About the Author: Karen Kornbluh serves as U.S. Ambassador to the OECD.
The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) finished 2011 with an important step in international efforts to ensure the Internet remains an open platform that is secure and reliable, continuing to spur free expression and association, innovation, prosperity and job creation. As part of its mission to promote policies that will improve the economic and social well-being of people around the world, OECD members adopted a Recommendation of the Council on Principles for Internet Policy Making.
About the Author: Tom Hamm serves as a Press Officer in the Office of Public Affairs in the Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs.
2011 was a momentous year for the Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs (EAP) as the culmination of much hard work that reflects the vision articulated by Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton in an editorial for the November 2011 issue of Foreign Policy. This strategy guided the Bureau's activities from reinvigorating already strong relations with treaty partners, building new partnerships with emerging powers in the region, such as China, engaging with multilateral institutions, expanding trade and investment, forging a broad based military presence, and advancing democracy, human rights and the rule of law.
Our long-standing treaty allies continue to serve as the bedrock… more »
About the Author: Kenneth H. Merten serves as U.S. Ambassador to Haiti.
Yesterday, Haiti commemorated two years since the earthquake of January 12, 2010. Those of us who went through the earthquake spent the day remembering the colleagues and loved ones we lost that afternoon and thanking God that we survived.
Today, we are back at work, and we look to the challenges that remain: half of the rubble created by the quake is still there, and more than 500,000 people still live in tents. The commitment of the U.S. government toward Haiti remains strong and, together with our international partners, we support the Haitian government's continued efforts to clear rubble, rebuild neighborhoods, and find long-term shelter for the displaced.
Most of Haiti's woes did not begin with the earthquake,… more »
About the Author: Elisabeth Kvitashvili serves as U.S. Alternate Permanent Representative to the United Nations Agencies in Rome, Italy and Humanitarian Affairs Counselor, U.S. Agency for International Development.
I have spent a lot of time in many countries in Africa, usually countries suffering from some type of man-made or natural disaster. While no agriculture expert, my eyes are trained enough to seek out and identify problems and solutions that touch on food insecurity. I usually find a somewhat despairing situation.
Recently, after travelling on the bumpy to non-existent "roads" of South Sudan, I came away impressed -- impressed with the hopeful vision of a country that has enormous potential to move quickly into a state of relative food self sufficiency, perhaps within less than a generation.
And the women of South Sudan are playing a big part in the country's drive towards recovery. According to Ofeni Ngota Amitai, the minister of agriculture for Morobo county, women are critical to helping the country move away from humanitarian interventions towards… more »
About the Author: Sarah Goldfarb serves as DipNote's Associate Editor.
Our "Photo of the Week" comes to us from James Rivera, who serves at the U.S. Embassy in Cairo, Egypt. James submitted this photograph to the Office of Art in Embassies for the "Through Their Eyes...Service Abroad" exhibition. His image captures the Nile River, with two boats silhouetted in the orange and yellow glow of a beautiful sunset.
James' image reminds us of the beauty and importance of our planet's natural resources, particularly our water resources. The U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in partnership with the Ramsar Convention Secretariat are celebrating World Wetlands Day on February 2, 2012. To help us celebrate,… 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.
Secretary Clinton (Feb. 14): "We are both committed to building a lasting framework of trust that will support a cooperative partnership for the next 40 years and beyond." more »
Secretary Clinton (Feb. 13): "It's important for us to be focused on what we can do to help the emerging democracies such as Tunisia, such as Egypt, such as Libya and others, and also to stay focused on the great needs of Syria." more »
![U.S. Ambassador to the OECD Karen Kornbluh participates in OECD Conference in the Internet Economy in Paris, France, June 28, 2011. [State Department photo/ Public Domain]](http://blogs.state.gov/images/Dipnote/behind_the_scenes/2012_0114_net_conference_m.jpg)
![Ambassador Kenneth H. Merten joins others for groundbreaking of Caracol Industrial Park in Haiti, November 2010. [USAID Photo/Kendra Helmer]](http://blogs.state.gov/images/Dipnote/behind_the_scenes/2012_0113_merten_haiti_m.jpg)
![Young people herd cattle through the mud-caked streets of Pibor, South Sudan, July 13, 2011. [AP File Photo]](http://blogs.state.gov/images/Dipnote/behind_the_scenes/2012_0113_cattle_ssudan_m.jpg)
![The Nile River in Egypt, undated. [Photograph by James Rivera/ U.S. Embassy Cairo]](http://blogs.state.gov/images/Dipnote/behind_the_scenes/2012_0113_potw_water_m.jpg)
