Five Questions About the New Alliance for Food Security and Nutrition
Posted by Tjada McKenna and Jonathan Shrier / May 23, 2012
![U.S. President Barack Obama announces the New Alliance for Food Security and Nutrition at the Symposium on Global Agriculture and Food Security on May 18, 2012, at the Ronald Reagan Building in Washington, D.C. [Chicago Council photo]](http://blogs.state.gov/images/Dipnote/behind_the_scenes/2012_0423_potus_food_security_m.jpg)
1. What is the New Alliance for Food Security and Nutrition, and who is participating?
The New Alliance for Food Security and Nutrition is a commitment by G-8 members, African countries, and private sector partners to achieve sustained and inclusive agricultural growth to lift 50 million people out of poverty over the next 10 years. It builds upon the progress and commitments made in 2009 at the L'Aquila G-8 Summit, and offers a broad and innovative path to strengthen food security and nutrition.
The New Alliance includes specific commitments from:
- African leaders to refine policies in order to improve investment opportunities and drive their country-led plans on food security;
- Private sector partners, who have collectively committed more than $3 billion to increase investments; and
- G-8 members, who will support Africa's potential… more »
Illegal Wildlife Trade: A Survey of Greed, Tragedy, and Ignorance
Posted by Robert D. Hormats / May 23, 2012
![Elephants walk across the Taita Hills Game as the sun sets after a day long's walk in Kenya, Feb. 5, 2011. [AP File Photo]](http://blogs.state.gov/images/Dipnote/behind_the_scenes/2012_0523_elephants_m.jpg)
Since the beginning of 2012, over 250 elephants have been killed in Cameroon. Adults are being slaughtered for ivory to be used for jewelry, ornaments, and traditional medicine; young juveniles and infants are being killed indiscriminately or left orphaned to die without the protection of their mothers. Having lived in Kenya and Tanzania earlier in my life, I experienced firsthand the wonder of African elephants in their native habitats. That's why I feel a personal sense of outrage at the senseless and immoral killing of wildlife. We should all feel outrage -- even those who have not had the privilege to see elephants close up -- because the conservation of our planet's wildlife is an moral obligation we all share. The U.S. government has consistently been among the leaders in the efforts to protect elephants and other wildlife, but to be effective it's vital that all governments… more »
A Multi-Faceted Approach to the Fight Against Counterfeit Medicines
Posted by Jennifer White / May 22, 2012
![An unidentified National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, (NAFDAC) official shows samples of seized fake drugs at the NAFDAC warehouse in Lagos, Nigeria, Aug. 30, 2005. [AP File Photo]](http://blogs.state.gov/images/Dipnote/behind_the_scenes/2012_0522_drugs_m.jpg)
Counterfeit, falsified, and substandard drugs are a dangerous threat to people around the world, including Americans. These drugs may include toxins or inert substances that do nothing at all. They may contain too much of an active ingredient or not enough. They may also be copies of prescription drugs or over-the-counter medications, imitating brand name drugs or generics. The people selling counterfeit medicine are depriving patients of life-saving or life-sustaining therapies. They also endanger global health by creating an environment for diseases to become resistant to drugs used to treat them. Given that 80 percent of the active ingredients in medications used in the United States originate abroad, primarily in China and India, we have a vital interest in ensuring the safety of an ever more complex global drug supply chain.
The Department of State engages in… more »
Decent Work for Informal Sector Workers
Posted by Melanne Verveer and Barbara Shailor / May 17, 2012
![Special Representative Barbara Shailor and Ambassador-at-Large Melanne Verveer meet on informal sector workers with a group of experts from academia, labor, and civil society. [State Department photo by Matthew G. Miller/ Public Domain]](http://blogs.state.gov/images/Dipnote/behind_the_scenes/2012_0517_informal_sector_m.jpg)
On May 14, a group of experts from academia, labor, and NGOs joined us for a vibrant discussion on the role of women in the global economy. The conclusion was clear; we must continue to advocate for decent work for working women around the world -- especially for women in the informal sector.
Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton commented on this in 2010 at the United Nations in New York: "I remember once driving through Africa with a group of distinguished experts. And I saw women working in the fields and I saw women working in the markets and I saw women with wood on their heads and water on their heads and children on their backs. And I remarked that women just seem to… more »
Watch Live: Ambassador Rice Discusses Foreign Policy in a Google+ Hangout
Posted by DipNote Bloggers / May 17, 2012
![U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice speaks to reporters after a Security Council meeting on March 16, 2011, at UN headquarters in New York. [AP File Photo]](http://blogs.state.gov/images/Dipnote/behind_the_scenes/2011_0810_rice_un_stakeout_m.jpg)
Today, join Ambassador Susan E. Rice and New York Times columnist Nicholas D. Kristof as they break ground on the frontier of social media and U.S. foreign policy. In a live Google+ Hangout, Ambassador Rice and Mr. Kristof will discuss the world's most pressing challenges and America's role in an increasingly interconnected world. They will be joined live by a selection of citizens who will ask questions from the U.S. and overseas.
Watch the conversation live at 2:30 p.m. EST on The Times's homepage or on the New York Times Google+ page, and join the conversation on Twitter using the hashtag… more »
Giving Mothers a Very Special Gift
Posted by Eric Goosby / May 13, 2012
![Woman enters mobile healthcare clinic in Johannesburg, South Africa, Nov. 29, 2010. [AP File Photo]](http://blogs.state.gov/images/Dipnote/behind_the_scenes/2011_0218_health_clinic_m.jpg)
What is the greatest gift we can give a mother this Mother's Day? There are many answers, but one is to help her live and help her children live a healthy life.
As we celebrate Mother's Day and think about mothers around the world, the American people are working through the U.S. President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) to make every day Mother's Day. This program is quietly saving lives every day, restoring the health and hope of mothers and children.
Each year, nearly 400,000 children are born with HIV around the world, with sub-Saharan Africa being the most challenged region. In June of last year… more »
Spotlight on Food Security: The Key to Economic, Environmental, and Global Stability
Posted by Tjada McKenna / May 11, 2012
![A child reacts after receiving food distributed at a refugee camp in Kabul, Afghanistan on Aug. 14, 2010. [AP File Photo]](http://blogs.state.gov/images/Dipnote/behind_the_scenes/2012_0511_food_child_m.jpg)
You may have noticed a lot of increased talk about "food security" lately, particularly in the international development realm. There's good reason for that.
A family experiences food security when it lives without hunger or even fear of hunger. In essence, it means that people have enough food to live happy, healthy lives. It's a right I'm sure we all wish were accessible to every man, woman, and child on the planet.
Yet global hunger and chronic malnutrition remain two of the greatest development challenges today. Nearly 20 percent of all people in the world live on less than $1.25 a day, and almost one billion suffer from chronic hunger. Compounding this problem is the fact that, by 2050, the global population is expected to grow to more than nine billion people, requiring up to a 70 percent increase in agricultural production to feed us all. Given increasingly… more »
Tackling Old Problems With New Ideas
Posted by Jose W. Fernandez / May 10, 2012
![Thousands of counterfeit watches, seized during a Philadelphia-area investigation, are set before a rolling compactor to be destroyed, in Philadelphia, April 26, 2010. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials and Customs and Border Protection officials smashed the bogus watches to mark the 40th anniversary of World Intellectual Property Day. [AP File Photo]](http://blogs.state.gov/images/Dipnote/behind_the_scenes/2012_0510_watches_ipr_m.jpg)
Last week, the U.S. Department of State and non-profit industry group the Center for Responsible Enterprise and Trade (CREATe.org), partnered to host a roundtable discussion, "Safeguarding Intellectual Property and Preventing Corruption in Global Markets." During the session, leaders from industry, government agencies, academia and non-governmental organizations discussed the increased penetration of counterfeit goods in the global supply chain, and the urgent need for collaborative public and private sector initiatives to improve supply chain integrity.
At the heart of the discussion was a central question: How can the business community, governments, and civil society generate new approaches to the immense challenges of protecting intellectual property… more »
Free The Press: Supporting Journalists Under Duress
Posted by Thomas O. Melia / May 02, 2012
![Television crew works as monsoon clouds loom over Arabian Sea in Mumbai, June 20, 2005. [AP File]](http://blogs.state.gov/images/Dipnote/behind_the_scenes/2009_0504_press_freedom_m.jpg)
On May 3, people worldwide will observe World Press Freedom Day, a UNESCO initiative. They will gather in cities and towns, through workshops and seminars, to join in celebrating the universal right of free expression first enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights more than six decades ago.
Yesterday, I had the privilege of addressing the importance of free expression and a free press at the National Endowment for Democracy. I emphasized that a free press is the bedrock of a free, healthy and energetic society. It allows citizens to hold informed opinions, make informed decisions and lead informed lives. It keeps public officials accountable, provides outlets for healthy… more »
Strengthening the Rule of Law and Combating Crime
Posted by Alyce Ahn / May 02, 2012
![Delegates at the 21st Session of the UN Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice in Vienna, Austria, April 27, 2012. [State Department photo/ Public Domain]](http://blogs.state.gov/images/Dipnote/behind_the_scenes/2012_0501_justice_usun_viena_m.jpg)
Combating violence against migrants and migrant smuggling, setting minimum standards for the treatment of prisoners, and ensuring access to legal aid -- these are among the challenges that the international community addressed last week in Vienna, Austria, where approximately 800 delegates representing 111 countries and 38 nongovernmental organizations gathered for the 21st session of the United Nations Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice (also known as the CCPCJ or Crime Commission).
Led by Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau… more »
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