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Article
U.S. Air Force Medical Team in Chile to Support Relief Efforts
U.S Southern Command Public Affairs Office March 9, 2010 U.S. Air Force medical team deploys to Chile to support relief efforts SANTIAGO, Chile – A U.S. Air Force Expeditionary Medical Support (EMEDS) team will arrive today in Santiago, Chile aboard three C-17 Globemaster aircraft, where it will assist citizens affected by an 8.8 magnitude earthquake Feb. 27. The team, consisting of approximately 84 airmen, including 63 medical personnel, will conduct humanitarian assistance operations in the city of Angol, southeast of Concepcion, an area that suffered considerable damage as a result of the historic seismic event. The deployment is being funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development’s Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance (USAID/OFDA) as part of a multi-agency relief effort by the U.S. government in Chile and will join other activities already underway in Chile. The EMEDs team is equipped and staffed to provide surgical, primary care, pediatric, radiological, gynecological, laboratory, pharmaceutical, and dental services. The airmen will be working alongside Chilean civilian medical personnel during their deployment. On March 7, U.S. Southern Command deployed a 10-person command-and-control team to Santiago to assist the U.S. military group overseeing U.S. military assistance to Chile in the aftermath of the earthquake. The command also supplied seven of 22 satellite phones contributed by the Dept. of Defense as part of 92 satellite phones the U.S. government delivered to Chilean emergency officials to facilitate communications until telephone networks in affected areas are repaired. On March 6, two U.S. Air Force C-130 Hercules cargo aircraft and a team of about 50 airmen from the 139th Airlift Wing, Missouri Air National Guard arrived in Santiago to support and augment a Chilean Air Force-led airlift relief operation delivering aid to affected communities near the earthquake’s epicenter.
9 March 2010
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Article
U.S., El Salvador on Extension to Protect Archaeological Heritage
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE Office of the Spokesman March 8, 2010 MEDIA NOTE United States and El Salvador Extend Agreement to Protect Archaeological Heritage of El Salvador The U.S. Department of State is pleased to announce the extension of the Memorandum of Understanding Between the Government of the United States of America and the Government of the Republic of El Salvador Concerning the Imposition of Import Restrictions on Certain Categories of Archaeological Material from the Pre-Hispanic Cultures of the Republic of El Salvador. The U.S. Embassy in San Salvador and the Ministry of Foreign of Affairs of El Salvador exchanged diplomatic notes to extend the agreement and the Department of Homeland Security has published notification of the extended restrictions in the Federal Register. By extending this agreement, the United States demonstrates its continued respect for the cultural heritage of El Salvador and concern for the irretrievable loss of information about human history. Effective March 8, 2010, this extension represents a continuation of cooperation that began in 1995 when El Salvador requested assistance from the United States pursuant to Article 9 of the 1970 UNESCO Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property. Recognizing that certain of El Salvador’s heritage remains in jeopardy from pillage, the agreement enables the continued imposition of import restrictions on certain categories of archaeological material ranging in date from approximately 8000 B.C. to approximately 1550 A.D., including objects made of ceramic, metal, and stone. In 2009, the Department of Homeland Security recovered such material upon importation into the United States, including ceramic vessels and musical instruments dating to A.D. 300 to 900. These will be repatriated to Salvadoran authorities. The agreement also calls upon both governments to encourage academic institutions, nongovernmental organizations, and other private entities to cooperate in the exchange of knowledge and information about the cultural patrimony of El Salvador, and to collaborate in its preservation and protection. The Department of Homeland Security first published a Designated List of restricted categories of objects in the Federal Register in March 1995. The restricted objects may legally enter the United States only if accompanied by an export permit issued by the Government of the Republic of El Salvador or documentation verifying the objects’ provenance prior to 1995, and if no other applicable U.S. laws are violated. The Designated List and information about the agreement are at http://exchanges.state.gov/heritage/culprop/esfact.html. The extension is consistent with recommendations of the Cultural Property Advisory Committee to the Department of State. The Committee is a presidentially appointed body established to make findings and recommendations to the Department on these matters. Media Contact: Catherine Stearns, 202-632-6437 and StearnsCL@State.gov
8 March 2010
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Article
U.S., El Salvador on Extension to Protect Archaeological Heritage
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE Office of the Spokesman March 8, 2010 MEDIA NOTE United States and El Salvador Extend Agreement to Protect Archaeological Heritage of El Salvador The U.S. Department of State is pleased to announce the extension of the Memorandum of Understanding Between the Government of the United States of America and the Government of the Republic of El Salvador Concerning the Imposition of Import Restrictions on Certain Categories of Archaeological Material from the Pre-Hispanic Cultures of the Republic of El Salvador. The U.S. Embassy in San Salvador and the Ministry of Foreign of Affairs of El Salvador exchanged diplomatic notes to extend the agreement and the Department of Homeland Security has published notification of the extended restrictions in the Federal Register. By extending this agreement, the United States demonstrates its continued respect for the cultural heritage of El Salvador and concern for the irretrievable loss of information about human history. Effective March 8, 2010, this extension represents a continuation of cooperation that began in 1995 when El Salvador requested assistance from the United States pursuant to Article 9 of the 1970 UNESCO Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property. Recognizing that certain of El Salvador’s heritage remains in jeopardy from pillage, the agreement enables the continued imposition of import restrictions on certain categories of archaeological material ranging in date from approximately 8000 B.C. to approximately 1550 A.D., including objects made of ceramic, metal, and stone. In 2009, the Department of Homeland Security recovered such material upon importation into the United States, including ceramic vessels and musical instruments dating to A.D. 300 to 900. These will be repatriated to Salvadoran authorities. The agreement also calls upon both governments to encourage academic institutions, nongovernmental organizations, and other private entities to cooperate in the exchange of knowledge and information about the cultural patrimony of El Salvador, and to collaborate in its preservation and protection. The Department of Homeland Security first published a Designated List of restricted categories of objects in the Federal Register in March 1995. The restricted objects may legally enter the United States only if accompanied by an export permit issued by the Government of the Republic of El Salvador or documentation verifying the objects’ provenance prior to 1995, and if no other applicable U.S. laws are violated. The Designated List and information about the agreement are at http://exchanges.state.gov/heritage/culprop/esfact.html. The extension is consistent with recommendations of the Cultural Property Advisory Committee to the Department of State. The Committee is a presidentially appointed body established to make findings and recommendations to the Department on these matters. Media Contact: Catherine Stearns, 202-632-6437 and StearnsCL@State.gov
8 March 2010
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Article
Remarks by President Obama, Salvadoran President Funes
THE WHITE HOUSE Office of the Press Secretary March 8, 2010 REMARKS BY PRESIDENT OBAMA AND PRESIDENT FUNES OF EL SALVADOR AFTER MEETING Oval Office 3:56 P.M. EST PRESIDENT OBAMA: Hello, everybody. I want to welcome President Funes and the First Lady of El Salvador to the United States. Bienvenido. We are very grateful and honored by his visit. I’ve been following the President since his election nine months ago and have been very favorably impressed by the steps that he’s taking to try to break down political divisions within the country and move it forward with a spirit of progress and focusing on prosperity at every level of Salvadorian society. Obviously the friendship between our two countries in part is the result of the 2 million Salvadorians who are here in the United States working, sending remittances back to El Salvador. Those ties provide an outstanding foundation for continuing cooperation in our two countries. That cooperation has to be based on mutual interest and mutual respect. We’ve discussed ways that we can continue to improve our trading relationship. Over half of El Salvador’s exports go to the United States and over one-third of its imports come from the United States, so we already have strong economic ties there. But I very much applaud the President’s vision that growth in El Salvador has to be balanced and reach all aspects of Salvadorian society; that it has to be socially inclusive. And we want to assist in any way we can in making sure that there’s adequate credit and infrastructure and other tools that can bring about the long-term prosperity within El Salvador. And there are some wonderful projects that we can do multilaterally. For example, I know the United States, Brazil and El Salvador jointly are interested in pursuing additional measures that can expand biofuels and energy development that could be good for all three countries. We also discussed security issues in the region. I think that there has been progress within Central America, but we still have concerns, obviously, about drug trafficking, about gangs. The security challenges obviously are connected to the economic challenges within the region and we want to be supportive not only in addressing the symptoms that we see in terms of crime, but also the root causes, and I know that’s something that the President cares deeply about as well. And finally, I want to congratulate President Funes in the leadership that he’s already shown both regionally and internationally. His pragmatic and wise approach to the situation in Honduras I think helped to contribute to a solution in that country that promises long-term stability and peace. The generosity of the Salvadorian people towards Haiti in the aftermath of the terrible earthquake there I think is another example of his vision for a region that supports each other. And so my main goal today is communicating how interested the United States is in continuing to be an equal partner with El Salvador and other countries in the region -- a relationship based on mutual interest and mutual respect. And I wish him all the best as he continues to pursue his goals for a more prosperous and secure El Salvador. PRESIDENT FUNES: (As translated.) And to the press, I am extremely surprised about this excellent summary. After 20 years of being a journalist, I thought that I could summarize our interview of more than an hour in a better way, but President Obama has surprised me in how he has summarized the meeting. I would like to talk about two or three things. I have spoken to President Obama about this, and I want to commend him because he shares the same democratic values, and his new vision of how he is dealing with the hemisphere and particularly in Central America. Traditionally Central America has been seen as a migratory problem for the United States. But Central America, and in particular El Salvador, needs to generate the opportunities of work in order to be able to keep people back in El Salvador. And as they have a better job generation, and people have better health and education, people will be able to remain in countries and have a better life. We have spoken with President Obama about how to make a strategic alliance and face common problems that we have in the nation, such as drug traffic and organized crime. And the alliance that we wish to make is in order to combat poverty and to get people out of marginal situations and out of the exclusion. This has to be a regional effort and we have to -- and they have social policies that we need to build together. The U.S. needs to be a strategic -- or we hope it will be a strategic partner for our country. And in this way, the people will have better social well-being and we will be able to combat drug traffic, organized crime, because they will not find -- as we have new policies, they will not find fertile grounds. I’m not here to ask President Obama to do for us what we haven’t been able to do for such a long time. We have a big challenge on our hands, and one of our challenges is to have better tax collection in order to have more resources for the use of our government. This has been going on for many decades, but basically what we’re looking for is funding for the poor and small and medium enterprises in order to be able to create a better economic situation in El Salvador. We have to re-strengthen the productive network, and we have to have a different vision. But we definitely cannot blame the United States for the situation that we are in. And instead, we are looking for the United States to become a strategic partner, as President Obama so well said; not a bigger partner or a lesser partner but an equal partner and an efficient partner. And as President Obama’s administration, we hope that there will be a good alliance and it will be a better world for us and for all -- and a better administration. PRESIDENT OBAMA: All right, thank you, everybody. END 4:12 P.M. EST
8 March 2010
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Article
Remarks by President Obama, Salvadoran President Funes
THE WHITE HOUSE Office of the Press Secretary March 8, 2010 REMARKS BY PRESIDENT OBAMA AND PRESIDENT FUNES OF EL SALVADOR AFTER MEETING Oval Office 3:56 P.M. EST PRESIDENT OBAMA: Hello, everybody. I want to welcome President Funes and the First Lady of El Salvador to the United States. Bienvenido. We are very grateful and honored by his visit. I’ve been following the President since his election nine months ago and have been very favorably impressed by the steps that he’s taking to try to break down political divisions within the country and move it forward with a spirit of progress and focusing on prosperity at every level of Salvadorian society. Obviously the friendship between our two countries in part is the result of the 2 million Salvadorians who are here in the United States working, sending remittances back to El Salvador. Those ties provide an outstanding foundation for continuing cooperation in our two countries. That cooperation has to be based on mutual interest and mutual respect. We’ve discussed ways that we can continue to improve our trading relationship. Over half of El Salvador’s exports go to the United States and over one-third of its imports come from the United States, so we already have strong economic ties there. But I very much applaud the President’s vision that growth in El Salvador has to be balanced and reach all aspects of Salvadorian society; that it has to be socially inclusive. And we want to assist in any way we can in making sure that there’s adequate credit and infrastructure and other tools that can bring about the long-term prosperity within El Salvador. And there are some wonderful projects that we can do multilaterally. For example, I know the United States, Brazil and El Salvador jointly are interested in pursuing additional measures that can expand biofuels and energy development that could be good for all three countries. We also discussed security issues in the region. I think that there has been progress within Central America, but we still have concerns, obviously, about drug trafficking, about gangs. The security challenges obviously are connected to the economic challenges within the region and we want to be supportive not only in addressing the symptoms that we see in terms of crime, but also the root causes, and I know that’s something that the President cares deeply about as well. And finally, I want to congratulate President Funes in the leadership that he’s already shown both regionally and internationally. His pragmatic and wise approach to the situation in Honduras I think helped to contribute to a solution in that country that promises long-term stability and peace. The generosity of the Salvadorian people towards Haiti in the aftermath of the terrible earthquake there I think is another example of his vision for a region that supports each other. And so my main goal today is communicating how interested the United States is in continuing to be an equal partner with El Salvador and other countries in the region -- a relationship based on mutual interest and mutual respect. And I wish him all the best as he continues to pursue his goals for a more prosperous and secure El Salvador. PRESIDENT FUNES: (As translated.) And to the press, I am extremely surprised about this excellent summary. After 20 years of being a journalist, I thought that I could summarize our interview of more than an hour in a better way, but President Obama has surprised me in how he has summarized the meeting. I would like to talk about two or three things. I have spoken to President Obama about this, and I want to commend him because he shares the same democratic values, and his new vision of how he is dealing with the hemisphere and particularly in Central America. Traditionally Central America has been seen as a migratory problem for the United States. But Central America, and in particular El Salvador, needs to generate the opportunities of work in order to be able to keep people back in El Salvador. And as they have a better job generation, and people have better health and education, people will be able to remain in countries and have a better life. We have spoken with President Obama about how to make a strategic alliance and face common problems that we have in the nation, such as drug traffic and organized crime. And the alliance that we wish to make is in order to combat poverty and to get people out of marginal situations and out of the exclusion. This has to be a regional effort and we have to -- and they have social policies that we need to build together. The U.S. needs to be a strategic -- or we hope it will be a strategic partner for our country. And in this way, the people will have better social well-being and we will be able to combat drug traffic, organized crime, because they will not find -- as we have new policies, they will not find fertile grounds. I’m not here to ask President Obama to do for us what we haven’t been able to do for such a long time. We have a big challenge on our hands, and one of our challenges is to have better tax collection in order to have more resources for the use of our government. This has been going on for many decades, but basically what we’re looking for is funding for the poor and small and medium enterprises in order to be able to create a better economic situation in El Salvador. We have to re-strengthen the productive network, and we have to have a different vision. But we definitely cannot blame the United States for the situation that we are in. And instead, we are looking for the United States to become a strategic partner, as President Obama so well said; not a bigger partner or a lesser partner but an equal partner and an efficient partner. And as President Obama’s administration, we hope that there will be a good alliance and it will be a better world for us and for all -- and a better administration. PRESIDENT OBAMA: All right, thank you, everybody. END 4:12 P.M. EST
8 March 2010
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Article
Donors’ Conference March 31 to Mobilize Support for Haiti
By Merle David Kellerhals Jr.Staff Writer Washington — A donors’ conference to mobilize international support for the long-term development and recovery of Haiti will take place at U.N. headquarters in New York March 31. “The government of Haiti faces enormous challenges following the devastating earthquake of January 12,” the State Department said March 4 in announcing the conference. “Meeting these challenges will require a sustained and substantial commitment from the international community, in support of the government and people of Haiti.” “At the donors’ conference, Haiti will present its vision of Haiti’s future and how international support can assist,” the announcement said. Sponsors for the ministerial-level conference, formally called the International Donors’ Conference Towards a New Future for Haiti, include the United States and the United Nations in cooperation with the Haitian government, and also with the support of Brazil, Canada, the European Union, France and Spain. “Donor countries, international organizations and other partners will have an opportunity to pledge resources, to coordinate support of Haiti’s long-term recovery, and to commit to a sustained effort to support Haiti,” the department announcement said. In addition, the Dominican Republic, which is Haiti’s nearest neighbor, will host an international conference of high-level technical donors to evaluate the economic consequences of the earthquake. It is scheduled for March 16–17 in Santo Domingo and will serve as the basis for the donors’ conference at the United Nations, according to Dominican government officials. PRELIMINARY STUDY A preliminary study by the Inter-American Development Bank (PDF, 240KB) indicates that it could cost as much as $14 billion to rebuild Haiti’s homes, schools, roads and other structures damaged by the earthquake. “The earthquake, which hit about 15km (10 miles) southwest of the capital city Port-au-Prince, was followed by several strong aftershocks and has caused significant loss of human life, the displacement of hundreds of thousands” of people and severe damage to the economic infrastructure of the country, the IDB’s team of economists said in a preliminary assessment released February 16 in Washington. “The study confirms that the Haitian earthquake is likely to be the most destructive natural disaster in modern times, when viewed in relation to the size of Haiti’s population and its economy,” the development bank said. A more detailed accounting of the cost of reconstruction — which the development bank, World Bank and the U.N. Development Fund are conducting — will be completed in several months based on a Post Disaster Needs Assessment, the IDB said in releasing its preliminary report. The Haitian government estimates the current number of dead at approximately 230,000 people. The number of people displaced in the Port-au-Prince area is estimated at 700,000 people, according to the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), and the total impact of the earthquake affected 3 million people in a country with a population of slightly less than 9 million people. The development bank study estimated that reconstruction costs could be as low as $8.1 billion or as high as $13.9 billion. “These estimates are useful to put this event into perspective and to inform the international community of the enormity of the challenge that lies ahead in the task of reconstructing Haiti,” the IDB report’s authors said. “This sum … will be beyond the scope of one agency or one bilateral donor, making donor coordination key in any reconstruction effort,” the authors added. “The implications of such an estimate are significant. Raising such a figure will require many donors, bilateral, multilateral and private.” Compounding the loss of life is that the magnitude 7.0 earthquake was centered in the Caribbean island’s capital city — Haiti’s center of commerce, government and communications. World Bank President Robert Zoellick said in a recent opinion article in Politico that after the first rush of humanitarian assistance to help save lives and provide water, food, shelter, medicine and other basic supplies to the survivors, thoughts must turn to recovery and reconstruction of the Caribbean nation. It is a challenge, he acknowledged, that will not be an easy one. “After peacekeeping missions and billions of dollars in aid, Haiti remains a country with some of the worst human development indicators in the world,” he said. “Yet we know that progress is possible.” “Before the hurricanes in 2008 and again before [January’s] earthquake, Haiti had been moving forward with successful and peaceful elections, stabilization of chronic insecurity, and increased revenue collection and investment,” Zoellick said. “Building on these successes, Haiti’s reconstruction and recovery require long-term commitment.” U.S. COMMITMENT The United States, which began offering humanitarian assistance almost immediately, has already committed $712.73 million to Haitian relief and reconstruction efforts, according to USAID and Defense Department reports. President Obama also is expected to request special funding for reconstruction of at least $1 billion from Congress soon, according to published news accounts. For more on Haiti, see the feature Partnering with Haiti for Reconstruction.
5 March 2010
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Article
Donors’ Conference March 31 to Mobilize Support for Haiti
U.S. soldiers help organize lines of Haitian earthquake survivors seeking to register their displaced families and receive U.N. aid.By Merle David Kellerhals Jr.Staff Writer Washington — A donors’ conference to mobilize international support for the long-term development and recovery of Haiti will take place at U.N. headquarters in New York March 31. “The government of Haiti faces enormous challenges following the devastating earthquake of January 12,” the State Department said March 4 in announcing the conference. “Meeting these challenges will require a sustained and substantial commitment from the international community, in support of the government and people of Haiti.” “At the donors’ conference, Haiti will present its vision of Haiti’s future and how international support can assist,” the announcement said. Sponsors for the ministerial-level conference, formally called the International Donors’ Conference Towards a New Future for Haiti, include the United States and the United Nations in cooperation with the Haitian government, and also with the support of Brazil, Canada, the European Union, France and Spain. “Donor countries, international organizations and other partners will have an opportunity to pledge resources, to coordinate support of Haiti’s long-term recovery, and to commit to a sustained effort to support Haiti,” the department announcement said. In addition, the Dominican Republic, which is Haiti’s nearest neighbor, will host an international conference of high-level technical donors to evaluate the economic consequences of the earthquake. It is scheduled for March 16–17 in Santo Domingo and will serve as the basis for the donors’ conference at the United Nations, according to Dominican government officials. PRELIMINARY STUDY A preliminary study by the Inter-American Development Bank (PDF, 240KB) indicates that it could cost as much as $14 billion to rebuild Haiti’s homes, schools, roads and other structures damaged by the earthquake. “The earthquake, which hit about 15km (10 miles) southwest of the capital city Port-au-Prince, was followed by several strong aftershocks and has caused significant loss of human life, the displacement of hundreds of thousands” of people and severe damage to the economic infrastructure of the country, the IDB’s team of economists said in a preliminary assessment released February 16 in Washington. “The study confirms that the Haitian earthquake is likely to be the most destructive natural disaster in modern times, when viewed in relation to the size of Haiti’s population and its economy,” the development bank said. A more detailed accounting of the cost of reconstruction — which the development bank, World Bank and the U.N. Development Fund are conducting — will be completed in several months based on a Post Disaster Needs Assessment, the IDB said in releasing its preliminary report. The Haitian government estimates the current number of dead at approximately 230,000 people. The number of people displaced in the Port-au-Prince area is estimated at 700,000 people, according to the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), and the total impact of the earthquake affected 3 million people in a country with a population of slightly less than 9 million people. The development bank study estimated that reconstruction costs could be as low as $8.1 billion or as high as $13.9 billion. “These estimates are useful to put this event into perspective and to inform the international community of the enormity of the challenge that lies ahead in the task of reconstructing Haiti,” the IDB report’s authors said. “This sum … will be beyond the scope of one agency or one bilateral donor, making donor coordination key in any reconstruction effort,” the authors added. “The implications of such an estimate are significant. Raising such a figure will require many donors, bilateral, multilateral and private.” Compounding the loss of life is that the magnitude 7.0 earthquake was centered in the Caribbean island’s capital city — Haiti’s center of commerce, government and communications. World Bank President Robert Zoellick said in a recent opinion article in Politico that after the first rush of humanitarian assistance to help save lives and provide water, food, shelter, medicine and other basic supplies to the survivors, thoughts must turn to recovery and reconstruction of the Caribbean nation. It is a challenge, he acknowledged, that will not be an easy one. “After peacekeeping missions and billions of dollars in aid, Haiti remains a country with some of the worst human development indicators in the world,” he said. “Yet we know that progress is possible.” “Before the hurricanes in 2008 and again before [January’s] earthquake, Haiti had been moving forward with successful and peaceful elections, stabilization of chronic insecurity, and increased revenue collection and investment,” Zoellick said. “Building on these successes, Haiti’s reconstruction and recovery require long-term commitment.” U.S. COMMITMENT The United States, which began offering humanitarian assistance almost immediately, has already committed $712.73 million to Haitian relief and reconstruction efforts, according to USAID and Defense Department reports. President Obama also is expected to request special funding for reconstruction of at least $1 billion from Congress soon, according to published news accounts. For more on Haiti, see the feature Partnering with Haiti for Reconstruction.
5 March 2010
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Article
Western Hemisphere Leaders Discuss Economic, Social Opportunities
By Merle David Kellerhals Jr.Staff Writer Washington — Government ministers from 14 Western Hemisphere nations gathered in Costa Rica March 4 to promote the conditions that will provide their citizens the economic and social opportunities necessary for regional and national stability. The San Jose meeting is the third ministerial meeting held since the Pathways to Prosperity in the Americas initiative was created in late 2008 to link nations from Central and North and South America that are committed to advancing democracy and open markets while promoting inclusive growth, prosperity and social justice. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton urged the ministers to close the economic gaps that exist for the farmers, craftspeople and small business owners most often excluded from financial services and access to global markets. And she promoted new efforts to reach marginalized populations and women to give them a chance through economic progress. As the number of young people across the hemisphere rises, numbers of schools to educate them and jobs to provide them opportunities must rise as well, Clinton said. “The Americas … are one of the world’s most dynamic and diverse regions, with a strong economic base that is evident in the multitude of creative solutions already at work in our countries,” she told the ministerial meeting. “I’ve traveled throughout this hemisphere for 17 years now, and I meet people with smart ideas, a great work ethic and a strong entrepreneurial spirit everywhere. They just need the chance to show what they can do, to compete in a business environment that is fair and secure.” Clinton said the United States has had considerable success with the creation of small-business development centers where people get information and advice about starting businesses. While some of the Pathways member nations have adopted similar programs, Clinton said the United States wants to share it with others through exchange visits. To help women entrepreneurs across the hemisphere, the United States recently hosted a conference for women from the Americas and launched a network to connect women just starting out with experienced women business leaders, Clinton said. One area that has stymied effective trade among nations in the hemisphere, she said, is customs procedures that need to be modernized. Clinton proposed that Pathways nations agree to reduce logistics delays and costs by 5 percent, based on a similar practice developed by the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum. “Efficient and effective customs practices are critical to attracting foreign investment and succeeding in global markets,” she said. The United States also is committed to supporting the expansion of English language instruction centers and an investment fund to upgrade technology, expand libraries and cultural programs, and build science and innovation centers, Clinton said. In addition, the United States is working to help small and medium-sized businesses to decrease the amount of water, energy and raw materials they use, protect natural resources, cut carbon dioxide emissions and save costs, she said. The United States is also committed to working with its Pathways partners in modernizing laws that govern lending so that small and medium-sized businesses can use assets other than real estate as collateral for loans and can borrow larger amounts of capital at lower interest rates with longer repayment periods, Clinton said. Clinton urged Pathways nations to help Haiti rebuild its textile and apparel factories to speed its immediate recovery efforts and stimulate future growth. Members of the two-year-old Pathways to Prosperity initiative include Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, the United States and Uruguay. Clinton is nearing the end of a weeklong trip to Latin America, having already visited Uruguay, Argentina, Chile and Brazil. She concludes her trip March 5 in Guatemala for meetings with Central American leaders and to discuss restoring full relations with Honduras after a presidential election in November 2009 ended a political crisis there.
5 March 2010
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Article
Western Hemisphere Leaders Discuss Economic, Social Opportunities
Secretary Clinton and Peruvian Foreign Minister José Antonio Garcia Belaunde at the Pathways to Prosperity conference March 4By Merle David Kellerhals Jr.Staff Writer Washington — Government ministers from 14 Western Hemisphere nations gathered in Costa Rica March 4 to promote the conditions that will provide their citizens the economic and social opportunities necessary for regional and national stability. The San Jose meeting is the third ministerial meeting held since the Pathways to Prosperity in the Americas initiative was created in late 2008 to link nations from Central and North and South America that are committed to advancing democracy and open markets while promoting inclusive growth, prosperity and social justice. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton urged the ministers to close the economic gaps that exist for the farmers, craftspeople and small business owners most often excluded from financial services and access to global markets. And she promoted new efforts to reach marginalized populations and women to give them a chance through economic progress. As the number of young people across the hemisphere rises, numbers of schools to educate them and jobs to provide them opportunities must rise as well, Clinton said. “The Americas … are one of the world’s most dynamic and diverse regions, with a strong economic base that is evident in the multitude of creative solutions already at work in our countries,” she told the ministerial meeting. “I’ve traveled throughout this hemisphere for 17 years now, and I meet people with smart ideas, a great work ethic and a strong entrepreneurial spirit everywhere. They just need the chance to show what they can do, to compete in a business environment that is fair and secure.” Clinton said the United States has had considerable success with the creation of small-business development centers where people get information and advice about starting businesses. While some of the Pathways member nations have adopted similar programs, Clinton said the United States wants to share it with others through exchange visits. To help women entrepreneurs across the hemisphere, the United States recently hosted a conference for women from the Americas and launched a network to connect women just starting out with experienced women business leaders, Clinton said. One area that has stymied effective trade among nations in the hemisphere, she said, is customs procedures that need to be modernized. Clinton proposed that Pathways nations agree to reduce logistics delays and costs by 5 percent, based on a similar practice developed by the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum. “Efficient and effective customs practices are critical to attracting foreign investment and succeeding in global markets,” she said. The United States also is committed to supporting the expansion of English language instruction centers and an investment fund to upgrade technology, expand libraries and cultural programs, and build science and innovation centers, Clinton said. In addition, the United States is working to help small and medium-sized businesses to decrease the amount of water, energy and raw materials they use, protect natural resources, cut carbon dioxide emissions and save costs, she said. The United States is also committed to working with its Pathways partners in modernizing laws that govern lending so that small and medium-sized businesses can use assets other than real estate as collateral for loans and can borrow larger amounts of capital at lower interest rates with longer repayment periods, Clinton said. Clinton urged Pathways nations to help Haiti rebuild its textile and apparel factories to speed its immediate recovery efforts and stimulate future growth. Members of the two-year-old Pathways to Prosperity initiative include Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, the United States and Uruguay. Clinton is nearing the end of a weeklong trip to Latin America, having already visited Uruguay, Argentina, Chile and Brazil. She concludes her trip March 5 in Guatemala for meetings with Central American leaders and to discuss restoring full relations with Honduras after a presidential election in November 2009 ended a political crisis there.
5 March 2010
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Article
Haitian President Préval’s Visit to White House
THE WHITE HOUSE Office of the Press Secretary March 5, 2010 Statement by the Press Secretary on the visit of President Préval of Haiti to the White House On Wednesday, March 10, President Obama will welcome Haitian President Rene Préval to the White House. They will discuss relief, recovery, and reconstruction efforts in Haiti, including the important contributions made by the United States and the international community. The President will speak with President Préval about how the international community can best support the government of Haiti and the Haitian people as they rebuild and create a foundation for a brighter future. A long and enduring relationship binds the United States and Haiti. Haitians are neighbors in the Americas, and Haitian-Americans have made extraordinary contributions to our country. The President looks forward to welcoming President Préval to the White House to underscore his pledge to the Haitian people that they have a friend and partner in the United States of America.
5 March 2010
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Article
Haitian President Préval’s Visit to White House
THE WHITE HOUSE Office of the Press Secretary March 5, 2010 Statement by the Press Secretary on the visit of President Préval of Haiti to the White House On Wednesday, March 10, President Obama will welcome Haitian President Rene Préval to the White House. They will discuss relief, recovery, and reconstruction efforts in Haiti, including the important contributions made by the United States and the international community. The President will speak with President Préval about how the international community can best support the government of Haiti and the Haitian people as they rebuild and create a foundation for a brighter future. A long and enduring relationship binds the United States and Haiti. Haitians are neighbors in the Americas, and Haitian-Americans have made extraordinary contributions to our country. The President looks forward to welcoming President Préval to the White House to underscore his pledge to the Haitian people that they have a friend and partner in the United States of America.
5 March 2010
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United States, United Nations Announce Haiti Donors’ Conference
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE Office of the Spokesman March 4, 2010 MEDIA NOTE The United States and United Nations Announce the Haiti Donors’ Conference The United States and the United Nations, in cooperation with the Government of Haiti, and with the support of Brazil, Canada, the European Union, France, and Spain will co-host a ministerial International Donors’ Conference Towards a New Future for Haiti at the United Nations in New York on March 31, 2010. The goal of the conference is to mobilize international support for the development needs of Haiti to begin to lay the foundation for Haiti’s long-term recovery. The Government of Haiti faces enormous challenges following the devastating earthquake of January 12. Meeting these challenges will require a sustained and substantial commitment from the international community, in support of the Government and people of Haiti. At the donors’ conference, Haiti will present its vision for Haiti’s future and how international support can assist. Donor countries, international organizations, and other partners will have an opportunity to pledge resources, to coordinate in support of Haiti’s long-term recovery, and to commit to a sustained effort to support Haiti.
4 March 2010