Visit of President U Thein Sein of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar / U.S. Assistance

The United States recognizes the important ongoing reform efforts underway by President Thein Sein, his government, Parliament, and key stakeholders among civil society to build a modern, peaceful, and democratic country. Building on a long legacy of support for the aspirations of the Burmese people, the United States is providing assistance to strengthen and accelerate the political, economic, and social transition; promote and strengthen respect for human rights; deliver the benefits of reform to the country’s people; and support the development of a stable society that reflects the diversity of all its people.

Drawing on the technical expertise and assets of U.S. Government agencies, institutes of higher education, U.S. businesses, nongovernmental organizations, and other partners, the United States is working to bring American ingenuity and ideas to the Burmese people. Through our calibrated policy and targeted foreign assistance programs and partnerships, we are working with the government and civil society to foster a sustainable transition to a democracy that respects and promotes human rights. Program activities include the following:

• Recognizing that the development of a transparent, accountable, representative government responsive to the needs of the people is critical for the democratic transition, the U.S. Government is assisting in improving electoral administration to ensure free, fair, and credible elections in 2015 as well as promote voter education, strengthen parliament, and support political party development. U.S. assistance promotes legal reform by supporting the technical capacity of the Government and empowering a broad-based civil society.
   
• The reestablishment of the Fulbright program is an important opportunity for the people of our two countries to work and learn side by side, teach students, build human capital and institutional capacity, and engage in scholarly collaboration through educational exchanges. In addition, EducationUSA advising offered at the U.S. Embassy provides accurate, comprehensive, and current information about how to apply to U.S. colleges and universities; the first ever EducationUSA fair in Rangoon in February 2013 drew the participation of 10 U.S. institutions and more than 1000 students and parents.
   
• The United States is catalyzing university-private sector partnerships involving U.S. businesses and U.S. and Burmese institutions of higher education to address critical development needs. The American Center in Rangoon, which has the highest attendance of any American Center in the world, trains political, civil society and labor activists in democratic systems, and civic engagement.
   
• The United States welcomes the Government’s support for the establishment of a Peace Corps program. A new program would not only build strong people-to-people ties between the people of our two countries, but also help meet development needs.
   
• Recognizing the role of agriculture in providing livelihoods for the majority of the Burmese people, the U.S. Government has funded a study that provides an expanded knowledge base for developing food security programs. In addition to providing essential health services, the United States is also laying the groundwork for the country’s first ever Demographic and Health Survey, which will provide data to relevant authorities, service providers, and the international community to best serve the health needs of the people.
   
• One of the country’s most significant challenges is achieving the national unity that has eluded it since independence. U.S. assistance aims to address the root causes of long-running conflicts and ethnic tensions. In addition, we continue to provide substantial humanitarian assistance to conflict-affected and vulnerable populations in border areas, the interior of the country, and in the region.
   
• The United States is taking additional steps to promote inclusive, broad-based economic development and strengthen economic relations between our two countries. Following the targeted easing in 2012 of economic sanctions, in consultation with Congress, we are supporting U.S. businesses as they apply their high standards in bringing responsible investment to Burma. We also seek to support reform by leveraging the talents and resources of the U.S. private sector to enhance economic development and extend the benefits of economic reform to all of the country’s people.
   
• As reaffirmed in a joint statement, the United States, through the State Department’s Energy Governance and Capacity Initiative, intends to provide technical assistance in support of the implementation of international best practices in oil and gas management and oversight, financial accountability, and safety and environmental stewardship.
   
• The United States is providing assistance to facilitate the transformational opportunities that result from a competitive and accessible telecommunications market. As the country liberalizes its telecommunications sector, the U.S. Government intends to provide technical assistance and capacity building, provide counsel in the development of a national broadband plan, and assist in the development of a universal service plan, supporting the government in meeting its goals to rapidly expand connectivity across the country in the context of an open regulatory and legal framework.

With these and other activities, the United States underscores our commitment to support and assist all of the people of Burma in their efforts to embrace reform and promote and respect human rights, and highlights our dedication to help them realize the full potential of their extraordinary country.

For further information, please visit:

http://www.state.gov/p/eap/ci/bm/

http://www.usaid.gov/burma

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Release of the 2012 International Religious Freedom Report

AMBASSADOR COOK: Thank you, Mr. Secretary. It’s an honor to serve you.

Good morning. The 2012 International Religious Freedom Report provides a factual rendering of the status of religious freedom around the world. Religious freedom is essential for a stable, peaceful, and thriving society. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights enshrines the freedom of thought, conscience, and religion. This is the standard against which we assess religious freedom and the International Religious Freedom Report. This report seeks to advance religious freedom by shining a spotlight on abuses and violations. As Secretary Kerry said, when a country fails to provide equal protection of religious freedom for all, the groundwork is laid for political instability and sectarian violence. When a government favors one group or set of beliefs and restricts the rights of others, some in society may take that as tacit approval to further target marginalized groups.

As this report makes clear, much work remains to be done. Secretary Kerry just described some of the most troubling trends, and please let me note some others. Thousands of people around the world are jailed because of what they believe or don’t believe. In Iran, more than 116 Baha’is are in prison for teaching and expressing their faith, and many Christians, Sufis, and Sunnis are facing similar treatment. Additionally, a Christian pastor named Saeed Abedini, who is an American and Iranian citizen, was sentenced to eight years in prison just for his beliefs. In Eritrea, people are detained on account of their religious beliefs. Some have reportedly died due to torture or lack of medical treatment. We seek the release of all individuals detained or imprisoned because of their beliefs.

Many governments fail to prosecute the perpetrators of crimes motivated by religious animosity, creating a climate of impunity that fueled further discrimination and violence. In Egypt, the government failed to appropriately investigate and prosecute perpetrators and often did not effectively intervene when sectarian violence arose. In Pakistan, religious minorities continue to encounter societal discrimination and violence, and authorities frequently fail to arrest the perpetrators. As sectarian violence claims more lives each year in Pakistan, over 200 Shia were killed in the first two months of this year alone. In Nigeria, elements of the extremist sect Boko Haram claimed the lives of both Christians and Muslims. The government response has involved gross violations of human rights of a civilian population and deepened impunity.

Governments must fulfill their responsibility to condemn religious intolerance and bring to justice perpetrators of abuses. Just last month, I traveled to China where I pressed government officials to uphold the right to religious freedom for all and to stop abusing this universal right. The government restricts the practices of many groups, including Tibetan Buddhists, Uighur Muslims, unregistered Christian congregations, and Falun Gong practitioners. In 2012, 83 Tibetans chose to self-immolate to protest Chinese policies. The total number now is over 100. We urge governments to protect the rights of all to hold, express, or change their faith without fear.

In Syria, the government targeted faith groups it deemed a threat, including members of the country’s Sunni majority and religious minorities. Such targeting included killing, detention, and harassment. Syria – excuse me – Syria Orthodox Archbishop Yohanna Ibrahim and Greek Orthodox Archbishop Paul Yazigi were kidnapped April 22^nd by persons unknown, and still remain missing.

Societal intolerance against religious minorities is on the rise. Too often this intolerance finds expression in acts of violence, vandalism, and desecration. In Iraq, extremists target religious ceremonies, leading people not to attend services out of fear for their safety. And sectarian violence directed at Muslims spread to central Burma in March 2013, resulting in casualties, displacement, and the destruction of places of worship.

Anti-Semitic rhetoric persists in some Middle Eastern media and too often appears in public discourse in some countries in Europe, especially where anti-Semitic parties have gained seats in parliaments. We continue to see violent attacks against Jews in Europe, and I look forward now to working with my new colleague Ira Forman, who was introduced to you by Secretary Kerry. I look forward to working with him to combat this pernicious problem.

Anti-Muslim sentiment and discrimination are evident in places as diverse as Europe and Asia. We call on societies and governments to foster tolerance and hold perpetrators of violence accountable.

We also partner with members of international communities to support religious freedom, to protect religious minorities, and to safeguard freedom of expression. We particularly advocate engaging women and youth on religious freedom as their voices are a positive force for change.

Violations of religious freedom easily capture the world’s attention, so I therefore want to highlight some positive developments that tend to fly under the media radar. Although governments’ restrictions on religious freedom remain in Vietnam, the government took a step forward by allowing large-scale worship services with more than 100,000 participants.

Turkey – they loosened its restrictions on religious attire, allowing female students to wear headscarves in certain religious classes and in certain Islamic schools. As you will see and read, the challenges are daunting. But we remain committed to working tirelessly to ensure religious freedom for all.

I thank you and I will be happy to take your questions.

MR. HENSMAN: Ambassador Johnson Cook has a few minutes for a couple questions. Why don’t we start with --

QUESTION: Thank you, Ambassador. The State Department has been issuing these reports for a long time. Apart from shaming publicly these countries, if they can be shamed, have you detected any change in their behavior over the years? And how does the State Department deal with allies like the Secretary mentioned, like Turkey, Israel, and Saudi Arabia, for being practiced in religious intolerance in varied degrees?

AMBASSADOR COOK: Well, for the first part of the question, in some cases there is change and progress. As I noted in the closing, there was progress in certain countries. Specifically, there was also places where the trends are not increasing and not doing well, and they’re going downward. So we look at the countries that – of particular concern that you’re talking about, that continue to have egregious, ongoing, systematic acts. And so we use different tools. Sometimes they’re sanctioned; sometimes they’re put on the CPC list. It depends on what happens. But we hope that people will take small steps for progress, because what we ultimately want is religious freedom for all in every country.

MR. HENSMAN: Lalit.

QUESTION: Thank you for doing this. The Secretary’s opening remarks mentioned about Hindus, Sikhs, and Buddhists increasingly facing protest and their religious freedom are being attacked in the various countries of the world. Do you know which are the countries? Have you identified the countries where Hindus, Sikhs, and Buddhists are facing problems in exercising their right to religious freedom?

AMBASSADOR COOK: Well, there are several countries. I think – I will refer you to the report, because there are several countries. We don’t want to highlight one particular one. Is there a country that you have a particular concern about?

QUESTION: I have seen some media reports about Pakistan, Afghanistan, about Hindus in Fiji. Do you know any other country where –

AMBASSADOR COOK: Well, in those particular countries, we certainly are concerned about religious minorities, Hindus as well as others. And so we press the governments – we urge the governments to allow religious freedom for all.

MR. HENSMAN: Samir.

QUESTION: Can you tell us what’s new, what’s different from the previous report? And is there any countries you consider sanctioning them?

AMBASSADOR COOK: Well, this is the report for 2012. So every year – I refer you to the report in terms of how they progress. I would say there are certain countries that we’re looking at, as I cited in the end of my remarks, like Vietnam, who have made progress in terms of having – allowing large places of worship. I think each country has its situations, and there are countries that are doing very well.

I had the opportunity, the fortunate opportunity, to visit Saudi Arabia and China, who have been on the Countries of Particular Concern List, as well as Uzbekistan. And so we’ve tried to make small steps. There are some governments that are not moving whatsoever, and particularly in Saudi Arabia they don’t allow non-Islamic persons to have freedom of religion.

So each year is situational, and we progress and we look at all 199 countries, and I think the report will speak for itself.

QUESTION: So do you see progress by the Saudis?

AMBASSADOR COOK: They don’t allow any non-Islamic persons to have religious freedom, so I don’t see progress there.

QUESTION: Like last report.

AMBASSADOR COOK: Their report is very close to where it was last year, very much so. What happened was, though, I was allowed a visit, and so that’s a beginning. We want to continue to be engaged with them.

QUESTION: Yes, please. Ambassador, the Secretary raised the issue of blasphemy. As a matter of fact, become an issue even in a place like Egypt, for example, when like Coptic Egyptian – beside Coptic Egyptian, even Muslims sometimes face this charge of blasphemy. How we are going to handle this issue or record it or even make a report about it?

AMBASSADOR COOK: Well, at all high levels our government has been involved in Egypt, since you cited that, at all high levels across government. We are very concerned. We want to hold accountability for those who are perpetrators of violence. We want to make sure that there’s protection of religious minorities, including Coptic Christians – especially Coptic Christians. And where there’s possibility of reform of laws, we want that to happen. Egypt, as you know, is dealing with a new constitution. As we see it right now, there’s not much room for religious freedom. But we continue to press the government, and as I said, at all levels – high levels – our government has been intervening there.

MR. HENSMAN: Goyal.

QUESTION: Madam, thank you. Burma’s President is here today in the White House, and so in Pakistan new Prime Minister will be there tomorrow. My question is on these two countries before I will one question. That – do you see any change in Burma? Or what message you think this report will have for the President of Burma today while he in U.S.? And also, as far as Pakistan is concerned, as I said, the new Prime Minister Mr. Nawaz Sharif, who is very close to the religious people in Pakistan, do you see any change under his administration since he will be the third-time prime minister of Pakistan?

AMBASSADOR COOK: Okay. Let me just say again, the report is for 2012. On Burma, we didn’t see any improvement in religious freedom. And as long as there’s no improvement of religious freedom, the sanctions will still remain in terms of religious freedom.

In terms of Pakistan, there’s a new government, there’s a new leadership, and I think it remains to be seen how people handle it. As to the question previously, blasphemy is very important to us, and there are many who are being held in prisons still – Asia Bibi and others – about 20 others who are in prison because of their belief. So we have to see what this new government will do. We certainly encourage him and will urge him to again hold accountable the perpetrators of violence and to make sure that there’s protection of religious minorities. And so that’s going to be very important. Human rights is a very high priority for this Administration.

QUESTION: And finally, Madam, on India, how much advice have you taken, as far as this report is concerned, from the international freedom religious commission of the U.S. Commission on Religious Freedom? Because this commission has again – once again – addressed and also is urging the State Department that visas should not be issued to Mr. Narendra Modi, who is the chief minister of the Indian state of Gujarat, who is seeking to come to the U.S. But some of these groups here, including this commission, are still against his arrival in the U.S.

AMBASSADOR COOK: Thank you for your question. The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom, to whom you referred, is an independent commission, also mandated by Congress but they’re an independent commission. So that their references and suggestions are certainly taken into account when we do our reports, but in terms of what they designate, I refer you to the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom, or USCIRF.

MR. HENSMAN: Let’s do one last question.

QUESTION: If I could follow-up on Burma, please? The report mentions that there have been these political changes, this sort of opening up of society and the political system somewhat, and yet you see no improvement in the religious restrictions there. And on the contrary, you’ve actually seen a sort of spike of religious violence targeting various groups in that country. And this question might even apply to other countries, in Egypt and so forth, where there have been political transitions that seem to have led to increased religious tension or violence. Is that your sense, and why would that be?

AMBASSADOR COOK: Well, it’s not for me to determine what my sense is. I guess what you’re asking is, why does this continue to happen in these countries? As we said, in Burma particularly, we see societal and economic – some reform there. But as religious freedom, we haven’t seen much reform. At high levels, again, our Secretary went, and our Assistant Secretary and others went there. We continue to try to engage the government on religious freedom, but at this particular time there has not been an improvement there.

We want to look at – I think the immediate cause is looking at what are the root causes, the systemic causes of this, and we will continue as an office to do that for all 199 countries and watch the trends. Again, we take our information from many sources, but we will monitor the situation closely and where possible, where there’s diplomatic engagement possibilities, we will certainly engage.

MR. HENSMAN: Thank you, everyone.

QUESTION: Thank you, Ambassador.

AMBASSADOR COOK: Thank you.

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Remarks on the Release of the International Religious Freedom Report

The video is available with closed captioning on YouTube.

With that --

SECRETARY KERRY: Thank you, Jen. Thank you very much. Good morning, everybody. How are you?

Well, thanks for being here today for the release of the 2012 International Religious Freedom Report. I am pleased to be here with our Ambassador-at-Large, Suzan Johnson Cook, and I want to thank her and her entire cohort here for their terrific work in helping to put this together. She is doing – they are doing a superb job of advancing religious freedom abroad.

I also want to acknowledge the hard work of a whole bunch of State Department employees both here in Washington and at a lot of posts around the world, because all of them collect the information and do a lot of work throughout the year in order to be able to put this report together. This is not a one- or two-week affair. It’s a long one-year process, ongoing.

Fifteen years ago, I was very proud to join my colleagues in the United States Congress in passing the International Religious Freedom Act, the law that mandates the preparation of this State Department report. This report, as many of you know, shines light on the challenges that people face as they seek nothing more than the basic religious freedom, the right to worship as they wish. And its release here today is a demonstration of the abiding commitment of the American people and the entire U.S. Government to the advancement of freedom of religion worldwide.

Freedom of religion is a core American value. It’s one that helped to create our country. It’s been at the center of our national consciousness since the 1600s, when the Pilgrims fled rebellious – religious persecution and landed in my home state of Massachusetts. And many of these folks settled in the city of Salem, which takes its name from the words “salaam” or “shalom,” meaning “peace.”

But before long, even there, religious strife visited their hometown. Women were accused of witchcraft, and some were burned at the stake. Emerging differences between religious leaders in Massachusetts led some congregations to break away and to found new settlements in what would become Connecticut and Rhode Island. Providence was founded by people who wandered through the woods the entire winter and came out on this expanse of water, and named it Providence for obvious reasons.

So we approach this issue – I certainly do – mindful of our past, and of how as Americans we have at times had to push and work and struggle to fully live up to the promise of our founding. John Winthrop, who happens also to be my granddad from 10 generations back, was born in England, but his passionate faith and his disagreements with the Anglican Church inspired him to lead a ship full of religious dissidents to come to America to seek freedom of worship. And on the deck of the Arabella, he famously said in a sermon that he delivered before they landed: “For we must consider that we shall be as a city upon a hill. The eyes of all people are upon us.” And they have been, and they remain there. And through – though we are obviously far from perfect, no place has ever welcomed so many different faiths to worship so freely as here in the United States of America. It’s something we can be extraordinarily proud of.

But freedom of religion is not an American invention. It’s a universal value. And it’s enshrined in our Constitution and ingrained in every human heart. The freedom to profess and practice one’s faith, to believe or not to believe, or to change one’s beliefs, that is a birthright of every human being. And that’s what we believe. These rights are rightly recognized under international law. The promotion of international religious freedom is a priority for President Obama, and it is a priority for me as Secretary of State. I am making certain, and will continue to, that religious freedom remains an integral part of our global diplomatic engagement.

The release of this report is an important part of those efforts. This report is a clear-eyed, objective look at the state of religious freedom around the world. And when necessary, yes, it does directly call out some of our close friends, as well as some countries with whom we seek stronger ties. And it does so in order to try to make progress, even though we know that it may cause some discomfort.

But when countries undermine or attack religious freedom, they not only unjustly threaten those whom they target; they also threaten their country’s own stability. And we see that in so many places. Attacks on religious freedom are therefore both a moral and a strategic national security concern for the United States.

I also want to note that this report was informed by a broad spectrum of contributors: faith leaders, religious organizations, and journalists. Some of these individuals showed immense bravery in coming forward and sharing their observations. And their stories show that we as an international community have a lot of work to do.

The report chronicles discrimination and violence in countries ranging from established democracies to entrenched dictatorships. It documents that governments around the globe continue to detain, imprison, torture, and even kill people for their religious beliefs. In too many places, governments are also failing to protect minorities from social discrimination and violence. The report identifies global problems of discrimination and violence against religious groups, including Baha’is, Buddhists, Hindus, Jews, Christians, Muslims, and Sikhs.

One troubling trend identified in the report is the potential rise of anti-Semitism. So today I would like to announce that I have named Ira Forman to the position of Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism. Ira has long been a champion of fair treatment for all, and he has worked extensively to combat intolerance. On top of that, he’s also a great guy, and I look forward to supporting him in this vitally important mission. So welcome aboard, Ira.

Lastly, another troubling trend is the increasing use of laws governing blasphemy and apostasy. These laws are frequently used to repress dissent, to harass political opponents, and to settle personal vendettas. Laws such as these violate fundamental freedoms of expression and religion, and we believe they ought to be repealed. And because we defend others’ rights of expression, we are also ensuring that we can express our own views and practice our own faith without fearing for our own safety or our own lives.

That is why, as I travel the world, I do press leaders to do more to safeguard freedom of belief and to promote religious tolerance. And that is why I urge all countries, especially those identified in this report, to take action now to safeguard this fundamental freedom.

While this report underscores the challenges to religious freedom, it is also true that it is harder than ever to restrict human freedom. It has never been easier in all of human history for people to share their views, to find information, to connect with others, even to send messages of desperation that ask for help or that shed light on abuses that are taking place, because of instant communication. So while serious challenges to religious freedom remain, I also could not be more optimistic about the prospects for freedom around the world, because there are great prospects for accountability around the world.

So I thank you very much. I want to turn the floor over to Ambassador Suzan Johnson Cook, who will explain further what the elements of this report are. Thank you.

# # #

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Secretary Kerry To Release Report on International Religious Freedom

Secretary of State John Kerry will release the Annual Report on International Religious Freedom for 2012 on Monday, May 20, 2013, at 11:30 a.m. in the State Department Press Briefing Room.

Secretary Kerry will introduce the report and Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom Suzan Johnson Cook will give remarks and take questions. The report describes the state of religious freedom around the world.

Ambassador Johnson Cook will host a live chat at 1:00 p.m. on the State Department’s official Facebook page. She will answer both pre-submitted and live questions from around the world, for approximately 30 minutes.

Remarks will be open to the press. All members of the press should access the building by the 23rd Street Entrance, and be in place by 11:15 a.m.

Media representatives may attend this event upon presentation of one of the following: (1) A U.S. Government-issued identification card (Department of State, White House, Congress, Department of Defense, or Foreign Press Center), (2) a media-issued photo identification card, or (3) a letter from their employer on letterhead verifying their employment as a journalist, accompanied by an official photo identification card (driver's license, passport).

Instructions for embargoed access of the report will be available, to members of the press only, on Monday, May 20 at 10:30 a.m. in the State Department Press Office, Room 2109. The entire report is EMBARGOED until the end of the press briefing, approximately 12:30 p.m. After the briefing, the report will be available to the public at www.HumanRights.gov.

PRESS CONTACTS:

Office of Press Relations, U.S. Department of State, (202) 647-2492

For updates, follow Ambassador at Large Suzan Johnson Cook on Facebook and Twitter at @HumanRightsGov and @IRFAmbassador, or join the conversation on Twitter at #IRF12.

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External links to other Internet sites should not be construed as an endorsement of the views or privacy policies contained therein.

Remarks at the Annual Meeting of the President's Interagency Task Force to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons

The video is available with closed captioning on YouTube.

Many of the survivors are women and girls, and so as chair of the council this is particularly important to me to struggle to figure out new and innovative ways to avoid the atrocities of human trafficking. But first, I’d like to begin by emphasizing that sexual assault is intolerable in any forms, and I want to begin the meeting by mentioning sexual assault in the military, because of course, we have to work on getting our own house in order.

Just yesterday, President Obama met with the top military leaders, including, of course, Secretary Hagel, and his entire national security team to focus on what we can do to make it clear that sexual assault is a crime and it will not be tolerated, particularly within our own military. It was a productive meeting, and moving forward it is clear that both the White House, the National Security team, and our military leaders are determined to make this a first priority. The only way we are going to maintain a world-class military is if this is not a side issue but is a central issue to the core function of our military. Last week – Tina Tchen is just joining us, who is the Executive Director of the White House Council on Women and Girls – and I hosted a meeting with a number of senators and House members, bipartisan, focusing on legislative strategies to help provide the military with the tools that they need to crack down on this crime as well. So we will be exploring both legislative and executive solutions.

So now let me turn to trafficking. Over the last year, I’ve had the opportunity to meet with many survivors of human trafficking. I visited a center called FAIR Girls right here in DC. They have several offices, but one of them right here, and spending time with these girls, many of them who have suffered atrocities beginning at a young age and endured them for years, are benefitting from the program at FAIR Girls. FAIR stands for Free, Aware, Inspired, and Restored, which I think is a perfect acronym for what the service that they are providing to these young women. And it’s remarkable to see the progress in just a year that these girls have made. I visited the center’s annual celebration gala just last week, and many of the young girls that were so fragile a year ago are already beginning to thrive. And so it reminds me each and every day of the very important work that we are all doing to address this issue.

Last September, President Obama devoted his entire address at the Clinton Global Initiative to the evil – that’s what he called it – the evil of human trafficking. And his message that day was simple, and I quote: “To the survivors, we see you, we hear you, we insist on your dignity, and we share your belief that if just given the chance you will forge a life equal to your talents and worthy of your dreams.” The work that we do each and every day reinforces that very core message, and we’ve made a tremendous amount of progress in this last year and so I’m looking forward to today’s presentations because you’ll have the chance to talk not just about what we’ve accomplished, which is important, but also the road ahead and what we’re going to continue to do to stay vigilant on this issue as we prevent trafficking, protect victims, prosecute offenders, and partner with civil society both here at home as well as around the world. And so I look forward to hearing from each of you.

And now I have the pleasure of introducing our Chief of Staff Denis McDonough. Welcome, Denis.

MR. MCDONOUGH: Thank you, Valerie, and it’s good to see all our colleagues here, and thanks very much for this opportunity. As I look back a year ago when we met and consider all the stuff that we’ve accomplished since then, I feel quite proud of that, but also I’m very proud of the work of the team around here, in particular our colleagues at State but not only. Everybody’s got a piece of this action.

Obviously, the President, as he laid out in his speech at the UN, remains very committed to fighting human trafficking areas. As with much of our agenda, as we open the second term here, renewed energy on this topic and particularly since the President tasked us as this working group or this task force last year to identify administrative actions that we could take internationally and domestically to combat trafficking, things that we can do of our own accord and with our own authorities.

So over the past year, the Executive Branch has accomplished important goals to name – let me just name a couple of those. One is the presidential executive order to strengthen our federal government’s existing zero-tolerance policy on human trafficking in government contracting, and that’s currently being implemented by the development of regulations here in OMB to address overseas contracting, agency training, and interagency analysis.

Two, the development of comprehensive, cross-government victims services strategic action plan that outlines additional steps that government would take in the next five years to better protect and support victims. The plan has been released for public comment and will be finalized by September of this year.

Third, several public-private partnerships to increase services to survivors here and abroad and to provide cutting-edge technology tools for survivors and law enforcement. Let me in particular underscore the work of Todd Park and the interagency technology gurus in this regard. The briefing that Todd gave the President in the Oval Office, I think was quite – not only quite compelling but a nice byline – or a nice topline which said we’re going to use the technology to get the bad guys. So I thought that was pretty good.

Lastly, the launch of two new initiatives, the Counter-Trafficking in Persons Campus Challenge and Made in a Free World, both efforts to spur awareness on college campuses and among consumers and suppliers throughout the supply chain.

So the goal of today’s meeting is to recommit the Executive Branch to continuing to act and – think and act broadly and creatively to eliminate human trafficking. I think we’ve made a good head start on that, and this is a good opportunity for us to continue it. So I want to just say thanks to the whole team for that effort.

And Mr. Secretary, I think we’re going to go to you next.

SECRETARY KERRY: Thank you very much, Denis. First of all, Valerie, thank you for your chairmanship and leadership on issues with respect to women and girls, and particularly this issue. I appreciate your convening us here at the White House. And Denis, thank you very much for getting over here and taking time to be part of this effort.

As we all know, we’re kind of running under a very tight clock here, and this is a terrific opportunity to have a kind of summary view of everything and a sharing of what everybody is doing, and in the conglomerate there’s really a very powerful message here. I’m thrilled to chair this for the first time. As everybody knows, we have a terrific support team at State who have been working on this, led by our good ambassador, Luis CdeBaca, and thank you for your efforts, Luis.

This is an issue that I first kind of came across when I was Chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, and I was just stunned by the stories, the examples of the evil that Valerie just referred to and the President talked about. It is nothing less than the most predatory, extraordinarily abusive modern slavery that you could conceivably imagine. And the stories, the instances of young girls, some on occasion less than in their teens, most often in teens and upwards, women, the degradation, the depravity, not just in terms of sex traffic and sex trade but also labor, in the labor market. And there are so many good efforts that are going on here.

So what we hope to achieve, what we will achieve through this sharing, is the telling of a story that the world really needs to understand. And I think America should be very, very proud of the efforts that the President has put together and led and which are manifested at this table, where you have cabinet secretaries of major agencies of our government and other agencies that have all come together in, frankly, one of the better examples of coordination and accomplishment. So I think there’s much to be proud of here.

Everybody here understands the impact of human trafficking. I mean, it tears apart communities, tears apart families, challenges, rule of law, not to mention that it is a moral obscenity. And we have seen a recent example in a city in America where people for 10 years, three women, were held in captivity. It can happen in people’s neighborhoods and does, and it happens in all kinds of different ways. I learned a lot about this when I was a prosecutor, and I began one of the first victim witness assistance programs in America because so many people were being victimized twice, once by the crime and then again by the system. And what we’re doing here, I think is proving that we can push the proverbial rock up the hill and actually get it over the top and make good things happen.

The Obama Administration has – I can say this because I’m new to it – put together an unprecedented, absolutely unprecedented effort that is represented at this table. And so the stories today of what each agency is going – and we invite, obviously, our livestream audience to sort of really focus in on it – is a tremendous story of governance actually working and of people achieving their goals. And while there would just be an encapsulated snapshot of what that is, I think it’s one that tells a terrific story.

This is the concern of law enforcement, but it’s also the concern of diplomacy, of healthcare providers, of immigration officials, of all government, and that’s why this is such a representative table. The only way to ensure an adequate outcome in this kind of a challenge is to have the kind of cross-government holistic approach that is represented here. So I want to start my chairmanship by pledging my complete commitment to our whole-of-government approach and ask that every single one of you just continue to champion this in the way that you have been.

All of us understand also that government alone can’t do this. We just can’t do this alone, which is why one of the awards we’re giving today is to the private sector because we recognize the criticality of the private sector being involved – all employers, all components of the private sector particularly.

So all the stakeholders have to come to here to this initiative, and we’re going to do everything in our power to reach out to them. And we will support new approaches, new practices to spur action and accelerate our progress on this issue, which though considerable, every single one of us knows 27 million women, girls, people – not always women and girls incidentally, as we know. In the fishing industry in other parts of the world, people are just pressed in as they were hundreds of years ago to forced labor. So there’s an enormous challenge for all of us. America under the Obama Administration and the President’s leadership is setting a moral example here, a standard of applying conscience to governance, which I think really stands out.

It’s our pleasure here today, and I’m excited to present the first ever Presidential Award for Extraordinary Efforts to Combat Trafficking in Persons. I’d like to welcome Florrie Burke and Tammy Lee Stanoch, who join us today, and ask them if they’d stand. Come up and join me at the podium. Florrie Burke has been a pioneer in this movement from its very earliest days, and I talked a moment ago about victims-centered approach, putting the rights and needs of victims first when you deal with this kind of crime. The fact that we do that really is because of Florrie and her leadership. Over the past 15 years she has been working tirelessly as an advocate in the field to protect victims and help survivors get their lives back on track. And at the same time she’s trained service providers and first responders around the world in order to recognize and respond to this crime.

So I can say without any question, Florrie, you are a hero, a true hero. We are grateful for your remarkable leadership and it’s our honor to be able to present you this first ever presidential award. Would you read the citation, Mr. Ambassador?

AMBASSADOR CDEBACA: “For her sustained dedication and unparalleled leadership in combatting modern slavery through the development and delivery of comprehensive services, the empowerment of survivors to move from slavery to independence, and the transformation of policy to eradicate all forms of human trafficking.” Ms. Florrie Burke. (Applause.)

(The award was presented.)

SECRETARY KERRY: Well done. I was just explaining to her the snaps on that are very hard – (laughter). I was sort of hoping that it stays. (Laughter.)

Tammy Lee Stanoch is the Vice President for Corporate Affairs for the global hospitality and travel company Carlson. Carlson is an amazing company in Minneapolis, in 150 countries, 2,200 restaurants and hotels, and they have been an amazing leader. And fighting human trafficking is just part of the way that they do business, and it has been for a long time. We’re proud of that.

Modern slavery is an enormous issue within the tourism industry, and it has been for a long time. If you work for Carlson, though, you have the tools to recognize human trafficking when you see it, and that’s because of their proactive leadership in order to make sure that their employees do that. They are pushing their corporate partners to deal with this problem, and they are exactly the kind of private sector leader that we need in order to win this fight. So thank you very, very much.

Would you step forward, and it would be my honor to present you with this recognition, the Presidential Award for Extraordinary Efforts in Combatting Trafficking.

MS. STANOCH: Thank you, Secretary Kerry.

SECRETARY KERRY: Thank you so much.

(The award was presented.)

MS. STANOCH: Thank you. (Applause.)

SECRETARY KERRY: Congratulations, Tammy and Florrie. And we ask you both if you could remain for the rest (inaudible) invite you to be part of it for certain, and look forward to a very productive conversation today. As I mentioned, we are sort of under the gun. I know everybody is prepared to do that. But I think it provides the kind of energy to it in a way as we proceed through it, and I know everybody would be interested in what everybody else is doing.

So my pleasure to introduce Ambassador Luis CdeBaca, who heads our Office to Monitor and Control Trafficking in Persons. Luis, thank you so much for your leadership.

AMBASSADOR CDEBACA: Thank you, Mr. Secretary, for your clear commitment to the fight against modern slavery. This time of year there are a lot of dedicated abolitionists burning the midnight oil at the State Department’s Trafficking Office, embassies around the world, and in our interagency partners. We’re about a month away from releasing the Annual Trafficking in Persons Report.

As we look at what governments around the world, including the United States, are doing to respond to this crime, we see a common indicator of success. Whether a country with a highly developed and sophisticated judicial system or a country hampered by a lack of resources, success correlates with the political will and strong coordination among agencies. The medal that was just presented, the symbolism of the eagle breaking the chains, those chains don’t break by themselves. It takes everyone working across government to bring freedom to those people.

In his speech at the Lincoln Memorial, Dr. King characterized emancipation as a blank check, sadly never cashed. Now, with the example of President Obama and the leadership of all at this table, let this be the year when we make a serious down payment on that account.

Thank you, Mr. Secretary.

SECRETARY KERRY: Thank you very much, Ambassador. We are going to focus on four areas. We’re running a little behind, so I’m going to cut my own comments here quickly. But just to say that we plan to launch a new in-person registration process to deal with some of the domestic workers that come over with respect to our diplomats and people abroad. Believe it or not, there have been some bad situations there. And we’re getting partnership – finalized a partnership with the law firm DLA Piper because we want to provide legal services to people in various parts of the world, and they’ve agreed to try to help do that.

So that’s a quick run over a couple of things that we’re doing, among others. Let me turn to Cecilia Munoz – Munoz – who will highlight the importance of a comprehensive victim approach.

MS. MUNOZ: Thank you very much, Mr. Secretary. And let me just add my thanks to the whole group for all the hard work that everyone’s been doing over the past year. As has already been said, this is tremendously important work. It’s an honor to be part of it. And to just refer to what Secretary Kerry just spoke of as the rolling a proverbial rock uphill, the rock in a sense is the arduous work of working all across the government in a coordinated way, in a way that allows us to pull together what is a comprehensive approach, an integrated approach, to really make sure that we create a whole which is greater than the sum of the parts that all of the agencies are contributing. So I’m going to highlight three developments that I hope will facilitate that approach.

First, you heard Denis mention the President’s directive that his Administration create a Victim Services Strategic Action Plan. And under the leadership of HHS, DHS, and DOJ, really every agency around this table has participated in developing this action plan to strengthen services for victims of trafficking. The idea, again, is for the plan to be comprehensive, for it to be action-oriented, and to make sure that it meets the needs of all victims. So I look forward to hearing more about that from the Attorney General and from Secretary Sebelius today.

Another goal that the President highlighted is the creation of the first-ever interagency national human trafficking assessment. So this really means mobilizing a broad set of interagency stakeholders to begin what is actually an extraordinary task of culling reams of trafficking related information that’s really scattered all across the federal government to make sure that we can analyze it with an eye towards assessing the domestic dimensions of the problem and putting forth recommendations. So that’s going to help us as a federal government better allocate law enforcement resources, identifying hot spots where we see trafficking activity across the United States, and revealing transit patterns that can help us identify what’s going on with victim recruitment and exploitation.

And then finally, I should just note that we received a report of recommendations from the President’s Advisory Council on Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships on ways that the Federal Government can strengthen its work and its partnerships with communities across the country in fighting trafficking. You heard the Secretary say we can’t expect to do this effectively alone as a Federal Government; we need as many partners as possible.

And among the recommendations, the council suggested that the Federal Government identify gaps in services and programs and identify philanthropic and community partners to fill those gaps. And they also urge that a single trafficking hotline be designated as the primary hotline that’s promoted to the public. So there is a full report with 10 recommendations that I commend the group. We are reviewing them and look forward to working with the council, and of course look forward to continuing to work with all of you.

There’s a lot of good work that’s happened since this group met last year. We all know there’s a lot more to do, and we look forward to being part of those efforts. Thanks.

SECRETARY KERRY: Thanks, Cecilia, very, very much. Appreciate it. And indeed, we do look forward to hearing from the Attorney General.

ATTORNEY GENERAL HOLDER: Well, thank you, Mr. Secretary. I appreciate this opportunity to discuss the Justice Department’s ongoing efforts to serve and support victims of human trafficking crimes. This is, has been, and will be a priority for this Department of Justice. DOJ’s victims of office crimes – Office of Victims of Crime has been a critical leader in advancing this work through OVC’s strategic planning effort for crime victim services. And this is an effort that’s known as Vision 21. We’ve identified the need for comprehensive legal services for all victims, including victims of human trafficking.

Too often crime victims are unable to realize the full measure of justice because they simply don’t have access to the legal services that they need. In response, OVC is developing a really comprehensive capacity-building effort to expand the availability of pro bono legal assistance for victims of crime. We’re bringing together the full array of legal service providers and crime victim services to create really what is an integrated network that will support victims of crime from the moment of victimization until they are made whole again. Already OVC has identified six pilot sites across the country to implement this initiative, and these sites will initially focus on victims of human trafficking.

Now, beyond this work, we’re strengthening and expanding victim law. This is OVC’s comprehensive website that maintains a searchable database of federal, state, and tribal victim’s rights laws and pertinent case law. OVC will expand victim watch to include information on rights and precedent-setting case law relevant to human trafficking victims. Victim law will also serve as a critical resource for our pro bono and nonprofit legal service partners who may not have access to expensive online case research services. And in addition, as our new strategic action plan makes clear, we must continue to invest in research and work to identify evidence-based practices for combating trafficking (inaudible). And to this end, the Department’s National Institute of Justice is supporting really cutting-edge research on the prevalence and the patterns of both labor and sex trafficking. And we’re striving to finally answer the critical question: Exactly how many trafficking victims are there in the United States? We don’t know that. We don’t know that just yet.

NIJ is also supporting evaluation studies to develop best practices in victim identification screening and services, and we’re working to ensure that we can provide help in a manner that’s both adequate and effective. So together, OVC, the Bureau of Justice Assistance, the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, and the FBI are also continuing to offer state-of-the-art training and technical assistance to communities throughout the country, including Justice Department-funded and U.S. Attorney-led anti-human trafficking task forces.

So moving forward, we plan to increase strategic and operational coordination with the Departments of Homeland Security and Health and Human Services and we intend to release a comprehensive process map of Federal Government services to identify potential resource gaps. In close cooperation with the Human Smuggling and Trafficking Center, we are working to provide federal agencies with geography-based information on current services, formal collaborations, and also available law enforcement data, and this will help to identify areas for improvement.

In addition, the Department will offer training and technical assistance to a variety of stakeholders, including first responders, law enforcement officials, organizations that work with at-risk youth, and victims of domestic and sexual – domestic violence and sexual assault.

And finally, I want to acknowledge the critical role that the FBI plays in advancing our victim services efforts. The FBI’s Civil Rights unit and its Office for Victim Assistance really developed a protocol for agents who are working with victim specialists during human trafficking investigations. And this illustrates the victim-centered approach that the FBI really now employs in such investigations. By developing brochures in various languages to give to victims of human trafficking with limited English proficiency, the FBI has also helped to enhance communication with victims during the investigation meant to foster greater participation in the entire criminal justice process. So that’s, I think, gives you an overview of where we are with regard to how we are approaching this whole question of victim services.

SECRETARY KERRY: Thank you very much, General. Appreciate that. And obviously, HHS is at the middle of all of this when it comes to victim services. Secretary Sebelius.

SECRETARY SEBELIUS: Well, thank you, Secretary Kerry. And I want to thank you for your leadership, picking up the mantle of this really important initiative. And certainly the White House partners are focused and dedicated to this as a huge priority.

We certainly agree with your assessment that the worst of all worlds is to have the victims of trafficking be revictimized again by not having the services and support to rebuild and recover. So that’s really been our focus, and we have a very dedicated team at the Department of Health and Human Services, really led by our Agency for Children and Families, but coordinating across the Department because these victims need a whole variety of services.

I want to give you a couple of examples of what has happened, and I think it gives an indication that this effort is really beginning to pay off. So our hotline fielded more than 20,000 calls in Fiscal 2012, which is a 74 percent increase over the calls in 2010, a sign that more victims are reaching out, more community members are aware, and more people are actually seeking help, and that’s very good news. We also recognize that when survivors reach out, we have to do a better job connecting them with comprehensive services. So this past year we’ve been working to ensure the community’s working with victims were able to access legal services, improve the quality and access to traditional medical services, but also mental health services, which often are so critical to survivors.

To build on the work, the President’s budget reflects $10 million in new investments to our Department to strengthen and specialize services to victims of domestic human trafficking, bringing greater parity to the national support structure. We’ve also paid close attention to child welfare and homeless youth programs and working on guidance that strengthens protections for domestic victims of child sex trafficking, one of the most horrific aspects of this terrible crime. The guidance helps child protection professionals across the country by enhancing their ability to identify and better serve victims of child trafficking, and we are co-chairing, as has been mentioned, with the Departments of Justice and Homeland Security a process to develop a comprehensive federal plan.

Now, a lot of you in this room have participated in that planning strategy. The Federal Strategic Action Plan was released by the White House last month and is open for public comment until May 24^th. And we have already received more than 100 comments and ideas and look forward actually receiving more. So there’s an innovative online platform designed to enhance public engagement and maximize transparency. We’ll take those comments and finalize the plan later this year and we are confident that it will mark an historic step, really, to make a comprehensive approach to combat human trafficking.

SECRETARY KERRY: Thank you, Madam Secretary, very, very much. David Hayes of the Department of the Interior. Thank you.

DEPUTY SECRETARY HAYES: Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Secretary. There are two areas where the Department of the Interior is focusing on human trafficking in particular. One is in Indian country. There’s a great concern in Indian country about abuse of women and trafficking, and in 2011 a human trafficking working group was set up for Indian country. It’s developed a protocol to address the reporting and investigation of sex trafficking violations. And last year, it secured, with the Department of Justice’s cooperation, a prosecution of a man for 16 counts of sex trafficking in Indian country. The Bureau of Indian Affairs recently also has hired six specialists to work in Victims Services. These folks are trained to recognize violations of sex trafficking and provide community response for shelter and for treatment and other needs of victims.

The other area where we’re focusing in the Interior Department is in our insular areas. The Commonwealth, for example, of Northern Marianas Islands, Guam, Palau, American Samoa – these are all under our jurisdiction. There’s a very bad history here. Things are better now, but we are monitoring the situation carefully, and our office of Insular Affairs has recently hired a specialist to work, in particular, with the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas Islands with a human trafficking intervention coalition there. And they work to provide visa services to women who are in trouble so that they can be protected from inappropriate situations. So we appreciate the opportunity to work across government cooperatively with our many colleagues on these important fronts.

SECRETARY KERRY: David, thank you very much. And I know you are facing some historic challenges, so we really appreciate your efforts in that area.

Now Seth Harris, Acting Secretary of Labor.

SECRETARY HARRIS: Thank you very much, Mr. Secretary. Thank you, Valerie. (Inaudible.) Let me say how much we appreciate our partnership with Ambassador Cdebaca and his office, Mr. Secretary.

We know that affording victims of human trafficking the tools that they need to achieve economic self-sufficiency is a critical component of the victim services continuum, and we know that helping them to find jobs in an important part of economic self-sufficiency. And our colleagues at HHS and DOJ fund some terrific programs that provide a range of services to survivors. And those services include employment and training services, but those services are somewhat time-limited, and so the survivor sometimes needs additional services. And one resource for those services, particularly in local communities, is the Labor Department’s network of American Job Centers, which are one-stop centers around the country that provide employment and training services ranging from access to computers, and resonate advice and local labor market information, workshops, job training services, the whole spectrum of job services.

So the challenge that we are facing is how to integrate the DOJ-HHS funded programs with our programs so that survivors have seamless services from the Federal Government without having to work through all the complexities of our programs. So we are working to complement and engage with the terrific work of our colleagues in the other departments by enhancing coordination and awareness that exists between these multiple systems.

We’ve also taken steps to enhance the public workforce system’s – our system’s – ability to deliver these services. We’ve given out guidance to the system, and we’re following up with webinars and other training efforts and formal conference calls. The entire effort is geared towards getting those who are working DOJ and HHS at the front end of the victims’ services continuum to be fully integrated with our system to provide deeper services where they are necessary and helpful.

Lastly, let me just say we most typically encounter trafficking when we’re enforcing important laws like the Fair Labor Standards Act, minimum wage, and overtime protections. And so our wage and our (inaudible) investigators who are in – worked all across the United States are often the first set of eyes on a circumstance that may actually suggest that there has been trafficking. So what we have undertaken to do is to train those investigators to understand better what other services are available apart from those that we provide in the Labor Department, and how to refer out survivors we’ve found so that they can get full continuum for services that they need.

SECRETARY KERRY: Seth, thank you very much. I’ve got a little note here saying we’re still running a little behind, so if anybody has that marvelous ability to edit on the run – (laughter) – we welcome that talent.

The next here is rule of law. Suffice it to say, it is a top foreign policy priority and we press it in every respect in intelligence gathering, law enforcement, cross-country cooperation. We then want to turn quickly to our law enforcement folks to really fill us in on this, and we’re going to turn to Tony Blinken representing NSA.

MR. BLINKEN: Let me just start by thank you for your personal commitment to this cause. It makes a very big difference. You’re exactly right that a key to our approach to combatting trafficking is promoting effective legal regimes and law enforcement abroad and also at home. The Attorney General, my colleagues in the Department of Homeland Security, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, the Equal Opportunity Employment Commission, I think will talk to some of the specifics that we’ve engaged in.

Let me just take a moment to describe some of the efforts we’ve been making internationally over the past year. And I think it’s fair to say that we’ve witnessed great strides over the past year, led by the President and his direct engagement with leaders of foreign governments in this effort. A couple of examples: The President made a historic visit to Burma last November, and combatting human trafficking was very much a part of the agenda with the Burmese President Thein Sein. In the days leading up to the visit, the U.S. and the Burmese Governments announced a new joint plan on trafficking in persons to guide our cooperation on this issues. So this is a very concrete demonstration, the fact that we can use the President’s engagements abroad to leverage progress on these issues.

On that very same trip, which he made to other countries in East Asia, he met with the heads of state of the 10 Association of Southeast Asian Nations, and they agreed to improve cooperative efforts to combat trafficking, including by harmonizing legal frameworks and increasing cross-border investigations.

And then just this past March here at the White House, the President hosted the leaders of Sierra Leone, Malawi, Senegal, and Cape Verde, and that was another opportunity for us to underscore our commitment to working with strong and emerging African nations on the question of trafficking. This is also translating into very concrete and tangible results from the very specific investigations that lead to prosecutions to actual changes in people – in countries’ legal codes.

Just two quick examples: Cameroon recently achieved its first-ever successful trafficking prosecution. An officer (inaudible) attended a State Department-funded police training program, and thereafter he successfully investigated a forced begging case that involved 98 children. He reunited the children who were between the ages of seven and twelve with their families. And those responsible are now serving time, 20 years of prison. And on a broader level, after intensified engagement with the Republic of Korea over the past year, that’s helped lead to the passage of a comprehensive (inaudible) criminal law prohibiting all forms of human trafficking for the first time. Looking forward, the President’s going to be using his engagements over the coming year to advance the cause and to make this very much a part of our dialogue with the two countries.

And then, of course, we’re looking forward to the upcoming release of the State Department’s annual Trafficking in Persons report. This report, which assesses other nations’ progress in combatting human trafficking, and since 2010 our own progress, is a key tool to leverage progress. With that, let me turn it to the Attorney General.

ATTORNEY GENERAL HOLDER: Thank you. Well, as part of the Department’s interagency collaboration with the Department of Labor and HHS, we’ve started something that’s known as the Anti-Trafficking Coordination team, or ACT team. And this collaboration has led us to create interagency teams of federal agents and prosecutors who worked to develop high-impact trafficking cases. We have six ACT teams around the countries. In partnership with DHS and DOL, we’ve also developed and continue to deliver intensive week-long advanced human trafficking training programs so that we can exchange expertise among national human trafficking experts.

And we’re also continuing to strengthen our U.S.-Mexico Bilateral Human Trafficking Enforcement Initiative. This is a vital relationship that we have to make sure flourishes. Under this program, we’re developing bilateral investigations and prosecutions of sex traffickers who operate across the U.S. and Mexico borders, and it allows us to charge human traffickers in both the United States and in Mexico, to apprehend and extradite fugitive sex traffickers, to locate and rescue victims in both the United States and Mexico, and to continue to locate and recover victims killed or who are held by trafficking networks.

So the relationship there, as I said, is an extremely important one. We’ll also be using our FBI to develop cases. And since 2009, we have prosecuted more human trafficking cases than ever before. The FBI’s victim – the FBI’s Violent Crime Against Children section also makes important contributions, and particularly through the Innocence Lost Initiative. This focuses on investigation of the commercial sexual exploitation of children here in the United States. And between 2008 and 2012, this section also coordinated operation across country one through six. Now, these national law enforcement efforts were conducted over three- to five-day periods and safely recovered 328 child victims of commercial sexual exploitation, and they resulted in the arrests of 430 suspects who engaged in this exploitation.

In addition, the FBI’s Civil Rights Unit has begun coordinating with the Criminal Justice Information Systems and Information Technology divisions to develop software to capture all human trafficking case data and to make this information available for uniform crime reporting statistics purposes. So this software in question will collect human trafficking data from law enforcement agencies throughout the U.S., and we expect to deploy it in the coming months.

SECRETARY KERRY: Thank you very much, Attorney General. Appreciate it.

Rand Beers, representing Homeland Security.

MR. BEERS: Thank you, Secretary Kerry. In 2010, Secretary Napolitano launched the DHS Blue Campaign, which is an effort to bring together throughout the Department our anti-human trafficking effort. Using DHS’s authority – investigative authority over these cases, we collect tips, we launch investigations, we rescue victims, and we assist in successful prosecutions.

In 2012, our Immigration and Customs Enforcement opened almost 900 cases, rescued over 300 trafficking victims, and made over 950 arrests. In turn, federal prosecutors obtained 380 convictions. That’s up from 300 arrests and 144 convictions in 2010, and I think represents the progress that we at DHS – but we in the interagency have all made in this area. Our Blue Campaign is very much linked in this area with the FBI and the Department of Justice and the human trafficking – Smuggling and Trafficking Center that we sponsor.

So we work together across the interagency. And as an example of that, on May 1^st this interagency effort led to ICE’s arrest of 13 individuals in New York City, which may be part of a much larger transnational network of sex traffickers, which we will work together with the law enforcement – broader law enforcement community to take down.

In addition to that, we’ve been working with our state and local fusion centers to ensure that they are adequately trained in terms of the law enforcement needs and requirements to bring together the tips that will help start the investigations that will hopefully lead to the prosecutions. But we’re also working with our immigration responsibility to streamline the T visa application process and provide clearer guidance on how to obtain this particular non-immigrant visa, and we will continue to do this while ensuring the integrity of the immigration system.

We’ve also, through the Victim’s Assistance Program, served over 1,200 victims in the last year to ensure that they have access to medical and mental health and legal assistance while also including long-term immigration relief for them. As our frontline partners, and we work together, we are also looking at how in the immigration area we can strengthen the ability to provide for those victims to have continued presence in the United States and to have access to both the T and the U visas.

So these are some of the examples that we at DHS but really we as an interagency are doing, working together in this particular area, and we look forward to continuing that effort. Thank you.

SECRETARY KERRY: Thank you very much, Rand. Appreciate it. Stephanie O’Sullivan, the principal deputy director of DNI.

MS. O’SULLIVAN: For the intelligence community, trafficking in persons is a national security issue contributing to national instability, corruption, and crime around the globe. To combat it, we have implemented priorities, intelligence priorities, in alignment with the threat outlined by the President. This has allowed us to leverage more resources against trafficking in persons and to put in place an on-course collection strategy. Our efforts mean that we can address our resources and our attention to the worst of offenders, many of whom could not be located without unique intelligence information.

We have already seen a measurable uptick in intelligence in human information and we will continue to look into ways to increase our analytic focus. The Department of State’s intelligence arm, the Bureau of Intelligence and Resources[1], is leading the way with a decision to devote an analyst to this issue. We look forward to delivering increased returns from these efforts in the coming year.

SECRETARY KERRY: Thank you very much, Stephanie. Appreciate that. We will move now – we’re going to jump ahead slightly to the Federal Procurement. I’ll just say one quick word about it. In my trips to Iraq and Afghanistan through the years, I’ve heard lots of stories about concerns of possible exploitation (inaudible) third-country nationals who are supporting our work overseas. And there are lots of stories of workers struggling under force and fraud and coercion and violence, fear, isolation, paying back impossible debts for all of these procurement components.

So I want to hand it over to Joe Jordan, the administrator for Procurement Policy at the White House, just so he can lead us into this.

MR. JORDAN: Thank you, Mr. Secretary. In my brief remarks, I want to do two things – first of all, update the group on our progress implementing the executive order that Denis mentioned around preventing trafficking in persons in our government supply chain, and then second, deliver a thank you to you and your teams, because as the Secretary mentioned at the top, this really has been a concerted and collaborative effort between all of your agencies.

As the single largest buyer of goods and services in the world, we bear a significant responsibility as the federal government to ensure that no taxpayer dollars are used to contribute to human trafficking. And we’ve long had the zero-tolerance policy. However, as the stories that Secretary Kerry mentioned, that we’ve heard around the table, more work is needed in this area to effectively prevent and redress trafficking throughout our federal government supply chain.

So last fall, the President issued an executive order that really sent an important message to would-be lawbreakers that the United States Government is serious in combating human trafficking throughout our supply chain with prime and sub-contractors. And this past winter, Congress sent an important message of its own with its legislation strengthening the Trafficking Victims Protection Act.

An interagency team has drafted changes to our government-wide regulations in this area. We expect to have those regulations out for comment this summer. They’ll, first of all, clarify what constitutes trafficking in the federal procurement supply chain; secondly, prohibit contractors and sub-contractors from engaging in specific activities, such as confiscating employee identity documents or fraudulent recruiting practices, things of that nature; and third, will require contractors and sub-contractors to have compliance plans and certify that their employees do not engage in or become complicit to these human trafficking activities.

We held a public meeting earlier this spring to get comments from contractors as well as all the stakeholders in this area, and we’ve also initiated an effort – excuse me – to identify sectors or industries within the United States along with PTIF to – that may have a history of trafficking.

So again, thank you for this concerted and collaborative effort, and we look forward to implementing these regulations.

SECRETARY KERRY: Well, thank you, Joe. And I’ll just say we obviously all understand the tight budgets. We are going to do everything we can, and we’re committing to funding the things that we need to do through the State Department in order to keep on this. So I can promise you we will stay at that.

MR. JORDAN: Thank you.

SECRETARY KERRY: Let me turn to Deputy Secretary Ash Carter of DOD.

DEPUTY SECRETARY CARTER: Hi. Thanks, Mr. Secretary. Joe said that the U.S. Federal Government is the largest purchaser of goods and services – Department of Defense – within that is the largest purchaser of goods and services, and a great deal of it abroad, a great deal of it in association with the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, really at unprecedented levels over the last few years. And we’ve had – we have really striven to be careful that no taxpayer dollars contribute to trafficking.

So the way you do that is to make sure that the contracts contain a provision. Just like they require the contractors to do all the other things, it requires them not to participate in trafficking. So you need to get the clause in the contract, then you need to oversee the contract and the execution of the contract. Just like every other provision of the contract, make sure that it is obeyed and that penalties are imposed when it’s not. And then ironically, some of these practices that we had established, Mr. Secretary, in association with overseas contingency contracting, we’ve brought home and applied them to contracts and their execution here in the States.

One last word. Just like everything else – and Valerie mentioned sexual assault – you have to – and we need to make sure that our people are aware of and understand that this is incompatible with the profession of arms and it’s incompatible with the reputation we want to have around the world, which is to be a force for good. So we have a number of training programs. We’re all required to take periodic training in trafficking and (inaudible) other things affronts to the dignity of the nation and the world. So we completely understand our responsibilities in this regard are predetermined.

SECRETARY KERRY: Well, we appreciate that very, very much, Ash. Thank you very much for that commitment. And it’s critical, obviously.

Needless to say, AID has a huge component of responsibility here. Raj Shah, thank you for being part of this.

ADMINISTRATOR SHAH: Thank you, Mr. Secretary. Just three quick points. One is very akin to what Ash just described. We’ve implemented a code of conduct, and by the end of this year we’ll have trained all 9,600 of our team members around the world to enforce contract language that will ensure that American investment doesn’t lead to trafficking. We’ve focused in particular on disaster and conflict-affected areas, because we know it’s after the Haiti earthquake or after cyclones or weather events when things are most acute and most likely to go south.

Second, we’ve really expanded the range of results-oriented investments we’ve made in places where we know risks are very high. Just as one example, in the eastern Congo, in DRC, this past year we’ve expanded efforts and are now supporting 2,300 children who have been victims and who are being reintegrated back into communities, including 40 young boys that just a few weeks ago were recovered from armed groups there. And part of why this is more successful now is a public-private partnership with local mining companies and other interests that help us identify and expand the reach of more traditional NGOs. Those kinds of efforts, Afghanistan will be our largest new effort in this coming year. And we continue to expand investments in other parts of the world.

Lastly, we’ve had a real focus with Todd Park and others on public outreach efforts that can be at work here in the United States and around the world. One component of that was the launch of the CTIP Campus Challenge, which we launched at Pepperdine University this year. We’ve seen a huge thirst across universities in the United States and around the world. Young people are eager to come up with solutions and be part of the fight. We now have 2,300 students that are part of this effort. We’re expanding to more than 100 countries, including the first local campus challenge being conducted in the Ukraine.

And in addition to just expanding awareness, these are student groups coming up with some really innovative solutions. One is the creation of a social media-based victim identification database and public hotline for Africa. Another is a series of online tools to help consumers everywhere check product sourcing to ensure that it’s free from trafficking.

So we’re very excited about these types of efforts and engagements. And then, finally, Tony mentioned the President’s visit to Burma. One of our really important public-private partnerships has been with MTV, and through our efforts MTV has reached more than 300 million people through advertising and other forms. And we thought it was noteworthy that this past year, the largest public gathering in Burma was a MTV-sponsored concert to raise awareness amongst people there about the risks of trafficking, and more than 70,000 people gathered for the first time in a long time in downtown Rangoon to celebrate, go to the concert, and to learn a little bit.

So some of these efforts can work, and we’ve been expanding our efforts with strong support and strong partnership from across the government, and I’m proud to be a part of this.

SECRETARY KERRY: That’s great. Thank you very much, Raj. Appreciate it.

Michael Scuse, where – you’re on, Deputy Secretary USDA.

DEPUTY SECRETARY SCUSE: Thank you, Mr. Secretary. The United States Department of Agriculture recognizes that human trafficking is a critically important issue, and we’re glad to be here today to participate in this interagency (inaudible). And I look forward to having my team continue to work in partnership with experts from your agencies to identify opportunities for coordinated action while also engaging new areas in our Department in the fight against trafficking.

On April 12^th, 2011, USDA published guidelines containing a key list of practices that should be considered by those who want to adopt a program to reduce child and forced labor in their supply chains. The Department of Labor is funding a pilot project to test those guidelines, and we are very appreciative of that. USDA issued Agriculture Acquisition Regulation Advisory Number 99 in August of 2011. This advisory requires USDA contracting officers to include management and workforce practices as a technical evaluation factor for all agricultural commodity purchases under the Federal Acquisition Regulation Part 15. USDA has also included specific references to the FAR clause on Combating Trafficking in Persons in the recent requests for proposals and in contracts awarded, and is exploring other steps that we can take to emphasize the seriousness of this issue.

We also look forward to working with the task force on joint training and information efforts to learn about ways to heighten the awareness of USDA’s field staff and detecting and reporting suspected violations of human trafficking.

Thank you, Mr. Secretary.

SECRETARY KERRY: Thank you, Michael, very, very much.

We’re going to turn now to our third area, which is public outreach. Obviously, you can’t solve this problem alone, as I said earlier. You’ve got to reach out to everybody and create partners. So we’re going to begin that discussion in the private sector, media, the public here in the United States and abroad, everywhere. I’d like to turn to Todd Park, our United States Chief Technology Officer.

MR. PARK: Thank you, Mr. Secretary. On July 25^th of last year, the Council on Women and Girls, the Office of the Vice President, and the Office of Science and Technology Policy launched the Tech Versus Trafficking Initiative. Here at the White House, we convened a group of advocates, tech innovators, companies and non-profits, law enforcement leaders, and leaders from your agencies to brainstorm how to effectively harness and unleash the power of tech to end the evil of child sex trafficking in America.

Tech has, unfortunately, played a significant role in facilitating the sale of girls and women online for sex. And we all know that we cannot and should not cede that ground. We need to use the power of tech to fight back in powerful ways. And that’s what we called upon the July 25^th summit attendees to do. And it was a call to action that the President amplified massively in his incredible speech at Clinton Global Initiative in September, in which called upon tech innovators to turn the tables on the traffickers. And as he said, just as they are now using tech and the internet to exploit their victims, we are going to harness tech to stop them.

What happened next was really quite remarkable. Tech innovators across America responded to the President’s call to action with enormous passion and ingenuity, building a whole array of remarkable new applications to help law enforcement find traffickers and help them out, identify and rescue victims, and help victims connect to services and health. Apps are now deployed in the field, being used, scaling, improving, and rescuing victims across the country. We showcased a number of these amazing apps at the White House Forum to Combat Trafficking on April 9^th.

We continue to work with the tech innovative community across the country, nonprofits, and law enforcement to help further evolve the scale, the use of these apps and raise awareness about the evil atrocity of trafficking and the efforts to fight it in general, and we’re also working on ways to improve data information sharing to fight trafficking. As one example, and one important example, we’re working with New Jersey law enforcement, your agencies, nonprofits, and the private sector to help develop a coordinated program armed with the latest tech tools, like the ones we’ve been talking about and helping to build, to combat trafficking around the Super Bowl, which is, unfortunately, the largest sex trafficking day of the year in America. And in partnership with all of you and the private sector, nonprofits, advocates, everyone, we hope to make this Super Bowl into a day that becomes a major victory in the fight against trafficking.

SECRETARY KERRY: Good for you, Todd. That’s great. Thank you very much.

I’m going to turn now to Rand Beers.

MR. BEERS: Thank you, Mr. Secretary, again. As we’ve been talking, human trafficking is really a hidden crime, and Cleveland just indicates again to all of us the nature of that. We can’t have – expect our investigators to rescue victims and bring traffickers to justice unless we have people to tell us and help us focus on where those crimes are occurring. So one of the things we’ve tried to do at DHS is prioritize our training and awareness efforts. And you may have seen three new posters that we’ve put together on your way in. They’re also in your folders today.

But what I wanted to do, since a picture is worth a thousand words, is just show you a brand new public service announcement on the screen over here that we’ve put together, which really, I think, typifies the notion that this kind of trafficking really is a hidden crime (inaudible). Now, with the wonders of technology, Todd – (laughter) – we will, hopefully.

(The public service announcement is shown.)

…So this is part of our effort to just get people to focus on the things they don’t see in their normal, daily activity in both the labor and the sex trafficking and domestic servitude, which are the three principal areas that we need people to begin to think about in their everyday lives when they see people (inaudible). So as I said, this is part of our effort. For those of you online, you can go, as the ad said, to dhs.gov/bluecampaign to get more of this information and to get it out. And we’re going to make a major effort with the posters, to get them out into public places, where people can’t walk by without seeing. And an example to think about is supermarkets. Everybody goes to a supermarket.

SECRETARY KERRY: Thank you.

MR. BEERS: Get it out, get people to see it. That’s what the focus is.

SECRETARY KERRY: Spectacular. Thank you. Very, very, very effective and very important. Thank you.

Secretary Ray LaHood, the Department of Transportation efforts.

SECRETARY LAHOOD: Thank you, Mr. Secretary. At DOT, we share the President’s commitment to ending human trafficking, and we have begun our efforts by training our 55,000 employees to make sure that they’re well-trained in – to look for human trafficking. I’ve taken the time to meet with the CEOs of the airlines to see if can get a commitment from them that they will train their employees.

And Secretary Napolitano and I signed an agreement with Amtrak recently for a training program for all Amtrak employees. We believe that if we can get employees in transportation, where we know people are being trafficked, to really identify the kind of activities that take place that we will be on the frontline of really beginning to stop this. And so we’re going to continue our efforts. We are also working with – through our Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration on the best way to detect human trafficking either by truck or bus, which we know takes place in many instances. And we’re partnering with DHS on the Blue Lighting Initiative.

And we think by training people in transportation at points all over the country and the world that we really have an opportunity to identify people and really be at the focal point of having the opportunity to stop it. And we look forward to continue to work with all on these efforts.

SECRETARY KERRY: Thank you very much, Mr. Secretary. Let me just say that because of the pressure of time we have to jump over a number of presentations, and I apologize for that. I particularly want to thank the EOC. Thank you, David, very much for your work. They recently obtained the largest jury verdict in history of the agency in the tragic case of an exploration in the poultry industry, and we’re very grateful for your efforts there and congratulate you on that.

In addition, in the public outreach area, Secretary Sebelius was going to report on HHS efforts as well as Acting Secretary Seth Harris on a business toolkit. And finally Michael Yudin, Assistant Secretary, was going to mention the significant efforts in the Department of Education, which is just critical, obviously. So I’m sorry that they weren’t able to be included. And maybe we can find some way to get all of that online so that those of you who are livestreaming with us will be able to catch up to it all.

I do want to turn to Valerie Jarrett to provide the White House perspective on the next steps, which are critical out of this. I would just say to everybody as I listen to this it bowls you over…

the degree to which there’s just an all-government effort going on here. It’s impressive and I would simply urge everybody to stay focused, and we’ll figure out how we can do one of these where we don’t have to skip over anybody.

Valerie.

MS. JARRETT: Thank you, Secretary Kerry for your leadership and for your commitment to this initiative. And we’ll work with Todd Parks to figure out a way to get all of this online, because the information, I think, is indispensable. And I’m really heartened by this meeting, and I thought I would take a second just to summarize the ambitious course that we have ahead for the next year.

So I think the call to action that we all feel today is to focus on four areas: First, we will implement our existing commitments, such as finalizing the victims’ services strategies, finalizing the TIP and regulations and implementing appropriate recommendations from the President’s Advisory Council on Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships. Second, we’re going to continue to promote the rule of law to hold traffickers fully accountable. And we’ll do this by ensuring that law enforcement has the tools that they need at the state, local and federal and international levels. We’ll also launch pilot technology projects that aid law enforcement reach out to survivors in new and creative ways. Third, we’re going to continue to work to ensure that our entire federal supply chain is free of trafficked labor, and we’ll do this by fully implementing the President’s executive order both at home and abroad. And finally, we’ll develop a simple, straight-forward way for citizens to report possible instances of human trafficking, and we’ll reach out to the schools and the general public to make sure everyone has the resources that they need to stay vigilant and prevent their classmates, students, neighbors from being trafficked.

Our goal is to finish these up by September on the first anniversary of the President’s CG – Clinton Global Initiative speech. So on behalf of the President and the entire team here at the White House, please know that we are committed to working closely with each and every one of the agencies represented here as we try to achieve these goals and bring the comprehensive response that Secretary Kerry just mentioned to this important issue. I’m confident that we’ll make great steps forward to end human trafficking. And we just are delighted that you all made the time to be here today, and even more importantly, that you make it a priority – a top priority of your agencies throughout the year.

So thank you, Secretary Kerry and everyone who’s over there.

SECRETARY KERRY: That you Valerie. Thank you very much. I think everybody should feel good and depart here with a good sense of mission, recognizing that we are really talking about winning back for a whole – for millions of people, their fundamental freedom. And we talk about the freedom and values that drives us here, this is a chance for us to marry our interests and our values in the best of ways and end modern day slavery. I think the United States, President Obama’s leadership, are taking us in the right direction and we ought to be proud of it. Thank you all for being part of it. Thank you very much. We stand adjourned.

[1]Research

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State of Emergency and Fighting in Northern Nigeria

The United States is deeply concerned about the fighting in northeastern Nigeria following President Jonathan’s declaration of a state of emergency in the Borno, Yobe, and Adamawa states. We are also deeply concerned by credible allegations that Nigerian security forces are committing gross human rights violations, which, in turn, only escalate the violence and fuel extremism.

The United States condemns Boko Haram’s campaign of terror in the strongest terms. We urge Nigeria’s security forces to apply disciplined use of force in all operations, protect civilians in any security response, and respect human rights and the rule of law.

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U.S. Views on Population, Reproductive Health, and Rights

Thank you, Maureen, for that kind introduction, and my thanks to the Funders Network for Population, Reproductive Health and Rights for inviting me to speak with you here today as you meet to consider this important agenda. Your mandate and the work you do, both as individuals and organizations, is critically important to the health and well-being of millions of women and girls around the world.

The Obama Administration is proud to partner with, and in many cases, follow the lead of your organizations in these endeavors, and we commend you for tackling this essential set of issues. You know that there can be no development without a focus on women, and women cannot fully participate in development unless their reproductive rights are respected and reproductive health needs are met.

Today I'm going to speak about the Obama Administration's efforts to promote reproductive health and rights, and incorporate population issues more broadly into our policies, especially as we engage in post-2015 development framework discussions and processes. The mid-point of the Administration provides an opportunity to take stock and assess what we've accomplished so far, and what work remains to be done. Right now, the U.S. government is in the early stages of considering our positions on the post-2015 development framework and upcoming multilateral review processes. I’d like to discuss these with you and then I'll touch on the challenges and successes of recent international negotiations where Margaret Pollack and Beth Schlachter have played leadership roles.

I know you're also interested in hearing about the transition we've recently undergone at the State Department as Secretary Kerry has assumed leadership from Secretary Clinton. So I'll start by telling you that Secretary Kerry has made it absolutely clear that he intends to continue the legacy of Secretary Clinton, who did so much to integrate and elevate gender issues and women's empowerment into our foreign policy. As he recently wrote in a letter to 23 senators, “Please be assured that under my watch, the Department of State will remain a powerful champion for gender equality and women’s rights around the world. This is critical.” In fact, as a U.S. Senator, Secretary Kerry attended the 1994 Cairo Conference, so he has been playing a role on these issues for nearly twenty years.

We are also looking forward to the confirmation of Cathy Russell, who is Secretary Kerry's nominee to become the next Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women's Issues. Strong leadership in this vital position will allow us to continue the progress we've made to integrate women’s issues into our work across the board, and to guide State’s implementation of our strategies on gender – including the National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security, and the Strategy to Prevent and Respond to Gender-based Violence Globally.

I think most of you are aware of the various, and sometimes overlapping, development review processes that are currently underway. These include (1) the 20 year review of the International Conference on Population and Development's – or Cairo Conference’s – Program of Action, (2) the 20 year review of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, (3) the development of the post-2015 development agenda, and (4) discussions on sustainable development goals.

The ICPD and Beijing agendas and MDGs have each helped to focus international efforts toward the aim of sustaining development progress and served as guideposts to rally domestic and international support for development programs. And so their review processes are important because they will help us measure progress to date in meeting these development objectives. Based on the outcome we can then set priorities for many of the leading development agencies around the world, affecting how resources are allocated and the types of programs that will be considered priorities.

In addition to these reviews, we are focused on outcome documents and resolutions of the annual sessions of the (5) Commission on Population and Development and the (6) Commission on the Status of Women as well as issue-specific resolutions in the (7) UN General Assembly and the (8) Human Rights Council. These negotiation processes add another layer to the background to the post-2015 discussions – and so their outcomes are also quite important.

I'm aware there are many discussions about the post-2015 development framework that are sponsored by civil society, non-governmental or international organizations and that have taken place over the past year. And so you know that many development goals rest on the advancement of women’s empowerment as their foundation. This is the case, for example, with Millennium Development Goal 5. It seeks to improve maternal health and provide universal access to reproductive health. If we are to achieve this goal within a new framework or a new set of goals, we must articulate and emphasize the centrality of sexual and reproductive health and rights to achieving them. This is really the key to the approach advocated by PRM.

So how do we get this right? From the perspective of the Bureau I lead - Population, Refugees, and Migration – we know that the growing and changing global population will have an impact on the world’s ability to reach whatever collective development goals we craft. The reproductive health and fertility decisions the current generation of youth makes will set the course of population health and growth for years to come.

For example, we're all aware that world population reached 7 billion in 2012, and populations in many countries have larger percentages of young people than ever before, and this is especially true among developing or middle-income countries. These young people—and particularly girls—must to be educated and prepared with the right skills to meet the labor force needs of tomorrow.

Paradoxically, many developed countries have populations that are largely ageing, and don't have enough young people to sustain their social systems as far into the future as they were designed to do. Experts predict that world population is likely to reach 9 billion by 2050, but it could go as high as 10 billion, so the policies and programs of the coming years will have a huge impact on the world's development in the coming decades. Thus we know that future population growth and resulting population dynamics will be influenced by the policies being discussed and developed right now.

People are also migrating as never before, both within their countries and across international borders, as well as from rural to urban areas. And many people are living in extremely vulnerable situations as refugees or displaced persons, having fled violence, war, persecution or other crisis at home. These crises do not just rob people of their lives, happiness, and futures. They also continue to disrupt our progress in reaching global development goals as well.

These factors – the P., the R. and the M. in PRM – will form the backdrop of our efforts to the post-2015 development agenda, and we must think carefully about them.

Another issue with which the Obama Administration has been grappling is how large the scope should be for a new development framework to succeed the Millennium Development Goals.

First, it is important to remember we have roughly 1,000 days to finish strongly on the work of the MDGs. One goal has already been achieved: the number of people in extreme poverty has been halved; and some sub-goals have also been met, including providing access to drinking water and improving the lives of slum-dwellers. However, progress has been uneven and we have major work ahead. Thus, even as we lay the foundation for a future development agenda, we must continue to focus on achieving the current goals, and we have sought to accelerate progress towards their fulfillment.

So in looking at a post-2015 framework, there are a number of schools of thought. Do we simply tweak the highly successful MDG agenda with its focus on poverty eradication?

Or, do we expand our framework to address global challenges with shared solutions from all societies? Our future agenda must be relevant to a changing world – we are interconnected in ways that were unimaginable even a generation ago and our policies and actions must reflect this. Our economies are more integrated than ever before. The geography of poverty is changing with increasing wealth in the developing world, and new technologies are opening new ways of solving common challenges.

Focusing on this notion of shared responsibility and collective action seems a logical way of addressing global inequality and inequity. We envision one post-2015 agenda that addresses poverty, inclusive growth, and sustainability. Ultimately, we want a set of goals that are ambitious, measurable, limited in number, and that can be easily explained to the general public.

In order to support our overarching priorities and achieve specific development goals, it's essential that we address health inequities. And for the most vulnerable – women and girls – that means we must carefully consider how we prioritize sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights during the formal negotiation process in the months ahead.

In doing so however, we must make sure that we continue to give due consideration to the incorporation of a “rights-based” perspective into policies and programs for women and girls, especially for those living in the lowest income countries, where the largest gaps exist in reaching the Millennium Development Goals. We can't forget that in the least developed countries, none of the MDGs have been achieved. It's important that we think ahead of time about how we will address this massive inequity, especially considering the instability of many of the most vulnerable regions and countries.

We support the ongoing discussion of human rights in the context of the post-2015 development framework. Addressing the fundamental needs and development of individuals must be at the heart of the post-2015 framework, and for women, this means careful consideration of reproductive rights. For ultimately whether we succeed or fail will depend on our ability to empower people, particularly women and young people, to make decisions for themselves.

Mortality and morbidity related to sexual and reproductive health, particularly for women and adolescent girls, are still unacceptably high in many regions of the world. They undermine efforts to reach our other development goals. These illnesses and deaths occur in the prime years of life. They have life-long consequences for women and girls, and their families, who suffer the direct health and economic consequences.

I want to assure you that the Obama Administration understands that we must continue to promote sexual and reproductive health. This includes universal access to voluntary family planning as a life-saving intervention that is essential for promoting health, economic growth, and development across the globe. . Protection of sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights is also central to the prevention and mitigation of violence against women and girls.

There is an undeniable link between a woman’s ability to control her own fertility and her ability to achieve autonomy. There is also a link between autonomy and women’s empowerment. These relationships, in turn, affect the rate of population growth, and the ability to reach development goals. Improving access to reproductive health services, including family planning creates a beneficial ripple effect that is a necessary ingredient to helping women plan and care for their families, support their communities, and contribute economically, politically and socially to their country's development.

The ability to make important decisions about childbearing is one of the most basic rights for individuals. Programs that increase women’s access to modern forms of contraception and reproductive health services are critical to improving the status of women and upholding these basic human rights around the world.

As USAID Administrator Raj Shah, who led the U.S. government delegation, and many of your organizations reaffirmed last summer during the London Family Planning Summit, helping women in the developing world to have the same access to lifesaving contraceptives as those in the developed world must be central to our efforts. For many women, the inability to access modern contraceptives can cost them their lives. One of the key goals of the Administration's Global Health Initiative is to help young women and girls dramatically improve their life chances through delaying the age of first pregnancy. We understand that families, communities, and nations benefit when women can control the number, timing, and spacing of their births.

We're only a few months in, but so far 2013 has proven to be a pivotal year, with notable successes in both the Commission on the Status of Women and the Commission on Population and Development in securing consensus on resolutions on violence against women and girls, and on migration. As many of you may remember, last year there were considerable challenges raised by various missions at the United Nations in New York. They sought to undermine support for sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights and set back well-established agreements on language in these same fora.

Unfortunately we still see the leadership of far too many countries that are uncomfortable empowering women. They push back against those who seek to advance global normative standards. But we will continue to work with civil society and like-minded governments to advance these important issues.

Margaret and PRM’s population and migration teams at the Commission on Population and Development and Beth Schlachter at the Commission on the Status of Women served on delegations that fought back against re-opening these issues and/or setting back the clock. Until the last few hours of both meetings, consensus was uncertain. Reproductive health and rights issues represent some of the most divisive addressed in the Beijing and Cairo agendas, and strong opposition to action-oriented resolutions mounted before and during the negotiation processes. However, solid resolutions were ultimately adopted by the members of both Commissions. In the case of the CSW, the outcome document elaborates the multiple ways in which sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights are central to addressing and preventing violence against women and girls. And for CPD, the resolution articulates why women and girls continue to need access to sexual and reproductive health services even as they migrate, and why their reproductive rights must be respected regardless of where they live. So this year's successes put us on a positive footing as we head into the Commission on Population and Development and the Commission on the Status of Women 20 year review processes.

When it comes to the empowerment of women and girls, though, it's not enough that we simply reaffirm the goals and policies outlined almost 20 years ago. We believe one of the positive outcomes of the review processes will be an opportunity for the world to take note of the progress we have made together. After all the hard work of advocates, governments and international and nongovernmental organizations over the past 20 years, there has been tangible progress in integrating a right-based perspective into a wide range of policies and programs.

The normative standards advanced by these review processes, as well as those put forth through the annual cycle of General Assembly and Human Rights Council resolutions are critical to our efforts to improve the opportunities for successive generations of women and girls. Each time we discuss the important issues that have an impact on the lives of women, we have an opportunity to review progress, share best practices, and identify new gaps or linkages that help us make progress.

Across the board, it’s clear we need strong leadership and enhanced understanding of these challenges in order to continue to make progress. On this front, we look again to civil society – including your organizations – to hold us accountable and ensure that our policies and programs are efficient and reap results.

We count on you to help us here in Washington to make the case for strong U.S. funding and engagement on these critical issues, including for important UN entities such as the UN Population Fund, UNICEF, and UN Women. Your organizations are in the field and can tell the most compelling stories of people whose lives have been directly affected by our initiatives. We count on you to provide the context for why consistent U.S. government support for sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights are so important globally.

I hope I'll have the chance to hear from you today about what you think the State Department can be doing to be an even better partner with you to ensure that we reach the women, girls, and young people with the quality sexual and reproductive programs they want and need.

I commend your focus on the hard issues, such as elevating reproductive health and rights on the agenda in Washington , the international impact of U.S. foreign policy, and the role of religion on reproductive rights and justice. I understand that you will cover a range of topics during your meetings, and I wish you all the best for fruitful discussions.

Your continued support and commitment is essential to fighting for the lives of women you may never meet, to ensuring that today's girls – and boys –have a future that offers great promise. We wish for them the freedom to decide for themselves on matters of their own sexuality so that they may enjoy strong healthy families and live in thriving communities and nations.

Thank you for your hard work, and please know that you have my very best wishes for a successful meeting this week.

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U.S. Policy and Response to Recent Humanitarian Crisis in Africa

There are a series of issues I’d like to address today, ranging from refugee crises overseas to our own domestic programs that resettle refugees in America and help them to rebuild their lives.

I want to update you on the latest actions of the Bureau of Population Refugees and Migration during what is proving to be a busy time. I’ve been told you all have a special interest in developments in Africa, so I will spend a few extra minutes on African refugee issues.

Devastating overseas emergencies are pushing more and more refugees from their homes, and the United States plays a leading role in responding to these emergencies.

Our overall approach to responding to these crises will remain consistent: working multilaterally with international organization partners such as the UN Refugee Agency (or UNHCR), the International Committee of the Red Cross and the International Organization for Migration; focusing on protection and finding safe places for refugees to re-start their lives; and burden-sharing with host governments as well as other donor governments.

We will also continue to look to aid agencies that serve as our partners to augment the international response.

PRM is dealing with a major refugee crisis in the Middle East at the same time as a number of new refugee and displacement crises in Africa.

These include people fleeing violence in northern Mali who have yet to get to go home, refugees crossing the border from Sudan into South Sudan, and continued violence in Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. How are we doing in responding to these crises?

In Syria, more than 70,000 are dead, 1.4 millon people are refugees and millions more displaced or hurt inside Syria. We applaud the generosity of Turkey, Jordan, Lebanon, and Iraq for hosting the Syrian refugees who have crossed onto their territory. I have visited each of these countries, met with Syrian refugees, and sought help for them from senior government officials. Much is being done but, quite frankly, the daunting scale of this crisis is challenging everyone involved. Inside Syria, along with USAID, we support efforts to get aid to those who need it despite shifting battle-lines.

At the same time as this major crisis grips the headlines, the conflict in the north of Mali has resulted in nearly 300,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) and nearly 180,000 refugees in neighboring countries.

Last Fall, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees and I traveled to Damba refugee camp in Burkina Faso, just 50 kilometers from the Mali border. Part of our mission was to draw attention to the crisis, so we appeared all over the newspapers and airwaves in Ouagadougou and then repeated ourselves before the media and diplomats of Geneva.

Prospects for peace in Mali are hard to gauge, but this crisis has not been forgotten. Yesterday, a donors conference was held in Brussels for Mali and at that conference there was an understanding that there needs to be more development in that country, especially in the north. The US announced another $32 million, bringing total US funding through international and non-governmental organization for Malian refugees and IDPs to more than $180 million.

On July 1st, the UN will start bringing in MINUSMA 11,200 peacekeeping troops and more than 1400 police. MINUSMA will subsume the African-led AFISMA mission that was set up last September – essentially many MINUSMA troops will be West African peacekeepers who are already on the ground. A separate French strike force will remain to deal with extremists and terrorists. Elections are scheduled for July 28th.

And suffering in Sudan has not abated. You are all familiar with the Darfur situation. More recently, however, our attention has been focused on conflict along Sudan’s southern border and the 230,000 Sudanese refugees who have fled to neighboring South Sudan, Ethiopia, and Kenya over the past two years. PRM has provided over $50 million to meet these emergency needs through UNHCR and its partners.

At the same time, in Eastern Congo, violence has driven new waves of Congolese refugees from their homes … and we will need to continue to work to help them.

Thanks to continued strong support from Congress this fiscal year, PRM will maintain its leadership role in responding to the needs of refugees worldwide, including efforts to assist refugees to return home voluntarily in safety and dignity when conditions permit-- like the 70,000 Congolese who were able to go back to the Democratic Republic of the Congo from neighboring Congo-Brazzaville.

When I was in Kenya this past year, I was asked about the possibility for Somalis to return. Even as some voluntary return may be possible, it is vital that refugees continue to find safety in Kenya given the volatile security situation and scarcity of food inside Somalia.

Even as some 80% of Somali refugees indicate on surveys that they are willing to repatriate if peace returns to Somalia, more than 60,000 new Somali refugees have fled to neighboring countries so far this year.

When return home isn’t possible, we also support local integration in host communities. For example, some 160,000 1972-era Burundi refugees were initially offered Tanzanian citizenship in 2009 and accepted. Some political work needs to be done but the initiative on the part of the Tanzanian Government is a model that may provide valuable lessons on local integration that could be applied to other long-term refugee situations around the world.

Let’s now turn our attention back to our own country, the United States. As all of you here today know, the United States is also the world’s leading resettlement country, admitting more refugees each year than all other resettlement countries combined – more than three million since 1975.

And we all know that our own communities have been as enriched by these newcomers as they have been by the opportunities this country has provided them.

Our overall resettlement policy remains the same: we will continue to strive to achieve the President’s refugee admissions ceiling, focusing on the most vulnerable who cannot go home or be integrated in their country of first asylum.

The PRM Bureau has gone to extraordinary lengths in the past year to reach refugees in need of resettlement who were previously inaccessible because of dangerous conditions in the places where they had sought asylum. In Kenya, UNHCR has referred thousands of Somalis in the Dadaab camp for U.S. resettlement. Unfortunately, the Department of Homeland Security was unable to interview them because it was determined to be too risky to send DHS officers to Dadaab.

Last year, we provided additional funding to build a transit center in Kakuma camp, where conditions are safer, and have moved close to 1,000 individuals from Dadaab to Kakuma to continue the process for U.S. resettlement. Another 900 will be moved to Kakuma in the next week. These refugees, many of whom have been living in Dadaab for more than 20 years, will start arriving in the United States this month.

Many of you know by now that UNHCR has announced its intention to refer up to 50,000 Congolese for resettlement over the next five years. Most will likely come to the United States. Given the level of trauma and need among this population, we want to work together with all of you to do this right.

That’s why we’ve formed a working group to bring together partners from all across the spectrum – overseas and domestic, government, International Organizations, and NGOs – to see how we can better prepare the refugees and communities for successful resettlement.

Late last year the Government of Chad contacted UNHCR to say it had changed its policy and would be open to the resettlement to other countries of refugees from Darfur who have been living in Eastern Chad. PRM staff traveled to Chad in February to look into this possibility. My colleagues are cautiously optimistic and we will be reporting more on this to you in the coming weeks and months.

Working closely with the Department of Homeland Security, we re-instated the priority three or “P-3” family reunion program this year with a new DNA requirement to ensure that the program is fulfilling its purpose of reuniting relatives.

I’m pleased to report that we are on track to admit the number of refugees in the Presidential Determination this year. That is 70,000 refugees– a more than 20% increase over last year’s number.

You should also know that we’ve been able to admit these refugees in a much more even pace than in recent years. Just under 50% of the refugees we expect this year were admitted in the first half of the fiscal year.

We recognize that this increase comes at a time of shrinking state and local budgets, cuts in social services, and the challenges of raising private contributions. As you know, PRM has helped deal with economic challenges to the program by doubling the amount of funding provided on a per capita basis to receive and place refugees in 2010. We have provided modest increases since then.

We also are providing “floor funding” to our resettlement agency partners, essentially guaranteeing sufficient funding for services to 60,000 refugees so that program managers can plan and hire staff with the assurance that the funding will be there.

Despite all these improvements, we know that many refugees are still struggling in the early weeks and months of their arrival in the States. This leads me to ask: How can our domestic programs best address the needs of refugees? What more can we do to help refugees effectively integrate into new communities?

Given the overall budget situation in Washington, we all acknowledge the need to widen the circle of domestic “stakeholders” in the refugee resettlement program. We need to ensure a warm reception for the refugees we resettle. We need to find creative ways to expand participation in the program at the local level and support for the program by community leaders.

PRM is increasingly reaching out to state and local elected officials, employers, health clinics, schools, and others, during our domestic trips. We are acutely aware of the importance of early employment for refugees, and therefore of the importance of your developing strong relationships with responsible employers in your communities.

Employers PRM staff and I have met in our travels around the US have been among the strongest advocates for the refugee admissions program. Tyson Foods, which provides English language training to refugees, has created community liaison positions to assist refugees navigate services and builds bridges with the host community. A firm in Ft. Wayne, Indiana was inspired by the challenges refugees have overcome and was impressed by their work ethic. Burmese now make up 10% of the workforce there. A Subway sandwich shop owner in Baltimore who keeps hiring more refugees says they are the best employees he’s ever had.

I know that you all could name dozens, if not hundreds, of companies that are also strong advocates for the program, and they are an essential part of the success of the US Refugee Admissions Program.

ECDC’s affiliated agencies benefit from the volunteer work of thousands of highly motivated and caring community members. We recognize the strong one-on-one relationships developed when an individual agrees to help welcome a refugee to his or her community, and I know this is happening every day at your offices across the country.

Whether it’s preparing an appropriate home-cooked meal for a family upon their arrival, helping to teach them English, or explaining how to navigate the local grocery store or bus system, these relationships are life-affirming and life-changing for both sides. These relationships also help build crucial support among Americans for the refugee resettlement program. I’ll be curious to hear from you what you all are doing to reach out to non-traditional stakeholders in your communities.

In conclusion, I want to thank you for all you do all year long as an essential part of the US Refugee Admissions Program. The work of communities and networks of volunteers helps to turn the promise of America --as a land that welcomes refugees -- into a reality. The success of our resettlement program depends on you. Thank you for the part you play in letting refugees turn their stories of tragedy into ones of triumph.

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Secretary Kerry To Chair Human Trafficking Task Force Meeting

Secretary of State John Kerry will chair the annual meeting of the President’s Interagency Task Force to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons (PITF) at the White House on Friday, May 17, at 9:45 a.m. The annual cabinet-level meeting serves as an opportunity to coordinate government-wide efforts and discuss new initiatives in the struggle to end modern slavery.

This will be the first meeting of the PITF under Secretary Kerry’s tenure as Chair and the fourth of the Obama Administration. Participants will include Attorney General Eric H. Holder, Jr.; Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius; Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood; Senior Advisor to the President Valerie Jarrett; and other agency heads and senior White House officials.

Before the last meeting of the PITF in March 2012, President Obama directed his cabinet to “find ways to strengthen our current work, and to expand on partnerships with civil society and the private sector, so that we can bring more resources to bear in fighting this horrific injustice.”

During this year’s meeting, senior Administration officials will highlight the unprecedented interagency engagement, coordination, and commitment over the last year, from investing in victim services and law enforcement training, to strengthening government procurement protections, to building partnerships with civil society and the private sector.

In addition, during the meeting, Secretary Kerry will present medals to life-long victim advocate Florrie Burke and the global hospitality and travel company Carlson, the two recipients of the first-ever Presidential Award for Extraordinary Efforts to Combat Trafficking in Persons.

This event will be live-streamed on www.whitehouse.gov/live. For additional information, contact Mai Shiozaki in the Department of State’s Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons at shiozakim@state.gov.

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South Africa's Freedom Day

Ambassador Rasool and other distinguished guests.  Thank you so much for inviting me to participate in this year’s Freedom Day celebration. On behalf of President Obama, Secretary of State John Kerry, and the American people, I congratulate all South Africans on the 19th anniversary of South Africa’s first democratic elections.

Nineteen years ago today, the final death knell of racial authoritarianism sounded in South Africa as power passed to a new, diverse generation of parliamentarians, who began their work by inaugurating Nelson Mandela as the first black president of South Africa. A few hours later, Mandela stood on a balcony at Cape Town City Hall and gazed out at Table Bay, with Robben Island on the horizon, where he spent 18 of his 27 years in prison. Addressing the vast crowd below, Madiba declared a message of inclusion, saying: “We place our vision of a new constitutional order for South Africa on the table not as conquerors, prescribing to the conquered. We speak as fellow citizens to heal the wounds of the past with the intent of constructing a new order based on justice for all.”

Those words marked the final death of a political system based on race, and the birth of a new constitutional order in South Africa that has inspired billions across Africa and the globe. Tonight we celebrate that successful new order: A South African society based on democracy, justice, equality, and human rights.

I am proud to say our two countries remain united by these shared ideals.

Your brave stand against oppression reminds Americans of our own efforts to overcome discrimination and injustice. Your remarkable democratic Constitution reminds us of our own Constitution and Bill of Rights. Both of our nations have given hope to people around the world who value freedom. I am proud to be here tonight to celebrate this important occasion.

Our common ideals are the framework of our diplomatic relationship. The United States of America is committed to working with South Africa as a partner and friend to build peace, democracy, and prosperity in Africa. The African continent is clearly on the move, as democracy and economic growth promise to transform Africa into a 21st century powerhouse.

As outlined by President Obama, the U.S. engagement with Africa is founded on four core pillars: support for strong democratic institutions; spurring economic growth, trade, and investment; advancing peace and security; and promoting opportunity and development. The United States views South Africa as a critical partner in all of these areas.

From peacekeeping to climate change, South Africa brings unique value and perspective to regional and global initiatives. Your country’s contributions to peace- and nationbuilding in Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Zimbabwe, and other nations exemplify South Africa’s commitment to stability and development on the African continent. We deeply appreciate your leadership in the region.

Over the past decade, our relationship has deepened and matured, with collaboration growing significantly in the last several years. Our Strategic Dialogue, inaugurated by former Secretary Clinton and Minister Mashabane in 2010, has reinforced cooperation on an entire range of important issues, including health, trade and investment, law enforcement, climate change, energy, and nuclear nonproliferation.

Officials from the United States and South Africa meet regularly throughout the year to collaborate on issues and exchange ideas. At our Annual Bilateral Forum in Pretoria, in March, we discussed issues related to health, education, and the environment. Undersecretary of State Robert Hormats is in Cape Town this week attending the World Economic Forum, and I anticipate additional senior-level visits to South Africa later this year.

The United States remains a dedicated partner with South Africa in the fight against HIV/AIDS. In 2012, we contributed more than $500 million to South Africa through PEPFAR, the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, and we have provided over $6 billion over the past decade. Working together, the United States and South Africa have provided treatment to millions of men, women, and children. Millions more have received HIV counseling and testing.

I commend President Zuma and the Government of South Africa for establishing effective provincial and national HIV/AIDS control programs, fighting the health crisis with renewed effort, and speaking frankly to the South African people about the disease.

Even as we stand by your side in the fight against HIV/AIDS, our partnership is evolving. By 2017, South Africa will become the first country in Africa to fully manage its PEPFAR program, while the United States will continue to provide substantial funding and technical support. Ultimately, our combined efforts are helping to eradicate disease and save lives.

Our two countries also share a commitment to sustainable economic development. South Africa is one of the most important emerging economies in the world, a member of the G-20 and BRICS coalition, and a leading U.S. trade partner. More than 600 American companies have operations in South Africa, employing thousands of South African citizens. Your country’s modern, efficient economy serves as a launching pad to the rest of Africa, helping to expand prosperity throughout the continent.

As a longtime supporter of nonproliferation and disarmament efforts, South Africa brings valuable experience to the global effort to buttress the nuclear nonproliferation regime; we value your contribution and look forward to continuing our important cooperation in this area.

These are just a few examples to illustrate the strength of our bilateral relationship and the valuable role South Africa plays in regional and global affairs. While we may not agree on every issue, the United States is committed to a partnership with South Africa to meet our shared goals. South Africa’s robust democracy and leadership in regional and global affairs make it an important U.S. partner.

Congratulations again on the 19th anniversary of this momentous occasion. I offer the people of South Africa my very best wishes for the coming year.

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Pakistan Elections

These national and provincial assembly elections mark an historic step in Pakistan's democratic journey. The Pakistani people stood up resiliently to threats by violent extremists. We'll be working with the new government to advance shared interests including a peaceful, more prosperous and stable future for Pakistan and the region.

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Protecting the Future: Professional Standards in Humanitarian and Human Rights Work

I’m pleased to be a part of this event. I am, and my colleagues at State Department’s bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration (PRM) are, keenly aware of the State Department’s role in providing protection to refugees, displaced people and other victims of conflict.  We also support many other organizations that strive to do this, so these Standards are highly relevant to our work.

In recent years, humanitarians have increasingly sought not only to assist people affected by conflicts and natural disasters, but also to protect them. Humanitarians define protection as activities undertaken to obtain full respect for the rights of the individual.  By “rights” I mean basic human rights and rights conferred by humanitarian and refugee law. Some of these activities are focused on improving physical security and well-being. But humanitarians use the term to mean much more than that. It can be steps to prevent or put a stop to abuse. Other preventive measures provide a more secure environment or help for victims.

It rarely means providing a bodyguard or guaranteeing complete protection. And in her book The Politics of Protection, Elizabeth Ferris examined inconsistent ways in which protection is defined and applied. So we must always strive to do better. In Fiscal Year 2012, nearly 54 percent of PRM funding went to the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in support of their mandates to assist and protect the most vulnerable. We also seek to ensure that our grants to non-governmental organizations also are used for programs that protect the beneficiaries.

ICRC’s principled work extends back to its founding 150 years ago. Like UNHCR, its mandate dates back to the post-World War II era when the Geneva Conventions and Refugee Convention were adopted. It is only in the last decade or so that a significant number of other humanitarian and human rights organizations have identified protection as part of their work. As the Standards note: “The multi-faceted nature of crises typically demands a variety of solutions. The multiplicity of humanitarian and human rights protection actors and their diversity of approaches is thus an asset.” This is true just in the process of revising these “Professional Standards for Protection Work.” I want to commend ICRC for leading an inclusive process of consultation to produce these revised Standards.

These Standards are increasingly important as the number of humanitarian organizations grows and multiplies. Especially in complex emergencies – like those we are responding to in Syria, Mali, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and elsewhere – where the challenges are daunting even with the myriad groups that are responding on the ground, it is crucial that humanitarians operate according to universal principles and standards. I am impressed by both the breadth and depth of these revised Standards. They address basic concepts, like “do no harm,” as well as the nuances of emerging technologies, such as the use of crowd sourcing and satellite imagery to gather information. I am also encouraged by the points of intersection the Standards illuminate between humanitarian and human rights work while analyzing the different work that humanitarian and human rights agencies do.

For example, while they require respect for the humanitarian principles of neutrality and independence, the Standards also recognize that not all assistance organizations adhere to these principles as part of their mission. Being a part of the U.S. Government, PRM cannot be a neutral actor, but we take as part of our mission the imperative to promote respect for the neutrality of our humanitarian partners, like ICRC.

Finally, I want to note my appreciation for the Standards’ attention to the importance of professional capacity. It is true but often under-recognized that “Protection work is staff intensive.” Our work requires expertise, it requires field presence, it requires logistical and financial support and especially safety for staff operating in areas affected by conflict. The people who seek to rescue those who have been threatened, attacked and traumatized are true heroes, and these Standards will undoubtedly strengthen their life-saving work.

Thank you.

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"Invisible in the City": Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society

Thank you, Mark, and thank you to the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society for bringing us together today to celebrate this important research on LGBT refugees and asylum seekers. I’d also like to recognize Yiftach Millo, lead researcher and author of the study we are all here to officially launch, “Invisible in the City: Protection Gaps Experienced by Sexual Minority Refugees and Asylum Seekers in Urban Ecuador, Ghana, Israel, and Kenya.” I commend Mr. Millo and his team for their innovative work to help protect these refugees.

HIAS continues to be a leader in helping expose and address the barriers faced that confront lesbian, gay, bi-sexual, transgender and intersex refugees. HIAS’s energy and vision is helping us all to find solutions to a real and persistent problem. Refugees and asylum seekers are already in a precarious position – they are at risk of exploitation, attack, and destitution. A refugee who is also part of a sexual minority is at even greater risk.

It has been over 20 years since Fidel Armanda Tobos Alfonso, a gay man from Cuba, was allowed to remain in the United States based on a judgement or understanding that he was at risk because of his sexual orientation. The Toboso-Alfonso decision paved the way for hundreds of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender individuals as well as individuals with intersex conditions, to obtain refuge and asylum in the United States.

From the beginning of his Administration, President Obama has promoted the equal rights of LGBT people both at home and abroad. His Memorandum of December 2011 affirmed United States’s commitment to promoting the human rights of sexual minorities and specifically directed U.S. diplomacy and foreign assistance agencies to protect vulnerable LGBT refugees and asylum seekers.

In her landmark LGBTI speech in Geneva in 2011, Secretary Clinton stated what we all know is true, that gay rights are human rights. We all acknowledge this universal truth: that everyone, regardless of race, religion, nationality, class or sexual identity is equal and is entitled to equal protection Today, the United States Government is working very hard, across agencies, to make sure that happens.

The Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration has an important leadership role to play in this effort. One of our fundamental goals is to ensure that the global system for refugee protection responds to the needs of all refugees - regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity. We have taken steps to ensure gay and other sexual minority refugees are protected by officers of the U.S. Government and by our partners in the US refugee resettlement program. For instance:

We support training of all refugee protection staff – from the DC-based program officer to the regional Refugee Coordinator to the UNHCR case worker -- on how to actively include sexual minorities in our plans and programs. We support the USCIS mandate that all officers get training in the adjudication of LGBT refugees and asylum claimants. This training includes increased awareness about the issues sexual minorities face. These officers now get consistent legal and interview guidance regarding these issues.

We support humanitarian responses that meet the specific needs of LGBT refugees. For example, a man currently living in Baghdad, Iraq was subjected to continuous death threats, beaten and forced to take female hormones by his father who thought he should live as a woman because he was born with some of the physical features of a woman. He was forced to stay inside to avoid being persecuted by the larger Iraqi community, causing psychological damage. Since 2006, he has been separated from his long-term partner who lives in the U.S. In 2008, this person was detained, threatened and interrogated by border security when he tried to leave Iraq for gender reassignment surgery.

The Iraqi Refugee Assistance Project (IRAP), which has people on the ground in Iraq who work specifically with persecuted Iraqis on the basis of their sexual orientation or gender identity, referred the case to the U.S. Embassy. The embassy will make it possible to travel directly to the United States in order to reduce the risks of traveling to another country while he waits for the resettlement process to run its course. He has completed his medical check and is awaiting his security check in order to travel to the U.S. and be reunited with his partner.

We also support urban refugee protection programs that aim to reach LGBT refugees where they live and work. UNHCR is now working in Kenya with senior police officials to address concerns such as harassment, extortion and violence that specifically targets LGBT refugees. The proactive engagement of UNHCR helps lessen the fear of arrest LGBT refugees have when reporting crimes to the police.

PRM also funds research that helps strengthen and sustain LGBT refugee protection programs around the world. In addition to HIAS’ research, PRM funded the Organization for Refugee Asylum and Migration (ORAM) to research best practices for non-governmental organizations, governments, UNHCR and program funders for urban refugees in Mexico, Uganda and South Africa. This research resulted in the development of important tools that can be used to advocate on behalf of and train relevant stakeholders who engage with LGBT refugees.

What these few examples show is that my bureau and the leadership of the State Department as a whole believe that advancing the human rights of LGBT individuals is a critical diplomatic goal requiring our broadest efforts. We are urging countries to respect the human rights of all of their citizens.

This is done through direct talks led by State Department diplomats with governments, and through international partners like the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, and through non-governmental organizations. This “Humanitarian Diplomacy” is vital to ensure that countries of first asylum protect sexual minority refugees. But, despite our best efforts, sometimes countries fall short. Sexual minority refugees can be the targets of violence in their countries of asylum, or are unable to request assistance and may be isolated from the established refugee protection architecture. We are actively seeking solutions to prevent this isolation and shield all refugees from violence. In some extreme situations, we resettle urgent cases in dire need of protection.

So that’s what we’re doing at the State Department. But we are all here today to celebrate and delve into HIAS’s report, “Invisible in the City: Protection Gaps Facing Sexual Minority Refugees and Asylum Seekers in Urban Ecuador, Ghana, Israel and Kenya.” This report is the result of a one-year qualitative and quantitative research project by HIAS including interviews with sexual minority refugees, refugee protection agents and civil society organizations. The report presents the ways society fails to protect sexual minority refugees and asylum seekers, as articulated by those most directly affected and offers recommendations for mitigating these gaps.

Sixty-six sexual minority refugees, asylum seekers and migrants and 92 representatives of governments, internal organizations and local civil society were interviewed in nine urban locations. One finding, reflected in the report’s title, is that sexual minority refugees and asylum seekers attempt to make themselves ‘invisible’ as a defense mechanism in homophobic environments. We also know that in refugee status determination interviews, these refugees do not frequently identify their cause of persecution as related to their sexual identity.

Mental health issues are of great concern. More than 40% of the respondents suffer from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. This may affect their ability to form relationships of trust, particularly in the midst of status determination interviews. So while the situation has improved, more needs to be done, in terms of awareness, training, and protection.

There is some person, somewhere in the world right now, who is suffering and feeling abandoned - just because of who he or she naturally is. That person may be out of our sight, but should not be beyond our reach. To me, the true core of “Invisible in the City” is about how our work benefits that one person. I salute HIAS for looking out for this person and seeking to help them. Let’s hope this report will impact not just our policies, but also safeguard the well-being of people all around the world.

Thank you.

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FY 2013 Funding Opportunity Announcement for NGO Programs Benefiting Sri Lankan Refugees in Tamil Nadu, India

Funding Opportunity Number: PRM-PRMOAPNE-13-007-017980

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) number:

19.519 - Overseas Refugee Assistance Programs for Near East and South Asia

Announcement issuance date: Tuesday, May 7, 2013

Proposal submission deadline: Thursday, June 6, 2013 at 12:00 p.m. noon EDT. Proposals submitted after this deadline will not be considered.

**ADVISORY: PRM strongly recommends submitting your proposal early to allow time to address any difficulties that may arise.**

Proposed Program Start Dates: August 1 – September 20, 2013

Eligible Applicants: (1) Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with IRS, other than institutions of higher education; (2) Nonprofits without 501(c)(3) status with IRS, other than institutions of higher education; and (3) International Organizations. International Organizations (IOs) should not submit proposals through Grants.gov in response to this Funding Opportunity Announcement. Rather IOs such as UN agencies and other Public International Organizations (PIOs) that are seeking funding for programs relevant to this announcement should contact the relevant PRM Program Officer (as listed below) on or before the closing date of the funding announcement.

Duration of Activity: 12 months

Current Funding Priorities for Sri Lankan Refugees in Tamil Nadu, India:

PRM will prioritize funding for proposed NGO activities that best meet the Bureau’s priorities for Sri Lankan refugees in India as identified below.

(a) Proposed activities should primarily support Sri Lankan refugees in Tamil Nadu, India. Because of PRM's mandate to provide protection, assistance, and sustainable solutions for refugees and victims of conflict, PRM will consider funding only those projects that include a target beneficiary base of at least 50% refugees.

(b) Proposals must focus on at least one of the following sectors: Protection; and/or Livelihoods.

• Protection. Organizations are encouraged to include programming to:

o Address prevention of and/or response to gender-based violence (GBV), including trafficking, children at risk of dropping out of school, out-of-school children, women and children’s empowerment, and/or mental health and psychosocial support.

o Respond to the needs of refugees without essential documentation who are eligible for Sri Lankan citizenship per the Government of Sri Lanka’s 2009 amendment to the Grant of Citizenship to Stateless Persons Act.

• Livelihoods. Projects are encouraged to include a livelihoods support component. Proposed livelihoods activities should be coordinated with other funded programming. Further, activities should be based upon market assessments and analyses in India and Sri Lanka; and assist refugees to become more self-sufficient. Livelihoods programs should also conduct a risk assessment of proposed activities, including an assessment of labor exploitation, to ensure that activities do not negatively impact the protection needs of the beneficiary population. PRM will consider vocational training and/or livelihoods/business development programs linked to job opportunities; however, stand-alone vocational training not linked to income generating activities will not be considered for funding. PRM remains interested in projects that link beneficiaries who may wish to voluntarily repatriate during the project period to livelihoods services and support in Sri Lanka.

• Capacity Building: PRM will consider activities that build greater capacity of local NGOs and/or camp committees, and strengthen the coordination between IO, NGO, and government entities in Tamil Nadu working with the Sri Lankan refugee community. Activities may include strategic planning, staff development, resource development, coordination, and other mechanisms.

• Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH): PRM will consider additional activities that seek to address WASH needs. Such activities should comply with Sphere standards and be in coordination with the state government.

(c) Proposals must have a concrete implementation plan with well-conceived objectives and indicators that are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and reliable, time-bound and trackable (SMART), have established baselines, and include at least one outcome or impact indicator per objective; objectives should be clearly linked to the sectors.

(d) Proposals must adhere to relevant international standards for humanitarian assistance. See PRM’s General NGO Guidelines for a complete list of sector-specific standards.

(e) PRM will accept proposals from any NGO working in the above mentioned sectors although, given budgetary constraints, priority will be given to proposals from organizations that can demonstrate:

• a working relationship with UNHCR and the state government of Tamil Nadu, current UNHCR funding, and/or a letter of support from UNHCR for the proposed activities and/or overall country program (this letter should highlight the gap in services the proposed program is designed to address);

• a proven track record in providing proposed assistance both in the sector and specified location, particularly an ability by the organization and its partner(s) to access Sri Lankan refugee camps;

• evidence of coordination with international organizations (IOs), other NGOs (international and local) working in the same area or sector, local authorities, and the state government of Tamil Nadu;

• a strong and measurable transition plan involving local capacity-building;

• a budget that demonstrates co-funding by non-US government sources.

Funding Limits: In FY 2013, PRM anticipates providing approximately $1.5 million to fund NGO programs supporting Sri Lankan refugees in South Asia. Project proposals must not be less than $200,000 and not more than $1.1 million or they will be disqualified. As stated in PRM’s General NGO Guidelines, PRM looks favorably on cost-sharing efforts and seeks to support projects with a diverse donor base and/or resources from the submitting organization.

Proposal Submission Requirements: Proposals must be submitted via Grants.gov. See “Applicant Resources” page on Grants.gov for complete details on requirements (http://www.grants.gov/applicants/app_help_reso.jsp). Please also note the following highlights:

• Do not wait until the last minute to submit your application on Grants.gov. Organizations not registered with Grants.gov should register well in advance of the deadline as it can take up to two weeks to finalize registration (sometimes longer for non-U.S. based NGOs to get the required registration numbers). To register with Grants.gov, organizations must first receive a DUNS number and register with the System for Award Management (SAM) which can take weeks and sometimes months. We recommend that organizations, particularly first-time applicants, submit applications via Grants.gov no later than one week before the deadline to avoid last-minute technical difficulties that could result in an application not being considered. PRM partners must maintain an active SAM registration with current information at all times during which they have an active federal award or an application under consideration by PRM or any federal agency. If you encounter technical difficulties with SAM please contact the Federal Service Desk for support at www.FSD.gov.

• Applications must be submitted under the authority of the Authorized Organization Representative (AOR) at the applicant organization. Having proposals submitted by agency headquarters helps to avoid possible technical problems.

• If you encounter technical difficulties with Grants.gov please contact the Grants.gov Help Desk at support@grants.gov or by calling 1-800-518-4726. Applicants who are unable to submit applications via Grants.gov due to Grants.gov technical difficulties and who have reported the problem to the Grants.gov help desk, received a case number, and had a service request opened to research the problem, should contact the relevant PRM Program Officer to determine whether an alternative method of submission is appropriate.

• International Organizations (IOs) should not submit proposals through Grants.gov in response to this Funding Opportunity Announcement. Rather IOs such as UN agencies and other Public International Organizations (PIOs) that are seeking funding for programs relevant to this announcement should contact the relevant PRM Program Officer (as stated below) on or before the closing date of the funding announcement.

• Pursuant to U.S. Code, Title 218, Section 1001, stated on OMB Standard Form 424 (SF-424), the Department of State is authorized to consolidate the certifications and assurances required by Federal law or regulations for its federal assistance programs. The list of certifications and assurances can be found at: http://fa.statebuy.state.gov/content.asp?content_id=161&menu_id=68 )

Proposal Content, Formatting and Template: This announcement is designed to accompany PRM’s General NGO Guidelines, which contain additional administrative information on proposal content and formatting, and explain in detail PRM’s NGO funding strategy and priorities. Please use both the General NGO Guidelines and this announcement to ensure that your proposal submission is in full compliance with PRM requirements and that the proposed activities are in line with PRM’s priorities. Proposal submissions that do not meet all of the requirements outlined in these guidelines will not be considered.

PRM strongly recommends using the proposal and budget templates that are available upon email request from PRM's NGO Coordinator. Please send an email, with the phrase “PRM NGO Templates” in the subject line, to PRM's NGO Coordinator. Single-year proposals using PRM’s templates must be no more than 20 pages in length (Times New Roman 12 point font, one inch margins on all sides). If the applicant does not use PRM’s recommended templates, proposals must not exceed 15 pages in length. Organizations may choose to attach work plans, activity calendars, and/or logical frameworks as addendums/appendices to the proposal. These attachments do not count toward the page limit total.

To be considered for PRM funding, organizations must submit a complete application package including:

• Proposal reflecting objectives and indicators for each year of the program period.

• Budget and budget narrative for each year of the program period.

• Signed completed SF-424.

In addition, proposal submissions to PRM should include the following information:

• Focus on outcome or impact indicators as much as possible. At a minimum, each objective should have one outcome or impact indicator. Wherever possible, baselines should be established before the start of the project.

• To increase PRM’s ability to track the impact of PRM funding, include specific information on locations of projects and beneficiaries (GPS coordinates if possible).

• If programs include funding for GBV prevention and response activities, partners are asked to estimate the portion of the total budget in support of these activities, and include this information in the Program Description section of the proposal narrative.

• Proposals should outline how the NGO will acknowledge PRM funding. If an organization believes that publicly acknowledging the receipt of USG funding for a particular PRM-funded project could potentially endanger the lives of the beneficiaries and/or the organization staff, invite suspicion about the organization's motives, or alienate the organization from the population it is trying to help, it must provide a brief explanation in its proposal as to why it should be exempted from this requirement.

• The budget should include a specific breakdown of funds being provided by UNHCR, other USG agencies, other donors, and your own organization. PRM strongly encourages multilateral support for humanitarian programs.

• Proposals and budgets should include details of any sub-agreements associated with the program.

• Copy of the organization’s Code of Conduct (required before an award can be made).

• Copy of the organization’s Security Plan (required before an award can be made).

• Most recent Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement (NICRA), if applicable.

• NGOs that have not received PRM funding since the U.S. Government fiscal year ending September 30, 2004 must be prepared to demonstrate that they meet the financial and accounting requirements of the U.S. Government by submitting copies of 1) the most recent external financial audit, 2) proof of non-profit tax status including under IRS 501 (c)(3), as applicable, 3) a Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number, and 4) an Employer ID (EIN)/Federal Tax Identification number.

• Organizations that received PRM funding in FY 2012 for activities that are being proposed for funding under this announcement must include the most recent quarterly progress report against indicators outlined in the cooperative agreement. If an organization’s last quarterly report was submitted more than six weeks prior to the submission of a proposal in response to this funding announcement, the organization must include, with its most recent quarterly report, updates that show any significant progress made on objectives since the last report.

Reports and Reporting Requirements:

Program reporting: PRM requires quarterly and final program reports describing and analyzing the results of activities undertaken during the validity period of the agreement. It is highly suggested that NGOs receiving PRM funding use the PRM recommended program report template. To request this template, send an email with the phrase “PRM NGO Templates” in the subject line to PRM's NGO Coordinator.

Financial Reports: Financial reports are required within thirty (30) days following the end of each calendar year quarter during the validity period of the agreement; a final financial report covering the entire period of the agreement is required within ninety (90) days after the expiration date of the agreement.

For more details regarding reporting requirements please see PRM’s General NGO Guidelines.

Proposal Review Process: PRM will conduct a formal competitive review of all proposals submitted in response to this funding announcement. A review panel will evaluate submissions based on the above-referenced proposal evaluation criteria and PRM priorities in the context of available funding.

PRM may request revised proposals and/or budgets based on feedback from the panel. PRM will provide formal notifications to NGOs of final decisions taken by Bureau management.

Branding and Marking Strategy: Unless exceptions have been approved by the designated bureau Authorizing Official as described in the proposal templates that are available upon email request from PRM's NGO Coordinator, at a minimum, the following provision will be included whenever assistance is awarded:

• As a condition of receipt of this assistance award, all materials produced pursuant to the award, including training materials, materials for recipients or materials to communicate or promote with foreign audiences a program, event, project, or some other activity under this agreement, including but not limited to invitations to events, press materials, event backdrops, podium signs, etc. must be marked appropriately with the standard U.S. flag in a size and prominence equal to (or greater than) any other logo or identity. Subrecipients and subsequent tier sub-award agreements are subject to the marking requirements and the recipient shall include a provision in the subrecipient agreement indicating that the standard, rectangular U.S. flag is a requirement. In the event the recipient does not comply with the marking requirements as established in the approved assistance agreement, the Grants Officer Representative and the Grants Officer must initiate corrective action.

PRM Points of Contact: Should NGOs have technical questions related to this announcement, they should contact the PRM staff listed below prior to proposal submission. Please note that responses to technical questions from PRM do not indicate a commitment to fund the program discussed.

PRM Program Officer: Susan Kyle, 202-453-9205, kylesf@state.gov, Washington, D.C.

Regional Refugee Coordinator: Amanda Jacobsen, +977-1-400-7200, jacobsena@state.gov, U.S. Embassy, Kathmandu.

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Measures Ensuring Respect for and Protection of the Human Rights of Migrants

Ambassador de Alba, Special Rapporteur Crépeau, Permanent Representatives, friends and colleagues, let me begin by thanking the International Organization for Migration, the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs and the UN Population Fund for sponsoring today’s roundtable, which is being webcast live.

The United States looks forward to the upcoming High Level Dialogue as an opportunity for productive dialogue on international migration, including on the human rights of migrants. Migration affects all countries of the world and presents both opportunities and challenges that we must address in a spirit of cooperation and respect.

We hope to see a High Level Dialog focused on substantive issues and not wrangling over procedural and institutional issues. We reaffirm our support for robust civil society engagement in the High Level Dialog. We are grateful that the theme for today's Roundtable puts an emphasis on women and girls who face special challenges as migrants.

I can think of no better country than Mexico for the United States to co-chair a panel on the human rights of migrants. Former Secretary of State Clinton noted that the U.S.-Mexican relationship is one of the most important between any two countries in the world. Our relationship with Mexico is defined by the bonds between our peoples, not simply by our borders. We share with Mexico an abiding interest in the human rights of all migrants, whether documented or undocumented.

The United States is unwavering in its commitment to respect the human rights of all migrants, regardless of their immigration status, and we urge other States to do the same. While States have a responsibility to ensure the integrity of their migration systems and the security of their borders, there are also important international obligations that provide protection to all persons, including migrants.

The United States has ratified human rights treaties including:

· the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights,

· the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, and the Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment,

· and other conventions that address challenges associated with slavery, human trafficking, and refugees.

In addition to highlighting these international conventions, I would like to share some of the best practices we have developed in the United States to protect the human rights of migrants. I'll mention three categories – 1. protection against xenophobia and hate crimes; 2. special protection for victims of human trafficking;and 3. civil rights and labor protection.

Criminal justice authorities in the United States use a variety of laws to prosecute persons who commit crimes against migrants, including crimes related to xenophobia and hate crimes. In 2009, the United States enacted ground-breaking federal hate crimes legislation that expanded protections against violent assaults motivated by a victim’s race, color, religion, or national origin, and added protections against such assaults based on sexual orientation, gender, disability, and gender identity. The Department of Justice and United States Attorneys’ Offices vigorously enforce these laws.

In addition to criminally prosecuting human traffickers, we protect trafficking victims in various ways, including by granting them what we call "T" immigration status under our Trafficking Victims Protection Act. T status allows the victim to remain and work in the U.S. legally, to apply for permanent residence after a prescribed period, and for certain family members to be eligible for a T visa. Our trafficking legislation is an excellent example of a law that advances both law enforcement and humanitarian objectives - objectives that can and must work together.

The United States also has many civil laws that protect migrants. The Equal Employment Opportunities Commission and the Civil Rights Division of our Department of Justice enforce federal civil laws prohibiting discrimination on the basis of national origin, and the Civil Rights Division also enforces laws prohibiting discrimination based on citizenship status.

Special protections apply to the children of immigrants, regardless of their parent’s legal status. For example, all children have the right to attend public elementary and secondary schools. All recipients of federal funds including state courts, law enforcement, and social service agencies, must provide language services for persons with limited English proficiency. And, employers may not treat individuals differently because of their place of birth, country of origin, ancestry, or because they look or sound "foreign." Our labor laws protect all workers in the United States, regardless of immigration status. These protections include minimum wage and overtime, workplace health and safety and freedom from unlawful discrimination.

I would be remiss in not mentioning a few words about Comprehensive Immigration Reform in the United States. President Obama made Comprehensive Immigration Reform a centerpiece of his legislative agenda. He recently proposed a framework that would create a fair, effective and commonsense immigration system that lives up to our heritage as a nation of laws and a nation of immigrants.

His commonsense proposal has four parts:

· First, continue to strengthen our borders.

· Second, target companies that hire undocumented workers.

· Third, hold undocumented immigrants accountable before they can earn their citizenship. This emphasis on ‘earning’ citizenship means requiring undocumented workers to pay their taxes and a penalty, move to the back of the line, learn English, and pass background checks.

· Fourth, streamline the legal immigration system for families, workers, and employers.

Our Congress has bipartisan groups now working on legislation.

Finally, there are steps all countries can take to protect the human rights of migrants that cost nothing at all. One is to encourage our elected leaders to take every opportunity to counter negative public perceptions about migrants.

We can emphasize the contributions that migrants make to host societies in economic and other terms. In my own country this contribution has been immense. We can convey the message to the public that new arrivals will enhance rather than undermine the country’s political-cultural ethos.

We can strenuously oppose measures that discriminate against migrants. We can emphasize the cost to society of keeping undocumented migrants “underground," where they’re vulnerable to unscrupulous employers, afraid to report crimes, and where billions in tax revenues are lost. We can emphasize that as a matter of fundamental fairness the “sins” of their parents should not be visited upon the children of undocumented immigrants.

These are just some examples of what countries can do to protect the human rights of migrants. I am sure that our panelists this morning will provide some additional thoughts and I look forward to hearing from them.

Thank you again for your participation this morning.

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External links to other Internet sites should not be construed as an endorsement of the views or privacy policies contained therein.