WaPo: Hillary Is Heading To Copenhagen

Well, this comes as a surprise!

Hillary Clinton will head to Copenhagen

By Steven Mufson in our blog, Post Carbon:

Just in case there weren't enough policy star power in Copenhagen, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton plans to attend the climate conference, according to sources with non-governmental organizations at the conference.

Clinton plans to travel on Wednesday and take part in negotiations on Thursday, a day before President Obama is due to arrive. She has booked a full day of meetings on Thursday and will join Obama once he arrives.

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Video: Secretary Clinton's Remarks with Serbian Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic

Clinton: December 2009
Remarks With Serbian Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic Before Their Meeting


Hillary Rodham Clinton
Secretary of State
Treaty Room
Washington, DC
December 15, 2009

SECRETARY CLINTON: Well, I’m very pleased to welcome the foreign minister of Serbia here. Vice President Biden had a very productive meeting last May in Belgrade. And we see continuing positive developments in our relationship with Serbia and we look forward to working with you and with your government on behalf of many matters of mutual concern.

FOREIGN MINISTER JEREMIC: Well, thank you very much, Madame Secretary. It’s a great pleasure to be back in Washington. We see our relation with Washington as the critical relations for peace and stability in the Balkans. The Serbian Government has a central strategic priority, and that is membership in the European Union. We are very grateful for the support that we have enjoyed so far and that we hope to enjoy in the future from the Government of the United States, and I look forward to working with Secretary Clinton and American officials in 2010.

SECRETARY CLINTON: Thank you. Nice to see you.

FOREIGN MINISTER JEREMIC: Nice to see you.

SECRETARY CLINTON: Thank you all very much.

Hillary Clinton's Op-Ed in Today's New York Times

What a nice surprise to find this in today's New York Times following her impressive speech on human rights at Georgetown University yesterday.

Op-Ed Contributor
The U.S. Is on Board


By HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON
Published: December 14, 2009

Our world is on an unsustainable path that threatens not only our environment, but our economies and our security. It is time to launch a broad operational accord on climate change that will set us on a new course.

A successful agreement depends upon a number of core elements, but two are shaping up to be essential: first, that all major economies set forth strong national actions and resolve to implement them; and second, that they agree to a system that enables full transparency and creates confidence that national actions are in fact being implemented.

Transparency, in particular, is what will ensure that this agreement becomes operational, not just aspirational. We all need to take our share of responsibility, stand behind our commitments, and mean what we say in order for an international agreement to be credible.

Representatives from more than 190 countries have gathered in Copenhagen in the hopes of meeting this urgent challenge to our planet. If we are serious about that goal, we will all embrace these principles.

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Secretary Clinton: Human Rights Agenda For The 21st Century

Delivered at Gaston Hall, Georgetown University, this address was relatively well-publicized in advance and took place at noon today. I searched for the text and video as I had time this afternoon, but even though I had a late evening at work, it seems they were released just a little while before I arrived home, so I am posting them without even having scanned the text. We all get to see and read it at once! (So, obviously I have no comments to make about content, but I am sure it is brilliant and consistent with all the Secretary has been doing.)

Remarks on the Human Rights Agenda for the 21st Century


Hillary Rodham Clinton
Secretary of State
Georgetown University's Gaston Hall
Washington, DC
December 14, 2009


SECRETARY CLINTON: Thank you. It is wonderful being back here at Georgetown in this magnificent Gaston Hall, and to give you something to do during exam week. (Laughter.) It’s one of those quasi-legitimate reasons for taking a break – (laughter) – which I’m very happy to have provided.

I want to thank Jas for his introductory remarks, and clearly, those of you who are in the Foreign Service School heard reflections of the extraordinary opportunity you’ve been given to study here as he spoke about the culture of human rights. It is also a real honor for me to be delivering this speech at Georgetown, because there is no better place than this university to talk about human rights. And President DeGioia, the administration, and the faculty embody the university’s long tradition of supporting free expression and free inquiry and the cause of human rights around the world.

I know that President DeGioia himself has taught a course on human rights, as well as on the ethics of international development with one of my longtime colleagues, Carol Lancaster, the acting dean of the School of Foreign Service. And I want to commend the faculty here who are helping to shape our thinking on human rights, on conflict resolution, on development and related subjects. It is important to be at this university because the students here, the faculty, every single year add to the interreligious dialogue. You give voice to many advocates and activists who are working on the front lines of the global human rights movement, through the Human Rights Institute here at the law school and other programs. And the opportunities that you provide your students to work in an international women’s rights clinic are especially close to my heart.

All of these efforts reflect the deep commitment of the Georgetown administration, faculty, and students to this cause. So first and foremost, I am here to say thank you. Thank you for keeping human rights front and center. Thank you for training the next generation of human rights advocates, and more generally, introducing students who may never be an activist, may never work for Amnesty International or any other organization specifically devoted to human rights, but who will leave this university with it imbued in their hearts and minds. So thank you, President DeGioia, for all that you do and all that Georgetown has done. (Applause.)

Today, I want to speak to you about the Obama Administration’s human rights agenda for the 21st century. It is a subject on the minds of many people who are eager to hear our approach, and understandably so, because it is a critical issue that warrants our energy and our attention. My comments today will provide an overview of our thinking on human rights and democracy and how they fit into our broader foreign policy, as well as the principles and policies that guide our approach.

But let me also say that what this is not. It could not be a comprehensive accounting of abuses or nations with whom we have raised human rights concerns. It could not be and is not a checklist or a scorecard. We issue a Human Rights Report every year and that goes into great detail on the concerns we have for many countries. But I hope that we can use this opportunity to look at this important issue in a broader light and appreciate its full complexity, moral weight, and urgency. And with that, let me turn to the business at hand.

In his acceptance speech for the Nobel Peace Prize last week, President Obama said that while war is never welcome or good, it will sometimes be right and necessary, because, in his words, “Only a just peace based upon the inherent rights and dignity of every individual can be truly lasting.” Throughout history and in our own time, there have been those who violently deny that truth. Our mission is to embrace it, to work for lasting peace through a principled human rights agenda, and a practical strategy to implement it.

President Obama’s speech also reminded us that our basic values, the ones enshrined in our Declaration of Independence – the rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness – are not only the source of our strength and endurance; they are the birthright of every woman, man, and child on earth. That is also the promise of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the prerequisite for building a world in which every person has the opportunity to live up to his or her God-given potential, and the power behind every movement for freedom, every campaign for democracy, every effort to foster development, and every struggle against oppression.

The potential within every person to learn, discover and embrace the world around them, the potential to join freely with others to shape their communities and their societies so that every person can find fulfillment and self-sufficiency, the potential to share life’s beauties and tragedies, laughter and tears with the people we love – that potential is sacred. That, however, is a dangerous belief to many who hold power and who construct their position against an “other” – another tribe or religion or race or gender or political party. Standing up against that false sense of identity and expanding the circle of rights and opportunities to all people – advancing their freedoms and possibilities – is why we do what we do.

This week we observe Human Rights Week. At the State Department, though, every week is Human Rights Week. Sixty-one years ago this month, the world’s leaders proclaimed a new framework of rights, laws, and institutions that could fulfill the vow of “never again.” They affirmed the universality of human rights through the Universal Declaration and legal agreements including those aimed at combating genocide, war crimes and torture, and challenging discrimination against women and racial and religious minorities. Burgeoning civil society movements and nongovernmental organizations became essential partners in advancing the principle that every person counts, and in exposing those who violate that standard.

As we celebrate that progress, though, our focus must be on the work that remains to be done. The preamble of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights encourages us to use it as a, quote, “standard of achievement.” And so we should. But we cannot deny the gap that remains between its eloquent promises and the life experiences of so many of our fellow human beings. Now, we must finish the job.

Our human rights agenda for the 21st century is to make human rights a human reality, and the first step is to see human rights in a broad context. Of course, people must be free from the oppression of tyranny, from torture, from discrimination, from the fear of leaders who will imprison or “disappear” them. But they also must be free from the oppression of want – want of food, want of health, want of education, and want of equality in law and in fact.

To fulfill their potential, people must be free to choose laws and leaders; to share and access information, to speak, criticize, and debate. They must be free to worship, associate, and to love in the way that they choose. And they must be free to pursue the dignity that comes with self-improvement and self-reliance, to build their minds and their skills, to bring their goods to the marketplace, and participate in the process of innovation. Human rights have both negative and positive requirements. People should be free from tyranny in whatever form, and they should also be free to seize the opportunities of a full life. That is why supporting democracy and fostering development are cornerstones of our 21st century human rights agenda.

This Administration, like others before us, will promote, support, and defend democracy. We will relinquish neither the word nor the idea to those who have used it too narrowly, or to justify unwise policies. We stand for democracy not because we want other countries to be like us, but because we want all people to enjoy the consistent protection of the rights that are naturally theirs, whether they were born in Tallahassee or Tehran. Democracy has proven the best political system for making human rights a human reality over the long term.

But it is crucial that we clarify what we mean when we talk about democracy, because democracy means not only elections to choose leaders, but also active citizens and a free press and an independent judiciary and transparent and responsive institutions that are accountable to all citizens and protect their rights equally and fairly. In democracies, respecting rights isn’t a choice leaders make day by day; it is the reason they govern. Democracies protect and respect citizens every day, not just on Election Day. And democracies demonstrate their greatness not by insisting they are perfect, but by using their institutions and their principles to make themselves and their union more perfect, just as our country continues to do after 233 years.

At the same time, human development must also be part of our human rights agenda. Because basic levels of well-being – food, shelter, health, and education – and of public common goods like environmental sustainability, protection against pandemic disease, provisions for refugees – are necessary for people to exercise their rights, and because human development and democracy are mutually reinforcing. Democratic governments are not likely to survive long if their citizens do not have the basic necessities of life. The desperation caused by poverty and disease often leads to violence that further imperils the rights of people and threatens the stability of governments. Democracies that deliver on rights, opportunities, and development for their people are stable, strong, and most likely to enable people to live up to their potential.

So human rights, democracy, and development are not three separate goals with three separate agendas. That view doesn’t reflect the reality we face. To make a real and long-term difference in people’s lives, we have to tackle all three simultaneously with a commitment that is smart, strategic, determined, and long-term. We should measure our success by asking this question: Are more people in more places better able to exercise their universal rights and live up to their potential because of our actions?

Our principles are our North Star, but our tools and tactics must be flexible and reflect the reality on the ground wherever we are trying to have a positive impact. Now, in some cases, governments are willing but unable without support to establish strong institutions and protections for citizens – for example, the nascent democracies in Africa. And we can extend our hand as a partner to help them try to achieve authority and build the progress they desire. In other cases, like Cuba or Nigeria, governments are able but unwilling to make the changes their citizens deserve. There, we must vigorously press leaders to end repression, while supporting those within societies who are working for change. And in cases where governments are both unwilling and unable – places like the eastern Congo – we have to support those courageous individuals and organizations who try to protect people and who battle against the odds to plant seeds for a more hopeful future.

Now, I don’t need to tell you that challenges we face are diverse and complicated. And there is not one approach or formula, doctrine or theory that can be easily applied to every situation. But I want to outline four elements of the Obama Administration’s approach to putting our principles into action, and share with you some of the challenges we face in doing so.

First, a commitment to human rights starts with universal standards and with holding everyone accountable to those standards, including ourselves. On his second full day in office, President Obama issued an executive order prohibiting the use of torture or official cruelty by any U.S. official and ordered the closure of Guantanamo Bay. Next year, we will report on human trafficking, as we do every year, but this time, not only just on other countries, but also on our own. And we will participate through the United Nations in the Universal Periodic Review of our own human rights record, just as we encourage other nations to do.

By holding ourselves accountable, we reinforce our moral authority to demand that all governments adhere to obligations under international law; among them, not to torture, arbitrarily detain and persecute dissenters, or engage in political killings. Our government and the international community must counter the pretensions of those who deny or abdicate their responsibilities and hold violators to account.

Sometimes, we will have the most impact by publicly denouncing a government action, like the coup in Honduras or violence in Guinea. Other times, we will be more likely to help the oppressed by engaging in tough negotiations behind closed doors, like pressing China and Russia as part of our broader agenda. In every instance, our aim will be to make a difference, not to prove a point.

Calling for accountability doesn’t start or stop, however, at naming offenders. Our goal is to encourage – even demand – that governments must also take responsibility by putting human rights into law and embedding them in government institutions; by building strong, independent courts, competent and disciplined police and law enforcement. And once rights are established, governments should be expected to resist the temptation to restrict freedom of expression when criticism arises, and to be vigilant in preventing law from becoming an instrument of oppression, as bills like the one under consideration in Uganda would do to criminalize homosexuality.

We know that all governments and all leaders sometimes fall short. So there have to be internal mechanisms of accountability when rights are violated. Often the toughest test for governments, which is essential to the protection of human rights, is absorbing and accepting criticism. And here too, we should lead by example. In the last six decades we have done this – imperfectly at times but with significant outcomes – from making amends for the internment of our own Japanese American citizens in World War II, to establishing legal recourse for victims of discrimination in the Jim Crow South, to passing hate crimes legislation to include attacks against gays and lesbians. When injustice anywhere is ignored, justice everywhere is denied. Acknowledging and remedying mistakes does not make us weaker, it reaffirms the strength of our principles and institutions.

Second, we must be pragmatic and agile in pursuit of our human rights agenda – not compromising on our principles, but doing what is most likely to make them real. And we will use all the tools at our disposal, and when we run up against a wall, we will not retreat with resignation or recriminations, or repeatedly run up against the same well, but respond with strategic resolve to find another way to effect change and improve people’s lives.

We acknowledge that one size does not fit all. And when old approaches aren’t working, we won’t be afraid to attempt new ones, as we have this year by ending the stalemate of isolation and instead pursuing measured engagement with Burma. In Iran, we have offered to negotiate directly with the government on nuclear issues, but have at the same time expressed solidarity with those inside Iran struggling for democratic change. As President Obama said in his Nobel speech, “They have us on their side.”

And we will hold governments accountable for their actions, as we have just recently by terminating Millennium Challenge Corporation grants this year for Madagascar and Niger in the wake of government behavior. As the President said last week, “we must try as best we can to balance isolation and engagement; pressure and incentives, so that human rights and dignity are advanced over time.”

We are also working for positive change within multilateral institutions. They are valuable tools that, when in their best, leverage the efforts of many countries around a common purpose. So we have rejoined the UN Human Rights Council not because we don’t see its flaws, but because we think that participating gives us the best chance to be a constructive influence.

In our first session, we cosponsored the successful resolution on Freedom of Expression, a forceful declaration of principle at a time when that freedom is jeopardized by new efforts to constrain religious practice, including recently in Switzerland, and by efforts to criminalize the defamation of religion – a false solution which exchanges one wrong for another. And in the United Nations Security Council, I was privileged to chair the September session where we passed a resolution mandating protections against sexual violence in armed conflict.

Principled pragmatism informs our approach on human rights with all countries, but particularly with key countries like China and Russia. Cooperation with each of those is critical to the health of the global economy and the nonproliferation agenda we seek, also to managing security issues like North Korea and Iran, and addressing global problems like climate change.

The United States seeks positive relationships with China and Russia, and that means candid discussions of divergent views. In China, we call for protection of rights of minorities in Tibet and Xinxiang; for the rights to express oneself and worship freely; and for civil society and religious organizations to advocate their positions within a framework of the rule of law. And we believe strongly that those who advocate peacefully for reform within the constitution, such as Charter 2008 signatories, should not be prosecuted.

With Russia, we deplore the murders of journalists and activists and support the courageous individuals who advocate at great peril for democracy. With China, Russia, and others, we are engaging on issues of mutual interest while also engaging societal actors in these same countries who are working to advance human rights and democracy. The assumption that we must either pursue human rights or our “national interests” is wrong. The assumption that only coercion and isolation are effective tools for advancing democratic change is also wrong.

Across our diplomacy and development efforts, we keep striving for innovative ways to achieve results. That’s why I commissioned the first-ever Quadrennial Diplomacy and Development Review to develop a forward-looking strategy built on analysis of our objectives, our challenges, our tools, and our capacities to achieve America’s foreign policy and national security objectives. And make no mistake, issues of Democracy and Governance – D&G as they are called at USAID – are central to this review.

The third element of our approach is that we support change driven by citizens and their communities. The project of making human rights a human reality cannot be just one for governments. It requires cooperation among individuals and organizations within communities and across borders. It means that we work with others who share our commitment to securing lives of dignity for all who share the bonds of humanity.

Six weeks ago, in Morocco, I met with civil society activists from across the Middle East and North Africa. They exemplify how lasting change comes from within and how it depends on activists who create the space in which engaged citizens and civil society can build the foundations for rights-respecting development and democracy. Outside governments and global civil society cannot impose change, but we can promote and bolster it and defend it. We can encourage and provide support for local grassroots leaders, providing a lifeline of protection to human rights and democracy activists when they get in trouble, as they often do, for raising sensitive issues and voicing dissent. This means using tools like our Global Human Rights Defenders Fund, which in the last year has provided targeted legal and relocation assistance to 170 human rights defenders around the world.

And we can stand with these defenders publicly, as we have by sending a high-level diplomatic mission to meet with Aung San Suu Kyi, and as I have done around the world, from Guatemala to Kenya to Egypt, speaking out for civil society and political leaders who are working to try to change their societies from within, and also working through the backchannels for the safety of dissidents and protecting them from persecution.

We can amplify the voices of activists and advocates working on these issues by shining a spotlight on their progress. They often pursue their mission in isolation, often so marginalized within their own societies. And we can endorse the legitimacy of their efforts. We recognize these with honors like the Women of Courage awards that First Lady Michelle Obama and I presented earlier this year and the Human Rights Defenders award I will present next month, and we can applaud others like Vital Voices, the RFK Center for Justice and Human Rights, and the Lantos Foundation, that do the same.

We can give them access to public forums that lend visibility to their ideas, and continue to press for a role for nongovernmental organizations in multilateral institutions like the United Nations and the OSCE. And we can enlist other allies like international labor unions who were instrumental in the Solidarity movement in Poland or religious organizations who are championing the rights of people living with HIV/AIDS in Africa.

We can help change agents, gain access to and share information through the internet and mobile phones so that they can communicate and organize. With camera phones and Facebook pages, thousands of protestors in Iran have broadcast their demands for rights denied, creating a record for all the world, including Iran’s leaders, to see. I’ve established a special unit inside the State Department to use technology for 21st century statecraft.

In virtually every country I visit – from Indonesia to Iraq, from South Korea to the Dominican Republic – I conduct a town hall or roundtable discussion with groups outside of government to learn from them, and to provide a platform for their voices, ideas, and opinions. When I was recently in Russia, I visited an independent radio station to give an interview, and express through word and deed our support for independent media at a time when free expression is under threat.

On my visits to China, I have made a point of meeting with women activists. The UN Conference on Women in Beijing in 1995 inspired a generation of women civil society leaders who have become rights defenders for today’s China. In 1998, I met with a small group of lawyers in a crowded apartment on the fifth floor of a walk-up building. They described for me their efforts to win rights for women to own property, have a say in marriage and divorce, and be treated as equal citizens.

When I visited China again earlier this year, I met with some of the same women, but this group had grown and expanded its scope. Now there were women working not just for legal rights, but for environmental, health, and economic rights as well.

Yet one of them, Dr. Gao Yaojie, has been harassed for speaking out about AIDS in China. She should instead be applauded by her government for helping to confront the crisis. NGOs and civil society leaders need the financial, technical and political support we provide. Many repressive regimes have tried to limit the independence and effectiveness of activists and NGOs by restricting their activities, including more than 25 governments that have recently adopted new restrictions. But our funding and support can give a foothold to local organizations, training programs, and independent media. And of course, one of the most important ways that we and others in the international community can lay the foundation for change from the bottom up is through targeted assistance to those in need, and through partnerships that foster broad-based economic development.

To build success for the long run, our development assistance needs to be as effective as possible at delivering results and paving the way for broad-based growth and long-term self-reliance. Beyond giving people the capacity to meet their material needs for today, economic empowerment should give them a stake in securing their own futures, in seeing their societies become the kind of democracies that protect rights and govern fairly. So we will pursue a rights-respecting approach to development – consulting with local communities, ensuring transparency, midwife-ing accountable institutions – so our development activities act in concert with our efforts to support democratic governance. That is the pressing challenge we face in Afghanistan and Pakistan today.

The fourth element of our approach is that we will widen our focus. We will not forget that positive change must be reinforced and strengthened where hope is on the rise, and we will not ignore or overlook places of seemingly intractable tragedy and despair. Where human lives hang in the balance, we must do what we can to tilt that balance toward a better future.

Our efforts to support those working for human rights, economic empowerment, and democratic governance are driven by commitment, not convenience. But they have to be sustained. They cannot be subject to the whims or the wins of political change in our own country. Democratic progress is urgent but it is not quick, and we should never take for granted its permanence. Backsliding is always a threat, as we’ve learned in places like Kenya where the perpetrators of post-election violence have thus far escaped justice; and in the Americas where we are worried about leaders who have seized property, trampled rights, and abused justice to enhance personal rule.

And when democratic change occurs, we cannot afford to become complacent. Instead, we have to continue reinforcing NGOs and the fledgling institutions of democracy. Young democracies like Liberia, East Timor, Moldova and Kosovo need our help to secure improvements in health, education and welfare. We must stay engaged to nurture democratic development in places like Ukraine and Georgia, which experienced democratic breakthroughs earlier this decade but have struggled to consolidate their democratic gains because of both internal and external factors.

So we stand ready – both in our bilateral relationships and through international institutions – to help governments that have committed to improving themselves by assisting them in fighting corruption and helping train police forces and public servants. And we will support regional organizations and institutions like the Organization of American States, the African Union, and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, where they take their own steps to defend democratic principles and institutions.

Success stories deserve our attention so they continue to make progress and also serve as a model for others. And even as we reinforce the successes, conscience demands that we are not cowed by the overwhelming difficulty of making inroads against misery in the hard places like Sudan, Congo, North Korea, Zimbabwe, or on the hard issues like ending gender inequality and discrimination against gays and lesbians, from the Middle East to Latin America, Africa to Asia.

Now, we have to continue to press for solutions in Sudan where ongoing tensions threaten to add to the devastation wrought by genocide in Darfur and an overwhelming refugee crisis. We will work to identify ways that we and our partners can enhance human security, while at the same time focusing greater attention on efforts to prevent genocide elsewhere.

And of course, we have to remain focused on women – women’s rights, women’s roles, and women’s responsibilities. As I said in Beijing in 1995, “human rights are women’s rights, and women’s rights are human rights,” but oh, I wish it could be so easily translated into action and changes. That ideal is far from being realized in so many places around our world, but there is no place that so epitomizes the very difficult, tragic circumstances confronting women than in eastern Congo.

I was in Goma last August, the epicenter of one of the most violent and chaotic regions on earth. And when I was there, I met with victims of horrific gender and sexual violence, and I met with refugees driven from their homes by the many military forces operating there. I heard from those working to end the conflicts and to protect the victims in such dire circumstances. I saw the best and the worst of humanity in a single day, the unspeakable acts of violence that have left women physically and emotionally brutalized, and the heroism of the women and men themselves, of the doctors, nurses and volunteers working to repair bodies and spirits.

They are on the front lines of the struggle for human rights. Seeing firsthand their courage and tenacity of they and the Congolese people and the internal fortitude that keeps them going is not only humbling, but inspires me every day to keep working.

So those four aspects of our approach – accountability, principled pragmatism, partnering from the bottom up, keeping a wide focus where rights are at stake – will help build a foundation that enables people to stand and rise above poverty, hunger, and disease and that secures their rights under democratic governance. We must lift the ceiling of oppression, corruption, and violence.

And we must light a fire of human potential through access to education and economic opportunity. Build the foundation, lift the ceiling, and light the fire all together, all at once. Because when a person has food and education but not the freedom to discuss and debate with fellow citizens, he is denied the life he deserves. And when a person is too hungry or sick to work or vote or worship, she is denied a life she deserves. Freedom doesn’t come in half measures, and partial remedies cannot redress the whole problem.

But we know that the champions of human potential have never had it easy. We may call rights inalienable, but making them so has always been hard work. And no matter how clearly we see our ideals, taking action to make them real requires tough choices. Even if everyone agrees that we should do whatever is most likely to improve the lives of people on the ground, we will not always agree on what course of action fits that description in every case. That is the nature of governing. We all know examples of good intentions that did not produce results, some that even produced unintended consequences that led to greater violations of human rights. And we can learn from the instances in which we have fallen short in the past, because those past difficulties are proof of how difficult progress is, but we do not accept the argument by some that progress in certain places is impossible, because we know progress happens.

Ghana emerged from an era of coups to one of stable democratic governance. Indonesia moved from repressive rule to a dynamic democracy that is Islamic and secular. Chile exchanged dictatorship for democracy and an open economy. Mongolia’s constitutional reforms successfully ushered in multiparty democracy without violence. And there is no better example than the progress made in Central and Eastern Europe since the fall of the Berlin Wall 20 years ago, an event I was privileged to help celebrate last month at the Brandenburg Gate.

While the work in front of us is daunting and vast, we face the future together with partners on every continent, partners in faith-based organizations, NGOs, and socially responsible corporations, and partners in governments. From India, the world’s largest democracy, and one that continues to use democratic processes and principles to perfect its union of 1.1 billion people, to Botswana where the new president in Africa’s oldest democracy has promised to govern according to what he calls the “5 Ds” – democracy, dignity, development, discipline, and delivery – providing a recipe for responsible governance that contrasts starkly with the unnecessary and manmade tragedy in neighboring Zimbabwe.

In the end, this isn’t just about what we do; it is about who we are. And we cannot be the people we are – people who believe in human rights – if we opt out of this fight. Believing in human rights means committing ourselves to action, and when we sign up for the promise of rights that apply everywhere, to everyone, that rights will be able to protect and enable human dignity, we also sign up for the hard work of making that promise a reality.

Those of you here at this great university spend time studying the cases of what we’ve tried to do in human rights, or as Jas said, the culture of human rights. You see the shortcomings and the shortfalls. You see the fact that, as Mario Cuomo famously said about politics here in the United States, we campaign in poetry and we govern in prose. Well, that’s true internationally as well. But we need your ideas, we need your criticism, we need your support, we need your intelligent analysis of how together we can slowly, steadily expand that circle of opportunity and rights to every single person.

It is work that we take so seriously. It is work that we know we don’t have all the answers for. But it is the work that America signed up to do. And we will continue, day by day, inch by inch, to try to make whatever progress is humanly possible. Thank you all very much. (Applause.)

MODERATOR: Thank you, Secretary Clinton, for an inspiring, comprehensive, and wonderful speech. It made me proud to be an American.

SECRETARY CLINTON: Thank you so much.

MODERATOR: And proud to be at Georgetown, too. (Laughter.)

The Secretary has time for three questions, and we thought because so many of you have abandoned your final papers to be here – the students, that is – that we would take those questions from our students. So let me ask you – we have several people along the sides with microphones. Let – okay, here’s somebody with a microphone. Have we got one more? Okay.

So let’s have a first question from a student. That doesn't look like a student. (Laughter.) Let’s get – here, let’s get a young person here. We’re not discriminating. We just want a calm approach to things.

QUESTION: Hello, Secretary Clinton. Thank you so much for speaking to us today. You spoke about the situation in Uganda. Could you please talk to us a little bit more about how the United States can protect the rights of LGBT people in areas where those rights are not respected?

SECRETARY CLINTON: Yes. And first let me say that over this past year, we have elevated into our human rights dialogues and our public statements a very clear message about protecting the rights of the LGBT community worldwide. And we are particularly concerned about some of the specific cases that have come to our attention around the world. There have been organized efforts to kill and maim gays and lesbians in some countries that we have spoken out about, and also conveyed our very strong concerns about to their governments – not that they were governmentally implemented or even that the government was aware of them, but that the governments need to pay much greater attention to the kinds of abuses that we’ve seen in Iraq, for example.

We are deeply concerned about some of the stories coming out of Iran. In large measure, in reaction, we think, to the response to the elections back in June, there have been abuses committed within the detention facilities and elsewhere that we are deeply concerned about. And then the example that I used of a piece of legislation in Uganda which would not only criminalize homosexuality but attach the death penalty to it. We have expressed our concerns directly, indirectly, and we will continue to do so. The bill has not gone through the Ugandan legislature, but it has a lot of public support by various groups, including religious leaders in Uganda. And we view it as a very serious potential violation of human rights.

So it is clear that across the world this is a new frontier in the minds of many people about how we protect the LGBT community, but it is at the top of our list because we see many instances where there is a very serious assault on the physical safety and an increasing effort to marginalize people. And we think it’s important for the United States to stand against that and to enlist others to join us in doing so.

MODERATOR: Right here.

QUESTION: Good morning, Secretary Clinton. Thank you so much for being here at Georgetown. You brought up Iran today, and I really appreciate that as an Iranian American. I’m a graduate student here and had the pleasure of being in Iran this summer for my first trip, and to witness really what happened after the election was an incredible moment in history.

Now that six months has passed after the election, what can the United States do to balance our support of the human rights activists and demonstrators in the streets of Iran with our agenda regarding the broader international security issues with Iran’s proposed nuclear program? So how do we balance those two issues?

SECRETARY CLINTON: Right. Well, it is a balancing act. But the more important balancing act is to make sure that our very strong opposition to what is going on inside Iran doesn't in any way undermine the legitimacy of the protest movement that has taken hold. Now, this is one of those very good examples of a hard call. After the election and the reaction that began almost immediately by people who felt that the election was invalid, put us in a position of seriously considering what is the best way we can support those who are putting their lives on the line by going into the streets. We wanted to convey clear support, but we didn’t want the attention shifted from the legitimate concerns to the United States, because we had nothing to do with the spontaneous reaction that grew up in response to the behavior of the Iranian Government.

So it’s been a delicate walk, but I think that the activists inside Iran know that we support them. We have certainly encouraged their continuing communication of what’s going on inside Iran. One of the calls that we made shortly after the election in the midst of the demonstrations is this unit of these very tech-savvy young people that we’ve created inside the State Department knew that there was a lot of communication going on about demonstrations and sharing information on Twitter, and that totally unconnected to what was going on in Iran, Twitter had planned some kind of lapse in service to do something on their system – you can tell I have no idea what they were doing. (Laughter.) I mean, you know, I don’t know Twitter from Tweeter, so – (laughter) – to be honest with you.

So these young tech people in the State Department called Twitter and said don’t take Twitter down right now. Whatever you’re going to do to reboot or whatever it is – (laughter) – don’t take Twitter down because people in Iran are dependent upon Twitter. So we have done that careful balancing.

Now, clearly, we think that pursuing an agenda of nonproliferation is a human rights issue. I mean, what would be worse than nuclear material or even a nuclear weapon being in the hands of either a state or a non-state actor that would be used to intimidate and threaten and even, in the worst-case scenario, destroy?

So we see a continuum. So pursuing what we think is in the national security interest not only of the United States but countries in Europe and in the Middle East is also a human rights issue. So we do not want to be in an either/or position: Are we going to pursue nonproliferation with Iran or are we going to support the demonstrators inside Iran? We’re going to do both to the best of our ability to get a result that will further the cause we are seeking to support.

MODERATOR: One final question in the back. Right there, with the red. Right. Christmas red.

QUESTION: Thank you. I am wondering what you see the role of artists doing in helping to promote human rights. I had the privilege earlier this summer to hear the playwright Lynn Nottage speak in one of the Senate buildings after she advocated for women’s rights in the Congo, and I wonder how you see creative practice accompanying and amplifying policy.

SECRETARY CLINTON: That is a wonderful question because I think the arts and artists are one of our most effective tools in reaching beyond and through repressive regimes, in giving hope to people. It was a very effective tool during the Cold War. I’ve had so many Eastern Europeans tell me that it was American music, it was American literature, it was American poetry that kept them going. I remember when Vaclav Havel came to the White House during my husband’s administration, and we were having a state dinner for him. And I said, “Well, who would you like to entertain at the state dinner?” And I didn’t know what he was going to say. And he said, “Lou Reed.” (Laughter.) “It was his music that was just so important for us – in prison, out of prison.”

Well, you could name many other American artists who have traveled. We’re going to try to increase the number of artistic exchanges we do so that we can get people into settings where they will be able to directly communicate. Now, with communication being what it is today, you can download them and all the rest, but there’s something about the American Government sending somebody to make that case which I think is very important to our commitment.

Also, artists can bright to light in a gripping, dramatic way some of the challenges we face. You mentioned the play about women in the Congo. I remember some years ago seeing a play about women in Bosnia during the conflict there. It was so gripping. I still see the faces of those women who were pulled from their homes, separated from their husbands, often raped and left just as garbage on the side of the road. So I think that artists both individually and through their works can illustrate better than any speech I can give or any government policy we can promulgate that the spirit that lives within each of us, the right to think and dream and expand our boundaries, is not confined, no matter how hard they try, by any regime anywhere in the world. There is no way that you can deprive people from feeling those stirrings inside their soul. And artists can give voice to that. They can give shape and movement to it. And it is so important in places where people feel forgotten and marginalized and depressed and hopeless to have that glimmer that there is a better future, that there is a better way that they just have to hold onto.

So I’m going to do what I can to continue to increase and enhance our artistic outreach, but this is also a great area for private foundations, for NGOs, for artists themselves, for universities like Georgetown to be engaged in. It’s interesting, in today’s world we are deluged with so much information. I mean, we are living in information overload time. And so we need ways of cutting through all of that. We’re also living in an on-the-one-hand-this and on-another-hand-that sort of media environment. I always joke that if a television station or a newspaper interviews somebody who is claiming that the earth is round, they have to put on somebody from the Flat Earth Society because that’s balance, fair and balanced coverage. (Laughter and applause.)

And so part of what we have to do is look for those ways of breaking through all of that. And I think that the power of the arts to do that is so enormous, and we can’t ever forget about the role that it must play in giving life to the aspirations of people around the world.

Thank you all very much. (Applause.)

Video: Secretary Clinton's Remarks with FM Moratinos of Spain

Remarks With Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos After Their Meeting


Hillary Rodham Clinton
Secretary of State
Treaty Room
Washington, DC
December 14, 2009

SECRETARY CLINTON: Well, good morning. And it’s a particular pleasure for me to welcome the foreign minister to Washington. After my first year as Secretary of State nearly completed, he has been a wonderful counterpart. And of course, Spain is such a valued friend and ally. We are united in a broad partnership based on our many common values, as well as our mutual interests. And I want to express gratitude to the Government of Spain for the many positive actions that they have taken over the course of this past year. Our two presidents have developed a close working relationship, and I think it is reflective of the view about the way forward to achieve more peace, more prosperity, security, and stability around the world.

We, of course, discussed our mission in Afghanistan. And as NATO allies, we have shared a deep concern about the extremist threat that has struck both of our countries and created a very grave awareness of the dangers that we face. And I am very appreciative to Spain’s continuing support of this difficult mission. As Spain assumes the presidency of the EU, they will be certainly involved in a leadership role with the EU’s new action plan for civilian assistance in Afghanistan and Pakistan. And we are very appreciative of their leadership and participation also in the Friends of Democratic Pakistan group.

We discussed wide range of other shared concerns. We’re working together to bring the situation in Honduras closer to resolution. We appreciate the constructive role that Spain has played in that difficult matter. Certainly, our delegations are at this moment in Copenhagen, working to come up with a framework agreement to deal with climate change. And Spain has been a leader in clean energy. Spain has also been very involved in meeting the challenges of hunger, poverty, and disease.

We work together and will continue to do so to stabilize the Western Balkans, and it will be a particular concern of the minister during the EU presidency. There are so many areas that we discussed that we kept you waiting out here. So I just want again to thank the minister and to reaffirm the strong partnership between our two countries.

This is a historic time for Europe with the 60th anniversary of NATO, the ratification of the Lisbon Treaty, the naming of the first permanent president of the European Council. And it goes to underscore the importance of our transatlantic alliance and the strong foundation that both our bilateral relationship and our alliance relationship present as we work on many of the difficult issues ahead.

Thank you so much.

FOREIGN MINISTER MORATINOS: Thank you, Hillary. Let me start by thanking you and all your people for an extremely warm welcome, and extremely positive and friendly discussion. As the Secretary of State has already pointed out, we had a very positive example of the main issues that both, of course, the United States, Spain, and Spain in the coming presidency of European Union have done to respond in not only now, but in the next year. And of course, we addressed first the tremendous challenge we all – the Western world and the international community has in front of Afghanistan.

I, of course, informed the full support of Spain to the U.S. strategy towards Afghanistan, how President Obama – his speech and commitment, discussion we have in Brussels in NATO Council, and that Spain is going to contribute in a significant manner in all the components of this new strategy. I think that showed a clear commitment of Spain towards this very specific core issue we have to address. And of course, we all continue to work hand by hand in order to prepare the London conference in January to make it a real success.

Of course, we discussed extremely good development in different areas. We have started to prepare the EU presidency, how we are going to work for the new (inaudible) agenda, and the traditional areas of common concern: the Middle East, the North Africa, Western Sahara, also Latin America with Honduras. And that, of course, make us to make this strong appeal to all parties in Honduras to really find a national reconciliation. That’s what always United States and Spain has been working for in a very coordinated manner. And I hope that in the next days we can find this new momentum created in Honduras.

Of course, we also talk about Western Balkans. I just come from Belgrade myself. And I assure Secretary of State and U.S. Administration that we will have a constructive approach and positive engagement in order to bring stability in this European perspective to the whole Western Balkan region. And I think while together, we can make the difference.

And only to thank Secretary of State for what has been an extremely productive discussion. And of course, waiting for the next year for Spain with the new Lisbon Treaty and the new representative, president of the council and high representative, we will work together with the United States in order to bring much better hope and much better, I will say, happy world in 2010. So thank you.

SECRETARY CLINTON: Thank you so much, Miguel.

FOREIGN MINISTER MORATINOS: Thank you. Thank you.

SECRETARY CLINTON: Thank you very much. Thank you.

MR. KELLY: Okay. We only have a few minutes for questions. We’ll start with Andy Quinn from Reuters.

QUESTION: Madame Secretary, Iran’s foreign minister said today that three American hikers will stand trial presumably on espionage charges, which, under Sharia law, can be punishable by death. What is the United States doing about this case, and do you feel it will further strain ties as the U.S. tries to bring Iran to the table on the nuclear issue?

And on the nuclear issue, Britain’s Times newspaper is reporting today that confidential intelligence documents indicate Iran is testing a trigger for a nuclear bomb. Does the U.S. have any intelligence to back this up? And if it’s true, what does it tell us about where the Iranians are with their nuclear program?

SECRETARY CLINTON: Well, Andy, with respect to the three hikers, we consider this a totally unfounded charge. There is no basis for it. The three young people who were detained by the Iranians have absolutely no connection with any kind of action against the Iranian state or government. In fact, they were out hiking, and unfortunately, apparently, allegedly walked across an unmarked boundary. We appeal to the Iranian leadership to release these three young people and free them as soon as possible.

With respect to your second question, I will not comment on any intelligence. But I will say that the concerns that we have regarding Iranian intentions with their nuclear program have been heightened already in the last months with the disclosure of the concealed facility at Qom, with the failure of the Iranians to follow through on the negotiations over their highly enriched uranium for the Tehran research reactor, which they had agreed in principle to ship out of the country for reprocessing. Certainly, the recent announcement by their parliament that they intend to build 10 or 20 more nuclear plants should raise deep concerns among all people. And the minister and I discussed this at some length.

We have pursued, under President Obama’s direction, a dual-track approach to Iran. We have reached out. We have offered the opportunity to engage in meaningful, serious discussions with our Iranian counterparts. We have joined fully in the P-5+1 process. We’ve been at the table. But I don’t think anyone can doubt that our outreach has produced very little in terms of any kind of positive response from the Iranians.

The second track of our dual-track strategy is to bring the international community together to stand in a united front against the Iranians and to try to impress upon them the importance of changing their actions and decisions concerning the nuclear program, and certainly additional pressure is going to be called for in order to do that.

QUESTION: Hello, good morning.

SECRETARY CLINTON: Good morning.

QUESTION: I’ve got one question for you both. First, Mr. Moratinos. (In Spanish).

And for you, Madame Secretary, what are you expecting from Spain for your new strategy for Afghanistan? Thanks.

FOREIGN MINSTER MORATINOS: (In Spanish.)

SECRETARY CLINTON: Well, I’d like to hear the translation. (Laughter.) Because I may only have to say ditto. (Laughter.)

INTERPRETER: The original question, which was in Spanish, was – the question for the foreign minister was: Mr. Foreign Minister, what exactly was on the table regarding Afghanistan? Did the Spanish Government go over any concrete numbers and offers?

And the foreign minister’s response was: Well, we worked on a series of concrete offers, but I would like to say that the government should respect the process in Spain. We must wait to make that announcement public after there is an adequate political discussion within the policy framework, a discussion about cooperation, development, aid. All of that has to be done within the Spanish parliament framework first – but I would like to underscore, however, that the Spanish are seriously committed in its support to President Obama’s strategy and approach, as we said in Brussels.

And today, we simply discussed a variety of offers that we are working on in preparation for the conference in London. So when the Spanish Government decides to go public with a decision, we will certainly let you know. But we worked in order to be prepared for the success of the London conference that – where we will look at the offers made by the international community and Spain in particular.

SECRETARY CLINTON: And we are very grateful for Spain’s support and very tangible offers of assistance with which – as the minister said, are really the prerogative of the Spanish Government to discuss.

MR. KELLY: Next question for Jill Dougherty from CNN.

QUESTION: Madame Secretary, on North Korea, at the very time that you have some apparent progress – meeting at least directly with the North Koreans, you have this case of the North Korean plane with weapons set down in Bangkok and held. What does this say to you about the intensions of the North Koreans on proliferation?

And if I could, just a quick question on oil contracts in Iraq. American companies did not do very well. It seems that the Chinese and the Russians did better. One – the spokesman said this shows the government is free from outside interference; no one, including the U.S., can steal the oil – Ali al-Dabbagh. What’s your view of that?

SECRETARY CLINTON: Well, first, with respect to North Korea, I think the actions by the Thai Government to detain the plane that is apparently carrying significant amounts of weapons demonstrates the importance of international solidarity behind the sanctions that were adopted at the United Nations earlier this year. It shows sanctions can work. It shows that sanctions can prevent the proliferation of weapons. And it shows that the international community, when it stands together, can make a very strong statement regarding what we expect from a state like North Korea.

I don’t think anyone should be surprised that North Korea is continuing to attempt to evade the sanctions and export around the world, because that is their principal source of foreign currency. They have a need to continue to sell the one thing that they can export, but we were very pleased to see the strong action taken by the Thais, and it would not have been possible without strong action of the United Nations, and I think there’s a lesson there for people around the world to see when it comes to Iran.

With respect to the oil deals, I’m not going to be commenting on any commercial transactions. In the last round of contracts, one of our major oil companies received a significant contract. So I’m going to leave it to the oil industry and Iraq to work itself out. What we think is important is that foreign investment is back in Iraq, and they’re developing the oil industry, which is essential for providing the economic resources necessary to stabilize Iraq, to grow its economy, to extend hope and opportunity to the people of Iraq.

MODERATOR: (Inaudible.)

QUESTION: Good morning. (In Spanish.)

SECRETARY CLINTON: Do you want to do the question first?

INTERPRETER: Sure. Mr. Minister, if we understood correctly, you discussed the issue of Sahara. Right now, there is a problem with a Western Sahara citizen that you were aware of. What type of cooperation did you ask from the United States over that issue? Also, last week, it was said that there is no intervention necessary right now from the king. At what point would the king’s intervention be necessary?

FOREIGN MINISTER MORATINOS: (Via interpreter) First of all, thank you for the question. I was expecting it. So yes, the Secretary of State and I did speak about the issue. We did speak about Mrs. Haidar’s situation concretely, as well as the problem overall in Western Sahara. And obviously, as two allies and two partners with interests in the regions, we must collaborate, we must cooperate, and we need to find a solution to the Haidar case, not through pressure of any kind that we’re applying, but by suggesting to her that her cause, which is a legitimate cause, does not require her to go on a hunger strike.

We are all looking for a solution to the situation that has arisen from her expulsion from Laayoune, and we will continue to work in that direction and we will continue to work, moreover, to find a definitive solution to the situation in Western Sahara, where what we need is a new dynamic, a new engagement, not just there, but in North Africa as a whole. As you know, North Africa – events in North Africa have bearing throughout the international community. We have seen the example of the Sahel. We have seen al-Qaida operating in Maghreb.

So the U.S. and Spain – it’s in their interest to work toward the betterment of the integration of that region. We would like to see a better relationship, a better understanding, between Algeria and Morocco. And we will continue, as I said, to work with the – also work toward an understanding with the Polisario Front so that the people of Western Sahara can have self-determination.

But as far as Ms. Haidar, we think that we need to find a solution. She should abandon the hunger strike, but she should continue to strongly and firmly defend her cause so that we can better and improve the situation in Western Sahara.

However, as far as your second question regarding the king, I would like to say that I feel that this is primarily the government’s responsibility. The king may or may not intervene, but I feel that it is, first of all, the government’s responsibility to act.

SECRETARY CLINTON: Thank you all.

MR. KELLY: Thank you very much.

Secretary Clinton's Interview With Amir Zia of SAMAA TV

Interview With Amir Zia of SAMAA TV

Hillary Rodham Clinton
Secretary of State

Washington, DC

December 10, 2009

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QUESTION:  Thank you, Madame Secretary.  This is Amir Zia and welcome to SAMAA TV program Qaum Kay Samnay.  I will start off with the most immediate topical subject.  After the U.S. forces surge in Afghanistan, will the allied forces secure the borders – Pakistan, Afghanistan border – or will it be left to Pakistan to defend the border, because it suspects movement of militants from Afghanistan into Pakistan?

SECRETARY CLINTON:  We want to work closely with Pakistan.  I think the additional troops that are going in will give the Afghan side of the border more protection.  But we have to coordinate closely, because we know very well that this border is in such difficult terrain and it is hard to secure all of it, but we need more joint efforts on both sides, and we need to have the good advice and guidance of the Pakistani military to tell us where we should be, and we’ll work closely together.

QUESTION:  And in the past, Pakistan had proposed to fence the long border with Afghanistan, but Kabul rejected this proposal.  So what is your take on this proposal?

SECRETARY CLINTON:  Well, I know that Pakistan has fenced certain areas, particularly remote areas, and used other techniques to try to secure the border.  We will work with Pakistan and we will also look for ways that can provide security in difficult-to-guard places, because we have problems securing our border with Mexico.  I mean, securing borders is extremely difficult.  So we have a lot of sympathy for the challenges that the Pakistanis are facing.  But we just have to keep working at it and get better at how we protect the border.

QUESTION:  On the question of feared possible influx of militants who might try to sneak into Pakistani areas, what does U.S. plan to coordinate with Pakistan?  Will the U.S. support Pakistan in security and financial, because Pakistan already has the largest population of refugees in the world?

SECRETARY CLINTON:  And we want to do a better job of coordinating with Pakistan.  Of course, we currently are providing military and civilian aid in order to assist both the Pakistani Government and the Pakistani military and, most importantly, the Pakistani people.  We’ve provided more aid than anyone for refugees, because we believe strongly that what Pakistan is doing in going after the militants, first in Swat and now in Waziristan, is very much in Pakistan’s interest, but it’s also in Afghanistan’s interest and it’s in the interest of the world, because these terrorists are now becoming a real threat to the state of Pakistan. 

And – so we will continue to offer whatever assistance we can in order to support what the Pakistani military is doing.

QUESTION:  Madame Secretary, Pakistan also has concerns about India’s engagement in Afghanistan and it alleges that some of the militants, some of the nationalists in Baluchistan province, they are given support by Indian officials to start up trouble in that province.  Any (inaudible) Pakistan’s concerns on that account?

SECRETARY CLINTON:  Well, we think, very strongly, that it is in both Pakistan’s and India’s interest to get back to a dialogue and to try to address every one of these issues in an open way.  It is not in India’s interest for Pakistan to be destabilized.  It is not in Pakistan’s interest for Afghanistan to be destabilized.  This neighborhood is now at risk because of the presence of terrorists who wish to destabilize India, Pakistan, and Afghanistan.  So the historical issues that, certainly are very significant between India and Pakistan, have to be addressed by the two countries, because otherwise you will think the worst of each other, and terrorists will try to create war between India and Pakistan, because that would further their gain as they did with Mumbai. 

And that means that if you don’t try to have a dialogue again, where you can constantly be exchanging information and asking for proof and evidence of what you are worried about, you both could be at risk by the terrorists who have no concern about human life, who have no allegiance to Pakistan, who have only their own vision about what they would like to see happen.  And I don’t think that most people in Pakistan, or frankly, most people in India, would like to see that.

QUESTION:  And so the U.S. will welcome the resumption of talks between Pakistan and India, and also does U.S. encourage the two countries to solve some of the old problems, like Kashmir?

SECRETARY CLINTON:  Yes, absolutely.  We know that no one on the outside can solve these problems.  It can only be solved by the two countries themselves having that kind of ongoing dialogue.  So we’ve encouraged both Pakistan and India to resume that dialogue and to talk about everything, including Kashmir, because now the security of both countries is threatened by these forces of extremism.  And I believe that a lot of these terrorist groups are funded, directed, equipped, and trained by outside forces, not people from Pakistan, not people from India, but people who wish to see the two countries at – in conflict, and I think that is so critical to avoid.  And the only way to avoid it is by getting back into a dialogue.

QUESTION:  And Madame Secretary, since your resumption of office, you have been trying to reach out to the Pakistani people and you had an unprecedented diplomatic outreach of the Pakistani society.  What could you say about the young Pakistani generation?  You know, you interacted with the college students and the young media persons, how do you describe them?

SECRETARY CLINTON:  Well --

QUESTION:  They have great respect for you.

SECRETARY CLINTON:  Well – and I am very impressed.  But I always am.  I find that the Pakistani people, certainly my friends – Pakistani Americans who I know who are so successful in every walk of life, and the people who I meet in Pakistan, are just an incredibly impressive group of people – intelligent, well-spoken, lots of energy and dynamism.  And I think that it’s just a wonderful testament to the resilience and the character of Pakistan.  But that’s why, I guess, I care so much about the future, because so many of those young people, if there’s conflict, if there is a sense that there’s not much to stay in Pakistan for, they will join so many who have left, and that is a real loss for the country.  Because if you could capture the intelligence, if you could focus on the problems, if you could increase the education and health levels of all the people, if you could really enshrine the democratic tradition, there is no way that Pakistan would not be at the top of the list of countries that were of importance, because they’re all the characteristics.  But there’s a lot of work to be done.  And that’s why the security challenges have to be addressed, the development challenges, the democracy challenges.  But I see people who are very much committed to doing that.

QUESTION:  And finally, where did you see the U.S.-Pakistan relations heading in the future?

SECRETARY CLINTON:  I hope in a positive, good direction.  Certainly, both President Obama and I are committed to that.  We want to work hard to build more trust, to build more confidence, to clear away misunderstanding.  It hurts my feelings when I read some of the press from Pakistan, it just is – it accuses the United States of everything.  It just makes outlandish claims against us.  And we are not perfect.  And as you know, when I was in Pakistan, I admitted that we had not always been the best friend and partner.  But I think we should be judged now by what we are trying to do and the efforts that we are undertaking.  Both President Obama and I have a great deal of affection for Pakistan, count many Pakistanis among friends and acquaintances, and we want to see Pakistan have a better future.  It’s not about us as much as it is about what we see as possible for Pakistan.

QUESTION:  And if I may, finally, one more question.  Did you – on the social side – did you enjoy some of the Pakistani dishes --

SECRETARY CLINTON:  Oh, yes.

QUESTION:  -- on your trip?

SECRETARY CLINTON:  Well, I have enjoyed a lot of Pakistani food in my time.  I had a good friend in Washington who used to send platters of it over to the White House for my husband and me to enjoy, made in his own kitchen.  And the – our ambassador had an event, bringing together a lot of the leaders of Pakistan, particularly artistic, cultural leaders, academic leaders, and it was an extraordinary evening because they had the best cuisine from each section of Pakistan.  So you would go to a long table where delicacies from Karachi and Singh or Lahore and the Punjab or Baluchistan – I mean, it was wonderful.  And so I ate way too much and I’m still recovering.  (Laughter.)

QUESTION:  Thank you very much.

SECRETARY CLINTON:  Thank you.  Great to talk to you.

QUESTION:  I’m grateful to you.

SECRETARY CLINTON:  Thank you, sir.  Oh, if I could – can I just say one more thing before we break, if that’s okay?

QUESTION:  Yes, please.

SECRETARY CLINTON:  I wanted to also inform your viewers that a number of Pakistani Americans are creating the Pakistan American Foundation in order to come together as other members of the diaspora have done in our country in the past, to raise money to be used to help the people of Pakistan.  It’s not a government project; it’s real people-to-people.  And I’m very grateful that the Pakistani American community really wants to be part of the outreach to Pakistan that we think can make a difference.

QUESTION:  And thank you.  And one more.  What do you feel for the Pakistani people who suffer from acts of violence each time you listen to – from Peshawar or Lahore?  Would you like to say something?

SECRETARY CLINTON:  I – it just hurts my heart to hear reports of terrorists setting off bombs in a women’s market in Peshawar, killing women and children, or going into the cafeteria at the Islamic University in Islamabad or going into a mosque.  I just cannot even imagine.  If these terrorists believe they are so right, tell them to form a political party.  Tell them to make their case in a peaceful way to the people of Pakistan. 

But it is wrong, it is inhuman, it is barbaric to indiscriminately kill people to try to intimidate and terrorize.  So I don’t think that the government or the military of Pakistan have any choice but to stand firmly against these kinds of terrorist acts.

QUESTION:  Thank you, Madame Secretary.

SECRETARY CLINTON:  Thank you, sir.

Secretary Clinton's Interview With Hassan Abbas of Watandost.com

Interview With Dr. Hassan Abbas of Watandost.com

(WATANDOST: A Blog About Pakistan and its Neighborhood)

 

Hillary Rodham Clinton
Secretary of State

Washington, DC

December 10, 2009

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QUESTION: The first question is in relation to the point you were discussing earlier, your visit to Pakistan. You went to mosque, you went to a (inaudible), you talked to students, you went to a police office where people were killed, you went to the museum of Iqbal, the man who (inaudible) Pakistan’s area. It was deemed in Pakistani media as a courageous act, your outreach. Even those who were critical of U.S. policy were appreciative of your courage and giving a message to the Pakistani leadership also.
What were the signs of hope, that in all that process, you saw in Pakistan?
SECRETARY CLINTON: Well, first, the resilience and the courage of the Pakistani people. Everywhere I went, I met people who are speaking out and standing up and working hard, and that was extremely moving to me. I also felt like both the civilian government and the military leadership understood that the threat they faced had to be addressed.
And I thought that was very promising, because the terrorist threat to Pakistan is growing and it’s intense and it can only be defeated by the Pakistani people coming together and rejecting it, in the first instance, trying to present a different narrative than the one that the terrorists are putting forth, using military force where they must, but mostly by developing the democratic institutions, by developing the country, clearly demonstrating that Pakistan has no room for those who want to tear down, because the Pakistani people want to build.
QUESTION: Related to this, and especially because you were one of the first, I would say, foreign leaders who went to police lines also – police officers went, because Pakistan police is on the front lines of this war.
SECRETARY CLINTON: Yes.
QUESTION: And I, before an academic, I was a police officer in Pakistan, so my question is, in that context, there’s a lot of talk – there’s a history of U.S. military Pakistan – U.S.-Pakistan relationship in terms of a lot of military support, military-to-military relationship. But now there’s a view that on this (inaudible), police and law enforcement will be reformed, that Pakistan will not be able to fight the militants in Punjab or Karachi and elsewhere. Military cannot go and fight everywhere. Are they – are you thinking on those lines? Is U.S. – be thinking of supporting Pakistan’s police and law enforcement?
SECRETARY CLINTON: Well, we would be honored to do so, because I agree with you that the police truly are on the front lines. They often have to deal with the rush of violence that comes in cities or towns and they don’t have the support they need, they don’t often have the equipment that they need. And as you say, I met a number of police officers, both in Lahore and in Islamabad, who are very committed, but under-resourced. And I am more than happy to consider any request from the Pakistani Government to help the police force, because I agree completely that they’re the front line of defense.
QUESTION: Thank you very much. I’m sure I have – this would make a headline because --
SECRETARY CLINTON: (Laughter.)
QUESTION: -- the police – I talked to many police officers, my former colleagues --
SECRETARY CLINTON: Yeah.
QUESTION: -- and others who know that their lives are really threatened, and police is one of the very few institutions in Pakistan where there’s an internal institutional effort for reform. So this – your message that yes, you would be happy to hear any request for that support would be --
SECRETARY CLINTON: Yes.
QUESTION: -- absolutely great. My next question is about U.S. relations with the Muslim world overall. There’s clearly – (inaudible) set a new tone of dialogue, reconciliation and respect, and President Obama’s speeches in Turkey and in Cairo were absolutely great and gave the right message. What is the kind of follow-up on that? What are the next stages of that relationship?
SECRETARY CLINTON: Well, it’s a great question because we’ve been working very hard on follow-up, and I recently attended a conference in Marrakesh, Morocco where we announced a number of follow-up actions. The one that was just embraced wholeheartedly was the idea of science envoys. I said at the time that much of the science that we take for granted today was really discovered and refined in prior times by Islamic scholars and scientists. And from astronomy to algebra, there’s so much that we owe to the Muslim world, and there needs now to be a renewed emphasis on science, which is not incompatible with religion, and therefore, we’re going to be sending Nobel science prize winners, former heads of the National Academy of Sciences, and so many others to visit universities and governments to try to rekindle that with our help.
We’re also investing in more English language education programs. We’re investing in more business programs, entrepreneurship programs. We’re going to start a series of interfaith dialogues. There will be a lot of follow-up to Cairo because we have had such demand and we’re going to try to meet it.
QUESTION: Thank you. You have already discussed about Pakistani diaspora. And like many of the diaspora, also at large level, the Muslim diaspora in the United States benefitting from there as also – bridge builders between U.S. and the Muslim world. Are there any other Muslim diaspora as well as other than Pakistan that you feel encouraged about or you think that they can play a role?
SECRETARY CLINTON: That’s a great question. Well, I do believe that the Palestinian diaspora has been galvanized around economic development. A number of my Palestinian American friends are making investments in the West Bank because the security has improved so much thanks to the good work of President Abbas and Prime Minister Fayyad. So there is a rather dramatic increase in the economic activity in the West Bank which many American Palestinians are investing in.
There are a number of Indian Muslims who are very involved in interfaith and other outreach activities. I do a lot of work with the Bangladeshi community, which is not as involved as the Pakistani community has been in academia or in professional activity, but is really at the grassroots in a lot of countries – or a lot of cities in our country. So I think those are some examples of what we’re working on.
QUESTION: My last question – thank you very much for this time – about India-Pakistan relations, yes, the United States has said many times that the U.S. would like to facilitate and there’s no doubt, I think, about the sincerity of that. But of course, there are limitations in terms of how much, whether U.S. can really sit on the table and bring the parties together, and perhaps India is not – because of its stature, because of history, is not very comfortable with that. How will China – when President Obama went to China, there was a very interesting statement he made about the China (inaudible). The European Union also is interested.
Do you think there might be some chance in future that might (inaudible)– I’m not trying to compare it with what happened in North Korea and Iran, the P-5 and all those efforts – but is there a possibility that EU, China, and United States altogether can take an initiative to really bring Pakistan and India together and say, how can they all help them resolve? Because we continuously hear that theater of – Af-Pak theater is the most critical, which would define maybe the future security concerns.
SECRETARY CLINTON: Right.
QUESTION: Will that international effort, do you think, might work?
SECRETARY CLINTON: I think it could be a guarantor or it could be a positive force for implementation. But I think that the impetus must come from the two countries themselves. And at some point, both countries might say we’ve gotten as far as we can get; therefore we need some support, we need some new energy. But we have to start with the two countries and with their commitment to pursuing this dialogue first.
QUESTION: Thank you very much. So kind of you.
SECRETARY CLINTON: Thank you.
QUESTION: I really appreciate it.
SECRETARY CLINTON: Maybe I’ll see you in New York.
QUESTION: Absolutely.

Video & Transcript: Secretary Clinton's Remarks at the American Pakistan Foundation's Inaugural Gala

Remarks at the American Pakistan Foundation's Inaugural Gala Benefit


Hillary Rodham Clinton
Secretary of State
Cipriani 42nd Street
New York, NY
December 11, 2009

SECRETARY CLINTON: Thank you very, very much. I am deeply touched by Moeen Qureshi’s too kind introduction, but I think I’ll ask him to introduce me wherever I go from now on. (Laughter.) It was especially privileged to be introduced by someone who has served Pakistan so well. And even though he held the position of interim prime minister for only a few months, he accomplished a great deal to stabilize the economy, tackle corruption, and help to set Pakistan on a better path to the future. And thank you for honoring us, my being the honorary chairman of this new foundation. (Applause.)

And of course, for any American, it is an honor to appear alongside by friend and predecessor General Colin Powell, who has dedicated – (applause) – he has dedicated his life to protecting and advancing this foundation’s mission of cooperation between and among nations in pursuit of progress, prosperity, and peace. And I am very pleased that General Powell agreed to serve as the honorary co-chair of the American Pakistan Foundation. (Applause.)

I also want to thank my friends Nafis Sadik, whom I have known for a number of years and have admired even longer. She has served on the world stage in many different settings, but she is particularly well-known now for her fight to end HIV/AIDS and improve maternal and child health. And we are so grateful that she was willing to assume leadership of this foundation in these exacting and exciting days. Thank you so much, Dr. Sadik. (Applause.)

I thank Riz Khan for being the MC. I’m still thinking about the fly joke. (Laughter.) I’ll try to remember until I can get home to tell my husband. (Laughter.) And of course, we are especially honored to have a number of ambassadors, certainly Ambassador Haqqani and Ambassador Haroon. Thank you for being with all of us this evening. And Ambassador Holbrooke, thank you for your extraordinary efforts on behalf of the mission that President Obama and I asked you to assume at the beginning of this year. (Applaud.)

Two members of Congress have already been recognized – Congressman Jerry Nadler who represents a part of New York City, and Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee who has been the co-chair of Friends of Pakistan, and I think personally knows every Pakistani American not just in Houston, but in Texas and for miles around. We’re so pleased that Sheila is here.

There are two other members who joined us after the introduction. Congresswoman Yvette Clarke -- where is Congresswoman Clarke? If she would – (applause) – if she would stand up – (applause) – thank you. And Congressman Anthony Weiner, also from New York City. Congressman Weiner and Congresswoman Clarke share the largest Pakistani American constituency in New York, and I am so pleased that they are here.

There are so many of you who contributed to making this evening a success, and it represents the culmination of months of hard work. And I join in welcoming people who traveled great distances to be here, from California, from Pakistan, from Abu Dhabi, from London, from Canada, and from every American state from here to our West Coast.

I think you’re here because you understand and recognize that Pakistan is at a critical juncture, and we are here to show solidarity with the people of Pakistan. Whether we hail from the government or the private sector or academia, the not-for-profit sector, whether we have family ties in Pakistan or just wish that we did, we all have a stake in Pakistan’s future. And I believe that you are helping to lay the foundation for a new era of partnership not only between our countries, but between our people.

I want to recognize the young Pakistani-American volunteers who are staffing this event. They represent the enthusiasm and the civic-mindedness that young people in both nations bring to the work of building a stronger, safer, and more harmonious world. With young people like these getting engaged in global affairs, we can be optimistic about the future they will inherit.


Pakistan is a nation close to my heart. As First Lady, senator, Secretary of State, I have made five visits to Pakistan. I have a number of my close staff who have Pakistani heritage. I was honored as senator of this great state to represent the largest community of Pakistani Americans in the United States. And I have learned firsthand what a special country Pakistan is – a place rich with history and culture, blessed with natural beauty, and home to people of unforgettable warmth and strength. (Applause.)

And I have seen the contributions that Pakistani Americans have made to the United States in every field – as scholars and scientists, as entrepreneurs and business leaders, as artists, public servants and private citizens.

And I have been deeply moved by the strength of the Pakistani American community’s commitment to Pakistan, and how generous and creative you have been in finding ways to give back, whether by mobilizing local NGOs to respond to humanitarian crises or sending aid in the aftermath of natural disasters or calling on the Congress and the State Department to send more.

You have also provided help directly. In June, when the military offensive in Swat displaced many from their homes, many of you responded. The State Department even heard from a group of Pakistani American women doctors, some of whom are here tonight, who knew that families would need medical care and would have a hard time finding it. And we were glad to help these women physicians travel to Swat to provide essential care to people in crisis. And I want publicly to thank them for having done that. (Applause.)

Other contributions by this community are less measurable but no less valuable. As senator first, and now as Secretary, I have benefited in my job from the advice and insights of Pakistani Americans on how the United States can do a better job of working with Pakistan across a range of issues, from fighting extremists to strengthening regional stability to meeting the needs of the Pakistani people. And I know that others in Washington and in the Obama Administration feel the same.

But this foundation represents a new potential for this community’s impact to multiply. By harnessing your energy and coordinating your efforts, even more people can benefit. But more than that, a very clear message can be sent from right here back to Pakistan that we are in this together. It is not just the United States Government, which has policies and strategies, but it is the hearts of Pakistani Americans and other Americans that are going to be put to work on behalf of our common mission.

Now, this foundation follows in the tradition of other communities of the diaspora here in the United States that have united around their shared heritage to help strengthen ties between their country of origin and family and history and ancestry and their new home. Another community I know well, the Irish American community, has had great success with this approach. When President Kennedy and Irish President Eamon de Valera launched the American Irish Foundation in 1963, they hoped to foster closer connections between Irish Americans and their ancestral home. But the foundation’s membership and mission expanded over the years, and today, after merging with the Ireland Fund, it is the nation’s – and the world’s – largest private organization supporting economic and social development in Ireland.

And during the 30 years of the troubled and the horrible consequences of the killings and the disruption that ensued, this foundation funded by and motivated by Irish Americans who believed there could be a better day was often the only organization that could speak to both communities, that could go into a Catholic neighborhood or a Protestant neighborhood and meet people and listen to people. And it created a foundation for the peace that eventually occurred.

In time, I hope that this foundation will also serve as a model for effective, far-reaching philanthropy that complements and improves the work of government. Because, you know so well, peace and prosperity cannot be pursued only in the marble halls of Washington or Islamabad, but in boardrooms and classrooms, mosques and churches and synagogues, public squares and private homes – and on evenings like these.

As we look around this room and we see the extraordinary turnout, I want to say to you that this is a network of the some smartest, most successful people in the United States. And we need not just your very generous contribution, but your ideas about what we can do better.

During my October trip, I experienced the skepticism felt by many in Pakistan about America’s motives and commitment. This trust deficit holds us back from working together as well as we could and as well as we must. Each of you, and this organization now, is uniquely positioned to help close that gap by fostering greater understanding between our nations and by contributing in concrete ways to Pakistan’s stability, social, and economic development.

President Obama and our Administration have worked hard to change the perception of our purpose in Pakistan both with words and with deeds. One of the main goals of my trip was to reach out to a broad community of Pakistanis, to hear their needs, hopes and concerns, and to ensure that the United States is on the right track in our effort to build a stronger partnership. That is a key goal of the Obama Administration’s foreign policy and it is a personal priority for President Obama and me.

Earlier tonight I met one of President Obama’s college roommates who invited President Obama to Pakistan all those years ago, and his face just lights up when he talks about that trip, and the friendships that he had, and the homes that he was welcomed into. So we want this to be person-to-person.

We seek not to impose our preferences on Pakistan or to override the government’s judgments or subvert the people’s will. Instead, we want a relationship based on mutual respect and shared responsibility.

The United States has taken major steps in recent months to support Pakistan as it seeks to strengthen democratic institutions, foster economic development, expand opportunity, and defeat the extremist groups who threaten both Pakistan’s security and America’s. So when people question our commitment, I point to what we have already done and what we are preparing to do.

In recent months, the United States has provided the largest share of international assistance to displaced families in South Waziristan and the Northwest Frontier Province. We’ve sent additional food aid and support for early recovery efforts in Malakand. And I thank George Rupp and the International Rescue Committee for being the partner that has made it possible to get that aid where people can actually use it. (Applause.) And we’ve worked to find a solution to a problem that I’ve heard about repeatedly from Pakistanis: the energy shortages that have caused blackouts in cities and rural areas across the country, leaving families in the dark for days, forcing factories and businesses to close, triggering an increase in crime and unemployment. So in Pakistan, I announced the first phase of a signature energy program, through which the United States will help repair and upgrade key power stations and agricultural tube wells, improve local providers, and promote energy efficiency. And we need partners like many of you to make good on that promise to the people of Pakistan. (Applause.)

As we move forward, the United States plans to focus more of our assistance on these large “signature” projects – not only in energy, but in transportation, agriculture, water, and education as well. In order to highlight our partnership, we want to make it clear that the United States is investing in the people of Pakistan. We want to see more children in school. We want to see more mothers given the healthcare they need to bear and raise healthy children. We want to see more young men working toward a better future of peace and stability and prosperity.

When I was in Pakistan, I announced that the United States had partnered with Pakistani telecom companies and the government to underwrite the launch of Pakistan’s first text-messaged-based social networking system, called “Humari Awaz,” or “Our Voice.” And through this program – (applause) – Pakistanis can instantly connect to thousands of their fellow citizens to share anything from cricket scores to urgent information in the wake of another horrific terrorist attack. In the six weeks since it began, three thousand people a day have joined from Karachi to Peshawar to Multan to Quetta. The United States agreed to underwrite the first 24 million messages, which we estimated would carry the program through its first year. But I’ve learned that the 24-millionth message was just sent today. (Applause.) Clearly the people of Pakistan have a lot to talk about. And now the companies involved and members of Ambassador Holbrooke’s team are working hard to keep this program going, so it can become a self-sustaining mobile tool for the Pakistani people.

We believe these new technologies can help improve governance and can help people stand against the threat of terrorism and crime and corruption – anonymous reports, alerts, the kind of information that will supplement what the government is attempting to do.

Now, we are pleased with what we’ve seen accomplished already in our partnership, but to achieve the long-term progress that Pakistan seeks and deserves, we must go further in two areas: helping Pakistan strengthen its democratic institutions and improving security by defeating the extremists groups who are waging a campaign of violence against Pakistan and threatening stability in South Asia and beyond.

Stronger democratic institutions will help Pakistan’s Government become more responsive to its citizens, build broad support for future government initiatives, and ensure that the needs of all the people of Pakistan are taken into account, no matter where they live or what their circumstances. The United States has significantly increased civilian aid to Pakistan to support this progress toward a stronger democracy. We are also increasing the size of our USAID mission in Pakistan. And I have appointed Ambassador Robin Raphael the first coordinator of our non-military assistance to Pakistan. Ambassador Raphael is known to many of you from her long and distinguished service and her close ties to Pakistan over the last 30 years. She will oversee the implementation of our new Civilian Assistance Strategy, which we are designing in close consultation with the Pakistan Government.

Meanwhile, the numbers of innocent men, women, and children killed in senseless attacks by extremists continue to rise. Earlier this week, two bombs went off in a market in Lahore as crowds of women were shopping for clothes. The next day, there was a bombing at government intelligence offices in Multan. And we all know of the horrific, nihilistic attack on the mosque in Rawalpindi. These grim reports have become all too familiar, and I know that those of you with family in Pakistan follow this news with great concern.

The Pakistani military has taken on the fight against the Pakistani Taliban, and the United States has increased our efforts to help. But there are other terrorist groups who have set up camp in Pakistan, where they are plotting global attacks and waging war against the troops from 42 nations who comprise the international security assistance forces in Afghanistan. Pakistan has a critical role, and an abiding interest, in helping this international effort, and we will continue to encourage the Pakistani Government to take affirmative steps toward the goal of disrupting, dismantling, and defeating al-Qaeda and the other terrorist groups responsible for so much suffering in Pakistan and around the world. (Applause.)

Now, we are coordinating much of this cooperation at the government level and we will be invigorating the Strategic Dialogue between our countries, which I will personally oversee when it resumes this spring.

My colleagues in the Cabinet are visiting Pakistan. There’ll be soon a visit from the Secretary of Agriculture. Others will follow. We want to be guided by a paramount principle: full respect for Pakistan’s sovereignty. We come as a partner not a patron. (Applause.)

But as our honorary co-chair, Mr. Qureshi, said, there is such a promising future for Pakistan – the opportunity to truly shape its own destiny, to become a beacon of democracy and model of development not only in South Asia, but globally and particularly in the Muslim world.

But we have to work hard and we have to help our friends in Pakistan. That is why you are so important to this effort. You know better than anyone what already connects us, and you are poised to forge new connections to be unofficial ambassadors between our countries. As donors, you convey the generosity and sense of solidarity that the American people feel with Pakistan. As advocates, you can help the American Government identify how we can best meet the needs of the Pakistani people, and then tell us whether we are succeeding or not. And as unofficial ambassadors, you can help people in both nations see through the misconceptions, the stereotypes that obscure our relationship, recognize that underneath our differences, there is so much that we share and so much we can accomplish together. By supporting this foundation you have stepped up to help shape that change, for the benefit of millions whom you may never meet, whom may never hear of this foundation, but whose lives can be touched and changed by your giving.

I’m very grateful – (applause) – to you all, and I look forward to following the progress that this foundation makes. I look forward to working hard in the future and reaching a point where we can look back and remember that December 11, 2009 marked a turning point, that we were present at the creation of something important and enduring, and something that helped the people of Pakistan change their future for the better.

Thank you all very much. (Applause.)

I love it when she mentions her heart.  She has a sweet heart.  Of course you know I'm gonna love her comments about the American Irish Association. She actually says the word "Ireland" with a brogue.

Hillary Clinton Tonight at American Pakistan Inaugural Benefit Gala

I have not a word of text yet to share here, but these photos came up and are so beautiful that I had to post them even without the text. The event was held at Cipriani, and it is a fittingly breathtaking location for the stunningly beautiful (my shallow comment for the day) Secretary of State who somehow manages to look just incredible from morning till night even on her busiest days!

Video: Hillary Clinton With Six Pakistani Interviewers At One Time - Holds Her Own! AWESOME!

First things first. This adorable gif is the work of conaninincharge at hillary_daily, and from the first moment I saw it, I wondered from whence it came.  Of course it is almost impossible for Hillary bloggers to keep up with every single posted item since most of us also have jobs and responsibilities etc.  But tonight, I happened upon the original video,  and  even though this evidently goes back to October 28, 2009 in Pakistan, it is well worth viewing.   Here she is being interviewed by six major Pakistani journalists.  This is not an easy interview.  Sometimes several are speaking at once, and the questions are hard and confrontational.  But the Hillary we saw in the debates and on the campaign trail shines even brighter here and now than she did then (and I did not think that was possible).  She remains amazingly on task, cheerful, and consistently on target.  It is a performance not to be missed.   So even though it is not new,  it is worth a view!

Now aren't you glad you watched?

Secretary Clinton to Deliver Human Rights Speech Monday 12/14/09

Heads up! Something to look for on Monday!

Office of the Spokesman
Washington, DC
December 11, 2009

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton will deliver a speech on human rights on Monday, December 14 at 12 p.m. at Georgetown University’s Gaston Hall. The speech is sponsored by Georgetown’s Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service. John J. DeGioia, President of Georgetown, will introduce Secretary Clinton.

In her speech, Secretary Clinton will discuss the human rights agenda for the 21st century.

In commemoration of International Human Rights Day on December 10, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton issued a statement.

Here is the statement.

Secretary Clinton Honors Champions of Human Rights: Marks International Human Rights Day


Office of the Spokesman
Washington, DC
December 9, 2009

In commemoration of International Human Rights Day on December 10, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton honored two exceptional human rights champions and released the following statement:

“As people across the globe mark International Human Rights Day, let me reaffirm the deep commitment of the United States to the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The human rights and fundamental freedoms enshrined in the Universal Declaration are the birthright of every human being. They are the basis of human dignity, and they underpin international peace and progress. The Obama Administration is dedicated to upholding the tenets of the Universal Declaration at home and championing them abroad through a policy of principled engagement.

On this International Human Rights Day, we are honoring two remarkable champions of human rights. I also want to recognize the many quiet heroes around the world who have also stood up for human rights this year, often against great odds and at high personal risk. Eleanor Roosevelt, who chaired the international commission that drafted the Universal Declaration, emphasized that it was intended to be a tool placed in the hands of ordinary citizens to help them secure their liberty and dignity. And in the six decades since its adoption, courageous men and women around the world have used the Declaration to defend and advance the human rights of their fellow citizens so that every human being has the opportunity to fulfill his or her God-given potential. The Obama Administration and the American people stand in solidarity with them.”

Every year, the Department of State presents awards for extraordinary actions in support of universal human rights principles.

The 2009 recipient of the Human Rights Defenders Award is Maksharip Aushev of Russia (awarded posthumously). This award is given to individuals or non-governmental organizations who show exceptional valor and leadership in advocating the protection of human rights and democracy in the face of government repression. In an increasingly deadly environment for journalists and other human rights defenders, activist and independent Web site editor Maksharip Aushev bravely continued to train a spotlight on abductions, torture, killings and other serious human rights abuses in Russia’s North Caucasus, even after one of the web site's previous owners was killed in police custody in 2008. On October 25, 2009, unknown assailants fired more than 60 bullets into his car, killing him. Mr. Aushev was 43 years old.

The Diplomacy for Human Rights Award will be presented to Ambassador Marie Yovanovitch of U.S. Embassy Yerevan. This award recognizes a U.S. Chief of Mission who has demonstrated extraordinary commitment to defending human rights and advancing democratic principles of government in his or her host country. Ambassador Yovanovitch’s principled leadership and innovative use of a full range of diplomatic tools underscores that defending human rights and democracy is an essential component of U.S. policy in our bilateral relationships. Ambassador Yovanovitch and her embassy team pressed for due process of those arrested after contentious February 2008 elections, advocated for transparent investigations, and worked to improve the electoral process, all while maintaining a positive relationship with the government of Armenia.

The awards will be presented early next year.

Video: Secretary Clinton's First Diplomacy Series Meeting: U.S. Relations with Latin America

Ah! Here is the video!


The transcript, posted earlier, is located below at this title: Secretary Clinton's Morning Briefing

Secretary Clinton's Interview With Riz Khan of Al Jazeera TV English

Well this was a TV interview but the only video available right now is at the Al Jazeera site, and there is no embed code, but you can see the video by following the link to Al Jazeera.

Here is the transcript released by the State Department:

Interview With Riz Khan of Al Jazeera TV English

Hillary Rodham Clinton
Secretary of State

Washington, DC

December 10, 2009

---

QUESTION: Madame Secretary, thank you very much for your time.
SECRETARY CLINTON: My pleasure, Riz.
QUESTION: Now, everyone in the Administration is currently very focused on Afghanistan. And there’s a sense perhaps that that is overshadowing some of the other serious concerns, like Iraq and the Israeli-Palestinian issue. And I’m wondering, to what extent has the Afghanistan campaign overstretched America’s resources, perhaps even the resolve to deal with the others?
SECRETARY CLINTON: I don’t think on either resources or resolve we lack a commitment to the other serious challenges in the world today. Obviously, we feel a responsibility to deal with all of these issues. Sometimes one will be in the headlines, sometimes there’ll be a flurry of activity with regard to a policy. But I know from where I sit here at the State Department, we are constantly engaged on Iraq, on the Middle East, on Iran, on Afghanistan, Pakistan, and so much else.
QUESTION: Now, the U.S. Government Accountability Office has noted that about 39 million – no, $39 billion of civilian and military aid has been dispensed since 2001 into Afghanistan. But there’s been a strong push into sort of militarization of that aid, and there’s a big worry about this. What danger is there that that blurring of the civil-military line could hurt the U.S.’s credibility, could certainly hurt the U.S. – the credibility of NGOs operating there?
SECRETARY CLINTON: Riz, what we’ve tried to do in the little less than a year that I’ve been in the State Department – and, of course, President Obama has been in office – is to make much clearer our civilian commitment, because that’s who we are. That’s what we feel. We want an integrated civilian-military strategy.
We know that the military effort is essential to providing security, but long-term stability, peace and prosperity can only come through political reconciliation, through development, through the enhancement of the capacity of Afghan institutions, expanding the education system – the kind of nuts and bolts that really build and sustain society. So I’m working very hard, and I have a team, as you know, committed to the civilian side of what we do in Afghanistan.
QUESTION: How can you ensure transparency to make sure that some of the disillusionment that occurred through the use of contractors has in some of their roles, the way the money has been used, also a lot of it has been reportedly wasted – how can you ensure the transparency will make sure that it goes in the right way?
SECRETARY CLINTON: Well, I’m doing everything that I can because I share the disillusionment and the disappointment. I think that we need to be building from the ground up. And so I’m pleased that we’re seeing some progress. When I was just recently in Kabul, I got a good briefing about some of the progress in education, in the finance ministry, in the agricultural ministry.
When President Karzai took office, there were about a million children in school, and they were, I think, all boys. And now there are about 7 million, and 40 percent are girls. We still have between 5 and 6 million to try to get into school, and give them a chance to have the life of whatever their dreams might be. But that’s significant progress. And certainly, we’re working very hard to focus on agriculture, which is the principal way that most people in Afghanistan make their living, support themselves.
So I think it’s fair to say that we’ve tried to shift the focus. We’ve tried to deepen our involvement. We’ve listened more to people who actually know what they want, namely the people of Afghanistan themselves. So we’ll do all we can to try to avoid the pitfalls that you mentioned.
QUESTION: Another issue is there’s a huge demand for bolstering the Afghan forces to take over the role. Twenty four hours ago, I spoke with General Stanley McChrystal on this issue, and there was a strong sense that as much as it’s an issue being avoided, there is a huge shortfall in the number of Afghan forces. But with the Afghan military being paid less than NGOs are paying them – and even the Taliban apparently pays its people more – how can you make sure that you could get the kind of mass needed for Afghanistan to be able to take care of itself in the military sense?
SECRETARY CLINTON: Well, you’re absolutely right that – I don’t see why anybody would be surprised that you would be paid so little to undertake such a dangerous mission and you might lack enthusiasm. But in the last week, the Afghan Government has increased dramatically the pay. And guess what? The number of recruits went up. I think it’s a combination of better training, more esprit de corps and discipline, which is essential to any kind of security force, but also recognizing that these young men deserve to be paid a decent wage to support themselves and their families.
QUESTION: Now, the new Administration has come in admirably, looking at winning hearts and minds. But after eight years of seeing what’s happened and little progress, and in some cases, things slipping back, how are you going to win over the hearts and minds of the Afghan people?
SECRETARY CLINTON: We’re going to try to be as transparent and as open as we can. I have spoken numerous times in this last year about the mistakes that the United States made. I’m not proud of them. I regret them. But I think it’s important that we have a relationship where we can be honest with one another, and when we have shortcomings, acknowledge them, and when we see shortcomings among the Afghan leadership, be able to discuss those.
I think it’s also very important that as we move forward, we’re doing it together. We consulted broadly. We have a new commander on the ground who moved immediately to try to limit civilian casualties. War is unfortunate in the way that there will be inevitable unintended consequences. But General McChrystal is very well aware of that.
I believe that we’ve made a very good-faith start, but I admit that we had a lot of ground to make up. I don’t believe that the last eight years can be erased in just 10 months. But I think if people give us credit for our efforts, the kind of commitment that President Obama has set forth, not just to a, quote, “military victory,” but to really undoing the damage that the people of Afghanistan have had to endure for 30 years. They’ve been subjected to such horrible oppression by first the Soviets, and then the warlords, and then the Taliban. They deserve better, and we want to be their partner.
QUESTION: In President Obama’s speech on Afghanistan and the boosting of the troop deployment to Afghanistan, Pakistan seemed to slip from the equation somewhat. Now, I know your last trip to Pakistan was a pretty tough one all around. You scolded the Pakistani Government for its inaction on al-Qaida, and in return, you got an earful for the U.S. drones taking action over Afghanistan.
I wonder, how much of a gap is there between the two governments, between the U.S. and Pakistan, based on this mutual lack of trust?
SECRETARY CLINTON: I think we are building up more understanding on each side. We see Afghanistan and Pakistan as interconnected. How could you not? That porous, open, very tough terrain that is the boundary between the two countries is very much on everyone’s minds. But we’ve admired the way Pakistan has pulled together to go after those elements of the Taliban that are directly threatening them. And I think that the people of Pakistan are so unified now in support of this military action.
I mean, when you have the TTP and other extremist groups with the support of al-Qaida – that is, beyond doubt, what is happening – going into mosques, going into marketplaces, killing indiscriminately, that’s just so unbelievable, and I think the people of Pakistan are saying, wait a minute, we can’t tolerate that anymore. So I think we are supporting, in a very new and vigorous way on both the military and the civilian side, in any way that we can, that the Pakistanis request.
QUESTION: Interestingly, you’re reaching out, especially more recently, to the American Pakistani community and also the Pakistani diaspora around. In trying to improve their situation in Pakistan, or at least the people back home in Pakistan, what specifically do you expect them to do? What sort of role would you expect them to play?
SECRETARY CLINTON: Well, I have been so impressed by my many Pakistani American friends who are so successful. They’re professionals of all kinds, they’re very successful in business. They’re academics. It’s an extraordinarily impressive community. And I know that many of them, from my personal acquaintance, still have deep ties in Pakistan. They often go back to see their relatives, to visit their family home. They send money to support people back in Pakistan.
And in talking with many of them, I suggested that it might be appropriate for them to think hard about forming a Pakistan American foundation that would represent the diaspora here in our country, similarly to what the Irish have done. The American Ireland Fund has been a nongovernmental effort which has, over the years, really made a difference in focusing on projects and providing scholarships to young people. And I was pleased that there was such an immediate response, and thank you for agreeing to be the master of ceremonies at the inaugural event.
But I think that having the experience and expertise, the commitment, the resources of the American Pakistani community be focused on trying to make a difference in conveying a message to the people of Pakistan about what the future could be is a very critical development.
QUESTION: While I have a couple of minutes, Madame Secretary, the issue of the Israeli-Palestinian peace process – everything seems to have stalled since January just before President Obama came into office. And now, there’s the added complication of the prime minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, providing benefits for settlers and the issue of complication, isn’t it? There doesn’t seem to be any movement forward. What would you propose in terms of kick-starting the process there?
SECRETARY CLINTON: Well, we are consulting with a lot of our friends in the region to solicit ideas about the best way to try to create conditions for a re-launch of the negotiations. Ultimately, it is between the Israelis and the Palestinians. I have been committed to a two-state solution, a Palestinian state for more than 10 years. I was the first person associated with any American administration who said that the Palestinians deserved and should be given their own state. So I am very committed to both the Palestinian state to fulfill the aspirations of the Palestinian people, and security for the Israelis so that they would be given the guarantee of their own future.
I still believe that this is in the best interests of both people, and Senator Mitchell is working very hard. There’s not a day that goes by which he is not. We continue to make progress on the economy and security in the West Bank. But we know we have a lot of work to do, and I think this is the kind of work that you cannot be deterred from. I regretted that there was a lull in it after my husband left office because we were poised to make such progress, and if we had been able to get it over the goal line, there would have been a Palestinian state for nearly a decade now. But you can’t look backwards; you have to look forwards, and we’re going to work as hard as we can.
QUESTION: The European Union, with a prompt from Sweden, has put forward a plan for East Jerusalem to be a capital for a Palestinian state. Obviously, it’s met resistance from Israel. Will you back the European initiative or do you have to back Israel?
SECRETARY CLINTON: Well, no, what I do is back the parties, that all of the final status issues have to be decided by the parties. I mean, any of us on the outside can have our opinions, can look like we’re agreeing with one or the other. But at the end of the day, representatives of these two people must sit at the same table and make the agreement. Certainly, Jerusalem is on the table. It needs to be on the table. Back when my husband was negotiating, it was front and center. And I think that all these final status issues have to be, once and for all, decided by the parties, with the rest of us around the edge saying, okay, if you take that risk for peace, we’re going to help you, and if you take that risk for peace, we’re going to help you. But if they don’t reach an agreement, it doesn’t matter what anybody else says.
QUESTION: So it’s very complicated that Israel has not refused to rule out the idea of striking Iran’s nuclear facilities if provoked in any way. Now, where would the U.S. stand if Israel does decide to go after Iran?
SECRETARY CLINTON: Well, what we have tried to do is engage in diplomacy in a very vigorous way in order to reassure the international community, including all states, that Iran’s nuclear program was for peaceful purposes. Unfortunately, we haven’t had the kind of response we were hoping for from the Iranians. As you know well, President Obama made it absolutely clear with lots of political opposition that if he reached out his hand and if Iran reciprocated, we could talk about anything and everything. Then came the election, then came the crackdown on peaceful dissent, then came demonstrations, and the turmoil inside Iran is continuing until today.
We very much supported the return to the P-5+1. We – the United States had not been a full participant, but we are now. And we supported the International Atomic Energy Agency’s proposal to Iran that their highly enriched uranium be shipped out and then returned to refuel the Tehran research reactor. They had first agreed in principle, and then I think because of internal disputes, they backed off from that, raising a lot of questions about what their true intentions are. Obviously, the secret facility at Qom was revealed. They now say they want 10 or 20 new nuclear power plants.
It’s not confidence building, let us say. And I think the international community really still wants to engage with Iran, but people are going to now turn to other routes like more pressure, like sanctions to try to change their mind and their behavior.
QUESTION: Is the U.S. being forced to act less unilaterally, having to turn to its NATO partners because of, for example, the shortfall in troops in Afghanistan, because of the need to act together on more of these issues you’ve discussed?
SECRETARY CLINTON: Well, but that’s part of our diplomatic philosophy. We want to work with others. There are – there’s not a problem in the world that the United States can solve alone, but I would quickly add there is not a problem in the world that can be solved without the United States. So we want to create coalitions. We want to find common ground with people. There are many things we could go off and do unilaterally, as the prior administration certainly demonstrated. That’s not our chosen path. We would prefer to take some more time, to be more patient, to bring people together to make the case.
For example, at the Board of Governors at the IAEA, the vote that was accumulated condemning Iran, calling for Iran to act, was shocking to some people because it was so unified. It wasn’t just the United States. It was Russia, it was China and many other countries. That’s because we have spent time listening and working hard to create this common ground and these common interests, and we’ve done it out of a sense of mutual respect. We respect and admire so many other cultures and societies. I think the President’s made that clear time and time again.
But we do feel like at a certain point, the international community must speak with one voice, and we think that time has come with respect to Iran’s nuclear program.
QUESTION: Madame Secretary, thank you very much for your time.
SECRETARY CLINTON: Thank you, Riz. Good to talk to you.

If I find an embeddable video, I will post it.

Secretary Clinton's Morning Briefing

The Daily Appointment Schedule for today, finally posted and distributed at 12:37 p.m. EST,  shows the following:

Daily Appointments Schedule for December 11, 2009


Washington, DC
December 11, 2009

SECRETARY OF STATE CLINTON:

9:20 a.m. Secretary Clinton delivers Remarks at the First Diplomacy Briefing Series Meeting, Focused on the Issues and Challenges of U.S. Relations with Latin America, at the Department of State.

Photos from the event have begun to pop up at Daylife with SOME information. Here are a few.

 

According to  Reuters:

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton speaks at the first conference in the State Department's diplomacy briefing series on the "Issues and Challenges of U.S. Relations with Latin America" at the State Department in Washington December 11, 2009.

This topic comes up not a minute too soon for me,  seeing that we have a scant 20 days left in the year 2009, and I have been PRAYING that the SOS would address Hemispheric issues before the year's end.

It is high time that we turn our sights to Latin America, and I am overjoyed to see that the Secretary is doing so.  Thank you,  Hillary!

And just now, at 1:40 p.m. EST, the transcript of the remarks have become available, so here they are.

Remarks at the First Diplomacy Briefing Series Meeting, Focused on the Issues and Challenges of U.S. Relations with Latin America


Hillary Rodham Clinton
Secretary of State
Washington, DC
December 11, 2009

MR. CROWLEY: A woman who truly needs no introduction, the 67th Secretary of State and our global rock star, Hillary Rodham Clinton. (Laughter.)

SECRETARY CLINTON: Just don’t ask me to sing, that’s all I ask.

Well, it is a very great pleasure to be here today to welcome you to the first in a series of diplomacy briefings that we will be hosting here at the State Department. I want to thank all of you for being part of this because it is in keeping with our efforts to reach out and to have a dialogue about what we’re doing and how we’re doing it, and to seek your ideas as well.

I want to thank Assistant Secretary P.J. Crowley for his leadership and everyone who works with him in Public Affairs. Later, you will be hearing from our Assistant Secretary for the Western Hemisphere, someone who many of you know, Secretary Valenzuela, and you will be hearing from our Under Secretary for what are called the G family, which has to do with human rights, democracy, women’s rights, oceans, environment – I mean, it’s a very large agenda – Maria Otero. And I just walked in with a longtime friend of mine, Ambassador Ed Romero. Thank you for coming, Ed. We have our newly confirmed Ambassador to OAS, Carmen Lomellin. Thank you, Carmen, for being here. (Applause.) And I’d better stop, because I have so many friends and familiar faces in this audience.

I want to share a few words with you this morning about our approach to our neighbors, our friends, our partners in the Western Hemisphere. But the purpose of this event goes far beyond the important relationships that we have here in the Americas, because we want all of our citizens to be part of a broader foreign policy discussion. Here at the State Department, we want to listen, not just talk, and you’ll have a chance to talk to us as the day goes on, but also to hear your views and ideas.

Later this morning, you’ll have the opportunity to engage with some of our State Department leadership on the way forward in Afghanistan and pursuant of the President’s policy. You’ll be able to discuss ways that the United States intends to expand global economic opportunity and ensure citizens’ safety. We also have some community activists and students listening from New York City, San Antonio, Texas, and Miami, Florida. So we are also using technology to bring us together. The Western Hemisphere, we decided, was a fitting place for us to start this effort because of our deep ties, our shared history, so many familial and cultural connections. We are connected by geography and history, by shared challenges, and a common future that we all have the capacity to help shape.

We have, more than ever in today’s world, the chance to cooperate, collaborate, and innovate. It’s why the United States is committed to building what I’ve called a new architecture of cooperation, one where we leverage all the tools at our disposal, our diplomacy, our development efforts, civil society, the private sector, through crosscutting partnerships that are really necessary if we’re going to address and hopefully solve the complex problems we confront.

Now if you look at this hemisphere, particularly Latin America, we see a lot of positive trends – from rising wages to higher school enrollments to better health. But there remains a huge reservoir of potential that needs to be tapped to continue building on this progress over the years and decades to come, and we want to do a better job of partnering with friends and allies in the region.

As you know, here at the State Department, we are elevating diplomacy and development to be on the same level when we talk about our foreign policy and our national security with defense – it’s the three Ds. It’s part of a smart power approach that we are committed to. It begins with engaging in more robust diplomacy, both with and beyond governments. We have also a real commitment to making sure that development is always in our conversation, always in our mind, and always at the head of our priority list.

Now, we’ve been working in a number of areas, and I want briefly just to mention some. Some have tested our partnership and our approach over the last few months. Some are innovative new ways of bringing people together. Let’s start with Honduras. We have worked with a number of other countries on a pragmatic, principled, multilateral approach. We’ve engaged in intensive personal diplomacy. Since the coup, the United States has been committed both to our democratic principles and to providing help to the Hondurans to find a way back to democratic and constitutional order.

We condemned President Zelaya’s expulsion. We’ve taken concrete steps to demonstrate unequivocally our opposition. But we’ve continued to try to reach out and work with diverse sectors in Honduras, and along with others like President Arias of Costa Rica, to help the Hondurans themselves chart a way forward for a peaceful, negotiated end to this crisis.

Now, the culmination of what was a year-long electoral process occurred on November 29th when the Honduran people expressed their feelings and their commitment to a democratic future. They turned out in large numbers and they threw out, in effect, the party of both President Zelaya and the de facto leader, Mr. Micheletti. Since then, President-elect Lobo has launched a national dialogue. He’s called for the formation of a national unity government and a truth commission as set forth among the requirements in the Tegucigalpa-San Jose Accord. That is an agreement that the Hondurans themselves reached. We helped to facilitate it, but the Hondurans decided they wanted a local resolution.

In the days and weeks ahead, we want to be on the side of the Honduran people. We want to work closely with others in the region, particularly Central America, so that what is a real problem can be resolved by everyone coming together. As important as these diplomatic efforts are, though, we know that governments cannot solve these problems alone, and no one nation can. I’ve said from the very beginning of my tenure as Secretary of State that the United States cannot solve all the problems in our hemisphere or anywhere in the world alone, but the problems cannot be solved unless the United States is involved. So part of our challenge is how we get others to step up and work with us.

We’re enlisting a lot of different voices and some of the best minds in the public and private sectors to work on regional and global challenges like climate change. The Energy and Climate Partnership of the Americas announced by President Obama in Trinidad and Tobago earlier this year will help to harness our collective ability to promote renewable energy and reduce emissions. We’re also trying to reach deep into societies to promote public diplomacy. The Alliance of Youth Movements, launched in Mexico City in October with the backing of the State Department, is helping young leaders drive positive change in their own societies, starting with little more than a cell phone and an idea.

We’re working with our partners in Latin America to find ways of ensuring economic growth that doesn’t just benefit the upper echelons of society. Anyone who spends more than five minutes looking at the challenges in Latin America knows that the income disparity is one of the biggest that we have to overcome. So how do we drive economic growth downward? Many of you are aware of the Pathways to Prosperity initiative, which I helped re-launch in El Salvador in June, along with ministers from more than a dozen other countries.

Our focus of pathways is to empower women as drivers of economic and social progress, and this fall, we hosted a meeting of promising female entrepreneurs from the region here at State, bringing them together with more experienced businesswomen who can serve as models and mentors. There are new ways of doing business founded on mutual respect and common vision, but also on shared responsibility.

Now the United States has, as I have said repeatedly, contributed to some of the problems we see in the region. But we are determined in the Obama Administration to be part of the solution. We are committed to partnerships not just in word, but in deed. And we want to forge stronger avenues of cooperation and collaboration, but we want to do it on many levels simultaneously. Seldom in this region has there been such agreement on the basic principles of freedom and democracy.

Now is the time to go forward with these principles as our foundation and our guide. That means making sure that we not only do hold elections, but that democracy delivers for citizens, so that people can see the results of these elections. And it also means that you don’t just have an election once. You actually have them on a periodic basis, in accordance with constitutional and legal precedent. It means a free press. It means protection of minorities. It means an independent judiciary. It means all of the institutional elements that make democracies sustainable.

We also have to make sure that when it comes to development, we’re not just providing aid, but we are empowering people to aid themselves. And we’ve seen a lot of good examples of that, but we’ve never taken any of them to scale in the way that they need to be. Now, there will continue to be challenges. But we feel like we are entering into a new relationship. It is one that we care deeply about, and that we intend to foster.

So just to end, just three brief examples. We are, as you know, working to support the Mexican Government in their brave fight against the drug traffickers and the criminal cartels. I really commend not only the Mexican Government, but so many Mexican citizens who have withstood the onslaught of horrific violence. But it’s not only that we’re providing more military equipment or training; we’re looking for ways that we can cooperate on bolstering institutional support for peace and justice, for human rights and democracy. And it is a long-term commitment.

When I went to Mexico early in my term, I said – and it was somewhat controversial here in the United States – that we bore part of the responsibility for what was happening to Mexico today, that it was our drug demand. It was a lot of our policies that unfortunately had helped to fuel this assault on the government and the people of Mexico. But we also have this youth alliance. And we sent some of our young entrepreneurial technophiles down to Mexico – you’ll meet some of them later today – to develop with young Mexican activists a network where anonymous reports of criminal activity and official corruption could be reported. And we were able to put this together with the help of the government, with the help of some of the biggest business leaders in Mexico to use technology to leapfrog some of the challenges that people who want to stand up against both crime and corruption face today.

And finally, we had an event at the United Nations General Assembly where we shone a bright spotlight on some of the policies that are homegrown in Latin America that are being adopted in the United States and elsewhere in the world – programs that are real pioneers in Mexico, in Brazil, in Chile to encourage families to keep children in school, to bring children to their health exams. By empowering families with cash payments to be able to afford to do what will be in the long term interest of their children and their children’s future, it not only helps individual children, but it creates a demand for these services from the community level up. So we’re optimistic that with new tools, new techniques, new ideas, we’re going to be able to revolutionize some of what has been the most intractable problems that we’ve faced in Caribbean, in Mexico, Central America, South America.

So with that, let me welcome you to the State Department. I think we’re going to take a couple of questions. And I am very pleased that you will later hear from my friend, Maria Otero, the first Hispanic under secretary in the State Department’s history, which I was shocked to learn – (applause) – and Arturo Valenzuela, who many of you know, a true Latin Americanist who I enticed out of the joys of academia to work 18 hours a day. You’ll hear from Assistant Secretary Lou C.deBaca, who we also recruited to lead our efforts on human trafficking, the modern day form of slavery, and so many others who are part of the leadership team here at the State Department.

So let’s get to your questions.

QUESTION: Madame Secretary, the first one we’re going to take is from Luperon High School in New York City.

SECRETARY CLINTON: Hello, New York City. Can they hear us? Well, we have work to do on technology here at the State Department. (Laughter.)

MR. CROWLEY: Why don’t we take a question from in here. Yes, ma'am.

QUESTION: Good morning, Madame Secretary.

SECRETARY CLINTON: Yes.

QUESTION: My name is (inaudible).

SECRETARY CLINTON: I can hear you.

QUESTION: My question is American investment in China, how help inspires the Chinese miracle? What will happen with China now that it’s cheaper to make products in Mexico and India, greater than China?

SECRETARY CLINTON: I think that we should be positive about the growth in the Chinese economy. The Chinese are lifting millions of people out of poverty, which is a very important goal. We know that there are many problems that the Chinese economy poses not only to the United States, but to Mexico and others.

But I want to start from the point that here we are in the midst of a global economic crisis, and we need all the growth we can get because that will eventually help every country be able to overcome this recession, since we are so interdependent. I think it’s also important to say that I think that the North American market, of which Mexico is such a central part under NAFTA, is going to remain strong. The fact that goods can be manufactured and assembled in Mexico, cutting down on transportation costs, cutting down on the carbon footprint, which will become an even more important consideration in the years ahead, means that we’re going to continue to import and export to and from Mexico.

I think we also can do more, working with our Mexican partners, to increase the capacity of the Mexican economy so that they can export even a greater range of goods, because the best answer for Mexico and the best rebuke of the drug traffickers is to increase the economic prosperity of the people of Mexico. And I am committed to doing that and I think that other countries like China can grow. But Mexico will remain a critical partner to us in trade and economic well-being for many, many years to come.

MR. CROWLEY: The next question we’ll take here from (inaudible.)

QUESTION: Good morning, Madame Secretary. Ladies and gentlemen, my name is Rose Marie Segero. I’m the president of Hope for Tomorrow. I live in Washington, D.C., but I’m originally from Kenya.

I – mine is not a question. I just want to thank you, Madame Secretary, for the wonderful work you are doing. Our organization focus on violence against women and empowering women. We were in Africa and around the world talking about women issues. Thank you so much. You have taken it as a Secretary of State, a mother, and a parent. So the only thing I want to emphasize on is to put more emphasis on putting (inaudible) for empowering women. When you empower women, you empower the whole world. So thank you for empowering us.

And there is a message here for you for more information. I just wanted to be in your presence and thank you so much today for this wonderful event. And the collaboration is the most important thing of collaborating with civil society, private sector and you know problems affecting the world. Thank you so much.

SECRETARY CLINTON: Well, thank you so much. (Applause.) And of course, you could not talk about an issue that I was more passionate about than empowering women and providing more economic opportunities for women. I mentioned Pathways to Prosperity, but of course, all kinds of microfinance programs, training programs, skills programs are really at the forefront of our approach because we agreed that when you empower women, you really give the entire family a better economic future, and that’s what we’re committed to doing. Thank you.

MR. CROWLEY: The next question we’ll take from the University of Central Florida.

QUESTION: Good morning. My name is Susana Molina and I’m from the University of Central Florida. My question is: Is democratic progress in danger by social unrest and the rise of the left in Latin America? Whether yes or no, how do these developments affect U.S. interest?

SECRETARY CLINTON: Great question, and I think the University of Central Florida may be in Orlando, not Miami. Is that right? (Applause.) Yes.

QUESTION: Yes.

SECRETARY CLINTON: Yes, I’ve – we have to coordinate our facts here. But that’s a really important question. I feel so strongly that we have to support the rights of all people to voice their opinions, and we want to further economic equality, not just prosperity, because for too many years, prosperity has increased in Latin America without being equally distributed. We want to build a strong base of democratic support for fundamental freedoms of all people, and governments need to be effective, accountable, and responsive to the needs of their citizens.

And I said earlier in my remarks that you really have to be supporting the entire institutional foundation for democracy. And we do worry about leaders who get elected and get elected fairly and freely and legitimately, but then, upon being elected, begin to undermine the constitutional and democratic order, the private sector, the rights of people to be free from harassment, depression, to be able to participate fully in their societies.

So I worry about how we get back on the track where we recognize that democracy is not about individual leaders. It is about strong institutions. Good leaders come and go. Obviously, we’ve had our own experience in this country with that. And so we need to make it absolutely an article of faith that any leader elected must not just further his own position and his power base, but respect the rights of the people who elected him and build up the democracy so that democratic development and economic development can go hand in hand.

I mean, obviously, we have expressed our concerns about Venezuela, about Nicaragua. We will continue to express our concerns, because it’s important that we sound a strong call to people and to leaders to really stay on the path of democracy. So I thank you for your question, and obviously, we all hope in the not-too-distant future to be able to see a democratic Cuba, something that would be extraordinarily positive for our hemisphere. (Applause.)

MR. CROWLEY: We’ll take the next question over here.

QUESTION: (Inaudible.)

SECRETARY CLINTON: Yes, sir.

QUESTION: I have a concern because in the trafficking of passports from – especially from China, buying basically different – I don’t know if the State Department is doing any investigation or not – from different nations. And that seems to be like, once they buy a passport from, let’s say, a nation down in Venezuela, Bolivia, and they sell a business which seems to be a front for a – behind giant economic enterprise on there. So is the State Department doing some investigation on – another question also is the – in term – the penetration, basically, of China and other nations like Iran from Latin America. Of course, you mentioned Bolivia – I don’t think you mentioned Bolivia. You should also mention Venezuela, Bolivia, well – as well as other nations that are basically (inaudible) international, basically, security issue that I’m very concerned.

SECRETARY CLINTON: I thank you for raising this. We’re concerned too. In speaking to a number of the Central American countries, they have reported to us large numbers of people being trafficked into their countries, particularly Chinese, but not exclusively Chinese. And we do need to redouble our efforts to try to help our friends in Central America deal with this. I was told in one of the countries that there is a large detention area – detention center which has hundreds and hundreds of people who are there illegally from China.

So this is a problem that is affecting a number of our friends, and we are working with them to try to provide more resources and support to help them deal with it. And as you point out, we have no problem with any country such as China engaging in economic activities – business, commerce – with any country anywhere. But we do want governments to drive hard bargains. We don’t want to see corruption that benefits the fortunes of a few leaders and undermines the sustainability of the economy and the environment and the natural resources of any country.

We also are well aware of Iran’s interests in promoting itself with a number of other countries – Venezuela and Bolivia, as you mentioned – and we can only say that that is a really bad idea for the countries involved. And we hope that there will be a recognition that this is the major supporter, promoter, and exporter of terrorism in the world today. The Revolutionary Guard of Iran, which is increasing its control over the country because of the elections, which were a stark example of the abuse of human rights in action, is deeply involved in the economy as well as the security issues of Iran. And I think that if people want to flirt with Iran, they should take a look at what the consequences might well be for them, and we hope that they will think twice, and we’re going to support them if they do. (Applause.)

MR. CROWLEY: Unfortunately, the Secretary is running short of time. Our last question for her will come from Trinity there in San Antonio. Go ahead.

SECRETARY CLINTON: Hi, Trinity. I’ve been there. I love your campus.

QUESTION: Thank you. Good morning. Secretary of State Clinton, I along with millions of others who call this country home am the child of immigrant parents. Many of us have, if not experienced a migratory event, have lived the experience through our parents or family members. For us, this experience is very real. What are your efforts, if any, to humanize the relationship between Washington and Mexico and to steer the rhetoric that is used to discuss the difficult issues facing undocumented immigrants in a more positive direction? (Applause.)

SECRETARY CLINTON: Well, as I’m sure you know, both President Obama and I are very committed to comprehensive immigration reform, and the President has said that we will be able to deal with this very important issue next year. And I think it’s absolutely imperative that we do. I’ve had a number of comprehensive, in-depth meetings and discussions with my Mexican counterparts, and it is, of course, a great concern to Mexico, to Central America, and even parts of South America.

We have to have a rational, compassionate, pragmatic, humane immigration policy. And we have a lot of good ideas about how to do that. We just have to make the case that our relationship with Mexico in particular, but with other countries as well, has to operate on multiple levels at once. And we just cause a lot of difficulties, it costs a lot of money, it is often very damaging to hardworking people here in this country to have the kind of immigration laws and their enforcement that we currently have.

Now, you have to enforce the laws and you have to protect your borders, and we just heard it’s not just hardworking people from Mexico or Guatemala who want to come for a better life. People are being smuggled into those countries to be smuggled into the United States for all kinds of purposes. So we do have to have laws, but we need to have the kind of comprehensive immigration reform that President Obama championed, that I’ve advocated, that we think could help us not only resolve the problem going forward, but send a very clear message to the millions of people here that if they meet certain conditions, they will be able to be on a path to citizenship.

So there’s a lot to do, but it remains one of our highest priorities, and it is an issue that I hope we will turn to in 2010. Thank you all very much. (Applause.)

There well may be a video of this event at a later time. If so, I will post it.

Video: Secretary Clinton's Remarks with Croatian Foreign Minister Gordan Jandrokovic

Included here are the Secretary's remarks on Sudan as well.

Remarks With Croatian Foreign Minister Gordan Jandrokovic After their Meeting


Hillary Rodham Clinton
Secretary of State
Treaty Room
Washington, DC
December 10, 2009

SECRETARY CLINTON: It is a pleasure to welcome the foreign minister and to have this opportunity for an extended discussion about a number of issues. Croatia is a valued friend and ally of the United States, and this is a very welcome opportunity for us to reaffirm our partnership. Before I turn to the issues that the minister and I discussed, I would like to say a few words about Sudan.

The United States condemns the disruption of peaceful protest and acts of political violence committed by any party. Freedom of assembly, freedom of speech, and protection from arbitrary arrest and detention are instrumental to allow for credible elections in April 2010. We recognize that the next few months will be tense as we get closer to the election and the referenda. It is critical that all parties redouble their efforts to resolve problems through political dialogue and without violence. Special Envoy Scott Gration will return to Sudan this weekend to help restart dialogue and resolve outstanding issues that are contributing to these rising tensions. Sudan is an important priority for President Obama and myself, and we are committed to seeing a peaceful democratic transformation as envisioned in the Comprehensive Peace Agreement, and a peaceful resolution of the conflict in Darfur. I urge all parties to demonstrate the political will necessary to achieve these objectives.

And now let me turn to the subject of the day: our partnership with Croatia and the visit of the minister.

This is a historic time for Croatia and our Euro-Atlantic alliance. In April, we welcomed Croatia into NATO, an achievement that was the result of years of hard work and tough-minded reforms. As Croatia has strengthened its democracy, our countries have worked together in close partnership based on mutual respect and mutual interests. Now we are bound together in the greatest and most successful military alliance in history.

Today I thanked the minister for Croatia’s contribution to the NATO mission in Afghanistan and for its participation in peacekeeping operations around the world. The violent extremism we are fighting in Afghanistan is a threat to peace-loving people everywhere. And Croatia’s efforts to help train Afghan forces are crucial to our mission. It will help to speed the day when the Afghans themselves can take responsibility for their own security.

I also want to recognize Croatia’s regional leadership. Through the Adriatic Charter, Croatia is helping to support the NATO aspirations of its Balkan neighbors. It was one of the first countries to recognize Kosovo and joined the U.S. and others in oral arguments this week in The Hague in support of Kosovo’s legal right to declare independence. And I know how hard the foreign minister himself is working to improve relations between Croatia and Serbia.

The United States supports these efforts. We are very pleased by the progress that is taking place in the concerns between Slovenia and Croatia, and I thank Croatia for its leadership on that as well. We are committed to the full integration of all of the Western Balkan nations into European and Trans-Atlantic institutions. We made progress last week at the NATO Ministerial by welcoming Montenegro into the Membership Action Plan and recognizing Bosnia’s progress toward that goal.

Croatia’s success offers a model for the region on what can be accomplished when a nation commits to reform and progress. And I particularly applaud the prime minister for her excellent leadership in anti-corruption efforts and other important reform measures. I am confident that by working together, as well as through NATO and other multilateral institutions, the United States and Croatia can ensure an even brighter future for our people, a more stable and peaceful Europe, and indeed a better and safer world.

So thank you again, Minister, for your visit and for your friendship.

FOREIGN MINISTER JANDROKOVIC: Thank you, Madame Secretary. I am very pleased to be in United States and I would like to thank Secretary Clinton for her invitation and warm hospitality. Secretary Clinton and I confirmed the excellent relationship between our countries, a relationship that can be defined as one of allies, partners, and friends. I express gracious appreciation for the U.S. support and assistance on issue of vital importance to our country particularly – NATO, EU accession, and regional cooperation in Southeast Europe.

We, of course, spoke about the positive resolution of the Slovenian blockade of Croatia’s accession negotiations and the fact that our parliament ratified the arbitration agreement on November 20, 2009. I also informed the Secretary of the remaining tasks facing Croatia as we proceed along our EU accession path and our intention to conclude negotiations by mid-2010. I especially emphasized reform of judiciary, reform of public administration, fight against corruption, and cooperation with ICTY.

I reiterated to Secretary Clinton the Croatian Government’s strong support for President Obama’s new Afghanistan strategy. Croatia is committed to strengthening its presence in Afghanistan and is seeking ways to further contribute to NATO’s key efforts.

We believe that training Afghan security and police forces to assume ownership for security in their country is the most important task. That is why we will be making a concrete contribution to that task with two additional police mentoring teams in addition to already operating three OMLTs.

We also discussed the situation in Southeast Europe, and I expressed to the Secretary that Croatia welcomed the active reengagement of USA in our region, and particularly in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Croatia considers it imperative that (inaudible) negotiations on constitutional amendments continue until consensus is reached. We concur that keeping the Euro-Atlantic perspective open for all countries in the region of Southeast Europe is crucial for the future stability of this region.

We also discussed Croatia’s ongoing interest in joining the U.S. Visa Waiver Program, and I advised the Secretary of the criteria that Croatia has fulfilled today.

Thank you, Madame Secretary.

SECRETARY CLINTON: Thank you so much, Minister Jandrokovic.

FOREIGN MINISTER JANDROKOVIC: Thank you, thank you.

QUESTION: Madame Secretary, Ambassador Bosworth said today that he reached a, quote, “common understanding,” unquote, with the North Koreans on denuclearization, but they did not agree to return to the Six-Party Talks. So my question is: What was really accomplished? It didn’t sound like very much. And could you also bring us up to date on the START renewal talks?

SECRETARY CLINTON: Well, Bob, I have before me the transcript of Ambassador Bosworth’s remarks in Seoul, and I think it’s a very fair characterization that he made that the conversations were very useful, that this is the first official meeting on behalf of this Administration with the North Koreans in Pyongyang. It does remain to be seen whether and when the North Koreans will return to the Six-Party Talks. But the bottom line is that these were exploratory talks, not negotiations. They were intended to do exactly what they did: reaffirm the commitment of the United States to the Six-Party process, to the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula; and to discuss with the North Koreans their reactions to what we are asking them to do in order to move forward.

I think that for a preliminary meeting it was quite positive. The approach that our Administration is taking is of strategic patience in close coordination with our Six-Party allies, and I think that making it clear to the North Koreans what we had expected and how we were moving forward is exactly what was called for.

QUESTION: And START?

SECRETARY CLINTON: We are working very hard on the START final negotiations. I received a report from our lead negotiator this morning about some areas of discussion that have been proposed by the Russians. I think both sides are committed to completing the START treaty; it’s just a question of when that will be achieved.

QUESTION: Madame Secretary, have you discussed possibility of sending U.S. expert to help Croatia investigate the missing documents from Operation Storm? And if so, Mr. Jandrokovic, would Croatia accept that kind of help? Thank you.

SECRETARY CLINTON: Well, we expressed our appreciation for the steps that Croatia is taking. The recent actions which recovered 10,000 pages of documents is a positive step. We would be willing to offer any technical assistance that Croatia would request.

The important matter is for Croatia to do what it is now doing, which is using its own resources, its own law enforcement personnel to track down these missing documents, and to fulfill the requirements that it knows it has to meet in order to move forward in the EU accession process.

FOREIGN MINISTER JANDROKOVIC: Thank you. Very quickly, I’m sure that we can solve this problem alone, and we are ready also to cooperate with others. But this is our documents, this is proof that Croatia is a country which respect rule of law, and we will continue with our investigation. I’m sure that we will solve this problem.

MR. CROWLEY: Jill Dougherty.

QUESTION: Thank you. Madame Secretary, could you please give us an update if you can on the arrests of the – in Pakistan yesterday, anything new, any consular access, et cetera?

And then just a second question on Afghanistan. We’ve been watching – this is the third day of testimony up on Capitol Hill, and the ambassador has been talking about the civilian part of it. We know it’s been tripled and all of that. But there are some reports coming from the field that some of the civilians are not able to get into the field to carry out their mission because of the security situation. Can you tell us how serious a threat is that and what kind of an impact is it having on their ability to deliver services and help to the Afghan people?

SECRETARY CLINTON: Well, Jill, with respect to your first question, we have had access to the five detainees. That is part of the usual outreach by the United States Government, as you know. I have nothing to add to that at this time.

With respect to Afghanistan and our civilian efforts, we’re quite encouraged by how much of our civilian team has been able to get out into parts of Afghanistan that are targets for our civilian assistance. But it’s clear that we can’t go everywhere we’d like to go. The security situation – doesn’t permit that. So what we’re doing is embedding a lot of our civilians with our military troops, and so, in effect, they get into the field at the same time, or literally the next day, after the Marines and the army have sent the go signal that civilians can begin to work with their – with the Afghan people on a range of issues. And I was very pleased to hear how welcomed our civilians are by our military troops. They see them as very value-added, not as a burden or an obstacle that they have to worry about, but as an additional American presence to begin immediately to demonstrate the assistance that we’re willing to offer.

And I would only add, too, that one of the colonels on the ground in Afghanistan told me when I was in Kabul that what he’s found is that the civilians are, in his words, force multipliers; that if we have an agricultural specialist, for example, with a battalion or a brigade, they can then go around to the soldiers and find out who lived on a ranch, who knows about farming, and in effect, they can be part of the mission that goes out into the field to talk to the farmers about agriculture assistance, or if it’s a rule-of-law expert from the State Department, which was the example that was used, that the JAG lawyers that are in the unit that the civilian is working with can help to supplement that message.

So I think it’s clear we can’t go everywhere, and in some places, we can only go in accompaniment with our military forces, but we’re also getting to a lot of places that we can operate freely as well.

QUESTION: Madame Secretary, (inaudible) correspondent in Washington. Croatia has recently emerged from 10 months Slovenian blockade of its membership talks with European Union, thanks to efforts of the United States and European presidency. Now another blockade is looming from Great Britain and other countries related with missing documents that require from the prosecutor of The Hague tribunal. Would you consider justified to another blockade of membership talks despite all the efforts the Croatian Government undertook, especially yesterday, vast operation of search and arrest of – in searching for documents? And this blockade – the last blockade of 10 months was very damaging also to the United States and the European policy in the region because it block – it’s stopping all the process of Euro-Atlantic enlargement, so would you consider justified another blockade? Thank you.

SECRETARY CLINTON: Well, first let me say how strongly the United States supports Croatia’s EU membership. We supported Croatia’s NATO membership. We think that Croatia has an important role to play in the region, and therefore we hope that they will be on the road to EU membership sooner instead of later. Obviously, we don’t have a vote in the EU, but we have made it clear to a number of our counterparts how valuable we think it will be when Croatia is a member.

Regarding the demands by the British and the Dutch, I think the foreign minister should address those.

FOREIGN MINISTER JANDROKOVIC: First of all, we must continue with our investigation. And I’m sure that we will prove during this investigation that Croatia fully cooperated with ICTY. This cooperation is important not only because of the negotiation process. It is also important for Croatian society that we must prove that we are rule of law and the institution functioning in Croatia. I will, of course, discuss this issue with my partners, with my colleagues from some Europeans countries. And I’m sure very soon when they analyze the situation, they will change his position and Croatia will finish negotiations in first half of 2010.

MR. CROWLEY: Thank you very much.

SECRETARY CLINTON: Thank you all very much.

Secretary Clinton Honors Champions of Human Rights: Marks International Human Rights Day

Secretary Clinton Honors Champions of Human Rights: Marks International Human Rights Day


Office of the Spokesman
Washington, DC
December 9, 2009

In commemoration of International Human Rights Day on December 10, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton honored two exceptional human rights champions and released the following statement:

“As people across the globe mark International Human Rights Day, let me reaffirm the deep commitment of the United States to the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The human rights and fundamental freedoms enshrined in the Universal Declaration are the birthright of every human being. They are the basis of human dignity, and they underpin international peace and progress. The Obama Administration is dedicated to upholding the tenets of the Universal Declaration at home and championing them abroad through a policy of principled engagement.

On this International Human Rights Day, we are honoring two remarkable champions of human rights. I also want to recognize the many quiet heroes around the world who have also stood up for human rights this year, often against great odds and at high personal risk. Eleanor Roosevelt, who chaired the international commission that drafted the Universal Declaration, emphasized that it was intended to be a tool placed in the hands of ordinary citizens to help them secure their liberty and dignity. And in the six decades since its adoption, courageous men and women around the world have used the Declaration to defend and advance the human rights of their fellow citizens so that every human being has the opportunity to fulfill his or her God-given potential. The Obama Administration and the American people stand in solidarity with them.”

Every year, the Department of State presents awards for extraordinary actions in support of universal human rights principles.

The 2009 recipient of the Human Rights Defenders Award is Maksharip Aushev of Russia (awarded posthumously). This award is given to individuals or non-governmental organizations who show exceptional valor and leadership in advocating the protection of human rights and democracy in the face of government repression. In an increasingly deadly environment for journalists and other human rights defenders, activist and independent Web site editor Maksharip Aushev bravely continued to train a spotlight on abductions, torture, killings and other serious human rights abuses in Russia’s North Caucasus, even after one of the web site's previous owners was killed in police custody in 2008. On October 25, 2009, unknown assailants fired more than 60 bullets into his car, killing him. Mr. Aushev was 43 years old.

The Diplomacy for Human Rights Award will be presented to Ambassador Marie Yovanovitch of U.S. Embassy Yerevan. This award recognizes a U.S. Chief of Mission who has demonstrated extraordinary commitment to defending human rights and advancing democratic principles of government in his or her host country. Ambassador Yovanovitch’s principled leadership and innovative use of a full range of diplomatic tools underscores that defending human rights and democracy is an essential component of U.S. policy in our bilateral relationships. Ambassador Yovanovitch and her embassy team pressed for due process of those arrested after contentious February 2008 elections, advocated for transparent investigations, and worked to improve the electoral process, all while maintaining a positive relationship with the government of Armenia.

The awards will be presented early next year.

Video: Secretary Clinton's Statement on Honduras

Secretary Clinton Presents the 11th Annual Awards for Corporate Excellence

Secretary Clinton Presents the 11th Annual Awards for Corporate Excellence


Hillary Rodham Clinton
Secretary of State
Benjamin Franklin Room
Washington, DC
December 9, 2009

SECRETARY CLINTON: Well, good afternoon and welcome to the Benjamin Franklin Room here on the eighth floor of the State Department. I think it’s a particularly appropriate setting since we know that Ben Franklin was many things, including an entrepreneur and a successful business leader of his time. And that seems appropriate as we celebrate the 2009 Awards for Corporate Excellence, known as the ACE Awards.

Each year, we recognize American businesses that have provided global leadership in the area of corporate social responsibility. As Under Secretary Hormats said, this year over 40 firms were nominated by our chiefs of mission around the world for demonstrating character, compassion, and integrity through their business practices abroad. And of those 40 companies, 11 finalists were chosen by our Principals’ Award Selection Committee.

Now, we work here in the State Department on commercial diplomacy and we have an excellent partner in the Secretary of Commerce Gary Locke, who is here with us. But this is a real commitment by the Obama Administration. The firms we honor today understand that doing well and doing good are not exclusive; in fact, they go hand-in-hand. When companies support the issues that their employees, their customers, and their communities care about, everybody benefits. Whether they are investing in education or environmental conservation, combating poverty or a preventable disease, these firms are providing the foundation for a healthier workforce, a more informed customer base, and an atmosphere where free enterprise and free markets can thrive.

And that’s not only good for promoting business, it’s good for our country. These efforts help to create more stable and more prosperous societies by extending and expanding opportunities that really strengthen the global economy.

Well, today we recognize two exceptional companies. And so many people have worked so hard on behalf of this process this year that I very much appreciate all of the hard work that everybody in the Department – Dave Nelson has already been mentioned – and others have contributed to the first selection process that I am privileged to be able to preside over.

Now, these two companies have made social investments an essential part of their business plan. Their return on investment is not just reflected in their earnings, but also in the under-served communities in which they work—in the smile of a 7-year-old girl wearing her first pair of shoes or in the graduation photo of a student who never believed he could afford to attend college.

I am pleased to announce that the recipient of the 2009 Award for Corporate Excellence for small and medium size enterprises is TOMS Shoes of Santa Monica, California for its work in Argentina. (Applause.) I am so delighted that Ambassador Vilma Martinez is with the TOMS Shoes’ staff in Buenos Aires right now on these screens able to hear this announcement. So wave hello to everybody.

TOMS Shoes employs a simple business model: For every pair of shoes they sell, they donate a pair to a child in need. And for thousands of boys and girls in Argentina and around the world, a pair of shoes can make the all difference in preventing painful and often irreversible foot injuries that can literally rob them of the joys of childhood. Many children in the Greater Buenos Aires and Misiones region of Argentina walk barefoot over unpaved roads, rocky terrain, and contaminated soil every day to reach clean drinking water, exposing their feet to cuts that can cause infection and disease.

That was until TOMS’ first “shoe drop.” In 2006, a team of 20 TOMS employees volunteered to hand out over 10,000 pair of shoes to children in rural Argentina communities. Since then, interest in both their shoes and their shoe drops has grown substantially. By 2008, TOMS Shoe Drop Tour had expanded to cities around the country and around the world. And it has had such an impact that it even attracts tourist volunteers and has earned a spot on Travel and Leisure magazine’s top 20 life-changing, socially conscious tourist trips. Not only have the company and its volunteers delivered shoes to the needy, they have also supported local health and social service agencies that vaccinated nearly 800 children, and developed a nutritional census in Argentina to help the government track and respond to dangerous trends in obesity and cardiac health.

In the aftermath of horrible flooding that left thousands homeless in the province of Salta earlier this year, TOMS volunteers chartered a cargo plane to support the relief effort and deliver first aid and other supplies to help the community rebuild.

They’re also really comfortable shoes. (Laughter.) So the more shoes you buy, the more shoes TOMS can give away. So that’s how it all works.

So in recognition of their exemplary efforts to provide the disadvantaged children with what they call “shoes for tomorrow,” I'd like to present this award to TOMS Shoes and ask the founder and the “Chief Shoe Giver,” Mr. Blake Mycoskie , to accept this award on behalf of all the TOMS’ employees and volunteers. Congratulations, Blake. (Applause.)

MR. MYCOSKIE: Oh, man. Okay. Well, I don’t – you don’t get the chance to do this every day, huh? (Laughter.) So I have a few people I definitely want to thank. You know, when I was told we were being nominated for this, the first thing I was taken with was just complete humility, because I looked at the list of all these companies and I knew every single one of them and had respected them and it was just an amazing, amazing thing just to be nominated. So standing up here is truly an honor and is very – it’s a humiliating and exciting experience at the same time, so thank you.

You know, there’s so many people I want to thank, and one of the things that is so amazing, and we always laugh about it when I go back to Argentina, is the Alpargata, the shoe that we started with, is this very common shoe. It’s mainly worn by farmers and, as my Argentine friends say, common people. And so when I go back to Argentina now and show them pictures of celebrities on the red carpet wearing TOMS or, you know, on the runways of New York Fashion Week on the models, or last year when the legendary Ralph Lauren decided to guest design a pair of TOMS for his rugby stores, you know, they all get a real laugh at the irony that in Argentina, it’s all the farmers wearing these shoes, right?

So – but beyond the laughter, my friends in Argentina really have a great sense of pride, and they should, because this shoe that has been their national shoe for so long is now helping hundreds of thousands of kids in Haiti, Ethiopia, Argentina, and South Africa get shoes. And of all of the people that we work with in Argentina, there’s one man that is one of the most amazing people I’ve ever met in my life, and he has been my original partner in this since the beginning. And I must say when I told – was told that we were winning today, the thing that got me the most excited was I was going to get to stand up here and publicly recognize a gentleman named Alejo Nitti. And Alejo Nitti, if any one of you have met him, knows he’s one of the most positive, optimistic, amazing human beings in the world. And he was the first believer in this, and he has truly become one of my best friends. We call him our chief shoemaker. And as in Argentina, they say, he is my compañero.

So while I am accepting this award today on behalf of all of the amazing TOMS employees and partners that have joined us, when I actually get to take it home, Alejo, I will be giving it to you, because you deserve it more than anyone. So, thank you very much. (Applause.)

SECRETARY CLINTON: Blake, we’re going to call your family up too, okay? Could we have Blake’s family come up and we can take a picture?

Now, let me turn to this year’s winner of the Award for Corporate Excellence in the Multinational Category – Trilogy International Partners of Bellevue, Washington for its steadfast example of good corporate citizenship through its subsidiary ComCEL in Haiti. And I understand that Ambassador Ken Merten is celebrating with the Trilogy International Partners and ComCEL team in Port-au-Prince. Congratulations, Trilogy. (Applause.)

In recent years, the Haitian people have shown remarkable resilience in the face of adversity, and companies like ComCEL have seen the opportunity and potential of the Haiti people – the Haitian people and the nation of Haiti. For over 10 years, ComCEL has offered affordable, high quality wireless cellular service in Haiti. But ComCEL does more than provide access to communications. It helps provide access to opportunity. In Haiti, as in every country, education is a key to helping families break the cycle of poverty. So ComCEL has funded over 7,000 primary school scholarships in Haiti, making it the largest corporate scholarship sponsor in the country. They also provide college scholarships for students interested in engineering, law, and accounting, giving hope to many young people that a university degree is within reach.

Outside the classroom, ComCEL-funded programs have had a positive impact throughout Haiti. New internet labs in rural areas to bridge the digital divide, giving coffee farmers access to market rates for their goods, public awareness campaigns highlighting the importance of environmental stewardship have sparked efforts to plant trees and led to the installation of new windmills, providing an additional source of renewable energy.

There are many other examples I could cite, but I’m sure it’s already clear that ComCEL is helping to develop the social and economic conditions that will move Haiti further down the path to progress. So it is my pleasure to present the 2009 Award for Corporate Excellence to ComCEL’s parent company, Trilogy International Partners, for bringing the skills, training, technology, and investment that supports thousands of Haiti’s citizens. And accepting this award on behalf of the company are chairman John Stanton and president Brad Horwitz. (Applause.)

MR. STANTON: Madame Secretary, Secretary Locke, I’m happy to say, and Ambassador Merten, Ambassador Joseph, friends and ladies and gentlemen, on behalf of my partners and our team at Trilogy International, thank you for this great, great honor. We very much appreciate it. We’ve been building wireless systems for about a quarter century in the U.S. and overseas. We started off in the U.S., but have explored the places such as the Caucasus, former Russian republics, and the Caribbean and Africa.

And as we’ve traveled around the world and provided services in different places, we have a common philosophy – that we deploy a 21st century infrastructure that enables less-developed countries to replace older technologies and leapfrog a generation. And those systems become the foundation for economic opportunities for the people in those countries.

They also fundamentally become an opportunity to revolutionize the way freedom and democracy and 21st century statecraft can work for the countries and the people in those countries. We’re proud of the businesses that we’ve built and we’re even more proud of the teams that we work with that have taken on the opportunities to improve the lives of citizens in the countries in which we provide service. It’s Trilogy’s philosophy to make investments, particularly in education, because we believe that education is fundamentally the civil right opportunity of our generation.

We’re particularly pleased that we accept this award, in a sense, on behalf of the industry, and pleased that the former and current head of the industry association, Tom Wheeler and Steve Largent, are here with us today. We appreciate the industry’s support because there – we’re just one of many companies that we think are making a difference.

Our business is no stranger to the State Department. We have spent many decades walking the corridors of power here at the State Department. And it has been critical to our success to have the help of your team, Madame Secretary, to, in some cases, rescue capital halfway around the world. Madame Secretary, I’d like to take this opportunity to thank all of the people in this building as well as the representatives of the United States across the world for the terrific work they’ve done on behalf of our business and many others. Thank you.

SECRETARY CLINTON: Thank you. (Applause.)

MR. STANTON: I’d also like to thank those in the commercial diplomacy. As a part of the Commerce Department, I have to say I’m tickled to have – I still think of him as former governor of the state of Washington where we’re from, Gary Locke and his pioneering wife, Mona Lee, here representing the commercial diplomacy that have made an important difference in leveling the playing field, and those at the Commerce Department have made a difference for us in our ability to succeed. It’s not always easy to be a U.S. investor or a U.S. company operating overseas and playing by the rules, but the Commerce Department, along with the State Department, has made that easier.

Nearly two decades ago, one of my good friends approached me with the crazy – I thought insane – idea to go to some of the poorest and roughest places in the world to provide wireless services. Our business depends on being in business over a long period of time to succeed. But it was his visionary thought and that idea that brought us here today, and I’d like to turn it over to my partner, Brad Horwitz, for his brief comment. (Applause.)

MR. HORWITZ: Thank you, John. Madame Secretary, recognizing our work in Haiti is particularly gratifying to Trilogy, because on October 14th of this year, we celebrated our 10th anniversary of providing service to the country. We’ve weathered many storms over the past decade – those of nature, the successive Atlantic hurricanes that devastated the island, and those manmade periods of political violence and social unrest.

Even without these disruptions, operating in Haiti has been full of challenges, mostly caused by weak institutional capacity and poor infrastructure. And I will admit, there were many times when our better business sense suggested that we pack up and leave. I would find myself consistently heading to the airport in Port-au-Prince frustrated beyond belief. But Voila’s chairman – ComCEL’s chairman Bernard would always grab my arm and say, “Don’t give up.” He said, “A little more time and a little more patience, and we can make something good happen.” We stayed.

In 2005, our ambitions in Haiti got stymied again as we ran into a brick wall as we were trying to upgrade and invest in additional technology. We were trying to put $50 million to work, bringing the latest services to the country, but we were unfairly blocked by an interim government at that time whose motives today I still don’t understand.

This time, however, it wasn’t Bernard who grabbed me, it was really a chance meeting in New York with the universally renowned musician Wyclef Jean and his partners Jerry and Seth, who described how together and working together in a partnership that we could provide hope, pride, and inspiration to the next generation of Haitians, focusing on the kids and on education. I bought in with that, and we stayed. And of course, Wyclef is with us here today. (Applause.)

Haiti, for Trilogy, however has become more than just a business. It has become our passion. We have found ourselves woven into the fabric of the Haitian society, and that’s where we experience our greatest rewards. Watching the matriculation of hundreds and thousands of students in the battered coastal towns of Gonaives made possible through scholarships that we have funded. Or seeing how small grants can turn unemployed youth into budding entrepreneurs. When we set up a computer lab in Cite de Soleil, the poorest slum in Port-au-Prince, and we saw the look on the faces of the kids, accessing the internet and the possibilities of learning for the very first time.

Over the last ten years, Trilogy has emerged as the largest U.S. investor and one of the largest taxpayers in Haiti. Giving back to the community has been a guiding principle for us. We have approximately 30 active projects at any given time, focusing largely on youth and on education. We have built computer labs, water stations, basketball courts, sponsored culture festivals. We are also the proud corporate partner of Yéle Haiti, the foundation that was set up by Wyclef.

Our business was founded on the belief that good works go hand in hand with good business. Notwithstanding our social projects, however, our greatest contribution to the people of Haiti has been that we have built a successful business that has proved sustainable over time and has generated hundreds of quality jobs. It is our belief that only the private sector can raise Haiti out of the poverty that it’s in today. And as such, we see it as our mission to harness the industry and the innovation of the Haitian people for our strategies and for our operating plans. This is our philosophy in all of our markets.

Today we are seeking to do just that in increasing public telephony and internet services to rural parts of Haiti through a program where we will deploy thousands of entrepreneurial Haitians as human call centers to communities where service is essential, but ownership of a phone or of a computer is not.

In closing, I’d just like to thank a few individuals as well. First, let me recognize the CEO of Voila-ComCEL Robin Patberg, and our director of social investment – (applause) – Gwynne Beatty. Working together, Robin and Gwynne have balanced our business goals with our social commitments. Secondly, I’d like to thank my partner of almost 30 years, John Stanton, who, in spite of four coup d'etats in one year, one in which our local employees were held at gunpoint and one in which I was actually deported, never lost faith in our ability to do both well and good in challenging markets.

I would also like to recognize Wyclef Jean, who –

SECRETARY CLINTON: Stand up, Wyclef.

(Applause.)

MR. HORWITZ: Wyclef’s gift for music, song, and transformative artistry is only rivaled by his love and generosity for his countrymen in Haiti. Wyclef, (in French). I would like to acknowledge Riva Levinson, our longtime D.C. consultant who’s helped the company navigate some very challenging times and stands with us today to share a moment of success and joy. And finally, I would like to recognize the chairman of ComCEL-Voila, Bernard Fils-Aime. For over a decade, John and I and the rest of the Trilogy investors have relied on Bernard’s vision, tenacity, and compassion. Thank you, Bernard, for your leadership and for your loyalty. Thank you, Madame Secretary. (Applause.)

SECRETARY CLINTON: Thank you. Thank you. Do you have family members? You want to get a picture? You want to bring your family up? We’ll do a quick picture.

And while the family members are coming up, I’m going to be taking the picture, and then I unfortunately have to depart. And I’m going to turn the podium back over to Under Secretary Hormats to begin the interactive portion of our program. But again, I want to thank Blake, John, Brad for reminding us that American businesses can do much more than sell goods and services. They can bring hope and optimism to communities abroad. They can inspire others to take risks to become entrepreneurs and grow their own businesses. They can really give people the sense that the private sector can make a difference, a lasting sustainable difference, and they can do well as well as doing good.

As a former resident of Port-au-Prince and its environs, I truly appreciate the work being done in Haiti.

Video: Secretary Clinton's Remarks with Salvadoran Foreign Minister Hugo Martinez

Remarks With El Salvadoran Foreign Minister Hugo Martinez Before Their Meeting


Hillary Rodham Clinton
Secretary of State
Treaty Room
Washington, DC
December 9, 2009

SECRETARY CLINTON: I want to welcome Minister Martinez to the State Department. I was very honored to represent President Obama and our country at the inauguration of President Funes. And the United States is very proud to support the development and democracy that is ongoing in El Salvador. We have a number of issues that we will be discussing that we are working on together, but it is a real pleasure to see the minister again and to reaffirm the strong bonds between our countries.

FOREIGN MINISTER MARTINEZ: (Via interpreter) Thank you. It’s an honor for me, Madame Secretary, to be in the same room with you. It was also an honor to have you in El Salvador for the inauguration of President Funes. And in fact, we do have a number of issues that we’re going to be talking about here related to our strategic relationship between the two countries, and these are issues which we hope to continue talking about, including in the future meeting that we’re working on between President Funes and President Obama. So again, it is an honor for me to be here to begin this dialogue with you.

Video: Secretary Clinton's Remarks with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Petro Poroshenko

Remarks With Ukrainian Foreign Minister Petro Poroshenko After Their Meeting


Hillary Rodham Clinton
Secretary of State
Treaty Room
Washington, DC
December 9, 2009


SECRETARY CLINTON: Good afternoon, everyone. I’m delighted to welcome Minister Poroshenko here for in-depth conversations. It’s an opportunity for me to reaffirm the very broad partnership between our two nations. Earlier today, we had the first meeting of the U.S.-Ukraine Strategic Partnership Commission, and we look forward to continuing to work on these many important matters.

Before I turn to the issues that the minister and I discussed and the shared objectives the United States and Ukraine are working toward, I’d like to say a few words about Honduras. President-elect Lobo has been meeting this week with President Arias of Costa Rica, President Martinelli of Panama, and has been in touch with other leaders throughout the hemisphere to advance regional cooperation with respect to Honduras.

Ever since the June 28 coup, the United States has remained dedicated both to our democratic principles and our determination to help Honduras find a pragmatic path to restore democratic and constitutional order. We condemned President Zelaya’s expulsion from Honduras as inconsistent with democratic principles and the Inter-American Democratic Charter, and we have taken significant steps to signal our determination.

At the same time, working with OAS, President Arias and diverse sectors in Honduras, we’ve spared no effort to help Hondurans find a peaceful, negotiated resolution to the crisis, a resolution that restores democratic and constitutional order. We supported the San Jose process. We welcomed the negotiations among Hondurans themselves that led to the Tegucigalpa-San Jose Accord. And we are encouraged by the work of regional leaders in support of this process. Yesterday, I spoke with President Arias and I will continue to reach out to other leaders as well.

A year-long electoral process culminated on November 29 when the Honduran people expressed their democratic will peacefully and in large numbers. And we salute the Honduran people for this achievement and we congratulate President-elect Lobo for his victory. These November 29 elections marked an important milestone in the process moving forward, but not its end. President-elect Lobo has launched a national dialogue and he has called for the formation of a national unity government and a truth commission as set forth in the Tegucigalpa-San Jose Accord. We stand with the Honduran people and we will continue to work closely with others in the region who seek to determine the democratic way forward for Honduras.

But let me now turn to the subject of the day, Ukraine. As I said, the minister and I reaffirmed our broad partnership. The United States is committed to supporting Ukraine as it continues on the path to democracy and prosperity. We applaud the growth of a free press and a vibrant political culture in Ukraine. We support Ukraine’s further integration with NATO and the European Union. And we look forward to the free and fair presidential elections in January, and to working with the leaders chosen by the Ukrainian people as they take the steps necessary for economic recovery and reform.

A strong and independent Ukraine is good for the region and good for the world. Our meeting today built on the inaugural session of the U.S.-Ukraine Strategic Partnership Commission, a body that was created during Vice President Biden’s visit in July. Our hope is that this commission will help improve cooperation on security, on the economy, on trade, on energy, and on the rule of law. By working together as partners, I am confident that we can meet the challenges and seize the opportunities of the 21st century. With the end of the START treaty last week, it is worth recalling the landmark decision that Ukraine made 15 years ago to give up its nuclear weapons and join the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty.

These decisions advanced the global cause of nonproliferation and led the United States to join Russia and the United Kingdom in extending security assurances in 1994, assurances that we have reaffirmed last week and again today that remain in force. I’m also pleased to note that the United States and Ukraine recently agreed to restart cooperation on dismantling scud missiles. Ukraine today makes important contributions to global peace and security, including contributions to international peacekeeping missions from Kosovo to Liberia to Sudan.

And the United States appreciates Ukraine’s contributions to the important mission in Afghanistan. And I wish to commend the foreign minister for the work that he is doing to work with Moldova to demarcate the border.

So let me thank the foreign minister for his visit and for the friendship between our two countries. I look forward to continuing our work together in the future.

FOREIGN MINISTER POROSHENKO: Thank you very much, Madame Secretary. Ladies and gentlemen, I’d like to thank Secretary Clinton for her warm hospitality, and we had a very productive negotiation. I greatly appreciate your message that U.S. will stand Ukraine and its continue on the path of freedom, democracy, and prosperity.

It’s very important for me to establish the – that we have established direct dialogue. We have a long list of problem we should deal together. And we really want to thank you for the firm support which was declared on our today meeting.

In the meantime, while appreciating that United States has recently reconfirmed the security assurance provided to Ukraine, and it should be – it is already reconfirmed on our meeting. It is crucially important for Ukraine – and we discussed this question on our today meeting – the return of IMF mission and the – to reestablish the work of mission of IMF to Ukraine if it would be possible this year in Ukraine to undertake the certain steps to demonstrate the openness and the effectiveness in cooperation with IMF.

The crucially importance for us is today integration meeting of our Commission for Strategic Partnership, and I think this is absolutely new and very important for us forum for our cooperation and dialogue in the different sphere you mentioned today.

And it is a great honor and I want to reconfirm the invitation to the Secretary Clinton to visit Ukraine on early possible time taking into account the busy schedule, and we think that our current level of cooperation is very high, very acceptable. And I want to thank you very much for – Madame Secretary, to you for that.

SECRETARY CLINTON: Thank you, sir. Thank you very much.

MR. KELLY: The first question to Kirit Radia from ABC.

QUESTION: Hi, Madame Secretary. Just a – there’s news today about five individuals arrested in Pakistan. I’m curious whether you can – we know some of them are American – if you can tell us what you know about the case, what you’ve heard from the Pakistanis, and whether this is the result of any information given by the United States.

For the minister, I’m wondering if you could tell us if missile defense came up during your conversation today and whether Ukraine is willing to play any role. Thank you.

SECRETARY CLINTON: Well, with respect to the reports of five individuals being detained in Pakistan, I have no comment at this time.

FOREIGN MINISTER POROSHENKO: We did not raise the question of missile defense, but we understand that the question of the global security and question about security of Ukraine assurance for the sovereignty and the territorial integrity is crucially important for us, and there is a different forum how we can guarantee this important question for us, not only the missile defense question. But we are ready for cooperation in different sphere.

MODERATOR: The second question will be posed by Maksym Drabok from Inter TV.

QUESTION: The question is about safety, energy safety. In this charter on strategic partnership which was signed last year, it was mentioned that the United States will help to modernize Ukraine’s gas transportation system, and all the projects will be discussed with the new Administration, with you. So are there any result, any projects, and so on? Thank you very much to both.

SECRETARY CLINTON: Do you want to start?

FOREIGN MINISTER POROSHENKO: We pay special attention to the question of the energy security and we discussed the very important events which should take place on the 18th of December in Zagrab when Ukraine should join the Energy Community Treaty and on the expert level we finish all this work. And we think that the question of the energy security, again, should be global. This is – it’s impossible to solve on the bilateral level. And I think we demonstrate absolutely good understanding of the current situation, and also in this particular sphere we continue our very effective cooperation with the United States.

SECRETARY CLINTON: Ambassador Morningstar was in our meeting. He is our special envoy on behalf of Eurasian energy. We reiterated, as the minister had said, the importance that we place on Ukraine becoming more energy secure and more energy independent. There is a tremendous opportunity in the future for Ukraine to develop much greater energy sufficiency by attracting investments in the natural gas sector. A lot of it, though, will depend upon the economic and political reforms that Ukraine is addressing. But we reiterated with the minister and his delegation that we will certainly support Ukraine becoming more integrated within the European energy security framework and we will support in any way, through technical expertise and other assistance, the development of the Ukrainian energy sector. We know that there are a number of investors from the United States and elsewhere who are interested in participating, but the most important precondition is that these economic and political reforms take place so that the Ukrainian people can realize the benefits of their own natural resources.

MR. KELLY: The next question to Jill Dougherty, CNN.

QUESTION: Thank you. Madame Secretary, I understand you said you do not want to make any comment about the specific cases of the people who were arrested in Pakistan, but in a broader sense, this subject of Americans who might be involved in terrorism internationally in other countries seems to be coming up. President Obama spoke about it the other day. I know you’ve spoken with Secretary Napolitano, who’s talked about it. We have a case in Chicago concerned with Mumbai. Could you just, in general terms, tell us, is this an increasing concern? What is the level of the concern at this point?

SECRETARY CLINTON: Well, Jill, I wouldn't describe it as an increasing concern for our Administration because it’s always been a concern. We have been well aware of the threats that we continue to face along with friends and allies around the world. We know that much of the training and the direction for terrorists comes from Pakistan and the border area with Afghanistan. One of the reasons why President Obama made the decision which he announced last week with respect to our strategy going forward is because we continue to see a syndicate of terrorism that al-Qaida is, in effect, the head of that is not only an aspirational or ideological head, but providing funding and training and equipping and operational direction to a number of terrorist groups.

And therefore, we will remain very vigilant at home. We will work with our friends and allies who face similar threats. But we know we’ve got to work more closely with both Afghanistan and Pakistan to try to root out the infrastructure of terrorism that continues to recruit and train people who are willing to do what is alleged with Mr. Zazi, David Headley, and others in the recent cases that have come to light.

QUESTION: And Mr. Minister, if I could ask you a quick question, too. The Secretary mentioned the START agreement and we know that, of course, they didn’t quite make that deadline, but they seem to be moving ahead pretty well. In Ukraine’s eyes, in Ukraine’s opinion, is – and from what you know about what they seem to be getting toward, what is Ukraine’s opinion on START? Is it the type of agreement that meets the requirements if – that Ukraine believes are important?

FOREIGN MINISTER POROSHENKO: Of course, the – we pay great importance to the START agreement. But for us, it is of very special importance, the connection, the security assurance, which was presented to the whole nuclear states to Ukraine. And I tell Madame Secretary that Ukraine six times in this century losing the – its independence. And for us, we undertake the very decisive step when we – in the beginning of the ‘90s was the third state for the numbers of nuclear weapons we owned. And we voluntarily refuse from these nuclear weapons. We are interested in the continued dialogue for the – to increasing the form of assurance for the Ukrainian security. And that’s why we have closely connected the question of the assurance to the question of the continuation of the START agreement. That is, I think, our common approach to this question.

MODERATOR: And the last question goes to Ruslan Petrychka from the Ukrainian Service of the Voice of America.

QUESTION: Thank you. A question to both of you. Next month in Ukraine, there are going to be very important presidential elections. And have you discussed this issue in your meeting? And is – are there any steps that the United States can take to assure free and open elections next month?

SECRETARY CLINTON: Well, we have reiterated our hope that the election process goes smoothly, that the elections are free and fair and produce an outcome that will be respected, both within Ukraine and around the world. It is for the Ukrainian people to decide who their elected leaders should be. But the promise of the Orange Revolution, which was so moving to so many of us, is that the people of Ukraine have the right to choose their leaders without interference, without any kind of electoral abuse. And we are doing all we can to support Ukraine. And of course, we will work with whoever the Ukrainian people elect in a fair and free election.

FOREIGN MINISTER POROSHENKO: I can only confirm that we now – when the election campaign is already in the peak of their time, we can guarantee and we can demonstrate that the election and the election campaign is free and fair. Me, as a minister of foreign affairs of Ukraine, invite more than 1,000 observers to guarantee the character of the election. We now demonstrate the – one of the greatest achievement of the Ukraine, this is the freedom of speech, freedom of mass media, the equal access of all the candidates to all these resources.

And from my point of view, even the fact that nobody knows – this is the first presidential election in the Ukraine where nobody knows who will be the next president. This is also the symbol of democracy. (Laughter.) And from my point of view, I think that the Ukraine successfully pass these exams for democracy, for the members of this civilized society. And we feel the support from all of our partners, including the United States. And we want to thank the United States for that.

SECRETARY CLINTON: Thank you. Thank you all very much.

Video: Secretary Clinton's Anti-Corruption Day Message

International Anti-Corruption Day


Hillary Rodham Clinton
Secretary of State
Video Message For Anti-Corruption Day
Washington, DC
December 9, 2009

Greetings from Washington. I want to thank all of you for your work to root out corruption that weakens economic development, feeds black markets and organized crime, and undermines the promise of democracy.

Ten years ago, OECD members brought the Anti-Bribery Convention into force, a milestone in global efforts to encourage responsible and accountable governance. Now, as we mark this International Anti-Corruption Day, we are taking steps to strengthen the Convention with a revised recommendation that includes new guidelines and best practices that will help governments provide effective enforcement mechanisms and help businesses develop robust internal controls and compliance provisions.

I want to thank the Working Group on Bribery for its leadership in developing the revised recommendation and I urge all member states to implement it. The United States fully supports the OECD’s anti-corruption agenda and we look forward to being one of the first countries reviewed again next year. We also are encouraging our major trading partners that have not yet acceded to the Convention to join our efforts.

As we work together to eradicate corruption in our own countries, we should also maintain the highest standards of transparency and accountability in our development efforts around the world. Corruption in emerging markets and fragile democracies undermines the confidence of citizens and investors alike, while responsible governance helps to foster sustainable economic development and political stability.

You know curbing corruption is a serious global challenge, and so it will take global partnerships to meet it. We’re eager to work with governments, multilateral institutions, businesses, civil society leaders, NGOs – everyone with a stake in a level playing field and the rule of law.

Thank you again for your leadership. I am confident that together, we can ensure the responsible and accountable governance that businesses and citizens everywhere deserve and expect.

Secretary Clinton Presenting Awards Today

Today Secretary Clinton Presented the 2009 Associates of the American Foreign Service Worldwide Secretary of State's Award for Outstanding Volunteerism Abroad and the Eleanor Dodson Tragen Award.

Secretary Clinton Presents 2009 Associates of the American Foreign Service Worldwide Secretary of State's Award for Outstanding Volunteerism Abroad and the Eleanor Dodson Tragen Award


Hillary Rodham Clinton
Secretary of State
Benjamin Franklin Room
Washington, DC
December 8, 2009

Oh, thank you very, very much. I am absolutely delighted to be here. I apologize for running late today. It’s one of those days here at the State Department. But this is, for me, a very special occasion to join you in honoring the members of our extended Foreign Service family whose community service and volunteer work have furthered our nation’s diplomacy and development efforts abroad.

Today, as you know, we present two awards. The first, the Secretary of State Award for Outstanding Volunteerism Abroad, recognizes Foreign Service officers or FSO family members who have made a positive impact in the communities where our overseas posts are located. The second, the Eleanor Dodson Tragen Award, recognizes the FSO or FSO family members who have most improved the quality of life for FSO families because it is only with their love and support that this work that is often very hard and far from home can be done.

Last night in this room, we had our holiday – our first holiday reception, and it was for family members of those who are at unaccompanied posts. And we had just a large number of adorable children in their Christmas finery. One young man came up to me, said, “You like my sweater?” (Laughter.) And I said, “It is a wonderful sweater. I love your sweater.” He goes, “I wanted to look the best for you tonight.” (Laughter.)

But we talked a lot about what it’s like when your father or your mother or your son or your daughter or your sister or your brother, somebody, a loved one in your family, is stationed abroad, and particularly if your husband or your wife is, and you are basically there raising your children alone. So both of these awards highlight the kind of service that is essential to fulfilling our mission abroad, and recognize those who have brought America’s spirit of service to people and communities around the world.

In our country, we volunteer to serve because it’s really in the American DNA. We believe in the greater good; de Tocqueville recognized that about us so many years ago. In our civic centers, our schools, our places of worship, small acts of giving and sacrifice can make a positive and lasting difference in people’s lives. A few hours volunteering to mentor a child can add to a lifetime love of learning. Through food banks, clothing drives, bake sales, we often try to do our best to help the poorest and most vulnerable among us.

And in today’s interconnected world, it is no surprise that our honorees have carried that spirit with them to towns and villages far beyond our shores. They work to strengthen the bilateral and multilateral partnerships that protect American interests and our people in their day jobs, and then they go out and do even more. And oftentimes, what they do in their volunteer hours speaks volumes about who we are as a people. It is one thing to give a talk or try to negotiate some treaty that demonstrates our values. It is another thing to embody and live them.

So I thank those who are being honored today. And I’m very grateful to have this first opportunity as Secretary of State to join in this extraordinary service. So Erin and JanMarie and Lara and Jay and Bernie, and Jan Irene, you are truly the face of America overseas. And Mette, your decades of advocacy on behalf of FSO families have had a global impact. And together, all of you have moved our public diplomacy forward.

So with that, let me thank you and presage the honor that you are about to say – about to receive because of your consulate community service teams, your community-based recycling programs, your mobile museum projects, your innovative urban planning proposals. You have showcased the range of issues that Americans care about.

And so on behalf of President Obama and myself, I thank you for your service to our country and the service you perform to people who may not even know your name, but they know you’re an American, and that counts for a lot.

So let’s give a round of applause to our honorees. (Applause.) Oh, thank you very, very much. I am absolutely delighted to be here. I apologize for running late today. It’s one of those days here at the State Department. But this is, for me, a very special occasion to join you in honoring the members of our extended Foreign Service family whose community service and volunteer work have furthered our nation’s diplomacy and development efforts abroad.

Secretary Clinton's Remarks with Quartet Envoy Tony Blair

The Secretary met with Tony Blair today. These are their remarks before the meeting.

Remarks With Quartet Representative Tony Blair Before Their Meeting


Hillary Rodham Clinton
Secretary of State
Treaty Room
Washington, DC
December 8, 2009

SECRETARY CLINTON: Well, it’s a delight to welcome back to the State Department a friend and an extraordinary public advocate for so many good causes, Tony Blair. As you know, he is the representative from the Quartet in the Middle East and has been working very hard to improve the economic well-being of the Palestinians, to look for ways to enhance cooperation between the Palestinians and the Israelis, and we’re looking forward to catching up on the latest developments in the Middle East.

MR. BLAIR: Thank you. It’s a pleasure to be back here in the State Department. And I’d like to thank Secretary Clinton for welcoming me here, and to say that together, we will keep working along, of course, with Senator Mitchell, to do everything we can to make progress between the Israelis and the Palestinians. It’s a difficult moment right now – but then it always is – but we’re going to keep working on it very hard in order to try and bring about a change in circumstances that allow us to get into negotiations and make real progress.

Thank you.

SECRETARY CLINTON: Great. Thank you all very much.