often we get to witness barriers being broken first-hand — there is a special kind of energy in the air when you do. The sort of vibe that says, this feels like a game-changing event. That was the atmosphere at Harare’s Quill Club (press club) on...
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Joint Statement of the Presidents of the Republic...
The Presidents of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Russian Federation and the United States of America have committed to combat the threat of nuclear proliferation and nuclear terrorism.
Since 2004 our three countries have been collaborating to implement a number of projects aimed at elimination of the remnants of the past nuclear testing activities within the territory of the former Semipalatinsk...
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2012 Nuclear Security Summit Deliverable: Global...
We, the Partners of the Global Partnership Against the Spread of Weapons and Materials of Mass Destruction, support the Summit’s goal of securing vulnerable nuclear material and radioactive sources around the world. The Global Partnership is a multilateral initiative to reduce the risk of WMD terrorism through cooperative capacity building on specific projects. The Global Partnership countries...
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Conversations With America: Global Youth Issues
Ronan Farrow, Special Adviser for Global Youth Issues, will hold a conversation with Nancy Lublin, CEO, DoSomething.org, on Global Youth Issues. The discussion will be moderated by Cheryl Benton, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Public Affairs, and will be available for on demand viewing soon on DipNote, the U.S. Department of State’s official blog. You are invited to participate...
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In Seoul, President Obama Discusses Efforts To...
Today, President Barack Obama continued his visit to South Korea, where he held bilateral meetings with President Hu Jintao of China, President Nursultan Nazarbayev of Kazakhstan, and President Dmitry Medvedev of Russia. More than 50 world leaders are currently attending the… more »
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An Important Step Forward for Democracy in Africa
About the Author: Lewis Lukens serves as U.S. Ambassador to Senegal.
When I arrived in Senegal last August, I knew that it would be an exciting year for this nation’s democracy, but I don’t think anybody could have predicted the path that Senegalese took to get to where they are today. Much of the population rose up in protest to attempted changes to the constitution last year on...
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Trilateral Announcement Between Mexico, the United...
At the March 2012 Nuclear Security Summit in Seoul, South Korea, the Governments of Mexico, the United States, and Canada announced the completion of an important joint nuclear security project to convert the fuel in Mexico’s research reactor from highly enriched uranium (HEU) to low enriched uranium (LEU). The project was initiated at the Nuclear Security Summit in Washington, D.C. in April...
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TechCamp Engages Civil Society in Thailand
About the Author: Katie Dowd serves in the Office of the Secretary of State.
Home to a thriving technology community, Bangkok was the site of our seventh TechCamp, an interactive program that supports Secretary Clinton’s Civil Society 2.0 initiative. This TechCamp focused on capacity building for more than 50 civil society organizations working in Thailand, Laos, and Cambodia. Hosted by...
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Remarks by President Obama and President Hu Jintao...
President Barack Obama: “I think this is also an opportunity to build on the excellent cooperation and dialogue across all the dimensions of our relationship that we’ve been able to establish over the last three years. So I’m looking forward to discussing economic and commercial issues, how we can continue to expand trade and make sure that there is strong mutual understanding about the...
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Afghanistan: New Air Force Takes Wing
About the Author: Major General Walter D. “Waldo” Givhan, United States Air Force, serves as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Plans, Programs and Operations in the State Department’s Bureau of Political-Military Affairs.
My recent trip to Afghanistan was a great chance to reconnect with many Afghan counterparts from the year I spent there in 2008-2009 working with the Afghan...
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Remarks by President Obama and President Nursultan...
President Barack Obama: “Twenty years ago, Kazakhstan made a decision not to have nuclear weapons. And not only has that led to growth and prosperity in his own country, but he has been a model in efforts around the world to eliminate nuclear materials that could fall into the wrong hands.”
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Photo of the Week: Water Issues Are Integral to...
About the Author: Luke Forgerson serves as DipNote’s Managing Editor.
Our “Photo of the Week” comes to us from Elizabeth Petrovski at the U.S. Mission to the UN Agencies in Rome, Italy. Elizabeth recently had the opportunity to visit Kenya, where she observed projects run by the World Food Program (WFP) and its cooperating partner, the Kenya Child Fund, in the northeastern...
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Remarks by President Obama and President Medvedev...
President Barack Obama: “…At a time of great challenges around the world, cooperation between the United States and Russia is absolutely critical to world peace and stability.”
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President Obama in South Korea
Just midnight on Saturday morning, President Obama boarded Air Force One and departed for a trip to South Korea. After crossing the International Date Line, he arrived in Seoul for a nuclear security summit.
As part of the trip, the President today got a first hand view of North Korea as he toured to the DMZ and met with U.S. troops stationed on the border. He told the servicemen and women,...
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U.S. Support for Egypt
Press Statement
Victoria Nuland Department Spokesperson, Office of the Spokesperson
Washington, DC
March 23, 2012
Today, Secretary Clinton has certified to Congress that Egypt is meeting its obligations under its Peace Treaty with Israel. The Secretary has also waived legislative conditions related to Egypt’s democratic transition, on the basis of America’s national security interests,...
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U.S.-Japan Policy Cooperation Dialogue on the...
On March 22 and 23, 2012, the third Director General-level meeting of the U.S.-Japan Policy Cooperation Dialogue on the Internet Economy was held in Tokyo. Hajime Tonegawa, Director General of the Global ICT Strategy Bureau, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC), and officials representing MIC, the IT Policy Office, the National Information Security Center, the Consumer Affairs...
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Museum Partnership Brings Smithsonian Exhibitions...
About the Author: Ambassador Kathleen Stephens serves as Acting Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs.
One of my favorite things to do in Washington is to visit a Smithsonian Museum. Today, I was lucky enough to visit the Sant Ocean Hall at the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History where, in my official capacity, we celebrated the launch of our Amazing Ocean Mobile...
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On Violence in Southern Kordofan and Negotiations...
Press Statement
Victoria Nuland Department Spokesperson, Office of the Spokesperson
Washington, DC
March 22, 2012
The United States is alarmed by the threat of greater violence between the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) and the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-Northern Sector (SPLM-N) in Southern Kordofan State. Any such fighting will only worsen the humanitarian crisis there and lead to more...
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WatchRemarks by Rosemary A. DiCarlo, Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations, at a Security Council Briefing on Iran and Resolution 1737, in New York on March 21, 2012.
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Statement by Secretary of State Hillary Rodham...
Today’s action by the UN Human Rights Council encourages the Government of Sri Lanka to continue on the path toward reconciliation following 27 years of civil war. The United States, together with the international community, sent a strong signal that Sri Lanka will only achieve lasting peace through real reconciliation and accountability, and the international community stands ready to help. The...
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Global Hunger: Let’s Talk Game Change
About the Author: Paul Weisenfeld serves as Assistant to the Administrator, USAID Bureau of Food Security.
For weeks now, my teenage daughter and her friends have been buzzing about the release of the new film The Hunger Games. I asked her recently about the trilogy — she’d already read the books — and I was struck by how much the premise relates to the very heart of what we...
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Fact Sheet: Nuclear Security 101
Bureau of International Security and Nonproliferation
March 21, 2012
The goal of United States Government’s nuclear security programs is the prevention of the illegal possession, use or transfer of nuclear material or other radioactive material. Successful nuclear security relies on an interconnected combination of technology, policy, operational concepts and international collaboration to...
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How USAID is Putting Local Wealth to Work
You can view the full-size image here. About the Author: Ben Hubbard serves as the Director of Development Credit Authority at the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). In the 1960s, during USAID’s founding decade, official development assistance represented 70 percent of all capital flows to developing countries. Today, foreign aid makes up just 13 percent, having been...
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Situation in Mali
Press Statement
Victoria Nuland Department Spokesperson, Office of the Spokesperson
Washington, DC
March 22, 2012
The United States condemns the military seizure of power in Mali. We echo the statements of the African Union, the Economic Community of West African States and other international partners denouncing these actions. We call for calm and the restoration of the civilian government...
Bringing the Chicago Spirit to NATO
About the Author: David Siefkin serves as the Public Affairs Advisor at USNATO.
How do you bring the energy and excitement of Chicago into the headquarters of the NATO Alliance in Brussels, ahead of the NATO Summit in Chicago this May? That was our challenge this month at United States Mission to NATO. First we sat down to think what captured the essence of Chicago, and we decided,...
Advancing Economic Statecraft: One Video at a...
About the Author: Jose W. Fernandez serves as the Assistant Secretary of State for Economic and Business Affairs.
As part of Secretary Clinton’s Economic Statecraft agenda, every one of our diplomatic posts around the world and every office at the Department of State has been tasked with ensuring economics is at the center of our foreign policy. For the dedicated staff of the...
