CATHERINE NOVELLI'S REMARKS ON CONNECTIVITY AND POLICY

FROM:  THE STATE DEPARTMENT 
Policy Choices for a Connected World
Remarks
Catherine A. Novelli
Under Secretary for Economic Growth, Energy, and the Environment 
University of Pretoria
Pretoria, South Africa
November 13, 2014

Good afternoon.  I am delighted to be here to speak at this distinguished university and to visit your beautiful country.  Thank you so much for inviting me.  South Africa is the last stop on an Africa trip that included Tanzania and Kenya.  Along the way, I’ve seen incredible energy and dynamism.

I’d like to speak today about a new economic reality and the policy choices we all face.  These choices are in front of every government, business, university, and individual as they determine their economic future.  The reality is, the world is more connected than ever before, with goods, services, information, people, and financial resources crossing borders at an unprecedented rate.
                 
Before this speech and after it – perhaps during it – you will be looking at mobile devices, tapping into the internet, engaging in social media, and conducting business and commercial transactions on line. The object in your hand, perhaps a smart phone, is the result of a manufacturing process that started with innovation and design at various locations around the world, manufacturing at a host of other sites, and distribution and marketing from even different corners of the globe.

That’s the reality of today’s world, whether you are in South Africa, Kenya and Tanzania – as I was in recent days – or Washington, DC, or London or Tokyo.  Global supply chains have come to define the way we do business in today’s economy.

The Connected World

McKinsey Global Institute recently wrote that cross-border flows of goods and services totaled $26 trillion in 2012.  This represents 36 percent of global gross domestic product, more than 50 percent larger than 20 years ago.  About half of those flows are knowledge-intensive, compared to labor-intensive, and the proportion is growing. Intermediate goods – ones that are incorporated into a finished product—have become an ever-increasing proportion of trade.   These goods in turn are fueling exports from the countries that have imported them.  Over a quarter of the total value of global exports is made up of intermediate imports, and this share has nearly doubled since 1970. These statistics bring to light the changing nature of business.  Older models of single-country, soup-to-nuts manufacturing arrangements are giving way to globally integrated supply chains.  Innovation and design come from a worldwide network of research and development.  Raw materials and components flow from site to site, supported by worldwide procurement systems, logistic hubs and warehousing.  Marketing and financial services may be at other locales. Consumers are targeted for sales around the globe.

How Countries Can Take Advantage of Value Chains

So what are the implications for countries, companies and citizens of a world where global value chains are increasingly dominating trade?  What policies should countries follow to benefit the most from value chains? I would suggest that countries need to focus on five policy areas as they enable their citizens to fully reap the benefits of today’s connected world.

First, open markets facilitated by fast customs procedures, international product standards and modern infrastructure is critical. Supply chain production is more complex than traditional export systems, with more import and export transactions for each unit of value added.  This means that as goods and services move across multiple borders on their way to the final market, even small barriers can add up and affect the competitiveness of a product.

In the connected world, policies that may have offered protection to domestic firms in an earlier era, like import substitution, local content requirements, or data localization obligations, now make them less attractive as supply chain partners.  An OECD study of local content requirements, found that local content requirements not only made countries less innovative, these requirements actually harmed the domestic market by raising prices for the public for products of lesser quality.

Because of just-in time production, concentrating on bread and butter trade facilitation issues like customs procedures, transportation and modern infrastructure is all the more important.  Since products need to be sold in many markets, adhering to international standards is essential for their international viability.

Second, countries need to adopt legal and regulatory processes for doing business that are transparent, predictable, streamlined and include input from all stakeholders. The ability for investors to enforce contracts, and high standards for labor and environmental protections along with an intolerance for corruption are all key considerations for businesses in deciding where to locate or source.
I have heard some voices suggest that these “doing business” issues don’t matter, and that companies merely want to find the lowest labor costs.  But in my experience, that’s not true.  The ability to do business transparently matters a great deal to the bottom line.  Morever, branded companies value their brand image, and don’t want to risk harming it due to scandals over labor or environmental conditions. Nor do they want to be in the position of being labor and environment regulators.  Besides the moral issues surrounding poor labor and environmental enforcement, the need to constantly oversee these practices among suppliers when countries are not policing them themselves adds a great deal of cost.

Fostering Global Collaboration Through the Internet

Third, an open Internet, access to broadband, and free flows of data are essential to competitiveness. As I mentioned earlier, global supply chains are dynamic and highly collaborative, with teams of suppliers and purchasers from various stages of the value chain working together across borders to solve design, manufacturing, and marketing problems.   This really is the essence of today’s connected world. This cannot occur without internet.

The best way to unleash the creativity and ingenuity of your people, your companies, and your universities is to let them connect with others to develop new ideas and start new businesses.

There is an inaccurate perception that the Internet mostly benefits industrialized countries.  The truth is that the Internet’s economic benefits are increasingly shifting to the developing world.  The Internet economy is growing at 15 to 25 percent per year in developing countries, double the rate in the developed world.  In Turkey, for example, smaller businesses that use the web have experienced revenue growth 22 percent higher than those that do not.  Here in South Africa, Ronnie Apteker founded the first Internet service provider and enabled countless new technology businesses.  I am looking forward to meeting some of those new entrepreneurs tomorrow.

A recent report by the American think tank, the Brookings Institution, showed how the internet and cross-border data flows are providing opportunities for small and medium-sized enterprises. The report notes that SMEs on eBay are almost as likely to export as large businesses and, in fact, over 80 percent of SMEs export to five or more countries.

Fourth, strong intellectual property protection allows countries to be part of a higher-value global supply chain. At a recent conference in Washington, General Electric noted that it maintains research and development centers in Shanghai, Bangalore, Munich, Rio de Janeiro and New York.  Many other international firms have similar R&D footprints.  This geographic diversity allows for an R&D operation that, given time zones, literally never stops.  Companies look at many factors when considering where to locate their R&D centers, including the level of education, vocational training, and scientific collaboration.  But the level of intellectual property protection is also critical.

Closely related to this is a fifth policy— an open market for services. We often think of trade as the physical movement of goods from place to place.  But in today’s global economy, knowledge-intensive trade and investment, particularly in the services sector, plays an increasingly central role.

Economists from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development have found that services now constitute 50% of the manufacturing process.  Insurance, accounting and other financial services, and creative and design services, are all integral parts of supply chains.  But in many countries, markets for these services are closed, or heavily regulated.   If the goal is to maximize participation in global value chains, closed market policies like these no longer make sense.

Regional Trade Liberalization

The policies I have set forth are important, but not sufficient to be globally competitive.  In addition to being islands of good practices, countries need to join together to create regions where those good practices are integrated.
Last August, I chaired a roundtable on global supply chains at the U.S-Africa Leaders Summit in Washington.  We invited corporate representatives as well as trade, investment, and economic ministers from African countries.
One of the most interesting themes was the need to create regional markets in Africa. Companies were clear that the markets in many individual countries in Africa are too small to support operations just for that market. That does not mean that there are no opportunities for smaller countries to benefit from the global supply chain.  In fact, recent research indicates that, on average, regional trade agreements increase member countries’ trade about 86 percent within 15 years.

The European Union is perhaps the largest, best known and most successful example or regional integration.  There is also the North American Free Trade Agreement, which just celebrated its 20th anniversary.  With Asia, we are now negotiating a Trans-Pacific Partnership, and with Europe we have launched talks on a Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership.
 
Arrangements such as these, which lower barriers to trade and investment, deliver a big boost to commerce in member countries. These arrangements also offer ready-made hubs for setting up a global supply chain.  Countries who haven’t established some type of true regional integration will find it harder to compete for the investment that a global supply chain brings.

In Africa, regional organizations like the Economic Community of West African States, the East African Community, and the Southern African Customs Union are working to create regional integration and address barriers so that countries can achieve economies of scale and maximize their comparative advantages.  Nelson Mandela recognized the importance of looking at regional integration when he  conceived of Development Corridors along cross-border  transportation routes.

Africa and Supply Chains

Here in South Africa, I had a wonderful illustration of the connected world yesterday at the Ford factory in Silverton.  It is an American investment, creating jobs in South Africa.  Inputs, like raw materials and components, arrive from various locations around the world.  Local workers assemble those components and the factory exports to other African countries and to European markets.
The United States recognizes Africa as a dynamic continent where economies are growing and innovation is taking root.  Many African countries are reaping the benefits of economic reforms, better governance and social investments.  We would like to be a part of this positive change and contribute to Africa taking its place in the global supply chain, so that the people of Africa can reap the benefits of global growth.

The United States is supporting Africa’s growth through the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), the Trade Africa Initiative, and similar efforts.  The Millennium Challenge Corporation, for example, has issued grants of almost $10 billion to support projects in sectors like transportation, education, and property rights and land policy.  Through President Obama’s Power Africa initiative, a number of U.S. agencies are making available $7 billion in financial assistance to double access to power in six sub-Saharan African countries.

Some continue to argue that African nations need “protectionism” to compete.  I disagree.  Africans are strong, resilient, and ingenious, and I have seen in my meetings with entrepreneurs, businesses, and students people who can go toe-to-toe with the most competitive companies in the world.  We need to go forward together towards openness, high standards, and opportunity for all of our citizens.

Thank you very much.

ASSOCIATE AG WEST'S REMARKS ON ACCESS TO LEGAL AID FOR CRIMINALS

FROM:  U.S. JUSTICE DEPARTMENT 

Associate Attorney General West Delivers Remarks at the International Conference on Access to Legal Aid in Criminal Justice Systems

~ Wednesday, June 25, 2014

Thank you, Jennifer [Smith of the International Legal Foundation] for your kind words.  On behalf of the United States, it is a privilege to be here with all of you today at this historic international convening on criminal legal aid.  I want to thank Minister [of Justice and Correctional Services Michael] Masutha, Judge President Mlambo, the Government of the Republic of South Africa, Legal Aid South Africa, the United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime, the United Nations Development Programme, and the International Legal Foundation, for coordinating this important gathering so that we may, together, explore how to strengthen and improve access to criminal legal aid around the world.

And equally important, I want to thank all of you -- the gathered Ministers, Deputy Ministers, Attorneys General, Supreme Court Justices, and criminal legal aid providers and experts -- for participating in this conference.  Your presence here epitomizes the dual truths that all free people, wherever they may live, lay valid claim to equality in the eyes of the law, and that the majesty of the law finds its best and highest use in the service of justice.

Two years ago, I had the privilege of being in New York, during the opening of the 67th Session of the United Nations General Assembly, to participate in a side-event to the High-Level Meeting on the Rule of Law hosted by the Permanent Mission to the U.N. of the Republic of South Africa.  And during that event, I was honored to express the United States' strong support for the U.N. Principles and Guidelines on Access to Legal Aid in Criminal Justice Systems.  The principles articulated in that document affirm that criminal legal aid “is an essential element of a fair, humane and efficient criminal justice system that is based on the rule of law.”

And now we have come here, to the land of Madiba and in the spirit of Ubuntu, to rededicate ourselves to the urgent task of making real the principle at the core of the U.N. Principles, articulated in the Lilongwe Declaration a decade ago, and reiterated in so many of your national constitutions, as well as mine: a criminal justice system is not just if it fails to guarantee a right to competent counsel through legal aid.

For the United States, that constitutional right to counsel is a cornerstone of the U.S. criminal justice system.  And my country's best articulation of this fundamental principle originated not with an august conference of learned judges and justice ministers, or by a declaration of universal rights and aspirations; its origins were much more humble than that.  It started with the arrest of a man once described as a drifter and petty thief.

His name was Clarence Gideon.  And in 1961, he was arrested for breaking into a pool hall and stealing about five U.S. dollars in change from a cigarette vending machine.  At his trial, Gideon asked the judge for a lawyer, saying he was too poor to hire one himself.  The presiding judge denied Gideon’s request, and, after representing himself at trial, Gideon lost and was convicted and sentenced to five years.

From the confines of his jail cell, Gideon wrote a simple, five-page plea asking the United States Supreme Court to grant him a new trial with appointed counsel.  “It makes no difference how old I am or what color I am or what church I belong to if any,” Gideon wrote.  “The question,” he said, “is very simple.  I did not get a fair trial.”

The U.S. Supreme Court ultimately heard Gideon's plea and, in a milestone judicial opinion that bears his name, the justices established the principle that our Constitution guarantees defendants in criminal cases the right to a lawyer whether that person can afford one or not.  Gideon received a new trial – this time with the assistance of a court-appointed lawyer – and this time, he was acquitted.

I think it speaks volumes that if you visit Washington D.C. today -- and I know that many of your countries will be represented in Washington soon for the U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit that President Obama is hosting in August -- you will find Gideon’s humble, handwritten five-page petition to the U.S. Supreme Court, penciled on prison stationary, sitting in our National Archives, alongside our Nation's most treasured documents: the Declaration of Independence that created our country; the Bill of Rights which protected our liberty; and the Emancipation Proclamation that eradicated the scourge of slavery from our land.

And in the five decades since the Gideon case was decided, the U.S. Supreme Court has continued to refine this important and basic right -- expanding the right to counsel to juveniles and in certain misdemeanor cases.

So for the United States, the right to counsel is a principle that represents the most basic notions of fundamental fairness.  But it also reflects the aspirations of a Nation that is still very much a work in progress.

Because the challenge of effective criminal legal aid and fairness in the criminal justice system are issues that the United States has been grappling with since its founding.  At times, we have made great strides, committing resources, energy and ideas to the task.  At times, we have fallen short of our own ideals.  And with each triumph and setback, we are reminded that justice is as much a journey as it is a destination -- as much a process as it is an outcome -- and that the fairest criminal justice system gives equal attention to both.

Addressing this challenge is something that our nation's Attorney General, Eric Holder, has made a priority of his tenure in office.  In his first year, he launched the Access to Justice Initiative -- an effort that I oversee at the U.S. Department of Justice and which seeks to ensure basic legal services are available, affordable and accessible to everyone in the United States regardless of wealth or status.   Much of the work of this initiative is directed at strengthening criminal defense for the poor by focusing on many of the same values outlined in the U.N. Principles and Guidelines.

Our work through the Access to Justice Initiative has helped to raise awareness about the urgent need that exists in indigent criminal defense in the United States.  The lawyers who provide legal aid to criminal defendants -- we call them public defenders -- too often they are overworked, underpaid, and overwhelmed by the need for criminal defense services among the poor.

In response, the Access to Justice Initiative -- which is fortunate to have the leadership of Maha Jweied, the Acting Deputy Counselor of Access to Justice and a participant in this week's conference -- has supported piloting programs that test innovative indigent criminal defender services throughout our country and identified best practices that can improve the way we serve indigent clients who need legal representation.

There are other steps we've taken to make real our commitment to legal aid in the criminal justice system.  One of the most comprehensive is an effort launched by our Attorney General aimed at reforming and improving our criminal justice system in ways that not only improve access to justice and public safety, but also saves money and more effectively deploys our limited criminal justice resources.

We call it the "Smart on Crime" initiative.  It's a reform effort based on the premise that while aggressive enforcement of our criminal statutes remains our Justice Department's central law enforcement mission, experience teaches us that we cannot arrest, prosecute, and incarcerate our way to becoming a safer nation.  Over the last three decades, the United States has enjoyed great success -- for a variety of reasons -- in bringing down violent crime rates.  Yet over that same time period, our prison populations have exploded by more than 800 percent, requiring the commitment of greater and greater resources.

And for those offenders who are non-violent and low-level, it's not clear that spending increasing amounts of our nation's treasure to incarcerate them is a sound investment in public safety; indeed, there may be better, less expensive ways of keeping our communities safe while at the same time holding offenders like these accountable and reducing the likelihood they will return to prison after they've been released.

So to truly be effective, our Smart on Crime initiative encourages our law enforcement officials at both the federal and state levels to focus on other aspects of criminal justice, like crime prevention, reducing over-incarceration and facilitating the successful reentry of individuals back into their communities after release.

Because if our experience in the United States teaches us anything, it is that building a better criminal justice system is always unfinished business.  Like our nation itself, our criminal justice system is in a state of constant self-evaluation, constant self-improvement, constant reform.  And our participation in this important conference is but one part of that infinite process.

So let me close where I began: by thanking all of you for your participation in this conference.  Because at the end of the day, after all of the keynote speeches are forgotten and resolutions adopted; after the outcome document is written and this conference center is empty, what will be left is the hard work of engaging in what I call "doing justice":  building criminal and civil legal systems that deliver the promise of dignity and equality before the law for every individual, regardless of who they are, their color or class, the god they worship or the person they love.

"Doing justice" means embracing the aspirations expressed in the U.N. Principles and Guidelines while at the same time being honest with ourselves about addressing those areas where we fall short, where we can learn from one another, and where we can do better.  It's about becoming, to paraphrase an American statesman,  a society whose greatness is measured not by how it treats those at the top, but how it treats those who dance in the dawn of life, those who rest in the sunset of life, and those who struggle in the shadows of life; those who often work the hardest but have the least; those who know not the mainstream but life's margins.

And honorable guests, our hands -- yours and mine -- we must do that work.  We come here from the perches of privilege -- the privilege of being servants of the people we represent, and whose dreams and aspirations we strive to realize.  We must make the persuasive arguments in the halls of power for those who find no voice there.  We must take the bold steps, make the hard choices and, yes, even at times accept the political risks, because that is what building the future of fair and effective justice systems requires.

And I am thankful to you because I know you are up to the task, or you would not be here today.  And I am grateful for the opportunity to be your partner in this endeavor, for there is much we can learn from you, much we can share with you, and so much we can achieve working with you; as we, in the writer's words, float "as riders on the earth together, brothers on that bright loveliness in the eternal cold -- brothers who know now that they are truly brothers,"  bound together by a shared commitment to the majesty that is the law and the justice that it must always serve.

U.S. OFFICIALS REMARKS ON FOOD SECURITY

FROM:  U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT 
Business Roundtable on Food Security with Private Sector Representatives of the Southern African Development Community (SADC)
Remarks
Jonathan Shrier
Acting Special Representative, Office of Global Food Security
Johannesburg, South Africa
December 4, 2013

The U.S. government currently partners with South Africa as a “strategic partner” in Feed the Future, the U.S. global hunger and food security initiative. As our whole-of-government initiative, Feed the Future works hand-in-hand with 19 partner countries to develop their agriculture sectors and break the vicious cycle of poverty and hunger. Our goal is to reduce the prevalence of poverty and stunted children by 20 percent in the specific areas where we work, which will help families lift themselves out of poverty, purchase nutritious food, and have access to education and health care.

An overarching objective of our strategic partnership with South Africa is for the United States to support a viable South-South, demand-driven approach to development cooperation. We collaborate with three non-traditional donors – Brazil, India, as well as South Africa – to build upon our deep historical ties, and to leverage the expertise, resources, and leadership of rising middle-income countries for the benefit of Feed the Future partner countries. We seek to share South Africa’s innovative business models and advanced technical expertise across the region. We seek to support SADC’s important goal of transferring South Africa’s agricultural success to other countries, thereby reducing hunger and poverty across the region.

To meet these goals, we seek to deepen our partnerships across the government, civil society, academia, and the private sector in South Africa and beyond. We must increase responsible agricultural investment and scale-up our collective development impact in Southern Africa.

South Africa already plays an indispensable role in the achievement of regional -- and, in turn, global -- food security. South Africa is the largest economy on the continent and the engine of economic growth in Southern Africa, with one of the top ten stock exchanges in the world and well-developed physical telecommunications and energy infrastructures. South African firms conducted about 70% of intra-regional investment flows, and South Africa accounted for 71.5% of the region’s GDP in 2009. South Africa is also the largest food exporter within the region. Investment from South Africa’s private sector to neighboring countries is the key to economic growth to the region.

South Africa has achieved some of the highest crop yields in the world because of its innovative, high-performing businesses in the agricultural sector, which have adopted first-generation biotechnologies and effective plant breeding capabilities. For example, the average maize yield in South Africa is about 3,000 kilograms per hectare. This high yield compares to a regional maize yield level of around 1,500 kilograms per hectare. South African firms also boast cutting edge technology in the use of advanced food processing and fortification.

South Africa has also demonstrated a strong commitment in recent years to the development of key trade corridors in the region. As President Zuma has repeatedly stated, South Africa is committed to championing the North-South Corridor and to mobilize resources for the implementation of projects. USAID supports corridor efforts by working with private sector groups, such as the NEPAD Business Foundation, to help small-holder farmers access markets. We also work with the Southern African Trade Hub to improve trade facilitation and cross border management, specifically by focusing on National Single Windows, Coordinated Border Management, and Customs Connectivity. The main objective is to decrease the time and cost of transporting agricultural commodities and inputs across borders. I am pleased to report that we are seeing some significant results, such as improvements in crossing times for exports and imports as high as 60% at Mwanza (between Malawi and Mozambique) and 40% for Songwe (between Malawi and Tanzania) in this past year alone.

Now is a critical time for us to deepen our partnership in food and nutrition security. Southern Africa, as a region, continues to be severely affected by chronic vulnerability and continuous food and nutrition insecurity. With nearly 45% of the population living below the poverty line of $1.25 per day, chronic food shortages exist at both the national and household level throughout the region. Although 70% of the region’s population depends on agriculture for food, income, and employment, the productivity of most rural smallholders remains very low.

To respond to these challenges, the U.S. government’s programs across Southern Africa are designed to advance food security by improving agricultural productivity and market access for agricultural products and inputs, as well as by reducing trade barriers along major transport corridors. In Southern Africa, Feed the Future partners with three countries -- Zambia, Malawi, and Mozambique. In Zambia, we support smallholder out-grower schemes, which help link more small-scale farmers to buyers and processors and other key private sector partners. Meanwhile, in Malawi, we work with the government to advance policy priorities that can improve agricultural inputs, agricultural trade, institutional architecture, and nutrition. Our programs in Mozambique focus on catalyzing international and local agribusinesses investments in agriculture, not only through Feed the Future, but also through the G8 New Alliance for Food Security and Nutrition, which is a commitment by G8 members, African countries, and private sector partners to reduce poverty through inclusive agricultural growth.

Sharing agricultural technologies currently practiced in South Africa, and relying on South Africa’s world-class educational institutions to train agriculturalists from neighboring countries, can further improve the lives of millions of people across southern Africa. Our Strategic Partnership with South Africa represents an important opportunity to bring together the private sector, South African government, and Feed the Future programs to unlock the potential of Africa’s agricultural sector. For precisely this reason, the United States actively works with South African companies and academic institutions to disseminate key technologies and promote agricultural training.

The United States is committed to supporting South African private investment and sustainable, equitable growth in agriculture across the region. Strategic Partnership Grants have already helped to create new market linkages, connecting farmers in the region to rewarding markets elsewhere in Africa and globally. These grants have also helped to: increase food storage capacity; transfer cutting-edge technology (like drought tolerant seeds, sophisticated soil testing and analysis); and disseminate timely crop extension and market information via mobile technologies. But we can always do more, and we can always do better -- together.

Together, we can increase market access, particularly for small-holder farmers. Together, we can support finance for improving infrastructure and trade, including the development of new financial products, services, and insurance products. Together, we can work from farms to markets to tables to improve incomes and nutrition. Not only is this the smart thing to do; it is also the right thing to do.

We can -- and we will -- make a significant difference in the lives of millions of people by reducing hunger and poverty in Southern Africa.

SECRETARY OF STATE KERRY ISSUES STATEMENT ON DEATH OF NELSON MANDELA

FROM:  U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT 
Death of Nelson Mandela
Press Statement
John Kerry
Secretary of State
Washington, DC
December 5, 2013

Madiba’s 'long walk to freedom' gave new meaning to courage, character, forgiveness, and human dignity. Now that his long walk has ended, the example he set for all humanity lives on. He will be remembered as a pioneer for peace.

There are some truly brave people in this world whom you meet and you’re forever changed for the experience. Nelson Mandela remains Teresa’s hero, and a person who inspired her as a young woman to march with her classmates against apartheid. We had the honor of sitting with Mandela over the Thanksgiving holidays of 2007. I was struck by how warm, open, and serene he was. I stood in his tiny cell on Robben Island, a room with barely enough space to lie down or stand up, and I learned that the glare of the white rock quarry permanently damaged his eyesight. It hit home even more just how remarkable it was that after spending 27 years locked away, after having his own vision impaired by the conditions, that this man could still see the best interests of his country and even embrace the very guards who kept him prisoner. That is the story of a man whose ability to see resided not in his eyes but in his conscience. It is hard to imagine any of us could summon such strength of character.

Nelson Mandela was a stranger to hate. He rejected recrimination in favor of reconciliation and knew the future demands we move beyond the past. He gave everything he had to heal his country and lead it back into the community of nations, including insisting on relinquishing his office and ensuring there would be a peaceful transfer of power. Today, people all around the world who yearn for democracy look to Mandela’s nation and its democratic Constitution as a hopeful example of what is possible.

Teresa and I join those from around the world in honoring the life of this great man. Our deepest condolences go out to his wife, Graça, his family, all the people of South Africa and everyone who today enjoys the freedom Madiba fought for his entire life.

SECRETARY OF STATE KERRY'S REMARKS AT GLOBAL HEALTH EVENT WITH PARTNER COUNTRIES

FROM:  U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT 
Remarks at a Global Health Event with Partner Countries (PEPFAR)
Remarks
John Kerry
Secretary of State
Waldorf Hotel
New York City
September 25, 2013

Well, good afternoon, everybody, and thank you very, very much for joining us here. It’s my great privilege to be joined by His Excellency, the President of Namibia, President Pohamba; His Excellency, the President of Rwanda, Paul Kagame; and His Excellency, the Ambassador to the United States, Ebrahim Rasool from South Africa. And we’re very honored to have each of them here to take part. As all of you, we want to have a good discussion. We’re going to open it up with a few opening statements while the press is here. And then when the press leaves, we’ll have a chance to just talk and have a great dialogue about the future here.

We’re really at the cusp of a very exciting new frontier with respect to the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, known to everybody as PEPFAR. And I’m very proud to be joined by our global partners as well as a group of stakeholders here as we hopefully embrace and implement all of the tools at our disposal to be able to achieve an AIDS-free generation and to improve global healthcare by strengthening our commitments to PEPFAR and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria.

This has been an extraordinary journey, and I think everybody at this table understands that. A decade ago, PEPFAR created the world’s largest and the most successful foreign assistance program ever. And now, a disease that at one time seemed to be unstoppable is actually in retreat.

I have been gratified to be part of this fight since the beginning, really, and particularly will say to you that I’ve never been more optimistic than we are today, and I think you may share that. I remember the days in Congress when the words “AIDS” was very rarely spoken. And often if it was spoken, it was spoken pejoratively. And I can remember the early days working with Senator Bill Frist or Barbara Lee on the earliest efforts to engage the United States Government on a major global commitment. And it is really heartening to know that now, 10 years after PEPFAR was launched, we are actually able to see and reach out and hopefully touch the prospect of an AIDS-free generation.

So our commitment to this has not only been strengthened by the progress that we’ve made and the lives that we’ve saved, but science has shown the way and has provided us with the tools that we need in order to be able to continue our collective pursuit of what has always been an ambitious goal, remains ambitious but not ambitious without the capacity to realize the ambition, which is particularly exciting.

Last year – I’m sure many of you were there – I was privileged to attend with you the first International AIDS Society conference to be held on American soil in more than two decades. And we all know why it couldn’t be for so long. We finally got that changed. And I’m especially proud to announce today that the United States will host the Global Fund’s Fourth Replenishment in December.

Since its inception, the Global Fund has been a vital partner in supporting country-owned – and this is very important – country-owned responses to address HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria. And the United States is proud to be the Global Fund’s largest donor, and we’re challenging other donors to step up their commitments at this critical moment and make the replenishment cycle a success. We’re already encouraged by the increased pledges from the United Kingdom, Denmark, Norway, and Sweden, as well as those from Germany and France earlier this year, who agreed to extend their already current high level of commitment.

So we’re now entering the second decade of PEPFAR. And as you’re aware, the program has taken steps over the past few years to move from an emergency program to a sustainable initiative. U.S. programs, I think it’s fair to say, are still absolutely critical. But now, wherever possible, those programs are going to support countries’ own initiatives against this epidemic, and that’s what’s really exciting about it. That’s, frankly, exactly what our foreign assistance is supposed to do, is to help other countries to be able to take the reins and empower them to be able to confront challenges like HIV and AIDS themselves.

South Africa, Rwanda, Namibia are all on the front lines of this effort. And in the face of one of the greatest moral challenges of our time, each of those countries have responded in extraordinary ways in order to care for your own people. You’re not just investing in your own health capacity, but you are helping to lead the charge to define a new model for U.S. assistance. And we thank you for that. It’s one that empowers and emphasizes co-investment, collaboration, and true partnership. And none of these things can work if it isn’t transformed into sustainability, if it doesn’t become, really, a country’s own initiative.

That’s what country health partnerships are all about. They are about shared responsibility, shared accountability, budget transparency, and a commitment to investing strategically based on what we’ve learned from improved data collection and analysis. These partnerships are country specific to ensure that we are responsive to local needs. And they’ll also benefit from shared decision-making on how PEPFAR resources are allocated as part of a national response.

So make no mistake, please. The United States will continue to be responsible for the stewardship of its funds, and congressional mandates will remain in effect. But we believe that by sharing more decisions with countries, we can advance the principles of country ownership that President Obama and I believe in so strongly. And that will allow us to continue to make progress on prevention, on treatment, and awareness.

Fighting HIV/AIDS isn’t just a first-tier priority of our foreign policy and public health initiatives. And I’m blessed, as I look around the table speaking— we have a group of unbelievably qualified, incredibly experienced, and amazingly capable people at this table. You are the people, all of you, who made this happen over these last years. But beyond being sort of that foreign policy initiative, it’s also a test of our values. And we have to reaffirm our moral obligation, and we have to acknowledge that our shared humanity mandates that we continue to challenge ourselves until we defeat this devastating epidemic.

So with that, I want to turn to our country partners here today and ask each of them if they would offer their perspective on exactly how we take the next step forward together. So let me first, if I may, introduce President Pohamba of Namibia.

U.S. CONGRATULATES THREE NATIONS ON THEIR NATIONAL DAYS

FROM:  U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
South Africa's Freedom Day
Press Statement
John Kerry
Secretary of State
Washington, DC
April 26, 2013

On behalf of President Obama and the people of the United States, I congratulate the people of the Republic of South Africa and offer my best wishes as you celebrate Freedom Day April 27.

The partnership between the United States and South Africa is founded on a common set of principles and ideals that include democracy, respect for human rights, religious freedom, and the rule of law.

Celebrating this Freedom Day, we commemorate the remarkable progress that South Africans have achieved since the first inclusive election 19 years ago. Your successful struggle to overcome apartheid remains a testament to the power of democracy and an inspiration to people around the world who value freedom.

I commend South Africa’s progress as a nation and its dedication to the development of the African continent. The United States looks forward to continued cooperation and shared success in the future.

I offer you my best wishes on the occasion of this important anniversary and join the country in wishing President Mandela a speedy recovery.

 
On the Occasion of the Republic of Togo's National Day
Press Statement
John Kerry
Secretary of State
Washington, DC
April 26, 2013
On behalf of the American people, I extend my best wishes to the people of Togo as they celebrate their independence on April 27.

In commemorating this important event, we also celebrate our long history of friendly and productive relations.

The United States welcomes Togo’s efforts as a member of the United Nations Security Council and the Economic Community of West African States to support global and regional peace and prosperity.

We look forward to continued cooperation to promote democracy and economic growth in Togo.

 
On the Occasion of the Republic of Sierra Leone's National Day
Press Statement
John Kerry
Secretary of State
Washington, DC
April 26, 2013
On behalf of all Americans, I send best wishes to the people of Sierra Leone as they celebrate 52 years of independence on April 27.

We congratulate Sierra Leone on having completed last year its third consecutive series of free and fair presidential and parliamentary elections, which marks a milestone for democracy and stability in your country. The active participation by so many Sierra Leoneans in this process serves as an example for the entire world to emulate.

Together with its recent deployment of another battalion of peacekeepers, Sierra Leone is now truly an important contributor to Africa’s collective security. This day is a well-earned opportunity for Sierra Leoneans to commemorate their commitment to freedom, democracy, and the rule of law.

The United States welcomes and encourages Sierra Leone’s ongoing efforts to promote open government, to combat corruption, and to strengthen investment in its people.

The United States looks forward to continued partnership with Sierra Leone as our countries work to achieve our common goals and help all Sierra Leoneans enjoy greater benefits of peace and prosperity in the coming year.

REMARKS AT WILDLIFE CONSERVATION DAY RECEPTION

Photo Credit:  U.S. Wildlife Fish And Game.

FROM: U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT

Robert D. Hormats
Under Secretary for Economic Growth, Energy, and the Environment
Remarks as Prepared for Delivery
Beijing, China
December 4, 2012
　

Thank you, Ambassador Locke, for that kind introduction.

It’s a special pleasure to be in China for "Wildlife Conservation Day," and I want to thank all of you for your leadership in this critical area.

After all, your country is home to one of the most successful wildlife conservation efforts of recent times, having successfully increased the giant panda population from approximately 1000 in the 1970s to more than 1,600 by the 2004 census.

As you know, trafficking of wildlife also is a growing problem in Africa, and incidents of poaching in that part of the world are increasing at an alarming rate.

Rhino poaching, for example, has increased dramatically in South Africa over the last five years from only 13 rhinos poached in 2007 to 448 in 2011.

Killings of elephants for ivory unfortunately also are increasing. Earlier this year, for example, more than 300 elephants were slaughtered in Cameroon by heavily armed poachers.

Hong Kong authorities recently announced that they had confiscated $1.4 million worth of ivory that arrived smuggled in a shipping container from Tanzania, the second large seizure of tusks in a one-month span.

This issue has deep roots for me. During graduate school I spent a year in East Africa and worked as an assistant wildlife guide in some of East Africa’s national parks.

So, for me, poaching is a deeply personal outrage.

On November 8, Secretary Clinton hosted a high-level discussion at the State Department, issuing a call to action for all of us to work together to stem this growing crisis.

Our decision to organize this meeting came from our conviction that the nature of wildlife trafficking has changed.

We have always considered wildlife trafficking a critical conservation issue, and have been leaders in both global and national efforts to conserve wildlife.

However, the issue has now become an issue of national security, rule of law, health, and economic development.

Transnational criminal groups connected to terrorists, drug traffickers, and weapons traffickers, and well-armed poachers, are increasingly involved in the illicit trade.

Large-scale commercial wildlife trafficking now threatens security and stability in countries across Africa and parts of Asia.

I’ve heard of these concerns directly from African leaders. I travelled to Africa this summer, where I discussed this issue with leaders of Botswana and Namibia, and I joined Secretary Clinton in South Africa, where we heard about their challenges in protecting their national parks and the wildlife.

Many consumers do not understand that animals – and in some cases people who try to protect them – die in order to produce the turtle shell bracelet, the rhino horn powder, or the ivory carving.

To reduce demand, we need to educate people – make them aware that what they are buying is illegal, their actions support criminal networks, animals are being killed, and people are suffering as a direct result of that purchase.

We need to do a better job of understanding the entire supply chain – from poachers, to the transport sector, to sellers, and to buyers.

We also need to do a better job of tracking down the networks, of following the money flows, and of rooting out corrupt officials who help to move the illegal products all along the way.

To stem the latest trends in poaching, the Department of State has developed a four-pronged approach to:

(1) focus our diplomatic engagement – by working with you and other governments -to strengthen political will,

(2) raise public awareness, through events like the one here today,

(3) identify training needs, and

(4) to work cooperatively with NGO and private sector partners.

We have been working through our diplomatic channels to engage leaders on this issue – at APEC, with ASEAN leaders on the margins of the UN General Assembly, in Washington, and at the East Asia Summit – so that we can take steps cooperatively to address this problem.

We also are working closely with NGOs and the private sector to identify ways we can cooperate.

We collectively share a responsibility to be good stewards of our planet and support the development and security of countries suffering from wildlife trafficking.

That’s why combating wildlife trafficking has become a foreign policy priority for the Department of State. And we seek to cooperate closely with China in this endeavor.

Our two countries unfortunately find ourselves in the position of being destination countries for illegally trafficked wildlife parts.

We plan to take tough action. We urge China to do so, too, to put a halt to illegal wildlife imports.

In this context, therefore, I have met with Ambassador Zhang Yesui in Washington, I met earlier today with State Forestry Administration Vice Minister Zhang Jianrong, and prior to this event, I had the opportunity to discuss the issue with NGOs.

It is very important that the United States and China – our governments, our companies, our civil society, and our citizens – continue to collaborate on this important issue.

Thank you for being here, and I look forward to meeting many of you.

AIR FORCES IN EUROPE ROCK BAND, TOUCH 'n GO, PERFORMS IN SOUTH AFRICA

 

FROM:  U.S. AIR FORCE, SOUTH AFRICA
VANDERBIJLPARK, South Africa -- U.S. Air Forces in Europe rock band, Touch 'n Go, performs during a show for students and instructors at Northern University here, Sept. 19. The band, Touch 'n Go, has made three performances in local communities across South Africa and will be performing at the Africa Aerospace and Defense Exposition Sept. 22-23 at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. on both days. The band is committed to fortifying international relationships, fostering trust and friendships, and enhancing troop morale. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Benjamin Wilson)

CULLINAN, South Africa -- Staff Sgt. Samuel Kennedy, U.S. Air Forces in Europe rock band bassist, performs during a show for students and instructors of the Cullinan Field Band here, Sept. 18. The band, Touch 'n Go, has made three performances in local communities across South Africa and will be performing at the Africa Aerospace and Defense Exposition Sept. 22-23 at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. on both days. Touch 'n Go is committed to fortifying international relationships, fostering trust and friendships, and enhancing troop morale. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Debbie Lockhart)