This week, Attorney General Eric Holder joined international counterparts in Doha to launch the Arab Forum on Asset Recovery and participate in its inaugural meeting. The following statement was released from the Attorney General and other Forum Co-Chairs.

Participants reaffirmed their commitment to the Asset Recovery Action Plan developed under the Deauville Partnership with Arab Countries in Transition. From the inception of the Partnership, asset recovery was recognized as an important goal to support democratic transition and economic development, and pursuit of the proceeds of corruption stowed abroad has since become a significant area for cooperation among the Deauville Partnership countries and other stakeholders. 

We agreed that, in the wake of the Arab Spring, asset recovery has become a more urgent area of focus in the region and in the international community, building on the framework of the UN Convention against Corruption. Robust cooperation, including case assistance, capacity building and technical assistance, are necessary to advance asset recovery efforts.

In this context, the participants noted the value of the Arab Forum in providing a platform for:

• policy dialogue to raise awareness of and introduce the measures to facilitate effective asset recovery;
• regional training, and identification of needs for country-specific capacity building; 
• developing a repository of information about asset recovery procedures, and good practices including mutual legal assistance and similar requirements of partner countries, translated in Arabic; and,
• developing a regional network of expertise. 

We recognized the value of transparency in the facilitating effective cooperation and appreciated the efforts of many members of the G8 and additional countries in publishing a comprehensive guide describing the specific steps required for assistance and cooperation in matters related to tracing, freezing, confiscation, and return of proceeds of corruption. We noted the importance of providing materials in Arabic when possible and appreciated the efforts of the StAR initiative in developing a comprehensive website for all of these asset recovery guides, Forum documents, and other resources on asset recovery to serve as a central reference point on an ongoing basis. We encouraged a wider range of countries to make such guides available as an invaluable support to effective cooperation.

We agreed on the importance of having designated points of contact to facilitate inquiries related to asset recovery or mutual legal assistance requests and to identify them to relevant networks of practitioners.

We also noted the importance of the intention of each transition country seeking the recovery of assets to create an Asset Recovery Task Force to serve as the focal point for the country in coordination and cooperation requests on asset recovery with the G8 and other countries.

We reaffirmed the usefulness of reviewing our legislation and practices to consider reforms, including in line with the elements set out in the Asset Recovery Action Plan that would streamline and facilitate cooperation.

We pledged to ensure that technical assistance is on-going and continues to be available from G8 and regional countries and international organizations to assist the transition countries in efforts to re-coup stolen assets. Participants reaffirmed that key topics for technical assistance should include financial investigations, financial document analysis, asset tracing, asset freezing and confiscation, requesting international assistance, asset recovery and asset management tools, and other topics identified by the requesting countries.

We agree that successful asset recovery faces a range of challenges, and that the complexities of building cases and pursuing international legal cooperation are not amenable to a quick fix, no matter how high the political will on each side. To facilitate these efforts, we recognized the value of legal and institutional reform to promote successful asset recovery efforts, as well as regular contact between practitioners to build trust, improve mutual understanding, and facilitate and accelerate the actual provision of assistance. 

We reaffirmed our intent to continue collaboration to pursue follow-up on the Partnership Asset Recovery Action Plan, to conduct individual and joint action to show progress on its elements during 2013, with the support of our peers in the Partnership. We welcome the work of StAR, and other partners, to conduct activities in the coming months to support follow-up of the Action Plan, such as regional training and mentorship, and intend to provide our support and participation in such activities.

We expressed our deep appreciation to the State of Qatar for hosting this inaugural meeting of the Arab Forum on Asset Recovery. We look forward to continuing this critical work as a sign of the enduring partnership between our countries and our support for the transitions in the region and agreed to meet again in the coming year. 

The meeting was hosted by the State of Qatar, in cooperation with the United States as G-8 chair, with the invaluable partnership of the Stolen Asset Recovery initiative (StAR) of the World Bank and UN Office on Drugs and Crime. 

Participating in the meeting were the governments of Bahrain, Belgium, Canada, Egypt, France, Germany, Guernsey, Italy, Japan, Jersey, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Liechtenstein, Morocco, Oman, Qatar, Russia, South Africa, Spain, Switzerland, Tunisia, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom and the United States and Yemen, along with the European Union. Representatives of the United Nations, Arab League, Gulf Cooperation Council, Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, the Egmont Group, and Interpol also participated.

 For more information, read the Attorney General’s remarks at the Arab Forum on Asset Recovery.

The Justice Department released its Section 508 report to the President and Congress: “Accessibility of Federal Electronic and Information Technology.”  The report, authorized under Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, provides findings based on a survey of federal agencies on the accessibility of their electronic and information technology and the procedures used to implement the requirements of Section 508.

Section 508 requires federal agencies to make their electronic and information technology (EIT) accessible to people with disabilities, unless certain exceptions apply.  This includes telecommunications products (such as telephones), information kiosks and transaction machines, websites, multimedia, and office equipment, such as copiers and fax machines, computers, software, firmware and similar products and services. 

Specifically, Section 508 requires federal agencies to ensure that technology they develop, procure, maintain, or use allows employees with disabilities and members of the public seeking information or services to have access to and use of information and data that is comparable to that available to people who do not have disabilities.

Section 508 also requires the attorney general to report and offer recommendations periodically to the President and Congress on the state of federal agency compliance with Section 508.

In 2010-2011the department asked federal agencies about their implementation of Section 508. We requested data in four important areas: procurement, general processes for implementing Section 508, administrative complaints and civil actions, and website compliance.

The report recommends, among other things, that agencies:

• establish and publish Section 508 and web accessibility policies and procedures,
• appoint Section 508 coordinators and establish Section 508 programs,
• provide more Section 508 training to personnel,
• ensure accessibility of EIT used in federally funded programs,
• develop procurement policies and specific solicitation language for Section 508 requirements,
• perform accessibility testing of EIT products and web pages, and
• establish specific Section 508 complaint processes including alternative dispute resolution and improve inter-agency coordination on Section 508 compliance.

For more information, visit www.ada.gov/508.

Today the nation remembers the lives lost on September 11, 2001. It is a solemn day, but it is also a day of service. By taking time to serve others today we demonstrate our resolve and resilience as we continue to embrace democratic values and fundamental liberties, not fear and oppression.

This morning, at the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington, D.C., Attorney General Holder paid tribute to the 72 law enforcement officers who rushed to the scene and made the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty:

In the face of hatred and destruction on a nearly unprecedented scale, these heroic men and women answered the highest calling of their profession – placing the safety of others above their own.  As images of smoldering wreckage and crumbling buildings played out on television screens and in their own backyards – from New York City; to Arlington, Virginia; to Shanksville, Pennsylvania – these officers heard the call go out.  They saw the rising smoke, and heard the cries of those in need.  And – without hesitation, without delay, and with the knowledge that this critical mission could well be their last – every one of them rushed toward the dangers from which all others had fled.

Put simply, their selfless actions saved countless lives.  Their valor reminds us of the quiet power of compassion, patriotism, and selflessness.  And – especially this morning – as we lift up their stories, we also affirm that this annual observance has always been about much more than the pain that was inflicted – and the buildings that were destroyed – eleven years ago today.

It’s about the extraordinary life that binds us together.  It’s about the enduring values that have always been the hallmark of America’s law enforcement community.  And, above all, it’s about honoring the friends, neighbors, and loved ones who were taken from us – far too suddenly, and far too soon – on that terrible day.

Each of their names has been forever etched, alongside more than 19,000 others, in this place of remembrance.  Each of their legacies lives on in the efforts of those who wear the uniform, who safeguard their countrymen and –women from crime, and who protect our nation’s security. And each of their sacrifices is honored in the work of all who strive to promote – not only safety and security, but peace and justice; in the actions of organizations like this one, and our nation’s Department of Justice, as we stand together to support the officers and their families who give so much to keep us safe; and in the commitment of Americans across the country who gather on this day to ensure that – in our own time, in the lives of our children, and in the work of future generations – the stories, the memories, and the rich legacies of those we lost on September 11^th will never be forgotten.

The Justice Department and the entire nation honor the memory of those who lost their lives in the 9/11 attacks. At the department, we remain fully committed to the fight against those who target Americans and our way of life.  We know the best way to honor the legacies of the victims of 9/11 is to prevent further terrorist attacks on this country, which remains the highest priority and most urgent work of the department.

For more information about the department’s efforts to protect Americans and the American way of life, visit justice.gov/911

The following post appears courtesy of the Civil Rights Division and the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky, Kerry B. Harvey.

Last week, Thomas E. Perez, Assistant Attorney General for the Department of Justice Civil Rights Division spoke to all the ninth-graders in Lexington, Ky., public schools and encouraged students to prevent bullying by embracing diversity.

The event was jointly organized by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Eastern District of Kentucky and the Fayette County public school district to help educate students on the topics of bullying, harassment and discrimination in schools.

Approximately 700 students attended the event while around 2,400 participated from their respective schools through a live classroom feed. Students also took part in a question and answer session after the speech, with some submitting questions about bullying through emails and text messages to Assistant Attorney General Perez and others who were part of a panel.

Assistant Attorney General Perez:

“Today’s bullies are often tomorrow’s civil rights defendants. It’s important for schools to foster a learning environment where diversity isn’t just tolerated but embraced.”

 Assistant Attorney General Perez conducted a press conference for local media and student journalists.  The student journalists will compose stories on the topic for dissemination throughout their respective schools as a way to increase awareness about bullying.

 Studies show millions of students nationwide are bullied at school; including being shoved, pushed, tripped and even spit on by other students. The Anti-Defamation League found that bullying victims are more likely to engage in behaviors such as illegal drug use, dropping out of school and suicide.

As part of his visit to Lexington, Assistant Attorney General Perez also spoke about civil rights to at the University Of Kentucky College Of Law. He participated in an event attended by approximately 175 local leaders.  Audience members also heard from the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky, Kerry B. Harvey, who described the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s ongoing civil rights initiative.

 The office and its law enforcement partners have been very active in investigating and prosecuting civil rights cases.  Earlier this month, the leader of a sex trafficking ring in Kentucky, Marco Antonio Flores-Benitez, was sentenced to 15 years in prison.   When Flores-Benitez pleaded guilty to the charges in May, it marked Kentucky’s first conviction for sex trafficking.   Three other defendants were also convicted and sentenced.  

At an afternoon community event, the U.S. Attorney’s Office presented awards to officers from the Lexington Division of Police who helped investigate the sex trafficking case.   In addition, two officials from the University of Kentucky received awards for assisting the USAO in its civil rights efforts.

For more information about the department’s civil rights work, visit justice.gov/crt.

Since the launch of the Defending Childhood Initiative in 2010  the Justice Department has been working with leading researchers to take an in-depth look at the problem of children exposed to violence.  What we have learned has been a wake-up call, and warning bell, for all of us. We found that the majority of our kids – more than 60 percent – have been exposed to crime, abuse, and violence — many in their own homes. Ten percent of children in the United States have suffered some form of abuse or neglect; one in sixteen has been victimized sexually. And both direct and indirect exposure to violence is having a profound negative impact on the mental and emotional development of young people across the country.

I am happy to tell you that we have now, through the work of the Attorney General’s National Task Force on Children Exposed to Violence, reached an important milestone in the fight to prevent and reduce children’s exposure to violence in the United States. 

Over the last year, the task force has traveled the country, listening to practitioners, policymakers, academics, concerned citizens, and victims.  Its goal was to find out how violence and abuse are affecting our kids and our communities.  The task force has now completed its fact-finding phase and is compiling a report to be issued late this fall, 2012.  The report will be a blueprint for actions we can take to prevent children’s exposure to violence and mitigate its effects. 

The task force heard personal testimony from 65 people from 27 states and the District of Columbia. These included survivors of violence, young people, social service providers, medical personnel, researchers, practitioners, advocates, tribal and local officials, private foundation representatives, and community residents. The four public hearings were held in Baltimore, Albuquerque, Miami and Detroit and the three listening sessions in Anchorage, Oakland and Joint Base Lewis-McChord outside Tacoma, WA.  The variety of sites gave the task force members the big picture of violence in America.  They learned that violence is more than an urban problem; it is pervasive throughout our nation.  And they learned that in rural and tribal areas the damage is often compounded by the difficulty of getting resources for victims.

The problem of children’s exposure to violence is an urgent one, one we can’t afford to ignore. Nor is it an issue the Department of Justice – or any one agency or organization – can take on alone.  It will take all of us, working together.  And with the momentum we’ve generated through our Defending Childhood Initiative, the information and insights we’ve gained through the task force, and the tremendous support and leadership shown by everyone here, I know we will find a way to make America safer for our children.

The following post appears courtesy of the Civil Rights Division and William C. Killian,  the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Tennessee.

Religious freedom is one of the United States’ founding principles, protected by the First Amendment and other federal laws. When Congress enacted the landmark Civil Rights Act of 1964, it not only barred discrimination based on race, national origin and sex in a wide range of areas, but also barred discrimination based on religion.

The Justice Department, under Attorney General Holder, continues to enforce civil rights laws that protect religious freedom. The department’s Civil Rights Division enforces a wide range of laws protecting religious liberty, including:

• laws barring discrimination based on religion in employment, public education, housing, credit, and access to public facilities and public accommodations;
• the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act (RLUIPA), which bars zoning authorities from discriminating against houses of worship and religious schools;
• laws protecting the religious rights of institutionalized persons; and
• criminal statutes such as the Church Arson Prevention Act making it a federal crime to attack persons or institutions based on their religion, or otherwise interfere with religious exercise.

U.S. Attorney’s Offices around the nation are also working in their districts to engage with their local Arab and Muslim-American communities, including participating in annual dinners, mosque openings, lectures and town hall meetings. In addition, U.S. Attorneys’ Offices are working in their districts to engage with their local Arab and Muslim-American communities.

Over the last month, the Justice Department’s continued commitment to protecting religious freedom has been showcased with the opening of two Islamic Centers in the state of Tennessee.

Just last week in Chattanooga, William C. Killian, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Tennessee, spoke at the opening of an Islamic Center. Over 250 individuals, including federal, state and local officials, law enforcement officers and members of the public attended the event.

Speaking at the opening of the Islamic Center, U.S. Attorney Killian stated:

 Whether a gurdwara, synagogue, temple, church or mosque, we must preserve and enforce the First Amendment’s freedom of religion.

We have been, are now, and will always remain the greatest country on this earth. Our diversity is our strength. Respect for, and the embrace of various cultures is a pillar, upon which our great nation was founded. Even though we are culturally diverse, more unites us than divides us. As an American, there are no excuses to be made, for your ethnic origin, religious preference, sexual orientation or any other identity. We all are and will remain Americans, “with liberty and justice for all.”

Just 100 miles away in Murfreesboro, the Islamic Center of Murfreesboro is also set to open its doors, in part thanks to the department’s continued commitment to religious freedom. In July, the department filed a federal lawsuit against Rutherford County, Tenn., alleging that the county violated RLUIPA when it refused to process or issue a certificate of occupancy to the Islamic Center of Murfreesboro.

After the department’s complaint, a federal judge in Tennessee issued a temporary restraining order ordering county officials to provide the final building inspection for the mosque. Just last week, the Islamic Center of Murfreesboro obtained its final certificate of occupancy.

The Justice Department is committed to enforcing civil rights laws that protect religious freedom.

Additional information about the Justice Department’s efforts to combat religious discrimination may be found at www.justice.gov/crt/spec_topics/religiousdiscrimination.