Deputy Assistant Secretary of State in the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor Kathleen Fitzpatrick Urges Action on Justice and Human Rights
February 24, 2012
Deputy Assistant Secretary Fitzpatrick chats with neighborhood kids at the San Martin Outreach Center near Tegucigalpa. (State Dept. Photo)
Deputy Assistant Secretary Fitzpatrick, Ambassador Kubiske, and other U.S. officials talked with journalists and press freedom NGO C-Libre, and held roundtables on “Civil Rights, Impunity and Corruption” with representatives from human rights and justice organizations including the LGBT community, people with disabilities, and other groups. She discussed cooperation in rights and justice with Honduran authorities including Secretary _of Justice and Human Rights Ana Pineda, _ Secretary of SecurityPompeyo Bonilla, and Director of the Directorate for the Investigation and Evaluation of the Police Career (DIECP) Oscar Arita, and members of the Special Victims Task Force. Deputy Assistant Secretary Fitzpatrick toured a U.S. government funded outreach center in San Martin, where volunteers train underprivileged youth from surrounding neighborhoods in computer and job skills, and where young people can safely get together, to reduce the risk of their involvement with criminal groups. Representatives of activist movement Youth Against Violence shared their perspectives on energizing young people to improve security in Honduras.
Following an address to the press, DAS Fitzpatrick departed Honduras February 24.
Biography
Kathleen M. Fitzpatrick
Deputy Assistant Secretary
Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor
Term of Appointment: March 1, 2010 to present
Kathleen Fitzpatrick joined the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor as a Deputy Assistant Secretary on March 1, 2010. Ms. Fitzpatrick’s portfolio for the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor includes the Office of Western Hemisphere Affairs, the Office of Near East Asian Affairs, and the Office of International Religious Freedom. Kathleen Fitzpatrick is a career member of the Senior Foreign Service, class of Minister Counselor. Before this assignment as Deputy Assistant Secretary, she served for two and a half years as the Director of the Office of Southern European Affairs, managing U.S. relations with Turkey, Greece, and Cyprus.
Ms. Fitzpatrick served as the Counselor for Political Affairs in Madrid, Spain from 2003-2007, Director of the Office of Nordic and Baltic Affairs from 2001-2003, and Deputy Director of the Office of Regional and Security and Arms Transfers from 1999-2001. She served as a Political Officer at the US Mission to NATO in Brussels and at the US Embassy in Moscow. She also held assignments in the the Office of UN Political Affairs, the Executive Secretariat, and began her career as Vice Consul in Antwerp, Belgium.
Ms. Fitzpatrick holds an MA in Political Science from Georgetown University and a MS in National Security Studies from the United States National War College. Ms. Fitzpatrick has received a number of Superior and Meritorious Honor Awards from the Department of State. She has studied Spanish, Russian, Dutch, French, and some Arabic.
TEGUCIGALPA - Deputy Assistant Secretary of State in the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor Kathleen Fitzpatrick met with senior Honduran government officials, legislators, journalists, and civil society groups during her visit to Tegucigalpa February 21-24. Deputy Assistant Secretary Fitzpatrick stressed that the United States supports respect for human rights as a matter of the highest importance. In her meetings, she urged an end to impunity, improved transparency and accountability in government, protection for members of vulnerable groups, the need for thorough and credible investigations into allegations of human rights abuses, and the importance of making tangible progress in protecting human rights and human dignity. She also urged members of civil society to take action in finding concrete solutions to make progress in these areas, noting that the people of Honduras have the power to press for change.
Deputy Assistant Secretary Fitzpatrick, Ambassador Kubiske, and other U.S. officials talked with journalists and press freedom NGO C-Libre, and held roundtables on "Civil Rights, Impunity and Corruption" with representatives from human rights and justice organizations including the LGBT community, people with disabilities, and other groups. She discussed cooperation in rights and justice with Honduran authorities including Secretary of Justice and Human Rights Ana Pineda, Secretary of Security Pompeyo Bonilla, the Director of the Directorate for the Investigation and Evaluation of the Police Career (DIECP) Oscar Arita, and members of the Special Victims Task Force.
Deputy Assistant Secretary Fitzpatrick toured a U.S. government funded outreach center in San Martin, where volunteers train underprivileged youth from surrounding neighborhoods in computer and job skills, and where young people can safely get together, to reduce the risk of their involvement with criminal groups. Representatives of activist movement Youth Against Violence shared their perspectives on energizing young people to improve security in Honduras.
Following an address to the press, DAS Fitzpatrick departed Honduras February 24.
