Freedom of expression is a cornerstone to any thriving democracy.
This idea came to life while I spent three days at UNESCO's World Press Freedom Day in Tunisia, where I had the opportunity to listen to and engage with journalists, bloggers, and citizen activists from across the Middle East and North Africa and beyond.
I arrived May 3 in Tunis to deliver remarks at Tunisia's Presidential Palace to a crowd of more than 400 in attendance, and thousands more watching virtually. The audience welcomed video… more »
About the Author: Katie Dowd serves in the Office of the Secretary of State.
Joining a global group of now more than 800 organizations, TechCamps Tel Aviv and Ramallah represented the eighth and ninth TechCamps coordinated under Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton's Civil Society 2.0 initiative. These TechCamps brought together three areas of focus for Secretary Clinton: strengthening civil society, innovation, and empowering women and girls. American and international trainers from companies, such as Facebook, Meetup, and Yahoo!, teamed together with the State Department's Office of Innovation and eDiplomacy to help raise the digital literacy of civil society organizations focused on women's empowerment though separate, intensive two-day workshops.
Each TechCamp focused on how to help ensure women and girls have the know-how and education… more »
About the Author: Roberta Jacobson serves as Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs.
Economic recovery, at home, in Europe, across the globe, seems to be on everyone's minds these days. In the United States, the engine to power our economic recovery is fueled by human and physical resources right here in our own hemisphere. No one knows this better than the Council of the Americas. Since its founding in 1965, the Council's approximately 200 members account for a large percentage of U.S. investment in Latin America and the Caribbean. Their investment is linked by a shared belief that free markets and private enterprise, coupled with strong democratic governance, offer the most effective means to achieve regional economic growth and prosperity.
Yesterday, when we addressed the Council at their annual conference,… more »
On May 7-8, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton traveled to India, making stops in Kolkata and New Delhi. While in India, Secretary Clinton met with state officials and other civil society organization representatives and spoke with Embassy New Delhi staff. She also met with Indian Government officials to review progress in the strategic partnership, looking forward to the U.S.-India Strategic Dialogue to be held in Washington, D.C. on June 13 and… more »
Against a backdrop of beautiful gardens and sunshine, I was honored to be welcomed by both Deputy Prime Minister Tonio Borg and Minister of Finance, Economy, and Investment Tonio Fenech when I arrived in Malta last week. I made the journey to discuss possible areas of cooperation between Malta and the United States with a view to commercial activity in North Africa, especially Libya.
Minister Fenech explained that, over the years, Malta has built an important relationship with Libya that cuts across all sectors. I learned the security situation in Libya continues to improve, and that investment and development opportunities exist. Both the U.S. and Maltese governments hope to build on this meeting to develop Malta's potential as a commercial engagement hub for North Africa.
Minister Fenech described the visit as the foundation stone for a Maltese-American… more »
DipNote is the official blog of the U.S. Department of State —a place to share stories, discuss experiences, and inspire new ideas on the important foreign policy issues of the day. more »
Across the eastern Horn of Africa, more than 11 million people -- a number greater than the populations of Houston and New York City combined -- are now in need of emergency assistance to survive. Learn more about the current crisis, including how you can help.
May 23: The State Department, through its office of the U.S.-Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI), is pleased to announce $1.5 million in funding to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) to support open governance and political participation in the Middle East and North Africa. more »
May 23: Today, Russia was invited to join the Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA) at a ceremony hosted by its parent body, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) in Paris. ã more »
![Dr. Esther Brimmer, Assistant Secretary of State for International Organization Affairs, participates in an interview with a journalist in Tunis, Tunisia, May 3, 2012. [State Department photo/ Public Domain]](http://blogs.state.gov/images/Dipnote/behind_the_scenes/2012_0509_brimmer_tunisia_m.jpg)
![Elizabeth Linder of Facebook holds a discussion with TechCamp participants in Ramallah, May 2, 2012. [State Department photo/ Public Domain]](http://blogs.state.gov/images/Dipnote/behind_the_scenes/2012_0509_techcamp_ramallah_m.jpg)
![Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs Roberta Jacobson delivers remarks at the 42nd Conference on the Americas at the Department of State in Washington, D.C., May 8, 2012. [State Department photo/ Public Domain]](http://blogs.state.gov/images/Dipnote/behind_the_scenes/2012_0508_jacobson_ascoa_m.jpg)
![Special Representative for Commercial and Business Affairs Lorraine Hariton meets Maltese Minister of Finance, Economy, and Investment Tonio Fenech in Malta, April 26, 2012. [State Department photo/ Public Domain]](http://blogs.state.gov/images/Dipnote/behind_the_scenes/2012_0507_matla_libya_m.jpg)
