How the U.S. uses trade to deter forced labor
By Leigh Hartman The United States works to stop forced labor around the world. That’s why it won’t import seafood from a fishing fleet based out of the People’s Republic of China. A yearlong U.S. Customs and Border Protection investigation found evidence that PRC-based Dalian Ocean Fishing Company demonstrated all 11 of the International Labour Organization’s indicators of forced labor (PDF, 4.2MB). On May ... Read More»
The United States and UAE partner against ISIS propaganda
The editorial below, written by Omar Ghobash, assistant minister for culture and public diplomacy at the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, and Christopher Hodges, deputy assistant secretary of state for press and public diplomacy and assistance coordination in the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs, describes ... Read More»
U.S. rallies support for global vaccine distribution
Many citizens of developing world nations will receive COVID-19 vaccines thanks to funds being raised by the United States and partner organizations. The recently launched COVID-19 Vaccines Global Access (COVAX) Facility Advance Market Commitment (AMC) aims to raise $2 billion to procure and distribute up to 1.8 billion safe and effective vaccines to low- and middle-income countries. On April 15, the United States and Gavi, The Vaccine Alliance, launched ... Read More»
Biden: Quad partners boosting COVID-19 vaccine production in India
By Leigh Hartman The United States and Quad partner nations are ramping up production of U.S.-developed vaccines in India to strengthen vaccination efforts across the Indo-Pacific. President Biden announced the vaccine partnership plan March 12 at the outset of the first leaders’ summit of the Quad, a partnership between the United States, India, Japan and Australia. We’re “launching an ambitious ... Read More»
International partners empower NASA’s mission on Mars
By Leigh Hartman When NASA’s Perseverance rover searches Mars for signs of ancient life it uses technology from partner nations across Europe. The 2,260-pound (1,025-kilogram) rover is armed with imaging and sensor equipment from France, Italy, Spain and Norway. “It’s on a mission of exploration, with elements contributed by our European partners to seek evidence ... Read More»
Blinken: America will lead with our values
The United States will embrace its role as a world leader and rally international partners to take on pressing global challenges. In his first major speech, March 3, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the Biden administration’s foreign policy will reflect American values, including a commitment to democracy, human rights and the rule of ... Read More»
Biden: U.S. will work with democratic partners
President Biden says the United States will stand with its European allies and other international partners to confront the world’s most pressing problems. Speaking to the Munich Security Conference February 19 , Biden hailed strong partnerships between free nations as the foundation for countering rising global challenges. He affirmed the United States will partner with its North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) allies to ... Read More»
Biden: We will solve global challenges together
President Biden is vowing to strengthen America’s international relationships and tackle global challenges with the help of other nations. In a major foreign policy speech, Biden said the United States will work with the international community to tackle global challenges like the COVID-19 pandemic and climate change , and to advance freedom and dignity for people around the world. “America’s ... Read More»
Biden takes bold steps to fight climate change
On January 20, his first day in office, President Biden signed papers to bring the United States back into the Paris Agreement. On January 27, he issued an executive order deepening America’s commitment to combat the climate crisis . “We can’t wait any longer,” Biden said before signing the order. “We see it with our own eyes, we feel it, we know ... Read More»
United States and India partner on vaccine research
The United States and India have engaged in “unprecedented levels of cooperation to combat the coronavirus pandemic,” U.S. Under Secretary of State Stephen Biegun said October 12. Biegun’s comment came during a trip to India, where he praised the deepening U.S.-India relationship and the shared values and goals of the world’s largest democracies. Biegun pointed ... Read More»
U.S. guarantees Europe’s energy security [video]
The United States continues to protect Europe’s access to energy sources, as it has since World War II. Europe needs access to diversified, open energy markets for economic growth. Natural gas imports , civil nuclear infrastructure and renewable energy sources developed through sound strategies are among the most trusted sources. Europe is entering a new era of energy ... Read More»
Commemorating the United Nations Declaration
January 1, 1942, was a milestone in diplomatic history — a day when representatives of the “Big Four” Allied countries (the United States, the United Kingdom, the Soviet Union, and China) gathered in Washington to sign the United Nations Declaration , formally pledging cooperation in defeating the forces of fascism. The following day, representatives of 22 other Allied ... Read More»
NASA launches U.S.-European satellite mission to monitor global sea levels
A joint U.S.-European satellite mission will collect valuable information about rising sea levels. The Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich satellite — named for the former director of NASA’s Earth Science Division — launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California on November 21. “The Earth is changing, and this satellite will help deepen our understanding of how,” said Karen St. Germain ... Read More»
Beijing’s military aggression [video]
The U.S. is working to build a free and open Indo-Pacific region, but Beijing is putting the world at risk and raising the threat of violent conflict through its military aggression. The Chinese Communist Party engages in dangerous and threatening behavior across the Indo-Pacific and threatens its neighbors. From military bases in the South China Sea to lethal fighting ... Read More»
U.S. leads in fight against transnational corruption
An international anti-corruption group is praising the United States as a world leader in the fight against bribery and corruption. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development’s Working Group on Bribery in a November 17 report commended the United States for bolstering its already strong enforcement of anti-corruption laws and encouraging others to follow the ... Read More»
U.S. companies pledge support for Asia’s post-pandemic recovery
The U.S. government and American clothing producers have pledged to help workers in Asia recover from the economic hardship of the COVID-19 pandemic . U.S. Agency for International Development and industry representatives signed a memorandum of understanding October 28, pledging to explore ways to help workers who supply U.S. clothing and footwear companies. Over the next year, the ... Read More»
China’s manipulation of international organizations
As the coronavirus spread beyond its borders, China’s leaders successfully lobbied the World Health Organization (WHO) not to declare a public health emergency of international concern. Soon after this disastrous January decision, the Chinese Communist Party blocked a WHO team from investigating the pandemic’s source and China’s response. “China has extracted concessions from the health ... Read More»
European nations crack down on Iran-backed Hizballah
European nations are increasingly recognizing the threat of Hizballah and blocking the Iran-backed terrorist organization from raising money or conducting other activities within their borders. U.S. Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo commended Estonia’s October 22 ban on Hizballah members and affiliates entering the country. Estonia joins a host of nations that refuse to distinguish ... Read More»
U.S. urges partners to counter China’s foreign meddling
The Chinese Communist Party is challenging the free and open nature of democratic societies, a senior U.S. official says. Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs David Stilwell warned October 30 that the CCP is conducting “covert, coercive, and corrupting” political influence activities worldwide, even as it denies foreign meddling and promises countries ... Read More»
A trans-Atlantic awakening to the China challenge
U.S. and European Union officials are increasingly recognizing and working closely to counter threats posed by the Chinese Communist Party. U.S. Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo and EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell on October 23 launched the new U.S.-EU Dialogue on China. Their aim is to address risks posed ... Read More»
U.S. provides training to prevent atrocities
The United States is highlighting its commitment to prevent, mitigate and respond to atrocities globally. “When we say ‘Never again,’ it must mean more than words,” said Denise Natali, assistant secretary of state for Conflict and Stabilization Operations at a September 16 event hosted by the U.S. Institute of Peace. “It must mean taking clear ... Read More»
U.S., allies pledge to cooperate in space exploration
The United States and its international partners are ensuring that future space exploration is peaceful, sustainable and beneficial to all. On October 13, the United States and seven other nations signed the Artemis Accords, guiding principles for NASA’s Artemis program, which aims to land the first woman and next man on the moon by 2024. ... Read More»
OAS: Elections in Venezuela will not be free and fair
The Organization of American States General Assembly passed a resolution October 21 declaring the illegitimate Maduro regime’s December 6 elections in Venezuela will be fraudulent. “We all know there is more work to do to uphold our hemisphere as a hemisphere of freedom,” Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo said October 21 during his virtual ... Read More»
Core U.S. values echo in Universal Declaration of Human Rights
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), ratified in 1948, for the first time articulated the rights and freedoms to which every person is entitled. Influenced by the core values at the heart of the U.S. Constitution, the UDHR affirmed “the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace ... Read More»
Why September 12 matters so much
In September 2001, after terrorists attacked the World Trade Center in New York, the Maasai people of Kenya tried to send 14 cows to the people of America. Wilson Kimeli Naiyomah, who had come up with the idea, explained: “To heal a sorrowing heart, give something that is dear to your own.” The cows, sacred ... Read More»
U.S. helps allies fight cyberattacks
Cybersecurity experts from the U.S. Cyber Command are working with other nations to identify malware and network attacks. Cyberattacks undermine elections and threaten democracy. By working with host nations, Cyber Command has identified more than 40 malware samples since 2018. The best way to fight cyberattacks and false information campaigns is to expose the weapons used in the attack. When an ... Read More»
Countries worldwide call for democracy in Venezuela
Thirty-three countries from around the globe, including members of the Lima Group and the International Contact Group and some European Union member states, signed a joint declaration calling for democracy in Venezuela. The declaration , released August 14, is a call “to put the interests of Venezuela above politics and engage urgently in support of a process ... Read More»
Trump brokers historic Israel-UAE deal for peace and prosperity
President Trump has brokered a historic deal between Israel and the United Arab Emirates, normalizing relations between the two countries and laying a foundation for peace in the Middle East. “Our vision is one of peace, security, and prosperity — in this region, and in the world,” Trump said in an August 13 statement announcing ... Read More»
The consequences of ending the arms embargo against Iran [video]
The United Nations arms embargo on Iran expires in October. If it is not extended, Iran can supply weapons that fuel conflicts such as those in Lebanon and Yemen. The weapons could be used to attack Israel or Saudi Arabia. Without the embargo, Iran can sell weapons around the world to dictators such as Nicolás ... Read More»
Pompeo: The free world must triumph over China’s tyranny (July 27)
By Leigh Hartman – Jul 27, 2020 The free nations of the world must counter the Chinese Communist Party’s malign behavior, which threatens their people and prosperity. In a July 23 speech in Yorba Linda, California, U.S. Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo said that the belief that doing business with China would lead the Chinese Communist ... Read More»
U.S. rejects China’s ‘unlawful’ claims in South China Sea (July 22)
U.S. rejects China’s ‘unlawful’ claims in South China Sea (July 22) The United States is standing with its Southeast Asian partners and allies to reject the People’s Republic of China’s unlawful claims in the South China Sea . U.S. Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo, in a July 13 statement , said most of the PRC’s maritime claims are “completely unlawful” and ... Read More»
U.S. private sector helps ASEAN fight COVID-19 (July 22)
U.S. private sector helps ASEAN fight COVID-19 (July 22) U.S. businesses have donated at least $40 million to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in the fight against COVID-19 . “America’s partnership with ASEAN, now in its 43rd year, is at the heart of our vision for the Indo-Pacific,” said Health and Human Services Deputy Secretary ... Read More»
Pompeo urges U.N. to extend arms embargo on Iran’s regime (July 9)
Pompeo urges U.N. to extend arms embargo on Iran’s regime (July 9) U.S. Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo is urging the United Nations Security Council to extend an arms embargo against Iran, warning that the regime poses a continuing threat to international peace and security. Pompeo told a June 30 meeting of the ... Read More»
U.S. works with partners to counter China’s aggressive behavior (June 30)
U.S. works with partners to counter China’s aggressive behavior (June 30) The U.S. is committed to working with international partners to uphold core values and freedoms. According to a new report published by the White House with input from 20 departments and agencies, the U.S. seeks to protect the widely accepted international order against ... Read More»
The Charter of the United Nations turns 75 (June 23)
The Charter of the United Nations turns 75 (June 23) When the Charter of the United Nations was signed on June 26, 1945, it set the stage for a post-World War II era dedicated to the resolution of international disputes by peaceful means. Fifty of the U.N.’s original 51 member countries signed the charter at the San Francisco Conference (Poland ... Read More»
Scholars from U.S. exchange program fight COVID-19 (May 13)
Scholars from U.S. exchange program fight COVID-19 (May 13) Scholars around the world who have been part of the State Department’s Fulbright Program are using their experience to help their communities during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Fulbright Program, in partnership with more than 160 countries, gives students, scholars, teachers, artists and scientists of all backgrounds the opportunity to ... Read More»
The Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty at 50 (February 27)
The Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty at 50 (February 27) The NPT is the cornerstone of the nuclear nonproliferation regime, reinforcing international peace and security and preventing the further spread of nuclear weapons. Global nuclear stockpiles are at their lowest levels since the 1950s, according to the Federation of American Scientists . The treaty, which entered into force March 5, ... Read More»
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