FROM: U.S. JUSTICE DEPARTMENT
Wednesday, May 27, 2015
Members of Phantom Outlaw Motorcycle Club Convicted of Violent Racketeering-Related Crimes
Today, a federal jury in Detroit convicted two members of the violent Phantom Outlaw Motorcycle Club, one of whom also was a member of the Vice Lords street gang, on separate crimes of conspiracy to commit murder in aid of racketeering, and assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering and a firearms offense.
Assistant Attorney General Leslie R. Caldwell of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Barbara L. McQuade of the Eastern District of Michigan, Special Agent in Charge Robin Shoemaker of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ (ATF) Detroit Field Division and Special Agent in Charge Paul M. Abbate of the FBI’s Detroit Field Division made the announcement.
“The dismantling of the Phantom Outlaw Motorcycle Club demonstrates how law enforcement authorities and community members can work hand-in-hand to combat gang violence across the nation,” said Assistant Attorney General Caldwell. “In this case, law enforcement unquestionably saved lives by making a wave of arrests to prevent a planned nationwide campaign of violence against a rival motorcycle gang. The verdict in this case holds violent gang members accountable for the destruction they inflicted and the havoc they intended to wreak.”
“The Detroit One initiative targets criminal gang members like these defendants, who are responsible for gun violence in neighborhoods,” said U.S. Attorney McQuade. “We hope that removing dangerous trigger pullers will give our communities the peaceful quality of life we all deserve.”
“ATF works every day with our partners to take the most violent offenders off our streets and put them behind bars,” said Special Agent in Charge S. Robin Shoemaker. “Without partnership, without standing up against the violence, no public safety issues can be solved. ATF is committed to this fight, and committed to working together to keep our citizen safe and our communities livable.”
“The defendants in this case were active members of violent criminal groups, one of which was based in Detroit and operated across numerous, and sometimes distant, states,” said Special Agent in Charge Abbate. “These convictions reflect our continuing resolve through interstate cooperation between federal, state and local law enforcement authorities to prevent violent crime regardless of how far its reach may extend.”
The jury convicted the defendants of the following offenses:
Christopher Odum (aka Murder), 29, of Detroit, a member of the Detroit chapters of both the Phantoms and the Vice Lords, was convicted of conspiracy to commit murder in aid of racketeering.
William Frazier (aka Daytona), 37, of Auburn Hills, the Vice President of the Pontiac, Michigan, chapter of the Phantoms, was convicted of two counts of assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering, and one count of using and carrying firearms during and in relation to a crime of violence.
The evidence showed that the Phantom Outlaw Motorcycle Club and its members were involved in a range of criminal activity including conspiracy to commit murder, shootings, robberies, extortion and the possession and sale of stolen vehicles and motorcycles. The evidence also showed overlap between the leadership of the Phantoms and membership in the Vice Lords street gang, which assisted the Phantoms in various criminal endeavors, including searching for and violently attacking rivals of the Phantoms.
Specifically, the evidence at trial demonstrated that, on Oct. 27, 2012, at the Columbus, Ohio clubhouse of the Toros Motorcycle Club, a fight took place between the Phantoms and the Zulus Motorcycle Club, a rival gang. During the fight, William Frazier, a Phantom member, shot two men.
The evidence at trial also showed that, on Sept. 8, 2013, Antonio Johnson, who was both the National President of the Phantoms and the “Three-Star General” over the Vice Lords in Michigan, ordered numerous Phantoms, including Christopher Odum, to rob the Satan Sidekicks Motorcycle Club, a rival motorcycle club. During the attempted robbery, a Phantom member, Bryan Sorrell (aka PC) shot a Satan Sidekick member in the face. A few days later, Odum and another Phantom violently assaulted a prospective member of the Satan Sidekicks during another attempted robbery at a gas station.
Additionally, according to the evidence presented at trial, Johnson blamed the Hell Lovers Outlaw Motorcycle Club for a September 2013 murder of a Phantoms member, and ordered retaliatory murders that were to be carried out in three phases. In the first phase, the Phantoms were to murder at least three members of the Hell Lovers in Detroit in order to lure additional Hell Lovers to Michigan for the funeral. In the second phase, the Phantoms were to murder all members of the Hell Lovers who would be at the Hell Lovers’ Detroit clubhouse following the funeral. In the third phase, the Phantoms were to kill Hell Lovers in other cities throughout the country where the Phantoms had chapters. In October 2013, ATF and FBI agents disrupted the mass murder plot. At trial, the government presented evidence that, at the time that investigators disrupted the murder plot, the Phantoms were preparing for the first phase, including stockpiling firearms, conducting research and surveillance of their intended victims, and assigning Phantom members and Vice Lords members to stalk and murder the intended victims. Odum participated in the murder plot.
This was the second of two recent trials in the prosecution of the Phantoms. On March 16, 2015, a jury convicted six leaders and members of the Phantoms, many of whom also were leaders and members of the Vice Lords, for various crimes, including the September – October 2013 murder plot against the Hell Lovers and the September 2013 shooting of the Satan Sidekicks member. Among those six convicted defendants were Johnson and Marvin Nicholson, who was both the National Enforcer of the Phantoms and a member of the Vice Lords. The charges included RICO conspiracy involving murder, conspiracy to commit murder in aid of racketeering, assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering, firearms offenses, and assault on federal officers. In addition, four defendants previously have pleaded guilty to charges, including RICO conspiracy and assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering, and await sentencing.
The arrests in this case were made as part of the Detroit One Initiative, a collaborative effort between law enforcement and the community to reduce homicide and other violent crime in Detroit, and through the lead efforts of the Comprehensive Violence Reduction Partnership Task Force, which consists of representatives of the ATF, Detroit Police Department, Michigan State Police, Michigan Department of Corrections and the FBI. By working collaboratively, local, state and federal law enforcement are striving to maximize their ability to identify and arrest the persons and groups initiating the violence in Detroit. These convictions are a tangible and significant result of this joint effort.
The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Joseph Wheatley of the Criminal Division’s Organized Crime and Gang Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher Graveline and Louis Gabel of the Eastern District of Michigan.
Showing posts with label VIOLENCE. Show all posts
Showing posts with label VIOLENCE. Show all posts
Friday, May 29, 2015
Monday, May 11, 2015
U.S. REPRESENTATIVE TO UN CONCERNED BURUNDI IS SLIDING INTO VIOLENT TURMOIL
FROM: U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT
Samantha Power
U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations
New York, NY
May 8, 2015
AS DELIVERED
Good afternoon. We just heard a very concerning briefing from Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for the Great Lakes Region, Said Djinnit, about the situation in Burundi.
This is the third time the Council has come together just in the last month to address the need for all parties in Burundi to refrain from violence and intimidation before, during, and after elections, and to actively support the conditions for a peaceful, timely, credible, and inclusive elections process.
What we are seeing is a Burundi sliding into violent turmoil. The intensity of the violence has increased this week. Live rounds, water cannons, and arbitrary arrest have been used against protestors. We’ve now seen reports of grenade attacks.
While reports of those killed and arrested vary, we know that on May 4th at least three protestors were shot dead. On May 6th, another half dozen people were reportedly killed, and over the last three days, we have started to see more gruesome attacks against alleged members of the Imbonerakure, including a lynching and separate burning.
Amidst this increase in violence, refugee flows into Rwanda, Tanzania, and the DRC have skyrocketed to over 50,000 people. Any further violence carries with it the risk of irreversible consequences not just for Burundian citizens, but for the people of the Great Lakes region writ-large.
This violence is due to two very foreseeable and very preventable events. First, President Nkurunziza’s decision to seek a third term, which the United States has clearly stated is a violation of the Arusha Agreement. Despite warnings from multiple parts of Burundian society and the international community that such a move would lead to violence, Nkurunziza decided to move forward. He rejected, and indeed was extremely dismissive, of the possibility that his moving out in abrogation of the Arusha Agreement would generate protests and would result in violence. He ruled that out – out of hand – and now we are seeing, unfortunately, the consequence of his decisions and of his dismissiveness of these risks. Second, the government’s continued and relentless crackdown against the people’s rights to peacefully protest and freely express their views has itself increased violence. The severe restrictions placed on the media – traditional and social – have only exacerbated these problems.
While the government claims that President Nkurunziza’s third term is constitutional, and the Constitutional Court ruling this week supported that finding, we must underscore the apparent lack of judicial impartiality that led to this decision. The Vice President of Burundi’s Constitutional Court fled to safety in Rwanda this week and refused to succumb to the government’s pressure to validate President Nkurunziza’s third term.
This Vice President said judges, “were subjected to enormous pressure and even death threats,” stating that, “those opposed to a third term - violating the constitution and the Arusha Agreement - were afraid, because they were put under pressure.” “We risk our lives,” he said, “so judges had to get behind the third term and join the camp supporting it.”
We welcome the leadership being shown by the region. The foreign ministers of Rwanda, Tanzania, Kenya and Angola were in Burundi this week to engage all parties to seek a way out the crisis. The heads of state of the East African Community will meet next week in Dar es Salaam, where we hope the crisis in Burundi is front and center – and we have every reason to believe it will be.
We also welcome African Union Chairwoman Dlamini-Zuma’s statement yesterday that Nkurunziza should not seek a third term and that what is most important at this critical time is to ensure a peaceful environment conducive to elections.
The government of Burundi has a window to stop and reverse the outbreak of violence by agreeing to allow for peaceful protests, easing restrictions to media, respecting human rights, and preventing violence by the Imbonerakure and the security forces. To date neither President Nkurunziza nor his government has condemned the violence by the youth militia or called for restraint by the police. We urge them to do so immediately; failure to take these steps will only heighten the scale of violence and increase the risk of this turning into a regional crisis.
With that, I’m happy to take a few questions.
Reporter: Madame Ambassador, thank you. What more can the Council do on this issue, given that Russia has sort of made clear that they think it’s a constitutional issue that the Council shouldn’t get involved in. Did you raise the possibility of threatening sanctions? And, what can you tell us about these reports that the President’s security are distributing weapons throughout the country and training militia? How concerned are you by this and what do you know about it?
Ambassador Power: Okay, let me get all of this. Let me just start with the reports that you mentioned. You might recall that, now, more than six months ago, the security advisor to the prior UN mission in Burundi was expelled from Burundi because of the leak of a report alleging the massive distribution of weapons to the Imbonerakure.
Now, we hear that some of those weapons are being used. We hear of threats by the youth militia toward people who peacefully protest against President Nkurunziza’s decision to pursue a third term. These are extremely alarming reports. There’s no question that there are weapons in the hands of people who are not affiliated with the traditional security establishment—with the armed forces and with the police. And the fact that these reports are increasing, not decreasing; the fact that prior reports appear to be credible; and the fact that the government’s only response to those reports was in effect to shoot the messenger—not literally, thankfully—but to expel the BNUB security advisor and indeed to end the prior mission, which had much more of a monitoring role than the current election-related mission. These are all extremely worrying facts.
In terms of sanctions, let me just say that the United States is very carefully monitoring the situation, and we are prepared to take targeted measures, including visa bans or sanctions, against those who plan or participate in wide-spread violence of the kind that we all fear. The United Nations Security Council has threatened action, and it remains to be seen what action the Council would come together in support of.
I think for all of the disagreement perhaps here or there about the constitution, there is no disagreement about the need for the Council to do everything in its power to prevent the situation from spiraling out of control. I mean, the Council is alarmed. I don’t think there’s been a period, maybe even in the last decade, where the Council has met this many times on Burundi consecutively. So right now, we’re emphasizing support for Said Djinnit, who’s actually trying to bring the parties together and see if there’s a peaceful way out of this crisis, and I think we will get at the “what are the next steps” again if these negotiations cannot bear fruit.
Reporter: Thank you. You have been to Bangui not once, but twice. So I must ask you, in light of these horrific allegations, are you satisfied that both France and the United Nations initiated this investigation quickly enough? Made sure that the soldiers were removed from that mission quickly enough? And that all the steps towards accountability have been taken? And related, does this draw new attention to all the reforms that have been called for in the past, on how to handle sex abuse in peacekeeping?
Ambassador Power: Thank you for the question. It’s an extremely important one. The allegations are completely horrific. You know, the fact that soldiers who are entrusted with the protection of civilians, the protection of young people—if these allegations prove true, again, it is such a profound violation, not only of the dignity and physical security of individuals in their most vulnerable state, but it is a complete abrogation of trust, between those who are alleged to come as protectors and those who violate that trust and take advantage of, again, the most acute vulnerability any of us could imagine experiencing. A vulnerability that comes from being desperate for food. From being desperate for protection.
So we don’t know, again, the full facts of the case at this stage—that is the case of the allegations of sexual abuse—whether those will be borne out. They are certainly very credible and very disturbing allegations. So it is essential that those countries whose soldiers are alleged to have been involved in crimes of this magnitude act aggressively to track down the facts and to punish anybody responsible.
In terms of the UN and the member state’s handling of the issue, I think it is extremely important that an impartial investigation be done also of that, on top of investigating the allegations themselves. When allegations like this are made, and sadly, this is not the first time that peacekeepers have been accused of sexual abuse of civilians who’ve put their faith in the international community. When allegations like these are made, speed is essential, absolutely imperative, because for as long, potentially, as crimes like these are being committed, then individuals are vulnerable to the same individuals who are alleged to be carrying out the crimes.
The safety of those who are brave enough to come forward, notwithstanding having potentially been abused, the safety of those individuals, those witnesses—the confidentiality of their testimony—that’s also essential.
So there are a number of elements to the appropriate handling of cases like this, and we need this impartial investigation of the handling to be carried out swiftly. We need all individuals, both in member states themselves and within the UN organization who were involved in the handling of this, again, grave and grotesque set of allegations, to involve themselves and come forward and make everything that they know available. And, I think the investigation needs to span, again, from start to finish. Because there were a lot of different stages to this.
But we need a system here, number one, where peacekeepers are vetted appropriately before they go into the field. Number two, at the slightest hint that peacekeepers could be carrying out abuses—that needs to be reported up the chain and investigated extremely swiftly. And we, again, like everyone, are concerned about the length of time between the alleged crimes and the time at which the appropriate authorities were made aware, and the lag between the time at which the appropriate authorities took the required action.
Reporter: Follow up on that? One question? Thanks. Appreciate it. One issue that has arisen that may not even need to wait for an investigation is that the Central African Republic says that they were never told of this, and given that these were their citizens, I wonder if you—does the U.S. think that when the UN system becomes aware of charges such as these, that the host country should be told? There’s also this issue, in the UN Dispute Tribunal ruling, that the Under Secretary General of Peacekeeping was reported, and the UN didn’t seem to dispute it, to have said that the whistleblower should resign or be suspended. And I wonder, this seems like a pretty serious charge. What do you think of that? Do you think that that is appropriate? What do you think of the treatment of the whistleblower who brought it to light?
Ambassador Power: I think, on a lot of these issues, we’re all going to be better off if we allow an impartial investigation to take hold. And, I think, you raise a really, really important issue about host country involvement, and we’d want to, again, get the facts on that. Certainly, it is the case that the host country itself, of course, has the sovereign responsibility for the protection of its citizens, and so, looking at what role Central African Republic authorities played or didn’t play has to be part of this.
And then, in terms of the individual who disclosed the allegations, who worked for the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, again, it’s extremely important that any individual who comes into possession of allegations of this gravity acts swiftly. It is also extremely important that victim and witness safety be a very significant, a primary consideration as well. And so again, the impartial investigation will look at the handling and how both the issue of speed and the issue of victim and witness protection—how those issues were handled.
Ambassador Power: I think on a lot of these issues we’re all going to be better off if we allow an impartial investigation to take hold. And I think you raise a really important issue on host country involvement
Looking at what role Central African Republic authorities played or didn’t play has to be part of this.
It’s extremely important that any individual who comes into possession of allegations of this gravity acts swiftly, it is also extremely important that victim ad witness safety be a very significant, a primary consideration, as well.
Reporter: Ambassador, back to Burundi: I wonder if you could talk about the way the international architecture is set up. There’s been a lot of criticism from the Burundians themselves that the international community has been very slow on this issue – the fact that we do have 50,000 refugees and when the international community has been very well aware of what was going to happen. What can you say about how the international community responds to these issues, given what we’ve seen in South Sudan and Syria today?
Ambassador Power: Well, the international community, as represented by the UN Security Council, has actually been quite aggressive in the preventive diplomacy phase. I mean, the fact that just two months ago, or whenever it was, we all traveled all the way to Burundi as a way of sending a message to President Nkurunziza about what the risks were if he went ahead in violation of the letter and the spirit of the Arusha agreement. That’s actually quite unusual. And everybody on the Security Council, just as in the broader international community, is well aware of the history in Burundi, and of course the broader region, and how quickly political disputes can get – can descend into ethnic disputes. And Arusha enshrined a social compact that has allowed Burundi to make tremendous progress. And, you know, for the sake of Burundians who suffered so much and worked so hard to reconcile, and to get to the place they have gotten to, in terms of stability, including relative political stability – for that to be endangered. Sub-regional organizations sent the message that that was imperiled; regional organizations sent that message, including Dlamini-Zuma – not just yesterday, but over the course of recent months – and the Security Council traveled all the way there to send that message. I myself have been to Burundi twice in the last year to send that message. I believe the first Cabinet member to travel to Burundi in a long time, on behalf of President Obama, in order to send that message. So it is clear things are not going well in Burundi; and all of us want to learn if there was more we could have done. But at the end of the day, President Nkurunziza has to put his people first. The international community can’t make him privilege the welfare of his people, privilege the end of violence, over his own personal desire to seek a third term. He has to make that choice. And I think the message from the international community was loud and clear, and it’s a message that he has chosen not to hear. Thank you.
Reporter: (Inaudible, off mic) Syria?
Ambassador Power: I’ll just do that real quick. I’m not going to get ahead of the diplomatic discussions, but you all know that resolution 2118 – best remembered as the resolution that dismantled Syria’s declared chemical weapons program – bans the use of chemical weapons. And you know that resolution 2209 – the chlorine resolution – makes very clear that the use of chlorine as a weapon is chemical weapons use. And we heard in the Arria session devastating reports. I believe you all met as well with the doctors who treated the victims of chlorine attacks. So we believe, and it’s clear that many Council members agree, that we have got to have a means of establishing who was carrying out these chlorine attacks. To us, the Fact Finding Mission’s report was very clear – from the OPCW – it described hundreds of witnesses with the same symptoms. Victims who died without a cut on their bodies, just because they suffocated on this gas; and witnesses who described the smell of chlorine emanating at just the moment a helicopter came and dropped a barrel bomb on a particular building; the victims themselves smelled like chlorine. There are no allegations of how chlorine could be disbursed in the manner the OPCW has described it has been disbursed absent, again, these air attacks. Everybody who has been interviewed has described a correlation between the chlorine-related deaths and the dropping of what appear to be chlorine barrel bombs from helicopters. And, as you know, only the regime has helicopters. So we believe the factual record is quite straightforward and devastating in terms of Syrian regime use. But it is, as a factual matter, true that no one in the international system is mandated to establish attribution for these attacks; and we need to fix that. So we hope that we can make progress on a resolution to ensure that there is a mechanism that will not only establish chlorine use, but establish who carried out that use.
Samantha Power
U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations
New York, NY
May 8, 2015
AS DELIVERED
Good afternoon. We just heard a very concerning briefing from Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for the Great Lakes Region, Said Djinnit, about the situation in Burundi.
This is the third time the Council has come together just in the last month to address the need for all parties in Burundi to refrain from violence and intimidation before, during, and after elections, and to actively support the conditions for a peaceful, timely, credible, and inclusive elections process.
What we are seeing is a Burundi sliding into violent turmoil. The intensity of the violence has increased this week. Live rounds, water cannons, and arbitrary arrest have been used against protestors. We’ve now seen reports of grenade attacks.
While reports of those killed and arrested vary, we know that on May 4th at least three protestors were shot dead. On May 6th, another half dozen people were reportedly killed, and over the last three days, we have started to see more gruesome attacks against alleged members of the Imbonerakure, including a lynching and separate burning.
Amidst this increase in violence, refugee flows into Rwanda, Tanzania, and the DRC have skyrocketed to over 50,000 people. Any further violence carries with it the risk of irreversible consequences not just for Burundian citizens, but for the people of the Great Lakes region writ-large.
This violence is due to two very foreseeable and very preventable events. First, President Nkurunziza’s decision to seek a third term, which the United States has clearly stated is a violation of the Arusha Agreement. Despite warnings from multiple parts of Burundian society and the international community that such a move would lead to violence, Nkurunziza decided to move forward. He rejected, and indeed was extremely dismissive, of the possibility that his moving out in abrogation of the Arusha Agreement would generate protests and would result in violence. He ruled that out – out of hand – and now we are seeing, unfortunately, the consequence of his decisions and of his dismissiveness of these risks. Second, the government’s continued and relentless crackdown against the people’s rights to peacefully protest and freely express their views has itself increased violence. The severe restrictions placed on the media – traditional and social – have only exacerbated these problems.
While the government claims that President Nkurunziza’s third term is constitutional, and the Constitutional Court ruling this week supported that finding, we must underscore the apparent lack of judicial impartiality that led to this decision. The Vice President of Burundi’s Constitutional Court fled to safety in Rwanda this week and refused to succumb to the government’s pressure to validate President Nkurunziza’s third term.
This Vice President said judges, “were subjected to enormous pressure and even death threats,” stating that, “those opposed to a third term - violating the constitution and the Arusha Agreement - were afraid, because they were put under pressure.” “We risk our lives,” he said, “so judges had to get behind the third term and join the camp supporting it.”
We welcome the leadership being shown by the region. The foreign ministers of Rwanda, Tanzania, Kenya and Angola were in Burundi this week to engage all parties to seek a way out the crisis. The heads of state of the East African Community will meet next week in Dar es Salaam, where we hope the crisis in Burundi is front and center – and we have every reason to believe it will be.
We also welcome African Union Chairwoman Dlamini-Zuma’s statement yesterday that Nkurunziza should not seek a third term and that what is most important at this critical time is to ensure a peaceful environment conducive to elections.
The government of Burundi has a window to stop and reverse the outbreak of violence by agreeing to allow for peaceful protests, easing restrictions to media, respecting human rights, and preventing violence by the Imbonerakure and the security forces. To date neither President Nkurunziza nor his government has condemned the violence by the youth militia or called for restraint by the police. We urge them to do so immediately; failure to take these steps will only heighten the scale of violence and increase the risk of this turning into a regional crisis.
With that, I’m happy to take a few questions.
Reporter: Madame Ambassador, thank you. What more can the Council do on this issue, given that Russia has sort of made clear that they think it’s a constitutional issue that the Council shouldn’t get involved in. Did you raise the possibility of threatening sanctions? And, what can you tell us about these reports that the President’s security are distributing weapons throughout the country and training militia? How concerned are you by this and what do you know about it?
Ambassador Power: Okay, let me get all of this. Let me just start with the reports that you mentioned. You might recall that, now, more than six months ago, the security advisor to the prior UN mission in Burundi was expelled from Burundi because of the leak of a report alleging the massive distribution of weapons to the Imbonerakure.
Now, we hear that some of those weapons are being used. We hear of threats by the youth militia toward people who peacefully protest against President Nkurunziza’s decision to pursue a third term. These are extremely alarming reports. There’s no question that there are weapons in the hands of people who are not affiliated with the traditional security establishment—with the armed forces and with the police. And the fact that these reports are increasing, not decreasing; the fact that prior reports appear to be credible; and the fact that the government’s only response to those reports was in effect to shoot the messenger—not literally, thankfully—but to expel the BNUB security advisor and indeed to end the prior mission, which had much more of a monitoring role than the current election-related mission. These are all extremely worrying facts.
In terms of sanctions, let me just say that the United States is very carefully monitoring the situation, and we are prepared to take targeted measures, including visa bans or sanctions, against those who plan or participate in wide-spread violence of the kind that we all fear. The United Nations Security Council has threatened action, and it remains to be seen what action the Council would come together in support of.
I think for all of the disagreement perhaps here or there about the constitution, there is no disagreement about the need for the Council to do everything in its power to prevent the situation from spiraling out of control. I mean, the Council is alarmed. I don’t think there’s been a period, maybe even in the last decade, where the Council has met this many times on Burundi consecutively. So right now, we’re emphasizing support for Said Djinnit, who’s actually trying to bring the parties together and see if there’s a peaceful way out of this crisis, and I think we will get at the “what are the next steps” again if these negotiations cannot bear fruit.
Reporter: Thank you. You have been to Bangui not once, but twice. So I must ask you, in light of these horrific allegations, are you satisfied that both France and the United Nations initiated this investigation quickly enough? Made sure that the soldiers were removed from that mission quickly enough? And that all the steps towards accountability have been taken? And related, does this draw new attention to all the reforms that have been called for in the past, on how to handle sex abuse in peacekeeping?
Ambassador Power: Thank you for the question. It’s an extremely important one. The allegations are completely horrific. You know, the fact that soldiers who are entrusted with the protection of civilians, the protection of young people—if these allegations prove true, again, it is such a profound violation, not only of the dignity and physical security of individuals in their most vulnerable state, but it is a complete abrogation of trust, between those who are alleged to come as protectors and those who violate that trust and take advantage of, again, the most acute vulnerability any of us could imagine experiencing. A vulnerability that comes from being desperate for food. From being desperate for protection.
So we don’t know, again, the full facts of the case at this stage—that is the case of the allegations of sexual abuse—whether those will be borne out. They are certainly very credible and very disturbing allegations. So it is essential that those countries whose soldiers are alleged to have been involved in crimes of this magnitude act aggressively to track down the facts and to punish anybody responsible.
In terms of the UN and the member state’s handling of the issue, I think it is extremely important that an impartial investigation be done also of that, on top of investigating the allegations themselves. When allegations like this are made, and sadly, this is not the first time that peacekeepers have been accused of sexual abuse of civilians who’ve put their faith in the international community. When allegations like these are made, speed is essential, absolutely imperative, because for as long, potentially, as crimes like these are being committed, then individuals are vulnerable to the same individuals who are alleged to be carrying out the crimes.
The safety of those who are brave enough to come forward, notwithstanding having potentially been abused, the safety of those individuals, those witnesses—the confidentiality of their testimony—that’s also essential.
So there are a number of elements to the appropriate handling of cases like this, and we need this impartial investigation of the handling to be carried out swiftly. We need all individuals, both in member states themselves and within the UN organization who were involved in the handling of this, again, grave and grotesque set of allegations, to involve themselves and come forward and make everything that they know available. And, I think the investigation needs to span, again, from start to finish. Because there were a lot of different stages to this.
But we need a system here, number one, where peacekeepers are vetted appropriately before they go into the field. Number two, at the slightest hint that peacekeepers could be carrying out abuses—that needs to be reported up the chain and investigated extremely swiftly. And we, again, like everyone, are concerned about the length of time between the alleged crimes and the time at which the appropriate authorities were made aware, and the lag between the time at which the appropriate authorities took the required action.
Reporter: Follow up on that? One question? Thanks. Appreciate it. One issue that has arisen that may not even need to wait for an investigation is that the Central African Republic says that they were never told of this, and given that these were their citizens, I wonder if you—does the U.S. think that when the UN system becomes aware of charges such as these, that the host country should be told? There’s also this issue, in the UN Dispute Tribunal ruling, that the Under Secretary General of Peacekeeping was reported, and the UN didn’t seem to dispute it, to have said that the whistleblower should resign or be suspended. And I wonder, this seems like a pretty serious charge. What do you think of that? Do you think that that is appropriate? What do you think of the treatment of the whistleblower who brought it to light?
Ambassador Power: I think, on a lot of these issues, we’re all going to be better off if we allow an impartial investigation to take hold. And, I think, you raise a really, really important issue about host country involvement, and we’d want to, again, get the facts on that. Certainly, it is the case that the host country itself, of course, has the sovereign responsibility for the protection of its citizens, and so, looking at what role Central African Republic authorities played or didn’t play has to be part of this.
And then, in terms of the individual who disclosed the allegations, who worked for the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, again, it’s extremely important that any individual who comes into possession of allegations of this gravity acts swiftly. It is also extremely important that victim and witness safety be a very significant, a primary consideration as well. And so again, the impartial investigation will look at the handling and how both the issue of speed and the issue of victim and witness protection—how those issues were handled.
Ambassador Power: I think on a lot of these issues we’re all going to be better off if we allow an impartial investigation to take hold. And I think you raise a really important issue on host country involvement
Looking at what role Central African Republic authorities played or didn’t play has to be part of this.
It’s extremely important that any individual who comes into possession of allegations of this gravity acts swiftly, it is also extremely important that victim ad witness safety be a very significant, a primary consideration, as well.
Reporter: Ambassador, back to Burundi: I wonder if you could talk about the way the international architecture is set up. There’s been a lot of criticism from the Burundians themselves that the international community has been very slow on this issue – the fact that we do have 50,000 refugees and when the international community has been very well aware of what was going to happen. What can you say about how the international community responds to these issues, given what we’ve seen in South Sudan and Syria today?
Ambassador Power: Well, the international community, as represented by the UN Security Council, has actually been quite aggressive in the preventive diplomacy phase. I mean, the fact that just two months ago, or whenever it was, we all traveled all the way to Burundi as a way of sending a message to President Nkurunziza about what the risks were if he went ahead in violation of the letter and the spirit of the Arusha agreement. That’s actually quite unusual. And everybody on the Security Council, just as in the broader international community, is well aware of the history in Burundi, and of course the broader region, and how quickly political disputes can get – can descend into ethnic disputes. And Arusha enshrined a social compact that has allowed Burundi to make tremendous progress. And, you know, for the sake of Burundians who suffered so much and worked so hard to reconcile, and to get to the place they have gotten to, in terms of stability, including relative political stability – for that to be endangered. Sub-regional organizations sent the message that that was imperiled; regional organizations sent that message, including Dlamini-Zuma – not just yesterday, but over the course of recent months – and the Security Council traveled all the way there to send that message. I myself have been to Burundi twice in the last year to send that message. I believe the first Cabinet member to travel to Burundi in a long time, on behalf of President Obama, in order to send that message. So it is clear things are not going well in Burundi; and all of us want to learn if there was more we could have done. But at the end of the day, President Nkurunziza has to put his people first. The international community can’t make him privilege the welfare of his people, privilege the end of violence, over his own personal desire to seek a third term. He has to make that choice. And I think the message from the international community was loud and clear, and it’s a message that he has chosen not to hear. Thank you.
Reporter: (Inaudible, off mic) Syria?
Ambassador Power: I’ll just do that real quick. I’m not going to get ahead of the diplomatic discussions, but you all know that resolution 2118 – best remembered as the resolution that dismantled Syria’s declared chemical weapons program – bans the use of chemical weapons. And you know that resolution 2209 – the chlorine resolution – makes very clear that the use of chlorine as a weapon is chemical weapons use. And we heard in the Arria session devastating reports. I believe you all met as well with the doctors who treated the victims of chlorine attacks. So we believe, and it’s clear that many Council members agree, that we have got to have a means of establishing who was carrying out these chlorine attacks. To us, the Fact Finding Mission’s report was very clear – from the OPCW – it described hundreds of witnesses with the same symptoms. Victims who died without a cut on their bodies, just because they suffocated on this gas; and witnesses who described the smell of chlorine emanating at just the moment a helicopter came and dropped a barrel bomb on a particular building; the victims themselves smelled like chlorine. There are no allegations of how chlorine could be disbursed in the manner the OPCW has described it has been disbursed absent, again, these air attacks. Everybody who has been interviewed has described a correlation between the chlorine-related deaths and the dropping of what appear to be chlorine barrel bombs from helicopters. And, as you know, only the regime has helicopters. So we believe the factual record is quite straightforward and devastating in terms of Syrian regime use. But it is, as a factual matter, true that no one in the international system is mandated to establish attribution for these attacks; and we need to fix that. So we hope that we can make progress on a resolution to ensure that there is a mechanism that will not only establish chlorine use, but establish who carried out that use.
Tuesday, March 31, 2015
PRESIDENT OBAMA'S LETTER ON CONTINUATION OF NATIONAL EMERGENCY WITH RESPECT TO SOUTH SUDAN
FROM: THE WHITE HOUSE
March 31, 2015
Letter -- Continuation of the National Emergency with Respect to South Sudan
Dear Mr. Speaker: (Dear Mr. President:)
Section 202(d) of the National Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. 1622(d)) provides for the automatic termination of a national emergency unless, within 90 days prior to the anniversary date of its declaration, the President publishes in the Federal Register and transmits to the Congress a notice stating that the emergency is to continue in effect beyond the anniversary date. In accordance with this provision, I have sent to the Federal Register for publication the enclosed notice stating that the national emergency declared in Executive Order 13664 of April 3, 2014, with respect to South Sudan is to continue in effect beyond April 3, 2015.
The situation in and in relation to South Sudan, which has been marked by activities that threaten the peace, security, or stability of South Sudan and the surrounding region, including widespread violence and atrocities, human rights abuses, recruitment and use of child soldiers, attacks on peacekeepers, and obstruction of humanitarian operations, continues to pose an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States. For this reason, I have determined that it is necessary to continue the national emergency declared in Executive Order 13664 with respect to South Sudan.
Sincerely,
BARACK OBAMA
March 31, 2015
Letter -- Continuation of the National Emergency with Respect to South Sudan
Dear Mr. Speaker: (Dear Mr. President:)
Section 202(d) of the National Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. 1622(d)) provides for the automatic termination of a national emergency unless, within 90 days prior to the anniversary date of its declaration, the President publishes in the Federal Register and transmits to the Congress a notice stating that the emergency is to continue in effect beyond the anniversary date. In accordance with this provision, I have sent to the Federal Register for publication the enclosed notice stating that the national emergency declared in Executive Order 13664 of April 3, 2014, with respect to South Sudan is to continue in effect beyond April 3, 2015.
The situation in and in relation to South Sudan, which has been marked by activities that threaten the peace, security, or stability of South Sudan and the surrounding region, including widespread violence and atrocities, human rights abuses, recruitment and use of child soldiers, attacks on peacekeepers, and obstruction of humanitarian operations, continues to pose an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States. For this reason, I have determined that it is necessary to continue the national emergency declared in Executive Order 13664 with respect to South Sudan.
Sincerely,
BARACK OBAMA
Tuesday, October 28, 2014
AG HOLDER'S REMARKS AT INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF CHIEFS OF POLICE CONFERENCE
FROM: U.S. JUSTICE DEPARTMENT
Remarks by Attorney General Holder at the International Association of Chiefs of Police Annual Conference
Orlando, FLUnited States ~ Monday, October 27, 2014
Remarks as Prepared for Delivery
Thank you, Chief [Yost] Zakhary, for that introduction; for your leadership as President of the International Association of Chiefs of Police; and for your dedicated service to the people of Woodway, Texas – as Police Chief, as City Manager, and as Public Safety Director – for over three decades.
It’s a pleasure to join you here in Orlando today. And it’s a tremendous privilege, as always, to stand with so many distinguished law enforcement leaders. I’d like to thank the IACP’s Board of Directors – and every one of your members – for inviting me to take part, once again, in this important annual conference, as we confront a range of evolving challenges and reaffirm our shared commitment to honoring all who wear the badge.
Over the course of my career in public service – and especially during my tenure as Attorney General – I have been fortunate to work closely with many of the leaders in this room, and with your colleagues across the country, to address urgent and emerging threats; to improve our collective ability to protect the communities we serve; to secure the resources we need to keep our officers safe; and to ensure that America’s criminal justice system is as fair – and as effective – as possible.
It has been among the greatest honors of my career to count you as colleagues, as partners, and as friends in advancing this important work. For over 120 years, the IACP and its members have stood on the front lines of America’s struggle against crime, violence, and victimization. You have been keepers of a sacred public trust, and stewards of a proud tradition of service, that predates our Republic. And especially in recent years – in the face of sequestration, government shutdown, and other unprecedented difficulties – you have repeatedly proven the power of cooperation and collaboration across jurisdictions and even international borders, speaking out for the physical and mental health of those brave few who wear the badge – and risk their lives – to keep their communities safe.
We gather today at an auspicious moment. Thanks to your leadership – and the extraordinary valor of every one of our officers on the street – the past two decades have been defined by dramatic reductions in criminal activity. As you know, the rate of violent crime that was reported to the FBI in 2012 was about half the rate reported in 1993. It has declined by more than 11 percent just since President Obama took office. And the rate of incarceration has gone down by more than 8 percent over the same brief period – the very first time these two critical markers have declined together in more than 40 years.
This signal achievement owes a great deal to the courage, and the profound sacrifices, of our men and women in law enforcement – each of whom shoulders tremendous burdens, at great personal risk, in order that others might live safe and free. As we come together here in Orlando, we must bear in mind just how challenging – and how often thankless – their vital work can be. We have a great deal of work to do when it comes to increasing support for law enforcement officials and their families; forging close bonds of trust between our officers and the communities they serve; and overcoming the mistrust and misunderstanding that some people bring to interactions with the police – and that some officers may bring to interactions with certain communities.
But as we open a new chapter in this important conversation, we must never lose sight of the immense and unyielding difficulties that are inherent in the law enforcement profession – from the dangers these brave men and women face every time they put on their uniforms, to the split-second decisions they often must make, to the anguish of family members who awaken at night to the sound of a ringing telephone –hoping for the best, but fearing tragic news about a loved one out patrolling the streets.
As our nation’s Attorney General, I have always been proud – and steadfast – in my support for law enforcement personnel and their families, who make tremendous and often unheralded sacrifices every single day to keep us safe. These sacrifices are too often overlooked. And I believe we do ourselves, our communities, and our nation a grave disservice if we ignore these difficulties – just as we do ourselves a disservice if we dismiss, or fail to address, the conditions and lingering tensions that exist just beneath the surface in so many places across the country – and that were brought to the surface, and raised to the urgent attention of this group and others, by this summer’s events in Ferguson, Missouri.
As law enforcement leaders, it is incumbent upon each of us to take constructive, inclusive steps to rebuild trust and instill respect for the rule of law in all of the communities where these tensions are uncovered. This is something that our new Acting Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division, Vanita Gupta – who’s here with us today – understands well. She recognizes, as we all do, that this is best accomplished through a collaborative process with law enforcement, with the proactive leadership of OJP and the COPS Office, under Karol Mason and Ron Davis. We are all committed to standing with you in the effort to build trust. And fortunately, thanks to robust partnerships that bind the Department of Justice to the IACP – and the innovative work of so many of the chiefs who are here in Orlando today – together, we are making great strides to do just that.
As a result of the leadership that so many local police are providing – and the Justice Department-led reform efforts that are underway in St. Louis County and elsewhere – we are making this effort a focused, national priority. The Justice Department has launched a substantial new program – known as the National Initiative for Building Community Trust and Justice – to enhance procedural justice, to reduce implicit bias, and to support racial reconciliation. Through this and other programs – as in our regular interactions with exemplary law enforcement executives like you – my colleagues and I are doing important work to see that tensions are addressed, rather than swept under the rug; to build dialogue and bridge longstanding divides; and to ensure fair treatment for everyone who comes into contact with police – while enhancing citizen compliance with law enforcement authorities.
At its core, this is about far more than addressing the issues highlighted by the intense public response to events in Ferguson. It’s about practicing sound and effective law enforcement. That’s why, under the leadership of our COPS Office, the Justice Department is working with the IACP and others to conduct a broad review of policing tactics, techniques, and training –so we can help the field swiftly confront emerging threats, better address persistent challenges, and thoroughly examine the latest tools and technologies to enhance the safety, and the effectiveness, of law enforcement.
Going forward, I will support not only continuing this targeted review, but expanding it – to consider the profession in a comprehensive way – and to provide strong, national direction on a scale not seen since President Lyndon Johnson’s Commission on Law Enforcement nearly half a century ago.
After all, we’ve come to understand over the years that – when people have faith in the integrity of the process – they are more likely to cooperate with local authorities and obey the law, even if they disagree with particular outcomes. And that’s why our COPS Office has invested more than $14 billion to keep our streets and communities safer through community policing – funding over 126,000 officers; awarding approximately 39,000 grants to state, local, tribal, and territorial law enforcement agencies; and training more than 700,000 law enforcement personnel, community members, and government leaders.
In September, I announced a new round of investments in this work – in the form of nearly $124 million in grants under the COPS Hiring Program. This important funding will support the hiring and retention of 944 officers at 215 agencies and municipalities around the country. And the impact of these grants will extend far beyond the creation and preservation of law enforcement jobs – helping to strengthen relationships between these officers and the communities they serve, to improve public safety, and to keep more officers on the streets.
This has the potential to make a profound, positive difference in the lives of millions of people. But it’s only the beginning.
Through our highly successful Byrne Justice Assistance Grants – or Byrne-JAG – the Bureau of Justice Assistance, a part of our Office of Justice Programs, has awarded nearly $290 million in funding to 56 states and territories, and more than 1,000 local jurisdictions, during the last fiscal year alone. These resources are helping to spur innovation and drive evidence-based policing in countless communities. And thanks to initiatives like VALOR, which has trained more than 15,000 officers at over 110 training events – and ALERRT, our active shooter response training partner through VALOR, which has trained over 50,000 officers – we’re making good on our commitment not only to ensure success, but to promote safety, among law enforcement professionals throughout America.
By helping to prevent violence, to improve officer resilience, and to increase survivability during violent encounters – including ambushes and active shooter situations – the Justice Department is empowering our local, state, and tribal partners. And under our Bulletproof Vest Partnership Program, we’re also helping to provide access to the lifesaving equipment that they need to stay safe.
Since we launched this important program in 1999, the Department has awarded more than $390 million toward the purchase of over 1.1 million bulletproof vests. In 2013 and 2014 alone, protective vests saved the lives of at least 31 law enforcement and corrections officers. And three of their vests were purchased, in part, with BVP funds.
Beyond these efforts, the Justice Department is striving to expand access to the tools our law enforcement officials need to counter a wide range of evolving public safety threats, from human trafficking to opioid addiction. I’m pleased that a new e-Guide – available from our Office for Victims of Crime – gives law enforcement and victim service providers the information and insights they need to respond effectively to crimes involving forced sex and labor. This updated resource will help strengthen anti-human trafficking task forces now in operation across the country.
And as we face down the growing threat posed by addiction to heroin and other opioids – including prescription painkillers – I’m proud to announce that the Justice Department is rolling out a new online toolkit to help law enforcement professionals respond to drug overdose emergencies both safely and effectively.
Because local police officers are often the first to arrive on the scenes of these overdoses, it is absolutely critical that we equip them to respond appropriately. As you know, naloxone – also known as Narcan – is a fast-acting drug that’s extremely effective at restoring breathing to a victim in the midst of a heroin or other opioid overdose. In recent months, I have begun urging local law enforcement authorities to equip their officers with naloxone. I’ve directed federal law enforcement agencies under the authority of the Justice Department to review their policies to determine whether their personnel should also be equipped with this potentially-lifesaving remedy – just as ATF Special Response Team medics have been for some time now. And in the course of my regular interactions with leaders like you, I’ve heard a number of requests to offer new information and assistance to public safety professionals who carry this drug.
In response, we’ve assembled new online toolkit, comprising over 80 resources from 30 contributing law enforcement and public health agencies. This naloxone toolkit is available today on the Bureau of Justice Assistance’s website. And I encourage you all to take full advantage of the information it provides.
Coupled with the targeted reforms we’ve made under the “Smart on Crime” initiative I announced last year, I am confident that these efforts will save and improve lives while conserving precious resources. As you know as well as anyone, we must never – and we will never – stop being vigilant against crime, or the conditions and choices that breed it. But investing in effective prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation; ensuring that incarceration is used appropriately – and reserving the toughest penalties for serious, violent, or high-level traffickers – can only serve to strengthen our criminal justice system as a whole.
Now, I know there are some who have suggested that recent changes in charging and sentencing policies might somehow undermine our ability – at the federal level – to induce cooperation from defendants in certain cases. But – as I know from experience, and as so many of the seasoned law enforcement leaders in this room surely recognize – the reality is that these concerns are overstated.
Defendant cooperation depends on the certainty of swift and fair punishment, not on the length of a mandatory minimum sentence. Like anyone old enough to remember the era before sentencing guidelines existed and mandatory minimums took effect, I can testify to the fact that federal guidelines attempted to systematize the kinds of negotiations that were naturally taking place anyway. Far from impeding the work of federal prosecutors, the sentencing reforms I’ve mandated have strengthened their discretion. And the belief that cooperation is wholly dependent on mandatory minimums does not align with objective facts.
Going forward – with these important, commonsense changes; with the resources and support the Justice Department is providing; and with the strong leadership of the IACP and each of its members – I am confident that we will continue to see crime and violence decrease in all of the jurisdictions represented here. We will continue to ensure that America’s finest can protect themselves, and secure their communities, as effectively as possible. And – with dedication and persistence, in partnership with one another, and thanks to the bravery of our men and women on the front lines – we will continue to make the progress that our citizens both need and deserve.
In the weeks ahead – wherever my individual path may take me – I want you to know that my commitment to this work, and my abiding respect and admiration for you and your colleagues, will never waver. I am proud of all that we have accomplished together over the last six years. I look forward to everything we will achieve in the critical days to come. And I thank you all, once again, for your tireless work, for your friendship – and for your ongoing service to the nation we love so dearly.
Tuesday, June 24, 2014
DEFENSE SECRETARY HAGEL RECEIVES UPDATES FROM ISRAELI DEFENSE MINISTER YAALON
FROM: U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT
Israeli Defense Minister Updates Hagel on Recent Developments
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, June 24, 2014 – Israeli Defense Minister Moshe “Boogie” Yaalon yesterday updated Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel on recent developments, including the kidnapping of Israeli teenagers in the West Bank and a June 22 cross-border incident that killed an Israeli teenager and wounded two other Israelis, Pentagon Press Secretary Navy Rear Adm. John Kirby said.
In a statement summarizing the phone call between the two defense leaders, Kirby said Hagel offered his sympathies for those affected by the violence in the Golan Heights, pledged continued U.S. support, and expressed his shared concern over the violence in Syria and Iraq.
The secretary also updated Yaalon on U.S. views on the events unfolding in the Middle East, the press secretary added.
“The two leaders agreed to continue working closely with one another on the broad range of security issues facing the United States and Israel,” Kirby said.
Monday, June 16, 2014
A.G. HOLDER SPEAKS AT FOCUS HOPE EVENT
FROM: U.S. JUSTICE DEPARTMENT
Attorney General Holder Delivers Remarks at the Focus: Hope “Heroes for Hope” Event
~ Friday, June 13, 2014
Thank you, William Foley [Jones], for those kind words – and for your outstanding leadership as CEO of Focus: HOPE. It’s a pleasure to be back in the great city of Detroit this evening. It’s a privilege to stand among so many dedicated activists, distinguished leaders, and good friends. I am particularly honored to share the stage tonight with my friend Senator [Carl] Levin – who has been a lifelong champion for his beloved state and for at-risk Americans across the country. And I am humbled to join him in accepting the very first ever Heroes for Hope Awards. Thank you all for this tremendous honor.
As I’ve said in the past, I firmly believe that the measure of any award is found not in the qualifications of the person to whom it’s presented, but in the legacy that it honors. That’s why I could not be prouder to accept an award bearing the name of the extraordinary Eleanor Josaitis – a trailblazer who fought for social justice her entire life; a tireless worker whose enduring contributions are all around us; and a principled leader whose example will continue to guide and inspire us long into the future.
In the wake of the 12th Street Riot of 1967, at a time of distressed neighborhoods and uncertain futures, Eleanor Josaitis and Father William Cunningham came together to found this remarkable organization – taking on the burden and the challenge of building a more just society for their fellow citizens. In the midst of turmoil and unrest – in the shadow of violence and tragedy – they began the difficult and at times dangerous work of realizing their shared vision: for a metropolitan community where all people may live in freedom, harmony, trust and affection.
More than 45 years later – through her leadership and your commitment – an organization that used to meet in the basement of the Catholic Church of Madonna now stretches over a 40-acre campus along Oakman Boulevard. The groundbreaking work you perform across this city touches, improves, and in some cases even saves lives. And these innovative efforts have made Focus: HOPE not only known, but celebrated, nationwide.
Through the Commodity Supplemental Food Program, you help sustain mothers, children, and low-income senior citizens who might otherwise struggle to survive. Through your career training programs, you empower students, at-risk young people, and chronically unemployed or formerly incarcerated individuals to get the skills they need to compete in a tough job market. And through the HOPE Village Initiative, you are helping to bring back parts of Detroit that have been too long forgotten and neglected – fostering supportive and nurturing environments in which people can live, work, and raise their families.
Across the board, these efforts are making a tremendous difference. They’re inspiring others – including me and my colleagues in the Obama Administration – to support similar work throughout the nation. And – critically – they are only the beginning.
For all the progress you’ve made possible, and the remarkable initiatives you’re leading even as we speak, a great deal remains to be done. You know as well as anyone that what’s at stake is real – not just here in Detroit, but across America. In far too many communities – many of which are communities of color – young people too easily become trapped in destructive cycles of poverty, incarceration, and crime. In far too many of these neighborhoods, our children walk a well-worn path from the schoolhouse to the criminal justice system. And in far too many places – in every state in the Union – men and women and children who work hard and desperately want to succeed are held back by longstanding obstacles and systemic disparities that our nation is oftentimes reluctant to confront.
In many cases, these disparities are subtle. They do not announce themselves in screaming headlines. But their effects are both pernicious and pervasive. They include zero-tolerance school discipline practices that, while well-intentioned and aimed at promoting school safety, affect black males at a rate three times higher than their white peers. They include sentencing policies that, according to a study released by the U.S. Sentencing Commission last year, routinely cause African-American men to receive sentences nearly 20 percent longer than those imposed on white males convicted of similar crimes. And they include overly restrictive state voting policies and requirements that disproportionately affect young people, the elderly, the poor, and men and women of color – constraining their ability to exercise the right to vote that so many of our forebears have fought, sacrificed, and in some cases given their lives to secure.
We cannot wish these inequities away. And we must not – and will not – turn a blind eye to their effects. On the contrary: we must acknowledge and confront each and every one of them. We must speak openly and candidly about the challenges we face. And we must take what Eleanor Josaitis liked to call “intelligent and practical action” to bring them to an end.
This is the imperative that has shaped Focus: HOPE’s work, here in Detroit, for over four and a half decades. And it’s the same ethos, and the same dedication to pragmatic, common-sense solutions, that is guiding the Justice Department’s work to confront the very same conditions at the national level – challenging us to reach farther; impelling us to question the status quo; and driving us to stand up – and to fight, alongside leaders like you and organizations like this one – to ensure that every one of our citizens has an equal opportunity to grow, to learn, and to thrive – as well as a voice and a vote to shape his or her own future.
As you know, in the wake of last year’s misguided Supreme Court decision invalidating a key part of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, the Justice Department was denied an essential tool for combating discriminatory voting rules, regulations, and procedures that discourage and disenfranchise. Yet we remain steadfast in our commitment to ensuring access to the ballot box for all eligible citizens. The Department is currently challenging voting restrictions in North Carolina and Texas. And I am personally committed to working with Congressional leaders from both parties, like Senator Levin, to refine, and to strengthen, new voting rights legislation that’s being debated on Capitol Hill.
I want to be very clear: this Administration – and this Department of Justice – will not stand by as the voices of those disproportionately affected by misguided voting restrictions are shut out of the process of self-governance. After all, this isn’t just about challenging measures that would deprive certain populations of their most basic rights. It’s about building a society that works for everyone.
At its core, this is the aim that drove me, at the beginning of last year, to launch a targeted Justice Department review of America’s criminal justice system. Last August, based on the results of that review, I launched a new “Smart on Crime” initiative that’s allowing us to take concrete steps to strengthen the criminal justice system as a whole; to address unwanted disparities wherever they are found; and to forge the more just society that everyone in this country deserves.
In partnership with your outstanding United States Attorney, Barb McQuade, we started by modifying the Department’s charging policies with regard to mandatory minimum sentences for drug-related crimes – so that individuals charged with certain low-level, nonviolent federal drug offenses will face sentences that are appropriate to their individual conduct, rather than excessive mandatory minimums that too often have destabilizing effects on communities of color. We’re working with Congress to secure legislative changes like the bipartisan Smarter Sentencing Act, which would provide additional discretion in determining sentences that fit individual cases. We’re calling on the U.S. Sentencing Commission to make recent reductions in sentencing guidelines retroactive for some individuals – so that those without significant criminal histories, who are serving time for nonviolent offenses that did not involve weapons, could be eligible to apply for reduced sentences under new rules approved by the Commission in April.
We’re also strengthening diversion programs like drug courts, veterans courts, and community service initiatives – so we can provide alternatives to incarceration for some people and offer treatment and rehabilitation to those who need it. We’re working to restore justice, fairness, and proportionality to those currently involved with our justice system through an improved approach to the executive clemency process. And we’re striving to reinforce reentry programs and initiatives from coast to coast – so we can enable formerly incarcerated individuals to return to their communities better prepared to contribute as full and productive members of society.
Beyond these efforts, my colleagues and I are also taking action – alongside other Cabinet agencies, private stakeholders, and advocacy groups – to answer President Obama’s call to ensure that every child has the opportunity to succeed. We are committed to working with partners like you in cities across America to make sure our children’s futures are determined by their dedication, goals, and potential – not by the circumstances of their birth.
In February, the President took this commitment to a new level by launching a national call to action – known as “My Brother’s Keeper” – that’s bringing together government and private groups to address persistent opportunity gaps that create impassable obstacles for too many of our youth. This Administration-wide initiative represents the latest step in our work to keep young people on the right track; to knock down the barriers they face; and to give them chances to succeed.
Especially this weekend, as we pause to celebrate Father’s Day, we must all be mindful of the responsibility we share to set good examples for our kids – and to inspire, empower, and do right by them. And we must not forget – as you have not forgotten – the unfortunate reality that, for far too many children, the involvement of a loving and attentive parent is not something they can count on.
In too many places, mentors and strong, positive role models are in short supply. And that’s one of many reasons why – tonight – I’m calling on all Americans to get involved in My Brother’s Keeper – by signing a pledge at “whitehouse.gov/mybrotherskeeper” to become long-term mentors to young people.
This effort will engage Americans from all walks of life to develop sustained mentoring relationships that can play vital roles in the lives of kids of all backgrounds. Mentoring changes lives – and not just for our young people. During my tenure as United States Attorney for the District of Columbia – in the mid-1990s – my staff and I “adopted” an elementary school in a low-income, predominantly African-American part of Washington. We found an extraordinary and rewarding sense of purpose in the relationships we developed. And I was thrilled to become invested in these students’ futures.
This was at a time when Washington, D.C. was a city in crisis. Some called it the “murder capital” of the United States. But the challenges we faced were not new – and they are not unique. Over the years, through efforts – including mentoring – to support and invest in those who will shape our future; through extensive community engagement; through federal-local partnerships like the ones we’re seeing here in Detroit; and through the efforts of citizens on the ground and groups like Focus: HOPE – on the streets of Washington, we were able to turn back the tide of violence. And this enabled our citizens to build a vibrant city that’s equipped to overcome whatever challenges it may face – just as you’re doing in the Motor City as we speak.
Thanks to your leadership, Detroit is once again a city on the rise. There are significant obstacles ahead – and crises that still must be confronted. This city’s inevitable renaissance will take time. But thanks to Focus: HOPE and other groups, I know you’re on the right track. During my most recent visit to Detroit, last September, I announced millions of dollars in federal support to improve public safety and address acute crime problems. I’m proud to serve as an ally in the work that’s underway. I’m honored to represent an Administration that’s committed to your success. And I’m confident that, together, we can ensure that – when the history of this period is written – it will reflect that a new era of positive change began with the people in this room.
Eleanor Josaitis used to say that the success of this organization was based on three things: passion, persistence, and partnerships. Today, Focus: HOPE’s passion is helping to improve the lives of thousands of people across this city. Today, your persistence has transformed what was once a small band of committed activists into a nationally-recognized force for change. And today – in this Department of Justice and in this Attorney General – Focus: HOPE has strong and steadfast partners in Washington and throughout the country – who are inspired by your successes, who are dedicated to the same goals, and who are determined to take “intelligent and practical action” to help make the difference we seek. We are with you, Detroit.
Ultimately, as your history reminds us, these efforts will be successful only if we take responsibility not just for ourselves, but for our families, our neighbors, our friends, and our fellow citizens. Among them are the future “heroes for hope” that this city, this state, and this country desperately need.
We reaffirm tonight that we share their passion. We share your persistence. And we will never stop fighting for the safety, the rights, and the opportunities to which our young men and women are entitled. We will never stop reaching for the better, brighter, and more inclusive future that we all must shape together. And we will never stop working to achieve the community of freedom, harmony, trust, and affection that Eleanor Josaitis spoke of, that she fought for – and that each of us must help to create.
Thank you, once again, for this tremendous honor. Thank you for your friendship. And thank you for all that you do every day. I am honored to count you as colleagues in the considerable work before us. And I look forward to all that we can, that we must, and that we will accomplish together in the months and years ahead.
Saturday, April 5, 2014
SECRETARY KERRY'S STATEMENT ON ELECTIONS IN AFGHANISTAN
FROM: U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT
Afghanistan Elections
John Kerry
Secretary of State
Secretary of State
Washington, DC
April 5, 2014
Millions of Afghan men and women took to the polls today with courage and commitment. This is their moment. The Afghan people secured this election. They ran this election, and most importantly, they voted in this election.
Today’s vote demonstrates how committed the Afghan people are to protecting and advancing their democracy. The fierce determination of the millions of voters undeterred by violence and threats of violence has been remarkable.
Now, we need to give the Afghan electoral bodies the time they need to do their work in processing the outcome of these elections.
The United States remains ready to work with the next president of Afghanistan. We will continue to stand with the people of Afghanistan as they work to build a democratic future.
Today’s vote demonstrates how committed the Afghan people are to protecting and advancing their democracy. The fierce determination of the millions of voters undeterred by violence and threats of violence has been remarkable.
Now, we need to give the Afghan electoral bodies the time they need to do their work in processing the outcome of these elections.
The United States remains ready to work with the next president of Afghanistan. We will continue to stand with the people of Afghanistan as they work to build a democratic future.
Saturday, March 1, 2014
SECRETARY OF STATE KERRY'S STATEMENT ON VIOLENCE IN THAILAND
FROM: U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT
Violence in Thailand
John Kerry
Secretary of State
Secretary of State
Washington, DC
February 28, 2014
We are deeply concerned by the ongoing politically-motivated violence in Thailand. As allies and close friends of the Thai people, we are profoundly saddened by the deaths and injuries that have shaken the country. As a father and grandfather, the death of several innocent children is particularly horrifying, and must at last be a wake-up call to all sides to refrain from violence, exercise restraint, and respect the rule of law.
I call upon Thai authorities to investigate these attacks swiftly and bring those responsible to justice. Violence is not an acceptable means of resolving political differences. We are also concerned by the employment of other tactics that undermine Thailand’s democratic values and processes, inhibit compromise, and further exacerbate political tensions.
The United States of America does not take sides in Thai politics. Ultimately, it is up to the people of Thailand to decide how they will resolve their differences. All sides should commit to dialogue in the spirit of seeking common ground to address differences and find a peaceful, democratic way forward.
I call upon Thai authorities to investigate these attacks swiftly and bring those responsible to justice. Violence is not an acceptable means of resolving political differences. We are also concerned by the employment of other tactics that undermine Thailand’s democratic values and processes, inhibit compromise, and further exacerbate political tensions.
The United States of America does not take sides in Thai politics. Ultimately, it is up to the people of Thailand to decide how they will resolve their differences. All sides should commit to dialogue in the spirit of seeking common ground to address differences and find a peaceful, democratic way forward.
Monday, December 30, 2013
NSC SPOKESPERSON HAYDEN ISSUE'S STATEMENT ON TALKS IN NORTHERN IRELAND
FROM: U.S. WHITE HOUSE
December 29, 2013
Statement by NSC Spokesperson Caitlin Hayden on the All-Party Talks in Northern Ireland
Talks led by independent chair Richard Haass with the five parties of the Northern Ireland Executive have reached a critical juncture. The goal has been and remains to reach agreement before the end of the year on new arrangements for parading, flags, and contending with the legacy of past violence.
Initiating these talks demonstrated the commitment of the parties and people of Northern Ireland to move forward on tough issues. We are confident that a solution can be reached if there is political will on all sides.
We call upon the leadership of the five parties to make the compromises necessary to conclude an agreement now, one that would help heal the divisions that continue to stand between the people of Northern Ireland and the future they deserve.
December 29, 2013
Statement by NSC Spokesperson Caitlin Hayden on the All-Party Talks in Northern Ireland
Talks led by independent chair Richard Haass with the five parties of the Northern Ireland Executive have reached a critical juncture. The goal has been and remains to reach agreement before the end of the year on new arrangements for parading, flags, and contending with the legacy of past violence.
Initiating these talks demonstrated the commitment of the parties and people of Northern Ireland to move forward on tough issues. We are confident that a solution can be reached if there is political will on all sides.
We call upon the leadership of the five parties to make the compromises necessary to conclude an agreement now, one that would help heal the divisions that continue to stand between the people of Northern Ireland and the future they deserve.
Saturday, December 21, 2013
VIOLENCE IN SOUTH SUDAN: SECRETARY OF STATE KERRY'S REMARKS
FROM: U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT
Violence in South Sudan
Press Statement
John Kerry
Secretary of State
Washington, DC
December 20, 2013
The international community is laser-focused on the deeply alarming violence in South Sudan. We are all determined to continue standing for the aspirations of a people who have endured far too many years of conflict and sacrificed far too much to allow their young country to plunge back into turmoil. With the world watching and South Sudan’s people yearning for a country marked by peace and prosperity not conflict and division, peace is the only option.
Last night, I called South Sudanese President Kiir and urged him, as president of all of South Sudan, to protect all South Sudanese citizens and work toward reconciliation. We recalled the difficult decisions that led to the remarkable moment when so many stood in long lines for a referendum to give birth to South Sudan, knowing all too well that the toughest decisions were still to come. Now is the time for leadership that makes those decisions through dialogue.
Now is the time for South Sudan’s leaders to rein in armed groups under their control, immediately cease attacks on civilians, and end the chain of retributive violence between different ethnic and political groups. The violence must stop, the dialogue must intensify.
To help facilitate this process, we have asked our U.S. Special Envoy for Sudan and South Sudan, Ambassador Donald Booth, to travel to the region and support regional efforts already underway. He will be departing today.
The United States strongly condemns yesterday’s attacks on the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) base in Akobo County in Jonglei State, South Sudan. We offer our condolences to the UN and victims of this attack. We call on all parties to respect UNMISS, to refrain from any attacks on its personnel, and to help facilitate its mission to protect civilians who have sought shelter from the turmoil secure the delivery of humanitarian assistance to all those in need.
The United States and other partners are committed to the realization of South Sudan’s full political, social, and economic potential, but make no mistake: these cooperative efforts will be undermined if political disputes drag the country back into senseless conflict and strife. Moreover, any armed attack on the capital will be seen as an attempt to achieve an unlawful usurpation of power, which would be universally condemned. Those who seek to take or hold power by violence or division of South Sudanese along ethnic lines will not have our support. Violence today will not pave the way for a more stable or prosperous tomorrow.
Violence in South Sudan
Press Statement
John Kerry
Secretary of State
Washington, DC
December 20, 2013
The international community is laser-focused on the deeply alarming violence in South Sudan. We are all determined to continue standing for the aspirations of a people who have endured far too many years of conflict and sacrificed far too much to allow their young country to plunge back into turmoil. With the world watching and South Sudan’s people yearning for a country marked by peace and prosperity not conflict and division, peace is the only option.
Last night, I called South Sudanese President Kiir and urged him, as president of all of South Sudan, to protect all South Sudanese citizens and work toward reconciliation. We recalled the difficult decisions that led to the remarkable moment when so many stood in long lines for a referendum to give birth to South Sudan, knowing all too well that the toughest decisions were still to come. Now is the time for leadership that makes those decisions through dialogue.
Now is the time for South Sudan’s leaders to rein in armed groups under their control, immediately cease attacks on civilians, and end the chain of retributive violence between different ethnic and political groups. The violence must stop, the dialogue must intensify.
To help facilitate this process, we have asked our U.S. Special Envoy for Sudan and South Sudan, Ambassador Donald Booth, to travel to the region and support regional efforts already underway. He will be departing today.
The United States strongly condemns yesterday’s attacks on the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) base in Akobo County in Jonglei State, South Sudan. We offer our condolences to the UN and victims of this attack. We call on all parties to respect UNMISS, to refrain from any attacks on its personnel, and to help facilitate its mission to protect civilians who have sought shelter from the turmoil secure the delivery of humanitarian assistance to all those in need.
The United States and other partners are committed to the realization of South Sudan’s full political, social, and economic potential, but make no mistake: these cooperative efforts will be undermined if political disputes drag the country back into senseless conflict and strife. Moreover, any armed attack on the capital will be seen as an attempt to achieve an unlawful usurpation of power, which would be universally condemned. Those who seek to take or hold power by violence or division of South Sudanese along ethnic lines will not have our support. Violence today will not pave the way for a more stable or prosperous tomorrow.
Saturday, November 16, 2013
SECRETARY OF STATE KERRY EXPRESSES CONCERN OVER RECENT CLASHES AND DEATHS IN TRIPOLI, LIBYA
FROM: U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT
Violence in Tripoli, Libya
Press Statement
John Kerry
Secretary of State
Washington, DC
November 16, 2013
We are deeply concerned by the death and injury of many Libyans in recent clashes in Tripoli. We condemn the use of violence in all its forms and urge all sides to exercise restraint and restore calm.
Libyans did not risk their lives in their 2011 revolution for this violence to continue. Libyans fought their revolution to establish a democratic system in which the voices of the Libyan people could be heard through peaceful means, which all Libyan people have a right to do.
If a free people are going to succeed in forging a peaceful, secure, and prosperous country with a government based on the rule of law and respect for human rights, then there can be no place for this kind of violence in the new Libya.
We encourage all Libyans to break the cycle of violence through respectful dialogue and reconciliation.
The United States will continue to work with the Libyan authorities to build its capacity to deliver security and good governance to its people.
We recognize that the Libyan authorities and Libyan people are facing significant challenges in their democratic transition, but too much blood has been spilled and too many lives sacrificed to go backwards. The United States will continue to support the Libyan people in this difficult time.
Violence in Tripoli, Libya
Press Statement
John Kerry
Secretary of State
Washington, DC
November 16, 2013
We are deeply concerned by the death and injury of many Libyans in recent clashes in Tripoli. We condemn the use of violence in all its forms and urge all sides to exercise restraint and restore calm.
Libyans did not risk their lives in their 2011 revolution for this violence to continue. Libyans fought their revolution to establish a democratic system in which the voices of the Libyan people could be heard through peaceful means, which all Libyan people have a right to do.
If a free people are going to succeed in forging a peaceful, secure, and prosperous country with a government based on the rule of law and respect for human rights, then there can be no place for this kind of violence in the new Libya.
We encourage all Libyans to break the cycle of violence through respectful dialogue and reconciliation.
The United States will continue to work with the Libyan authorities to build its capacity to deliver security and good governance to its people.
We recognize that the Libyan authorities and Libyan people are facing significant challenges in their democratic transition, but too much blood has been spilled and too many lives sacrificed to go backwards. The United States will continue to support the Libyan people in this difficult time.
Saturday, August 17, 2013
SECRETARY KERRY'S REMARKS ON VIOLENCE AND BLOODSHED IN EGYPT
FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Remarks by Secretary of State John Kerry on Egypt
Remarks
John Kerry
Secretary of State
Press Briefing Room
Washington, DC
August 14, 2013
Sorry to keep you waiting, folks. I’ll make a statement and then Jen Psaki will stay and take questions and brief everybody.
The United States strongly condemns today’s violence and bloodshed across Egypt. It’s a serious blow to reconciliation and the Egyptian’s people’s hopes for a transition towards democracy and inclusion. In the past week, at every occasion, perhaps even more than the past week, we and others have urged the government to respect the rights of free assembly and of free expression, and we have also urged all parties to resolve this impasse peacefully and underscored that demonstrators should avoid violence and incitement.
Today’s events are deplorable and they run counter to Egyptian aspirations for peace, inclusion, and genuine democracy. Egyptians inside and outside of the government need to take a step back. They need to calm the situation and avoid further loss of life. We also strongly oppose a return to a state of emergency law and we call on the government to respect basic human rights including freedom of peaceful assembly and due process under the law. And we believe that the state of emergency should end as soon as possible.
Violence is simply not a solution in Egypt or anywhere else. Violence will not create a roadmap for Egypt’s future. Violence only impedes the transition to an inclusive civilian government, a government chosen in free and fair elections that governs democratically, consistent with the goals of the Egyptian revolution. And violence and continued political polarization will only further tear the Egyptian economy apart and prevent it from growing and providing the jobs and the future that the people of Egypt want so badly.
The United States strongly supports the Egyptian people’s hope for a prompt and sustainable transition to an inclusive, tolerant, civilian-led democracy. Deputy Secretary of State Burns, together with our EU colleagues, provided constructive ideas and left them on the table during our talks in Cairo last week. From my many phone calls with many Egyptians, I believe they know full well what a constructive process would look like. The interim government and the military, which together possess the preponderance of power in this confrontation, have a unique responsibility to prevent further violence and to offer constructive options for an inclusive, peaceful process across the entire political spectrum. This includes amending the constitution, holding parliamentary and presidential elections, which the interim government itself has called for.
All of the other parties – all of the opposition, all of civil society, all parties – also share a responsibility to avoid violence and to participate in a productive path towards a political solution. There will not be a solution through further polarization. There can only be a political solution by bringing people together with a political solution.
So this is a pivotal moment for all Egyptians. The path towards violence leads only to greater instability, economic disaster, and suffering. The only sustainable path for either side is one towards a political solution. I am convinced from my conversations today with a number of foreign ministers, including the Foreign Minister of Egypt, I am convinced that that path is, in fact, still open and it is possible, though it has been made much, much harder, much more complicated, by the events of today.
The promise of the 2011 revolution has simply never been fully realized, and the final outcome of that revolution is not yet decided. It will be shaped in the hours ahead, in the days ahead. It will be shaped by the decisions which all of Egypt’s political leaders make now and in these days ahead. The world is closely watching Egypt and is deeply concerned about the events that we have witnessed today. The United States remains at the ready to work with all of the parties and with our partners and with others around the world in order to help achieve a peaceful, democratic way forward.
Now Jen will be happy to answer any questions. Thanks.
Remarks by Secretary of State John Kerry on Egypt
Remarks
John Kerry
Secretary of State
Press Briefing Room
Washington, DC
August 14, 2013
Sorry to keep you waiting, folks. I’ll make a statement and then Jen Psaki will stay and take questions and brief everybody.
The United States strongly condemns today’s violence and bloodshed across Egypt. It’s a serious blow to reconciliation and the Egyptian’s people’s hopes for a transition towards democracy and inclusion. In the past week, at every occasion, perhaps even more than the past week, we and others have urged the government to respect the rights of free assembly and of free expression, and we have also urged all parties to resolve this impasse peacefully and underscored that demonstrators should avoid violence and incitement.
Today’s events are deplorable and they run counter to Egyptian aspirations for peace, inclusion, and genuine democracy. Egyptians inside and outside of the government need to take a step back. They need to calm the situation and avoid further loss of life. We also strongly oppose a return to a state of emergency law and we call on the government to respect basic human rights including freedom of peaceful assembly and due process under the law. And we believe that the state of emergency should end as soon as possible.
Violence is simply not a solution in Egypt or anywhere else. Violence will not create a roadmap for Egypt’s future. Violence only impedes the transition to an inclusive civilian government, a government chosen in free and fair elections that governs democratically, consistent with the goals of the Egyptian revolution. And violence and continued political polarization will only further tear the Egyptian economy apart and prevent it from growing and providing the jobs and the future that the people of Egypt want so badly.
The United States strongly supports the Egyptian people’s hope for a prompt and sustainable transition to an inclusive, tolerant, civilian-led democracy. Deputy Secretary of State Burns, together with our EU colleagues, provided constructive ideas and left them on the table during our talks in Cairo last week. From my many phone calls with many Egyptians, I believe they know full well what a constructive process would look like. The interim government and the military, which together possess the preponderance of power in this confrontation, have a unique responsibility to prevent further violence and to offer constructive options for an inclusive, peaceful process across the entire political spectrum. This includes amending the constitution, holding parliamentary and presidential elections, which the interim government itself has called for.
All of the other parties – all of the opposition, all of civil society, all parties – also share a responsibility to avoid violence and to participate in a productive path towards a political solution. There will not be a solution through further polarization. There can only be a political solution by bringing people together with a political solution.
So this is a pivotal moment for all Egyptians. The path towards violence leads only to greater instability, economic disaster, and suffering. The only sustainable path for either side is one towards a political solution. I am convinced from my conversations today with a number of foreign ministers, including the Foreign Minister of Egypt, I am convinced that that path is, in fact, still open and it is possible, though it has been made much, much harder, much more complicated, by the events of today.
The promise of the 2011 revolution has simply never been fully realized, and the final outcome of that revolution is not yet decided. It will be shaped in the hours ahead, in the days ahead. It will be shaped by the decisions which all of Egypt’s political leaders make now and in these days ahead. The world is closely watching Egypt and is deeply concerned about the events that we have witnessed today. The United States remains at the ready to work with all of the parties and with our partners and with others around the world in order to help achieve a peaceful, democratic way forward.
Now Jen will be happy to answer any questions. Thanks.
Saturday, July 27, 2013
READOUT: SECRETARY OF DEFENSE HAGEL'S CALL WITH EGYPTIAN DEFENSE MINISTER AL-SISI
FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Readout of Secretary Hagel's Call with Egyptian Defense Minister al-Sisi
Pentagon Press Secretary George Little issued the following readout:
"This afternoon Secretary Hagel spoke by phone with Egyptian Defense Minister al-Sisi to express deep concern about the security situation and recent violence in Egypt, and to encourage that restraint be exercised during this difficult period. The United States believes that the current transition needs to be marked by inclusivity, that Egyptian authorities should avoid politicized arrests and detentions, and take steps to prevent further bloodshed and loss of life. It is in the short and long term interests of the Egyptian people to renew their path toward democratic transition, and to emphasize tolerance across the political spectrum."
Readout of Secretary Hagel's Call with Egyptian Defense Minister al-Sisi
Pentagon Press Secretary George Little issued the following readout:
"This afternoon Secretary Hagel spoke by phone with Egyptian Defense Minister al-Sisi to express deep concern about the security situation and recent violence in Egypt, and to encourage that restraint be exercised during this difficult period. The United States believes that the current transition needs to be marked by inclusivity, that Egyptian authorities should avoid politicized arrests and detentions, and take steps to prevent further bloodshed and loss of life. It is in the short and long term interests of the Egyptian people to renew their path toward democratic transition, and to emphasize tolerance across the political spectrum."
Sunday, April 14, 2013
STATEMENT FROM G-8 FOREIGN MINISTER'S MEETING HELD APRIL 10-11
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| Photo: Big Ben. Credit: Wikimedia Commons |
G8 Foreign Ministers' Meeting Statement
Media Note
Office of the Spokesperson
Washington, DC
April 11, 2013
Introduction
G8 Foreign Ministers met in London on 10-11 April. The G8 represents a group of nations with a broad range of global interests and with a collective responsibility and opportunity to use its influence to address some of the most pressing issues in the world.
Foreign Ministers addressed a number of international issues, challenges and opportunities that impact on global peace, security and prosperity. Beyond exchanging views and coordinating actions on the pressing foreign policy issues of the day, they made a number of commitments as set out below and in the separate Declaration on the Prevention of Sexual Violence in Conflict.
Prevention of Sexual Violence in Conflict
Foreign Ministers endorsed the Declaration on Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict. They called for urgent action to address comprehensively the culture of impunity and to hold perpetrators to account for acts of sexual violence committed in armed conflict. Ministers emphasised the need to promote justice and accountability for sexual violence in armed conflict by strengthening the existing framework for prosecution, and to provide more long-term support to prevent and respond to sexual violence in armed conflict, as part of broader development and humanitarian efforts. They confirmed that rape and other forms of serious sexual violence in armed conflict are war crimes and also constitute grave breaches of the Geneva Conventions affecting large numbers of women and girls as well as men and boys. In addition to the physical and psychological trauma, sexual violence when used to deliberately target civilians or as a part of a widespread or systematic attack against civilian populations is a violation of international law, which can significantly exacerbate situations of armed conflict and may impede the restoration of peace and security. The G8 has an important role in advancing the implementation of the relevant UN Security Council Resolutions on Women, Peace and Security and Children and Armed Conflict, including by tackling conflict-related sexual violence and advancing the participation of women in peace building and transition processes, as Ministers acknowledged in Washington in April 2012.
Africa
G8 Foreign Ministers noted, as Africa commemorates the 50th Anniversary of the founding of the Organisation of African Unity (now the African Union), the sense of optimism in the light of progress in economic growth, political stability, and democratisation over recent years in many parts of the African continent. The African Union and African Regional organisations are increasingly resolved to intensify regional cooperation and to ensure peace and security on the continent.
Many African states have taken great strides in reducing poverty and generating sustainable development and long-term growth. G8 Ministers supported the aims of the fifth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD V), to take place in Yokohama in June. G8 Ministers supported the deepening and expansion of the New Alliance for Food Security and Nutrition.
North and West Africa
G8 Foreign Ministers stressed the importance of building resilience and good governance across North and West Africa in order to address deep-seated security, economic and development challenges, and in particular to address the needs of the Sahel region. They reaffirmed their commitment to promoting tolerance and respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms. They welcomed the work of the African Union and the Economic Community of West African States in support of initiatives aimed at building economic opportunity and prosperity, and expressed the hope that this might take place in a co-ordinated fashion across the wider region, including North Africa. The Ministers emphasised the need for a co-ordinated response to address the immediate humanitarian challenges in the region. They also stressed the need to accelerate actions to build long-term resilience in the face of environmental challenges and endemic food insecurity, particularly in the Sahel. The Ministers encouraged the United Nations and International Financial Institutions to adopt coherent and co-ordinated policies to address the development needs and the resilience of the Sahel, and, in this regard, called for rapid progress to finalise and implement the UN Integrated Regional Strategy for the Sahel.
The Ministers specifically endorsed the need for a regional response to a wide range of security challenges, including: restricting the proliferation and illicit trafficking of conventional weapons, including small arms and light weapons and MANPADS; stemming the flows of illicit finance generated by organised criminality; building capacity in security and justice sectors; improving aviation and border security; encouraging counter-terrorism partnerships, including on crisis response and counter-radicalisation; and building contingency planning capacity in the private sector.
The G8 Ministers commended the efforts undertaken at the conference on women’s leadership in the Sahel region (Brussels, 9 April) to advance gender equality and women’s leadership as a contribution to resolving the crisis in the Sahel.
Mali
G8 Foreign Ministers restated their support for the territorial integrity of Mali and their condemnation of the violence by separatist and terrorist groups. Ministers expressed their support for the efforts of France and its African partners to re-assert Malian state control over its territory. The Ministers emphasised the strong international consensus in the United Nations Security Council, the African Union and the Economic Community of West African States for this action. The Ministers agreed to support a successful handover of stabilisation activity to AFISMA which has now successfully deployed to Mali and, as soon as conditions permit, to a multi-dimensional UN Operation. The Ministers welcomed the establishment of the EU Training Mission to train the Malian Armed Forces. They emphasised the need for all actors in Mali to recognise their obligations under international law and their responsibilities to meet international human rights standards. They also called on the international community to support short-term humanitarian needs in Mali, as well as contribute towards resolving longer term development challenges.
The Ministers welcomed the decision of the Malian authorities in January 2013 to adopt the Road Map and Action Plan to transition to democracy and to hold elections in July 2013. The Ministers welcomed the Malian Government’s commitment and noted that meaningful progress must be made, in parallel with preparations for elections, on institutional reform, accountability, promotion and protection of human rights, including prosecution of human rights abuses in national courts, taking forward co-operation with the ICC and the UN Independent Expert on Mali, and dialogue and reconciliation. Ministers therefore welcomed the establishment by the Malian Government of the National Council for Dialogue and Reconciliation on 6 March 2013, and expressed their wish that the Malian authorities take forward the process of inclusive dialogue with the necessary urgency. They urged an end to the settling of disputes through violence, and called on all Malians to engage in dialogue as the only sustainable, long-term solution to instability.
Somalia
G8 Foreign Ministers welcomed the significant progress made in Somalia over the past 18 months on security, political transition and humanitarian conditions and recognised the considerable support provided by the AU Mission in Somalia (AMISOM), African Union strategic partners, Troop Contributing Countries, the United Nations, European Union and other international donors. G8 Ministers underlined the need for continued early international support to the new Somali Government. The G8 noted that the second Somalia Conference in London, to be co-hosted with the Somali Government in May, aims to endorse a series of Somali-led plans to rebuild the security forces, the judiciary, and public financial management systems. It will also support the Federal Government of Somalia in establishing effective federal structures for Somalia. The Special Conference on Somalia in the margins of the TICAD V in Japan in May will focus on the need for socio-economic development from the angle of human security. This will be followed in September by an EU conference seeking to encompass a broader set of Somali priorities for rebuilding the state and establishing a new political order. It will do so on the basis of a Compact, in line with the New Deal Principles for Fragile States. All three conferences will place the new Somali Government firmly in the lead on rebuilding Somalia.
Somalia: IFI re-engagement
Ministers agreed to provide high-level political support to the process of Somalia’s re-engagement with the World Bank, the African Development Bank, and the International Monetary Fund, while taking into account the policies and procedures of the International Financial Institutions with regard to countries in fragile situations, including security considerations. Ministers strongly encouraged the Somali Government in its efforts to this end. They recognised that the economic and institutional expertise and broader support these organisations can provide is necessary to help implement reforms that could promote macroeconomic stability, fiscal sustainability, the potential for inclusive economic growth, an enabling environment for Foreign Direct Investment, and the expansion of trade.
In parallel, Ministers urged the Somali Government to demonstrate particular political commitment to public financial management and to strengthening transparency and accountability in order to lay the foundations for IFI re-engagement. Ministers acknowledged that full IFI engagement and the rebuilding of Somalia was a long-term endeavour that would require sustained high-level political support.
Somalia: Counter-terrorism
Al Shabaab and foreign fighters present in Somalia remain a major terrorist threat to Somali and international interests. G8 Foreign Ministers stressed the importance of continued co-ordinated international assistance to develop the rule of law, Somalia’s security, financial and judicial systems (including on border security, anti-money laundering and countering terrorist financing), in line with the Rabat principles on human rights. Foreign Ministers acknowledged the importance of the Somali Government’s work to promote reconciliation, de-mobilise and re-integrate those Al Shabaab fighters who have renounced violence, and pledged to support these efforts. They reiterated the importance of a comprehensive political settlement in Somalia, including clarity on relations between central and regional authorities, as a means of reducing the operating space for those who advocate violence and terror.
Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)
G8 Foreign Ministers expressed concern about the security and humanitarian situation in the East of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and were particularly concerned by reports of continuing killings of civilians, the forced recruitment of children into armed conflict, and sexual violence. They condemned such acts of violence and called on all parties to adhere to their obligations under international humanitarian law and respect human rights and human dignity. They called on all countries of the region to fight impunity and ensure that those suspected of serious violations be brought to justice, including through cooperation with the ICC.
Ministers welcomed the recent signature of the regional Peace, Security, and Cooperation Framework by the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, Uganda and other regional countries, as well as the signing by the African Union, the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region, the Southern African Development Community, and the United Nations as guarantors. The Ministers urged all parties to the Framework to work together to implement their commitments, and to play a constructive role in building long term stability and prosperity in eastern DRC. This should involve addressing the underlying causes of conflict, and improving the lives of ordinary people there. The Ministers welcomed the appointment of the UN Special Envoy to the Great Lakes Region of Africa to oversee the implementation of the Peace Security and Cooperation Framework and urged the Special Envoy to establish a comprehensive political process, building on the Framework, that includes all relevant stakeholders and addresses the underlying regional, security, economic, and governance issues.
The Ministers welcomed UNSCR 2098 which renews the mandate of the UN Organisation Stabilisation Mission in the DRC to enable it to better carry out its mandate to protect civilians, neutralise armed groups, and build peace in the region, including through the deployment of an intervention brigade.
Sudan and South Sudan
G8 Foreign Ministers noted the economic, security and human rights challenges that face Sudan and South Sudan, and underlined the need to implement the September 2012 Addis Ababa agreements, and meet the deadlines set out in March 2013. In particular, Ministers welcomed progress towards the establishment of the safe demilitarised border zone, deployment of the joint border verification and monitoring mechanism, a resumption of the production and export of oil from South Sudan, and called for a process to determine the final status of Abyei. Ministers noted the need for Sudan to improve respect for human rights while addressing the causes of its conflicts. They noted with concern that in Sudan, the conflict in Darfur has entered its tenth year, with insecurity continuing. They called for faster implementation of the Doha Document for Peace in Darfur, and called for all groups to engage in the peace process. Ministers expressed alarm at the humanitarian crisis caused by the conflict in Southern Kordofan and Blue Nile states. They called on the Government of Sudan and the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North to enter into talks immediately to agree a ceasefire and full humanitarian access. Ministers commended and offered their continued support to the role of the African Union, in particular the work of the High-Level Implementation Panel.
Ministers regretted the loss of life of Indian peacekeepers and a number of civilians, in Jonglei, South Sudan, on 9 April and offered their condolences to the Governments of India and South Sudan.
The Middle East
Syria
G8 Foreign Ministers expressed deep concerns about the increasing human tragedy of the conflict in Syria. They were appalled that more than 70,000 people have been killed in the conflict and that there are now more than a million Syrian refugees registered by the UNHCR in neighbouring countries, and more than two million internally displaced persons in Syria. They acknowledged the importance of neighbouring countries’ efforts in hosting refugees, and stressed the need for the international community to help the most affected neighbouring countries. They called on all countries to join with them in maximising their contributions to the latest UN appeals and to provide them with direct support in order to help them face this challenging situation.
Against this desperate background, the Ministers reaffirmed their commitment to supporting a Syrian-led political transition, and the work of Joint UN and Arab League Special Representative Brahimi, based on the principles set out in the Geneva Communiqué. This transition should meet the legitimate aspirations of the Syrian people and enable them to democratically and independently determine their own future. They called for the UN Security Council to remain seized of this matter. The Ministers condemned in the strongest possible terms all human rights violations and abuses in Syria and called on all sides to respect international humanitarian and human rights law, noting the particular responsibility of the Syrian authorities in this regard. They welcomed efforts to document all crimes for the purposes of future accountability.
The Ministers condemned the ongoing use of heavy weapons against residential areas and reaffirm their view that any use of chemical weapons would demand a serious international response. To this end, the Ministers reaffirmed the importance of safeguarding sites where any such weapons are held.
The humanitarian situation in Syria is deplorable and continues to worsen. The Ministers called for greater humanitarian assistance and for improved and safe access to the Syrian people by humanitarian agencies in co-ordination with all parties to the conflict.
Middle East Peace Process (MEPP)
G8 Foreign Ministers confirmed their commitment to a just, lasting, and comprehensive peace in the Middle East. They agreed on the urgent need to make progress on the Middle East Peace Process towards this goal and underscored the need for a major international effort, involving all relevant parties, including the Quartet, to drive the peace process forward.
The Ministers welcomed President Obama’s visit to the region and his statement that peace between Israelis and Palestinians is necessary, just and possible. They urged both sides to show the bold political leadership needed to achieve peace, to take the necessary steps to build trust and to work towards the resumption of negotiations without preconditions.
The Ministers stressed that a long term solution to this conflict can be achieved only through direct negotiations, taking note of the 23 September 2011 statement of the Middle East Quartet. Ministers called on parties to refrain from unilateral actions and to create an atmosphere conducive to peace. They strongly reaffirmed that unilateral actions by either party cannot prejudge the outcome of negotiations.
Ministers expressed grave concerns about the poor state of the Palestinian economy, and the impact this has on Palestinian state-building efforts. Ministers affirmed their support for the Palestinian Authority and encouraged Arab countries, as well as emerging economies, to extend the fullest assistance possible to revitalising the Palestinian economy.
The Ministers welcomed the Egyptian-brokered ceasefire of 21 November 2012 which ended hostilities in Gaza and southern Israel, condemned rocket attacks in contravention of this and urged all sides to uphold their commitments.
Deauville Partnership with Arab Countries in Transition
The Deauville Partnership with Arab Countries in Transition has played an important role in bringing together Middle Eastern and North African countries in transition, regional partner countries, G8 members, and International Financial Institutions in an effective and pragmatic partnership to promote successful economic and political transition.
G8 Foreign Ministers reaffirmed their commitment to the six Deauville Partnership transition countries (Egypt, Tunisia, Morocco, Jordan, Libya and Yemen) recognising progress made since the start of the Arab Spring and noting the enduring partnership of the G8 in continuing to address the difficulties they continue to face. Deauville transition countries are encouraged to seek the broadest possible consensus on the political transition in their countries. Ministers reiterated their belief that democratic process, open societies and open economies were essential to create confidence, consolidate political reform and achieve inclusive economic growth. Ministers recalled the principles which are fundamental to the long term security and prosperity of the Middle East and North Africa, and underline our capacity to partner together toward shared goals. Those principles include the responsibilities to reject violence and protect all persons living within their territory regardless of faith, ethnicity, or gender; to promote tolerance and freedom of expression; freedom of religion and belief, including practicing the freedom of religion in safety; and to uphold the rule of law and security.
Ministers welcomed the continued focus of the Deauville Partnership in 2013 on open economies and inclusive economic growth, supporting job creation and increasing economic opportunities for youth and women, and recognised the important role of the International Financial Institutions in delivering this. Areas of focus will include promoting enhanced trade and investment, facilitating access to capital markets, progress on asset recovery, international exchanges and the fight against corruption. Ministers expressed support for the planned high-level conference in London in September, which will showcase investment opportunities in transition countries, and the steps being taken by governments to improve the investment climate. Supporting the growth of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the region will be central to economic development and growth. Implementation of SME Action Plans will take place in parallel with a new initiative to provide mentoring support to SMEs. The G8 will also promote a new focus on encouraging women’s participation in business and the economy. Ministers acknowledged the UK’s co-chairmanship of the Open Government Partnership (OGP), and encouraged efforts to engage Deauville Partnership countries in OGP activities.
Ministers welcomed the operationalisation of the Transition Fund and the initiation of the first tranche of high quality projects which will provide technical assistance to help strengthen public institutions and build capacity to advance country-led reforms. There was recognition of the high level of demand from the transition countries for further support of this kind, and Ministers encouraged partners to increase contributions to ensure the initial capitalisation of $250 million is met. Ministers showed support for the ongoing work of extending the geographical mandate of the European Bank of Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) in order to make available greater investment programmes in the region.
As stated in the last Ministerial meeting on the Deauville Partnership with Arab Countries in Transition (New York, 28th September), G8 members will build on the G8’s accountability efforts and report on progress achieved in the Partnership.
The Ministers welcomed the upcoming meeting on April 19th of Deauville Partnership Finance Ministers and look forward to continued work by their Finance counterparts and the International Financial Institutions to provide macroeconomic frameworks for bilateral and multilateral assistance.
Foreign Ministers underlined the critical role of independent civil society organisations in an inclusive political process that responds to the aspirations of the region’s citizens. Ministers reaffirmed the consensus Tunis Declaration reached at the 2012 Forum for the Future, which brings together governments, civil society and private sector leaders to engage in dialogue on social, political and economic reform. They welcomed the UK and Egyptian co-chairing of the process in 2013.
Yemen
G8 Foreign Ministers re-affirmed their strong support for the political transition process in Yemen, including the start of the National Dialogue Conference, as outlined in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Initiative and the UN Implementation Plan. They encouraged all Yemeni parties to contribute in a positive and meaningful way, and urged all parties to comply with UNSCRs 2014 and 2051. They welcomed the generous pledges made by the Friends of Yemen to underpin the transition and urged donors to deliver rapidly the $7.8bn pledged, which will benefit the lives of ordinary Yemenis.
Ministers recognised the stability of Yemen remains essential for the stability of the wider region, and the maintenance of international security. Ministers commended the Yemeni Government’s steps to advance security sector reform and ongoing efforts to counter the continued threat from AQ-AP and other violent extremists.
Non Proliferation and Disarmament
G8 Foreign Ministers agreed that the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and their means of delivery continues to be a major threat to international peace and security. Addressing it is one of the G8’s top priorities. G8 countries are all committed to seeking a safer world for all and to creating the conditions for a world without nuclear weapons, in a way that promotes international security, peace and undiminished security for all in accordance with the goals of the Nuclear Non Proliferation Treaty. The illicit trade in conventional weapons also represents a serious challenge, causing great suffering and threatening regional stability.
Ministers welcomed the adoption of the Arms Trade Treaty by the United Nations General Assembly on 2 April. Efficient implementation of the Treaty will contribute to saving lives, reducing human suffering, protecting human rights, preventing the diversion of weapons to the illegal market and combating terrorism, while upholding the legitimate trade in arms, vital for national defence and security.
G8 Foreign Ministers continue their commitment to efforts that strengthen and enhance long-term sustainability, stability, safety, and security in outer space. G8 Foreign Ministers welcomed the statement agreed by the Non-Proliferation Directors’ Group and published today.
Ministers recalled the decision at the 2010 NPT Review Conference to hold a Conference on the establishment in the Middle East of a zone free of nuclear weapons, as well as other weapons of mass destruction and their means of delivery. They regretted that it was not convened in 2012. They strongly supported the continued efforts of the facilitator of the Conference and welcomed the commitment of the co-sponsors of the 1995 Resolution. The Ministers called upon all States concerned to make all efforts necessary for the preparation and convening of the Conference in the nearest future.
Iran
G8 Foreign Ministers expressed their deep concern regarding Iran’s continuing nuclear and ballistic missile activities in violation of numerous UN Security Council and IAEA Board of Governors resolutions.
Following the 5-6 April substantive round of negotiations in Almaty, Kazakhstan with Iran and the E3+3 (China, France, Germany, Russia, the United Kingdom, the United States, and the European Union High Representative), the Ministers reaffirmed their desire for a peaceful and negotiated resolution to the nuclear issue, noting that talks cannot continue indefinitely. They noted that the positions of the E3+3 and Iran remain far apart and called on Iran to engage urgently, actively and constructively in the diplomatic process with the E3+3, and to cooperate with the IAEA to resolve the serious concerns of the international community and to demonstrate that its nuclear programme is exclusively peaceful. Ministers further reaffirmed that, in line with the United Nations Security Council’s approved dual track approach, Iran has the ability to avoid further isolation and improve its situation only if it promptly addresses the concerns of the international community.
Ministers urged Iran to comply with international obligations to uphold human rights and fundamental freedoms, including freedom of religion, and end interference with the media, arbitrary executions, torture and other restrictions placed on rights and freedoms. They further urged Iran to cooperate constructively with all relevant UN human rights mechanisms. A visit by the UN Special Rapporteur for Human Rights in Iran would be a step in this direction.
Ministers also urged Iran to play a more constructive role in supporting regional security and to distance itself from all acts of terrorism and terrorist groups.
Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK)
G8 Foreign Ministers condemned in the strongest possible terms the continued development of its nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programmes by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), including its uranium enrichment. This is in direct violation of UN Security Council Resolutions 1718, 1874, 2087 and 2094.
Ministers noted that the DPRK’s nuclear test on 12 February 2013 - the third since 2006 - and its launches using ballistic missile technology on 13 April 2012 and 12 December 2012 seriously undermine regional stability, jeopardise the prospects for lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula and threaten international peace and security. Ministers welcomed UNSCR 2094, adopted unanimously on 7 March 2013, to respond to the DPRK’s nuclear test and emphasized the importance of full implementation of the resolution by the international community. Ministers supported the commitment in the resolution to strengthen the current sanctions regime and take further significant measures in the event of a further launch or nuclear test by the DPRK. Ministers also expressed concern about the DPRK’s announcement that it intends to re-open its Yongbyon nuclear facility.
Ministers confirmed their commitment to the goal of lasting peace and the verifiable denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula in a peaceful manner. They condemned DPRK’s current aggressive rhetoric and confirmed that this will only serve to further isolate the DPRK. They urged the DPRK to engage in credible and authentic multilateral talks on denuclearisation, abide by its obligations under all relevant UNSCRs and its commitments under the September 19, 2005, Joint Statement of the Six-Party Talks, abandon all nuclear weapons and existing nuclear and ballistic missile programmes, in a complete, verifiable and irreversible manner, and refrain from further provocative acts.
Ministers expressed concerns over the systematic and widespread human rights violations in the DPRK, highlighted the importance of improving inter-Korean relations and emphasised the need to address humanitarian issues including abductions and family reunions. They emphasized that the DPRK must address these issues and cooperate fully with all relevant UN mechanisms.
Burma/Myanmar
Ministers noted with satisfaction that since President Thein Sein took office in March 2011, the Government of Burma/Myanmar has, with the support of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, opposition groups and parliament, initiated a number of remarkable political and economic reforms toward strengthening democracy and the rule of law, improving human rights (including the release of political prisoners and freedom of the press), expanding economic activity and engaging with the international community. Ministers welcomed the progress that has been made on addressing national reconciliation and encouraged the Government of Burma/Myanmar and other actors, including ethnic groups, women and political parties, to continue on this path in particular in view of the complex situation in Kachin State and unresolved tensions in Rakhine State. They also called on the Burma/Myanmar Government to take further steps to end all violence, to respect the rights of ethnic and religious minorities and to pursue inclusive peace negotiations.
Ministers underlined their firm intention to continue to support ongoing political and economic reforms, to help the authorities tackle the important challenges that remain, and to work closely with other donors to ensure our assistance is used effectively to address the needs of the people of Burma/Myanmar in line with the Naypyitaw Accord for Effective Development Cooperation.
Ministers welcomed the resulting new opportunities for investment and development, as well as the prospects for greater transparency, accountability and prosperity. They believed that new investments and development programmes should operate consistently with international environmental, business, and human rights principles and guidelines with the goal of benefiting the people. They welcomed the Government’s commitment to responsible investment in Burma/Myanmar in line with the UN Global Compact and Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights.
Afghanistan
G8 Foreign Ministers reaffirmed their collective commitment to support Afghanistan on the path to peace and stability as it enters the ‘transformation decade’. Ministers noted that Afghanistan would continue to face many challenges, including in the field of security, and reiterated international support to the Afghan Government in overcoming them.
They welcomed the pledges of long-term support to Afghanistan by the international community, including at the Bonn Conference, the NATO Chicago Summit meetings and the Tokyo Conference. They agreed that all must meet their commitments under the Tokyo Mutual Accountability Framework. Ministers noted the importance of protecting human rights and fundamental freedoms, including religious freedom, particularly of women, children and minorities, and of expanding opportunities for them to contribute to Afghanistan’s future.
The Ministers noted progress made on transition of responsibility for security. Ministers looked forward to the ANSF taking the nationwide lead for security in mid-2013. Ministers encouraged the Afghan Government to make progress on its National Drug Control Strategy, which balances law enforcement action with capacity-building and the development of sustainable alternative livelihoods. Ministers endorsed the continuing need for an international response to tackling more effectively illicit drug production, trade, trafficking and dealing with the threat of terrorism. Money from the trafficking of narcotics continues to fund insurgent activity.
The Ministers welcomed the announcement of the date for Presidential and Provincial elections in Afghanistan. It is important that the Government of Afghanistan and relevant authorities continue to work with all stakeholders and international organisations to prepare for inclusive, credible and transparent elections.
The Ministers fully supported an inclusive Afghan-led peace and reconciliation process that is based on the principles of renunciation of violence, cutting ties with all terrorist groups and respect for the Afghan Constitution including its human rights provisions, notably on the rights of women, in line with the Kabul Communiqué and the Bonn Conference Conclusions. The Ministers welcome and support efforts to strengthen regional co-operation.
Transnational challenges and opportunities
Cyber
G8 Foreign Ministers agreed that a safe, open and accessible Internet is an essential tool for our societies and economies. They agreed that it promotes prosperity, freedom, democracy and human rights. They also acknowledged the importance of the Internet in helping all nations to benefit from the potential for economic growth and innovation. Ministers recognised that this potential is reliant on availability, trust and security – which are essential for developed and developing countries alike.
Ministers noted that, since the Deauville G8 Declaration on a Renewed Commitment for Freedom and Democracy in 2011, there had been a wide range of welcome initiatives in various international fora. They highlighted in particular the work of the UN Group of Governmental Experts on developments in the field of information and telecommunications in the context of international security (UNGGE). Ministers encouraged the UNGGE to reach consensus on substantive recommendations on norms of responsible state behaviour and confidence building measures, including capacity building, as an essential element of international stability.
Ministers affirmed that international law is relevant in the digital world as it is off-line. They further affirmed the need to take steps to promote transparency and confidence building measures in order to reduce the risk of misperceptions between states.
Ministers agreed on the importance of international capacity building efforts to enhance trust, strengthen the fight against cyber crime and improve the security of the global digital environment. They noted that capacity building required the full participation of governments, business and civil society. Ministers agreed to promote and advance international cyber security capacity building initiatives to encourage a wide range of partners, including industry, to deliver increased and more effective capacity building across the globe.
Ministers agreed that cyber security capacity-building in this area needs to be embedded in the wider context of the economic growth and social benefits derived from the global digital economy. They also agreed to ensure that these efforts are implemented in a way which promotes openness, trust and security, stability and the rule of law in the digital realm.
Ministers welcomed the efforts by the Roma-Lyon High Tech Crime Sub Group (HTCSG) to strengthen and expand the G8 24/7 Network of Contact Points, including through a sustained training initiative. Ministers encouraged all future Presidencies to continue these efforts.
Climate Change
Climate change remains a key global challenge which, if not controlled, would have dramatic consequences not only on the environment but also on economic prosperity. G8 Ministers recognised climate change as a contributing factor to increased economic and security risks globally. The G8 agreed to consider means to better respond to this challenge and its associated risks, recalling that international climate policy and sustainable economic development are mutually reinforcing. Officials from interested G8 countries will meet to consider the potential consequences of climate change and associated environmental and resource stresses as a contributing factor to increased security risks globally, and report to Foreign Ministers.
Ministers recognised the ambitious measures already undertaken to reduce greenhouse gases, noting that action needs to continue and intensify as a matter of urgency. Ministers remain committed to long term efforts with a view to limiting effectively the increase in global average temperature below 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, consistent with science. The G8 remain fully committed to the UNFCCC process; to achieving, by 2015, a new climate change agreement, applicable to all Parties, which will come into effect and be implemented from 2020; to increase mitigation ambition in the pre-2020 timeframe, including through international cooperative initiatives such as the Climate and Clean Air Coalition; and to the developed countries’ goal of mobilising jointly USD 100bn per year by 2020, from a wide variety of public and private sources, in the context of meaningful mitigation actions and transparency on implementation. Ministers stressed the importance of transparency in the UNFCCC process. Measurement, reporting and verification will play a key role with respect to mitigation, adaptation and international climate finance flows in order to measure progress towards the achievement of our goals.
Maritime Security
G8 Foreign Ministers recognised the importance of maritime security as a critical enabler of regional stability, economic development, trade and international prosperity. Maritime insecurity affects the international community as a whole and, as such, can only be effectively addressed through a comprehensive national and international approach. Ministers remain committed to the freedom of navigation, unimpeded lawful commerce, and the peaceful resolution of disputes in accordance with applicable international law including UNCLOS.
Ministers, firmly condemning acts of piracy and other maritime crime, expressed their continued commitment to pursue international cooperation to combat these threats remaining consistent with international law and internationally recognised principles of jurisdiction in international waters. Ministers noted the importance of continuing work to develop and support regional maritime security capability, increase capacity to prosecute maritime crime, and maximise economic potential from the maritime domain through frameworks like the Contact Group on Piracy off the Coast of Somalia, Friends of the Gulf of Guinea and Regional Cooperation Agreement on Combating Piracy and Armed Robbery against Ships in Asia.
Human Rights
G8 Foreign Ministers emphasised the importance of promoting and protecting all human rights and fundamental freedoms, including the rights of women, freedom of religion or belief, and the freedoms of expression and association.
Ministers reiterated the need to accelerate efforts to eliminate discrimination against women and girls in order to ensure their equal enjoyment of all human rights and fundamental freedoms. Ministers expressed concern for the continuing practice of early and forced marriage.
Counter Terrorism
G8 Foreign Ministers reiterated their absolute condemnation of terrorism in all its forms and manifestations. They noted the evolving nature of the terrorist threat, which was increasingly fragmented and geographically diverse, and the increasing use in some areas of the world of kidnapping for ransom as a growing source of terrorist financing. Ministers remained concerned about the threat posed by al-Qaeda and affiliated groups in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Yemen, Somalia and other countries, and noted the increased threat of terrorism in North and West Africa, as demonstrated by recent events in Algeria, Mali and Nigeria; they also noted new radicalisation trends and related terrorist risks; which will be examined in more detail by the G8 Roma-Lyon Group and its expert-level sub-groups dealing with transnational organised crime and terrorism.
Ministers reiterated the importance of continued international support for those countries facing a terrorist threat, including through assistance to build the capacity of their security and justice systems to identify, disrupt and prosecute terrorist activity, while respecting human rights and humanitarian law and ensuring safe operations of foreign investment which is a valuable source of growth for those countries. They noted the efforts of the United Nations and its Security Council, and of the Global Counterterrorism Forum, in this regard. They further emphasised the importance of regional co-operation in tackling terrorist groups that move across borders and exploit local and regional issues to their own ends. Ministers underlined the need for further implementation of the UN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy, based on the comprehensive approach to counter-terrorism combining security, diplomatic and development efforts to counter violent extremism and to deprive the terrorists of resources and support and to tackle the conditions and grievances that terrorists seek to exploit.
Illicit Drugs
G8 Foreign Ministers are concerned by the scale of the problem of illicit drug production, trade and trafficking and its harmful consequences for individuals, societies and States, as well as regional and international stability. They reiterated their commitment to the balanced and evidence based approach set out in the three United Nations conventions on the control of drugs (1961, 1971 and 1988). They recognised the need for increased political impetus and a stronger mobilisation of the international community within that legal framework and support further steps to implement the UN Convention against Transnational Organised Crime and the UN Convention against Corruption.
Ministers underlined the crucial importance of intensified cooperation among States on the basis of common and shared responsibility and a balanced comprehensive approach tackling both demand and supply of illicit drugs.
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