The U.S.-Philippines Alliance: Deepening the Security and Trade Partnership

Kurt M. Campbell
Assistant Secretary, Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs

Testimony Before the House Committee on Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Terrorism, Nonproliferation and Trade

Washington, DC

February 7, 2012

Mr. Chairman, Mr. Sherman, and Members of the Subcommittee, thank you very much for inviting me here today to testify about the vital importance of the deep and long-standing alliance between the United States of America and the Republic of the Philippines. Many members of this Committee have been key proponents for advancing the U.S.-Philippines relationship, and I look forward to working closely with you as we continue to take steps to strengthen and deepen our partnership. I am particularly pleased that you have chosen to hold the hearing at this consequential moment, a moment when our two countries are working to revitalize our alliance to meet the challenges of the 21st century. In many ways, we are writing a new chapter in our relationship and turning the page from a legacy of paternalism to a partnership of equals.

Our efforts to strengthen the U.S.-Philippine alliance are part of a broader strategy by the Obama Administration to increase American strategic engagement and focus in the Asia-Pacific region. The President and Secretary Clinton’s travels through Asia, including hosting the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum in November 2011, underscore that the United States is an enduring Pacific power, and our national interests are inextricably linked to the Asia-Pacific. This strategy, undergirded by a rich bipartisan tradition, has six key components: first, deepening and broadening our alliances with Japan, Republic of Korea, Australia, Thailand, and of course the Philippines; second, building new partnerships with a range of emerging players like China, India, Singapore, Indonesia, Vietnam, Malaysia, and New Zealand; third, increasing our commitment and engagement with regional institutions like ASEAN, the ASEAN Regional Forum, the East Asia Summit and the Pacific Island Forum; fourth, pursuing a more geographically distributed, operationally resilient, and politically sustainable force posture in the Asia-Pacific region; fifth, working to advance free trade and opportunities for American businesses; and last advancing human rights and democratic values from China to Vietnam and Burma.

I would like to use the remainder of my testimony to focus on the important work that the Obama Administration is pursuing to strengthen and deepen our partnership and alliance with the Philippines in line with our strategic goals.

Philippine President Aquino and his administration entered office committed to strengthening their partnership with the United States. The United States’ and the Philippines’ abiding friendship has been forged by a history of shared sacrifice and common purpose. Our relationship is enriched by the presence in the United States of over four million Filipinos and Filipino Americans and in the Philippines by over 150,000 Americans, who help shape the future of both countries. In November, Secretary Clinton stood side-by-side with her Philippine counterpart Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario aboard the USS Fitzgerald in Manila Bay to sign the joint Manila Declaration, commemorating the 60th anniversary of the U.S.-Philippines Mutual Defense Treaty. Together, the leaders reaffirmed that the treaty remains the foundation of the bilateral relationship. The Manila Declaration also sets forth a shared vision for strategic, political, economic, and people-to-people cooperation between our two nations that will allow us to meet the many and diverse challenges of the 21st century.

At this time seventy years ago, our soldiers were fighting valiantly together in the defense of our last strongholds at Corregidor and Bataan. We joined forces again on the beaches of Leyte in October 1944 to begin the liberation of the Philippines. Later, when we signed our Mutual Defense Treaty in 1951, we were united against the spread of communism. Now we have entered a new era, with different challenges and opportunities. As we move forward together, we must ensure that our alliance remains nimble, adaptive, and flexible in order to meet changing global and regional dynamics. We are also resolute in our determination to promote economic cooperation, advance people-to-people ties, and combat corruption.

Forged in war, our partnership is today committed to sustaining global and regional peace, security, and prosperity. We are constantly looking to enhance our security relationship to better address the range of regional security challenges that are of interest to both our governments. We are making sure that our collective defense capabilities and communications infrastructure are operationally and materially capable of deterring provocation from the full spectrum of state and non-state actors. We are working with our Filipino allies to ensure that we can meet threats like proliferation and terrorism. We remain committed to continuing our close and effective cooperation to counter al-Qaida-linked terrorist groups in the southern Philippines through our Joint Special Operations Task Force.

We also support the Philippines, particularly in the maritime domain, as it moves to improve its maritime security and interdiction capabilities. Last August, we transferred the former Coast Guard cutter Hamilton to the Philippines through the excess defense articles (EDA) program. Now renamed the Gregorio del Pilar, the cutter serves as the flagship of the Philippine Navy, enhancing the Philippines’ maritime security in countering traditional and non-traditional threats, including terrorism, illegal fishing, and natural disasters. In the coming months, we hope to transfer a second Coast Guard cutter to the Philippines, as well as support other improvements in its surveillance and detection capabilities.

The United States and the Philippines cooperate closely in the region’s multilateral fora, including the ASEAN Regional Forum, East Asia Summit (EAS), and APEC, and are both firmly committed to the expedient value of multilateral diplomacy in resolving some of the most complex regional and global challenges. As the country coordinator for U.S.-ASEAN dialogue, the Philippines has worked closely with the United States on a number of issues and facilitated the United States joining EAS, which led to President Obama's participation in the first EAS meeting in Bali last November. At the Bali EAS, Presidents Obama and Aquino made strong statements on the region’s pressing political and strategic issues, including maritime security, nonproliferation, and humanitarian assistance and disaster relief. The Philippines’ leading role in nonproliferation issues also contributed to the successful negotiations between nuclear weapons states (NWS), including the United States, and the member states of ASEAN that resolved outstanding issues and should ultimately enable the NWS to sign the Protocol to the Southeast Asia Nuclear Weapon Free Zone Treaty.

The United States and the Philippines also share a common interest in maintaining peace and stability, freedom of navigation, unimpeded lawful commerce, and respect for international law. This goal is particularly important in the South China Sea, the world’s busiest maritime thoroughfare, where multiple overlapping claims can and have led to heightened tension among claimant states. While the United States takes no position on the competing sovereignty claims over islands in the South China Sea, our goal, which we share with ASEAN, is to support a collaborative diplomatic process by all claimants to resolve their disputes without coercion. We believe all parties should pursue and clarify their territorial claims and accompanying rights to maritime space in accordance with international law, including as reflected in the 1982 Law of the Sea Convention. Consistent with international law, claims to maritime space should be derived solely from legitimate claims to land features. And we note that the Philippines government has proposed domestic legislation in order to harmonize its maritime laws with the Convention, and we commend those ongoing efforts. I would note as well that joining the Law of the Sea Convention is a top priority for the United States. The Convention, which sets forth a comprehensive legal framework governing uses of the oceans, protects and advances a broad range of U.S. interests, including U.S. national security and economic interests. U.S. accession is a matter of geostrategic importance in the South China Sea.

The United States and the Philippines are also building an ever-stronger partnership in the economic sphere. Today, the United States is the number two trading partner of the Philippines, after Japan, and also one of the largest foreign investors. We are working to expand on our trade and investment relationship. In November 2011, our senior trade officials signed a Trade and Customs Facilitation agreement on the sidelines of the APEC conference in Honolulu. We have had several discussions under the auspices of our Trade and Investment Framework Agreement and further discussed the Philippines’ interest in eventually joining the Trans-Pacific Partnership. The United States is also working actively to resolve outstanding trade barriers in the Philippines that serve as an impediment to U.S. exports, including unwarranted restrictions on U.S. meat and meat products.

The Philippine government acknowledges that there are issues that weaken our trade relationship and impede equitable, broad-based economic growth for Filipinos. Primary among these is corruption, though there is reason to be optimistic as President Aquino’s campaign pledge to root out corruption is beginning to take hold through public disclosure of violations, placing new leadership in oversight institutions, public antagonism to cronyism, and through nascent initiatives that, if implemented effectively, offer the opportunity for gradual, but effective change. As one of just eight founding governments of the Open Government Partnership launched last September in New York, the Aquino administration is committed to a global effort for more transparent, effective, and accountable governance - with institutions that empower citizens and are responsive to their aspirations. Mr. Chairman, if President Aquino and his administration remain committed on this track, I firmly believe the Philippines can continue to improve its global standing, its ranking in the various indices of corruption, and its chances of attracting job-creating investment by American and international companies.

The United States is supporting the Philippine government’s development initiatives. Last year, for example, the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) Compact with the Philippines entered into force, providing $434 million in grant assistance. Through the Compact, municipalities throughout the archipelago will benefit from community-driven development projects. In addition, a major component of the Compact will provide improved road infrastructure for the island of Samar, fostering prosperity through better access to markets and services and lower transportation costs.

We are also helping the Philippine government reduce poverty through a new effort called the Partnership for Growth, or PFG. The PFG is a White House-led program that coordinates the efforts of many U.S. government agencies, starting with USAID and MCC, to remove constraints that inhibit economic growth. It includes agencies as diverse as the Department of Justice and the Department of the Treasury. PFG’s objective is to remove the constraints to greater prosperity and accelerate and sustain broad-based economic growth. With growth come jobs, and a person with a steady job has a stake in the economy, a stake in a stable society, and a stake in an honest government that offers services such as health care and education to their families. A PFG Statement of Principles was signed in November by Secretary Clinton and Foreign Secretary del Rosario in Manila.

PFG came about through a demanding process of consultation with Philippine partners, and it also insists on accountability and results. The focus is on real partnership, meaning that goals and projects are based on joint decisions. Our two teams drew up a Joint Country Action Plan, which seeks to establish in the Philippines a transparent and consistent legal and regulatory framework for businesses and entrepreneurs. Another goal is to create a more open and competitive business environment with lower barriers to entry. PFG will also direct funds to strengthen the rule of law by supporting a more efficient court system. And finally, it will direct efforts towards improved oversight of government revenue collection and spending.

Our commitment to the Philippines is also evident in the good deeds of USAID and the Peace Corps, organizations that have been active in the Philippines for 50 years. In addition to its involvement with PFG, USAID provides significant development support to the southern Philippine island of Mindanao, complementing our security and diplomatic efforts to ensure peace and stability there.

The United States is also highly supportive of initiatives to ensure security and equitable justice for all Filipinos. Among several projects, we helped the Philippine National Police (PNP) set up a state-of-the-art crime lab in Mindanao. We also helped the Philippine government form an interagency airport task force with support from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration to interdict illegal narcotics and help enforce anti-narcotics laws at Ninoy Aquino International Airport.

The abhorrent practice of human trafficking victimizes a great many Filipinos – men, women, and children. But President Aquino has given this issue his personal attention, and there has been good progress. We support the strong partnership between Philippine civil society and government agencies that has worked to prevent victimization, rescue those who have been abused, apprehend perpetrators, and convict the guilty. Much remains to be done, but the U.S. government has recognized Philippine progress, as documented in the current Trafficking in Persons report.

Mr. Chairman, you well know the United States’ longstanding advocacy for human rights and specifically the concerns we have had about extra-judicial killings. Over the past years, some members of the security forces have been involved in politically-motivated murders. As you are aware, the U.S. Congress has withheld three million dollars in Foreign Military Financing from the Philippines, pending progress toward accountability regarding these killings.

Although the pace of killings has declined, trying and convicting perpetrators remains an ongoing challenge. The United States is providing support through The Asia Foundation to help build capacity and streamline these cases, which would help further advance accountability. President Aquino, whose father was the victim of the country’s most infamous extra-judicial killing, has spoken publicly on the issue, and Justice Secretary Leila De Lima has shown herself to be a long-time, ardent advocate for human rights.

Mr. Chairman, I have noted a number of opportunities to deepen our partnership with the Philippines. We routinely discuss these with our counterparts at the highest level. Just two weeks ago I co-chaired our second Bilateral Strategic Dialogue (BSD) with the Philippines here in Washington, DC. We are also looking ahead to a visit by the Philippine Secretaries of Foreign Affairs and National Defense for a “2+2” ministerial meeting with Secretary Clinton and Secretary Panetta. We are hoping that these meetings serve to galvanize a further deepening of our bilateral relationship.

In conclusion, the vital ties between the Philippines and the United States are strong and growing stronger, and we must continue to invest in them to serve the interests and answer the concerns of our people, to maintain security and the conditions for progress, and to keep following the fruitful pursuits of peace. I look forward to working with you, Mr. Chairman, and with Members of this Subcommittee and Congress to seek opportunities to influence positively the future direction of this relationship to deliver more benefit to the region and to our people.

Thank you for extending this opportunity to me to testify today on this vitally important issue. I am happy to respond to any questions you may have.

Video Remarks to the First 2012 Meeting of the L'Aquila Food Security Initiative

Hillary Rodham Clinton
Secretary of State

Washington, DC

February 6, 2012

Good morning everyone. I am delighted to welcome you to this year’s first meeting of the L’Aquila Food Security Initiative. As you know so well food security is a major pillar of our administration’s development agenda, and it is a personal passion of mine. That is why we created the Feed the Future initiative and why the State Department launched our 1000 Days Nutrition Partnership and created the Office of Global Food Security, which is hosting this landmark event.

AFSI has been critical in our work, and it will continue to be important as we move ahead. This initiative helps us coordinate our efforts and keeps us all accountable for our investments in food security. And that’s exactly the kind of rigorous effort it will take for all of us to meet the Millennium Development Goals.

As the United States looks forward to our tenure as Chair of AFSI in 2012, our primary goal is to ensure not only that donor countries are living up to our own financial pledges, but also that these contributions are being allocated strategically and making a real difference in the fight against global hunger. To do this, we will expand reporting on our investments at the country level, deepen our engagement with developing country partners, track our spending on research for agricultural development, and measure the impact of our investments.

So I want to thank you, all of you for all the work you’re done to make AFSI a success so far, and for everything you will do to build on that success. I hope you have a productive meeting and a pleasant stay here in Washington and I look forward to hearing the results of this important conference. Thank you.

United States Advances Global Food Security under L'Aquila Food Security Initiative

Office of the Spokesperson

Washington, DC

February 2, 2012

Under U.S. leadership of the L’Aquila Food Security Initiative (AFSI) in 2012, Acting Special Representative for Global Food Security Jonathan Shrier will welcome global food security representatives to Washington February 2-3 to advance mutual accountability and coordination of efforts in fulfilling our leaders’ food security commitments.

Global leaders, including President Obama, endorsed the L’Aquila Joint Statement on Global Food Security at the 2009 G8 Summit, marking a turning point for international efforts to achieve sustainable global food security. Under the Joint Statement, agreement was reached to a take a comprehensive approach to ensuring food security; coordinate effectively; support country-owned processes and plans; engage multilateral institutions in advancing efforts to promote food security worldwide; and deliver on sustained and accountable commitments.

This year marks the final year of the AFSI donor governments’ pledge to mobilize $22 billion USD toward global food security over three years. Food security is closely linked to economic growth, social progress, political stability, and peace. This is why we must show real progress in delivering on commitments to improve food security. AFSI participants convene twice annually to review progress toward meeting commitments, including financial pledges, and to discuss best practices and lessons learned.

The event will be held at the Department of State, bringing together over 50 food security officials from 30 countries, and international and regional organizations. Participants will hear from civil society and partner countries, and will discuss coordination efforts between partner and donor governments; investments in research to improve food security; tracking progress toward meeting the L’Aquila commitments; and using Managing for Development Results to enhance the impact of investments in food security.

Media Contact:  Office of Press Relations, U.S. Department of State, 202-647-2492

Corporate Social Responsibility: The OECD Guidelines and the U.S. National Contact Point

Fact Sheet

Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs

January 19, 2012

What are the Guidelines?

The Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises (MNEs) have served for over 35 years as the only comprehensive corporate social responsibility (CSR) instrument to be formally negotiated and endorsed by governments. The Guidelines are voluntary recommendations to foster sustainable development through responsible business conduct by MNEs. The focus areas are:

• Information Disclosure
• Human Rights
• Labor
• Environment
• Combating Bribery
• Consumer Interests
• Science and Technology
• Competition
• Due Diligence and Supply Chains

The U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs (EB) is home base for the Guidelines.

The Role of the U.S. National Contact Point

The United States and the other adhering governments (34 OECD members, plus non-OECD countries Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Egypt, Latvia, Lithuania, Morocco, Peru, and Romania) have created national contact points (NCPs) to promote and implement the Guidelines’ recommendations. The U.S. NCP, located in EB, works closely with U.S. businesses, trade unions, civil society, and interagency partners.

The NCP has the following responsibilities:

• Promote awareness of the Guidelines to business, labor, NGOs and other members of civil society, the general public, and the international community.
• Work with other governments’ NCPs, foreign businesses, international labor and civil society organizations, often regarding the business activities of U.S.-incorporated MNEs overseas.
• Offer a forum for confidential discussion between business and stakeholders through:
  • Proactive Agenda: Bring business and civil society together to identify potential and emerging CSR-related risks for MNEs and discuss appropriate actions and responses.
  • Dispute Resolution: Facilitate dispute resolution, typically in a Specific Instance (complaint) submitted to the NCP by an NGO or other parties against an MNE, regarding allegations of nonobservance of the Guidelines.

The U.S. NCP offers itself as a resource to the business community, civil society, U.S. government agencies and U.S. Embassies around the world. The U.S. NCP is a part of EB’s Corporate Social Responsibility Team, which plays a key role in the Department’s engagement with U.S. business in promoting responsible private sector business practices.

Further Info:

U.S. NCP: www.state.gov/usncp; usncp@state.gov
OECD Guidelines text: www.oecd.org/dataoecd/43/29/48004323.pdf  
State Department CSR website: www.state.gov/e/eb/eppd/csr

Advisory Board on Implementation of OECD Corporate Social Responsibility Guidelines

Office of the Spokesperson

Washington, DC

January 31, 2012

Assistant Secretary of State for Economic and Business Affairs Jose W. Fernandez announced today the launch of the Stakeholder Advisory Board on the U.S. National Contact Point for the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises.

The OECD Guidelines are voluntary recommendations from governments to multinational enterprises on responsible conduct in such areas as human rights, labor, environment, and corruption. The OECD Guidelines are the only multilateral, comprehensive code of conduct, endorsed by 43 national governments. The U.S. National Contact Point, based in the Economic and Business Affairs Bureau, leads the United States’ work under the Guidelines. For more information please go to: www.state.gov/usncp.

The Stakeholder Advisory Board (SAB) will provide recommendations to the Department’s Advisory Committee on International Economic Policy on implementation of the OECD Guidelines, including their public promotion, collaboration between the U.S. National Contact Point and stakeholders to anticipate and address future challenges in a proactive manner, and the operations of the U.S. NCP. The SAB is comprised of leaders from business, labor, civil society, and academia. The members include:

SAB Co-Chairs:

• Trevor Gunn, Medtronic
• Owen Herrnstadt, International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers

SAB Members:

• Barbara Anderson, Sabre Holdings
• Natalie Bridgeman Fields, Accountability Counsel
• Brian Campbell, International Labor Rights Forum
• Lewis Cohen, SI-WEL International
• Lance Compa, Cornell University
• Celeste Drake, AFL-CIO
• Dierdre Fitzpatrick, Service Employees International Union
• Kristen Genovese, Center for International and Environmental Law
• Adam Greene, U.S. Council for International Business
• Clifford Henry, Procter and Gamble
• Jonathan Kaufman, EarthRights International
• Ray Marshall, University of Texas

For more information on the Stakeholder Advisory Board, please contact Tiffany Enoch, enocht@state.gov.

Remarks to Regional Journalists on the Margins of African Union Summit

William J. Burns
Deputy Secretary

U.S. Mission to the African Union - via Teleconference

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

January 30, 2012

MODERATOR: Good afternoon. I would like to welcome you to today’s briefing with Deputy Secretary of State Bill Burns. Today we have participants calling from Kenya, South Africa, Senegal, Tanzania, Ghana and Angola, who are connected through the Africa Regional Media Hub. We thank you for taking the time to join us. We will start with brief remarks from Deputy Secretary Burns. Following the remarks, we will take a question from a journalist in the room and then we will open it up to questions from our callers. Callers can ask their questions by pressing star one to enter the question queue. Again, today’s event is on the record and will last approximately twenty minutes. And now I’ll turn the call over to Deputy Secretary Burns for brief remarks.

DEPUTY SECRETARY BURNS:  Thank you very much and good afternoon.

I am very pleased to be in Addis Ababa. My visit to Ethiopia concludes a week-long trip to Africa, which also included visits to Ghana, Uganda, and South Sudan. My trip, which comes on the heels of Secretary Clinton’s visit to West Africa last week, reaffirms the high priority the Obama Administration attaches to Africa. It highlights our ongoing commitment to work with African partners both to seize opportunities and address common challenges.

America’s commitment to the continent is underscored by our work to support gains in democratic governance, sustainable development, economic growth, and the peaceful resolution of conflict. This includes our support for democracy and governance programs across the continent, our ongoing efforts to strengthen commercial ties between the U.S. and Africa, and our steadfast support for the protection and promotion of human rights.

The United States is committed to supporting programs that both support Africa’s long-term goals and short-term needs. President Obama’s Feed the Future Initiative, to which we committed $3.5 billion over 3 years, promotes food security and helps reduce vulnerability to drought and other shocks in partnership with governments across Africa. In the near-term, we are leading international efforts to respond to drought and famine in the Horn of Africa, including by committing over $870 million in relief for the crisis. The United States also continues to provide extensive assistance to combat disease and to build the capacity of health systems across Africa, part of a $63 billion commitment over five years. On Thursday, I visited one excellent example of that effort, a public-private partnership at Wagagai in Uganda, one of more than a hundred such clinics that we support across Uganda to provide preventive care and comprehensive maternal and child health services.

Over the last week I have also had the pleasure of meeting with civil society leaders engaged in compelling and vital work in their communities. This includes meeting with a cross-section of young leaders who are engaged in dynamic work in every sector of society. As many of you already know, the Obama Administration has made a special point of engaging the continent’s next generation of leaders to discuss the broad spectrum of U.S.-African issues.

At the same time, this last week of discussions also covered a range of security, political, and humanitarian challenges facing the continent. The humanitarian situation in Southern Kordofan and Blue Nile featured prominently in many of these discussions. The U.S. remains deeply concerned regarding the Government of Sudan’s continued denial of humanitarian access to those two states. Conflict and aerial bombardments have disrupted the planting season. Experts predict that, absent immediate humanitarian access, we could see emergency levels of food insecurity in a matter of weeks. The international community will not be able to stand by as this preventable humanitarian crisis unfolds.

My consultations also underscored the need for Sudan and South Sudan to quickly reach agreement on oil and related financial issues. The time has come to reach an amicable and negotiated solution. Unilateral actions on both sides only risk greater tension and further economic losses for both countries. Resolving this and other pending issues is the best path to achieve long-term peace, stability, and economic prosperity.

The challenge of Somalia came up frequently in my meetings and of course during discussions here at the African Union as well. As I said to President Museveni and others, the United States commends the work of the African Union Mission in Somalia. We hope that the African Union will continue to move quickly in finalizing a concept of operations for an expanded AMISOM so that we can discuss this issue in the UN Security Council as soon as possible. These discussions also centered on the need for the Transitional Federal Government to make steady and sustained progress on the Roadmap in advance of the end of the TFG’s mandate in August.

Additionally, various leaders expressed concern about the situation in Nigeria. Boko Haram poses a growing threat to the region. We will continue to support the Government of Nigeria on this and other challenges facing the country.

I was particularly delighted to be able to lead the U.S. delegation in attending the opening of the African Union Summit. The United States has a special relationship with this vital regional organization, including by being the first non-member state to accredit a diplomatic mission dedicated exclusively to the African Union. And last year Secretary Clinton became the first Secretary of State to address a formal session of the AU. We collaborate and partner with the African Union on a broad range of issues and will continue to assist in augmenting the AU’s capacity to address the many opportunities and challenges facing the continent.

And now I’d be glad to take some questions.

MODERATOR: Okay, we will go ahead and take a question from here in the room, and then we will turn it over to our callers. Please remember to state your name and affiliation before asking your question.

QUESTION: Thank you. My name is Haile Mulu, Reporter News paper. I am from The Reporter Newspaper. My question is can you tell me more of the issues that you raised when you met with Prime Minister Meles Zenawi, and my second question, is the United States working with the African Union to promote good governance on the continent, but up to now only fifteen African countries have ratified the African Charter on Democracy. What is the reason behind that? My final question is what role will the United States play in promoting peace in South Sudan? Thank you.

DEPUTY SECRETARY BURNS: Thank you very much for all those good questions. I had a very constructive meeting with Prime Minister Meles Zenawi yesterday. We discussed a range of issues on which the United States and Ethiopia work together to help promote regional security. We discussed also the further possibilities for economic growth and development in Ethiopia, how we can promote greater American trade and investment here. I am convinced that the opportunities are growing for American companies.

We talked about the range of issues on which we are working together to address significant problems here, and across the continent, in food insecurity and in health. I believe we are making progress on those issues. We also talked about the importance that the United States continues to attach to democratic development as a part of Ethiopia’s effort to realize the full potential of all of its citizens, the importance of building strong democratic institutions, respect for the rule of law, respect for human rights. We believe it is very important, obviously, for the African Union to promote many of these same priorities, and we are proud that we have been able, in recent years, to find practical ways, tangible ways, in which we can help augment the capacity of the AU to deal with many of these challenges. We certainly hope that AU members will renew and make clear their commitment to democratic principles such as those laid out in the Democratic Charter.

With regard to South Sudan, the United States has taken great pride in the role that we and many in the international community played in South Sudan’s independence. We continue to work in support of South Sudan’s efforts to build a sustainable economy and build democratic institutions. We recognize that these are difficult challenges, and we are increasingly concerned, as I mentioned in my opening remarks, by the differences which exist, and which seem to be sharpening, over the oil question between the government of Sudan and the government of Southern Sudan. We urge both parties, working with the AU panel, to reach the earliest possible negotiated resolution of these issues. That’s deeply in the interest of the people in both of those countries, and so we will do everything we can to help facilitate that.

MODERATOR: Thank you very much. And now I will turn the call over to my colleague at the Africa Media Hub to moderate questions from our callers. Carrie.

MODERATOR: Thank you. At this time I will ask our callers to ask a question, please press star one to enter the queue. Our first question comes from Dakar, Senegal. Please state your name and affiliation before you ask your question. Dakar, your line is open.

Question (translated): Jean Baptiste Sallie, from Radio Television Senegal. His question is Senegal-related, and he said, regarding the violence that has been in Senegal the last few days over the Constitutional Council’s decision to validate President Wade’s eligibility for a third mandate. What is the U.S. position on this matter?

DEPUTY SECRETARY BURNS: Thank you very much for your question. The United States attaches a great deal of importance to our relationship with Senegal. We certainly urge calm, and we urge that the political process be pursued in an exclusively peaceful manner. We urge all parties to avoid violence.

Second, I would say that obviously the United States respects the political and legal processes in Senegal, but I also have to add, honestly, that we are concerned that the decision by President Wade to seek a third term undermines the spirit of democracy in Senegal. We are concerned that it could jeopardize the many achievements of President Wade’s tenure in office, and that it could jeopardize the decades-long record that Senegal has built up on the continent for democracy, democratic development, and political stability. So we hope very much that the political process will be a peaceful one and that it will allow for the free and active participation of all Senegalese.

Moderator: Thank you. Our next question comes from Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Please state your name and affiliation. Dar es Salaam your line is open.

QUESTION: My name is Jaffer Mjasiri with Daily News which is an English paper based in Dar es Salaam. My question is, currently you have spoken very strongly about the situation in Sudan. Do you think that military intervention will be inevitable to resolve the civil war which is going on? And my second question is, how—[pauses]—Tanzania is a strategic partner to the U.S., if so, can you shed light on this partnership?

DEPUTY SECRETARY BURNS: Sure. Thank you very much. First, on your question on our partnership with Tanzania. We attach a great deal of importance to our relationship and to our partnership. We consider Tanzania to be a model of democratic and economic development on the continent. We have tried to demonstrate our respect for what Tanzania’s leadership and its people have achieved in a number of ways.

It is important to remember that President Kikwete was the first African leader received by President Obama at the White House. It is also important to note that Tanzania is one of the four founding partners in the Partnership for Growth program which the Obama Administration has inaugurated to try to underscore the efforts of governments around the world, countries around the world, that we think offer great promise in economic development and are pursuing responsible, sensible economic growth policies so that we can bring to bear all the resources of the U.S. Government to help support them in that effort.

The Feed the Future program that I mentioned in my opening remarks is a very important feature of our partnership with Tanzania. The same is true with regard to PEPFAR and the Global Health Initiative where we have invested a considerable amount of money, well over a billion dollars, in support of Tanzania’s own efforts to deal with those kinds of health challenges. So, we consider Tanzania to be a very important partner, and we look forward to continue to deepen our cooperation in the years ahead.

With regard to your question on Sudan, it is no secret that we in the international community have deep concerns about human rights issues in Sudan, about the absence of democratic government and respect for those rights. We believe that there is no military solution to those challenges and those problems, but we emphasize our call for peaceful, non-violent efforts to resolve those kind of challenges and to build the kind of democratic future for Sudan that is deeply in the interest of the Sudanese people.

MODERATOR: Thank you. Our next question comes from Accra, Ghana. Please state your name and affiliation before asking your question. Ghana, your line is open.

QUESTION: My name is Michael Sarpong Bruce, I work with Business and Financial Times newspaper. My question, Deputy Secretary of State, is last week you had a meeting with our president, John Atta Mills, and you disclosed the United States will be seeking further discussions on food security and health. Why food security and health?

DEPUTY SECRETARY BURNS: Well, first I enjoyed very much the opportunity to visit Accra and the very constructive discussion I had with the President. As you know, we attach a lot of importance to our partnership with Ghana. We have just about completed the first MCC [Millennium Challenge Corporation] compact program under the Millennium Challenge Account which has been quite successful in Ghana. We are looking forward to a second one.

Ghana is, like Tanzania, one of the first four countries around the world in which we are working in a Partnership for Growth. We are also proud that we have been able to support the efforts of the Ghanaian Government to make progress on food security issues and on health issues. I mentioned the importance that we attach to working on, those issues on a number of the other stops on my trip, and certainly in Ghana, I think, we have helped the Ghanaian Government make some important strides. We look forward, like Ghanaians do, to another peaceful and transparent election later this year and to finding further ways in which we can strengthen our relations.

MODERATOR: Thank you. The next question comes from Nairobi, Kenya, from Dana Hughes. Operator, can you please open the line for Nairobi, Kenya. Dana, your line is open.

QUESTION: Great. I would like to ask about the recent crackdown on journalists, both foreign and local, in Ethiopia, the recent large jail sentences given to the Swedish journalists as well as to bloggers and local journalists under Ethiopia’s anti-terrorism laws. Is that something that came up at all in your discussions with the Ethiopian Government at this forum?

DEPUTY SECRETARY BURNS: Thank you for the question. Yes, I did the raise the issue in the meeting that I had with Prime Minister Meles. I underscored America’s commitment to freedom of expression, to independent media, and the importance that freedom of expression and independent media for the democratic growth of any country. Obviously, any government has an obligation to ensure against terrorist threats, but I did express our concern that the application of anti-terrorism laws can sometimes undermine freedom of expression and independent media. So we hope very much that that range of cases that you mentioned can be carefully reviewed, and that great care can be taken in ensuring the protection of freedom of expression.

MODERATOR: Thank you. Okay, the next question comes from Jason Straziuso in Nairobi, Kenya.

QUESTION: Thank you Mister Secretary. I have two questions. You said in your opening remarks, I don’t know if I got it down exactly correct, but something about the international community will not be able to stand by as this preventable humanitarian crisis unfolds. You were talking about the issues between Sudan and South Sudan. I know that those are your prepared remarks, but can you expand on what you mean there? There is a hint of, I don’t think you mean military action, but if you could just tell us what you do mean. The second question is about Somalia. Last week the U.S. inserted itself quite forcefully to resolve a hostage situation there, but there is still one American hostage being held in the country. I wondered if you could say what the U.S. is doing to resolve that situation, and generally speaking, how does the U.S. choose when to use military force or not to use military force to resolve hostage situations? Thank you.

DEPUTY SECRETARY BURNS: Thank you. On the first question that you asked, I think the key here is ensuring access by international humanitarian organizations in Southern Kordofan and Blue Nile to avert what could be a humanitarian crisis there. That is what our focus is on right now. That is a call that has been made, not only by the United States, but by many here at the African Union Summit and many others in the international community. It is extremely important that that urgent humanitarian concern be addressed.

Second, with regard to Somalia, it is obviously an essential obligation for any government to do everything we can to protect our citizens. That is exactly what President Obama did when he ordered the successful hostage rescue operation that took place recently. That was certainly another illustration of the enormous courage and capability of the American military. We are obviously very concerned about the other hostage case that you mentioned. We are following it very closely and taking it very seriously, but I don’t really have anything to add beyond that.

MODERATOR: Thank you. We have time for one more question. That question comes from our embassy in Luanda, Angola. Please state your name and affiliation before asking your question. Your line is open.

QUESTION: Domingos Balumuka, working for the international channel of Angolan National Radio. Mister Burns, tell us a little bit about evolvement of Angola in terms of the economy, politics, and other domains after nine years of peace, just as the country is going to hold also elections this year. The second question has to do with the prevailing situation in the DRC and Guinea-Bissau, because there are some conflicts. For example, in Guinea-Bissau the country is also going to hold elections on 18 March 2012. In DRC, after their parliamentary elections, there are no results so far. There is also the coming back of some rebel groups, like Mai-Mai, and Katanga wants its independence. What is your comment about it?

DEPUTY SECRETARY BURNS: Thanks. On your first question about Angola and the Unites Stated, I had the pleasure of visiting Angola about a year-and-a-half ago, I guess, and I was struck by the economic opportunities which exist there and we will certainly do everything we can to encourage the expansion of American trade and investment which I think can be an important ingredient in Angola’s own continued economic growth. We are continuing to work together in a number of areas as well. We know Angola faces challenges in expanding and sustaining with economic growth, and fighting against corruption, and building strong democratic institutions. Those are all efforts that we are going to continue to support.

On your second question on the DRC, a number of observers, including the United States, have highlighted the serious flaws in the technical processes and the conduct of the recent election. We are not sure that those technical flaws would have changed the outcome of the election, but they certainly need to be investigated thoroughly, and certainly it seems to be in the interest of the DRC to undertake steps to ensure that they are not repeated in the future. With regards to Guinea-Bissau, we obviously support a transparent and free conduct of elections.

MODERATOR: Thank you. And that concludes today’s call. On behalf of the Africa Regional Media Hub, I would like to thank Deputy Secretary of State Bill Burns, and thank all of our callers for participating in today’s call. If you have any questions about today’s call, you can contact the media hub at afmediahub@state.gov. Thank you very much.

Remarks at Wagagai Flower Farm

William J. Burns
Deputy Secretary

Entebbe, Uganda

January 27, 2012

DEPUTY SECRETARY BURNS: Thank you very much and good afternoon. It's a pleasure to see all of you and I'm certainly very pleased to be here in Uganda. This, as you may know, is part of a week-long trip across Africa that my colleagues and I are taking, and during which I'll also lead the U.S. delegation to the African Union summit in Addis Ababa this weekend.

As Secretary Clinton did in her visit to Africa earlier this month, my trip reaffirms the high priority that the Obama Administration attaches to Africa, and our continuing strong commitment to doing everything that we can to help Africans realize the enormous promise that lies ahead in economics and democratic development, as well as doing everything that we can to help Africans deal with the very real challenges that remain.

We seek relationships built on mutual respect and mutual interest. We approach the partnerships that we want to build and to strengthen with a view toward genuine partnerships; not partnerships of senior partners and junior partners, but of equal partners.

I'm especially pleased to have a chance to visit Uganda. I look forward to meeting President Museveni, as well as civil society and human rights leaders. I look forward to the opportunity to highlight the strength of our bilateral relations on a range of issues, including our strong common interest in promoting regional security. I also look forward to highlighting the American commitment to help Ugandans in their efforts to strengthen respect for human rights, the rule of law, and good governance, which are so deeply in the interests of this country and of this country's future. We have a long history of cooperation and we look forward very much to building on it.

I'm very grateful for the chance this afternoon to visit this health clinic here at Wagagai. Health, as you know, is one of our most important priorities across Africa and especially here in Uganda. Our support for this clinic is part of $400 million in assistance to the health sector in Uganda this past year alone. Our program of health assistance in Uganda is one of the biggest such programs we have anywhere in the world today.

We seek to deepen cooperation with Ugandans in the fight against HIV/AIDS and other infectious diseases, and in improving maternal and child health care. This clinic demonstrates the potential of public-private partnerships. It is one of the more than 100 clinics, as the Ambassador was telling me earlier, around the country that we're proud to support, and it helps Ugandans to deal with some very real problems. Right now, for example, 16 Ugandan women die in childbirth across this country each day. That's a devastating statistic. We share the determination of Ugandans to reduce that statistic dramatically. Clinics like this one are an essential part of the solution, and an essential part of a more hopeful future for Uganda.

With that, I'd be glad to take your questions.

QUESTION: I'm Gloria from Capital Radio, Kampala. Since the last elections in February 2011, there's been an increase in demonstrations and protests in Uganda. As a result, you've seen the government and security agencies respond with a lot of force and brutality to the demonstrators. And in spite of the continued advice to Uganda by the U.S. and observers of human rights and freedom, government actually has failed to take heed. What would be your comment on that? And in relation to that, Uganda's Minister for Internal Affairs recently was quoted as saying that the U.S. and the United Kingdom are behind these uprisings that we are seeing in Uganda, with the walk-to-work demonstrations to signal uprisings like we saw in the Arab world. Your comment?

DEPUTY SECRETARY BURNS: First, the allegation that you mentioned is simply not true. The United States, whether it's in Uganda or any place in the world, will continue to stand up strongly for respect for human rights, in particular the right to freedom of assembly and freedom of association. It's extremely important in any healthy democratic society for people to be able to express themselves peacefully and to express their views peacefully. Where there are cases of abuse, it's very important that they be investigated thoroughly and that those responsible be brought to justice. I know that there's been some consideration by civil society groups and by the Government of Uganda's human rights commission to pursue new legislation about freedom of assembly and it would be our strong hope that any such legislation be consistent with international standards and international practice. So we're unapologetic about our support for human rights, for rule of law, for good governance, which is deeply, as I said before, in the interests of Uganda and the stable democratic system that it seeks to build and that serves the best interests of its people.

QUESTION: There was another question in line with that, on the U.S. role in the uprisings.

DEPUTY SECRETARY BURNS: No, that's what I tried to address first. That allegation is simply not true, as I said at the start. The United States will continue to stand up for human rights and democratic freedoms, as we do every place in the world, and we will continue to offer the benefits of our experience to those who are seeking to build those kind of democratic systems. But political choices in Uganda are the business of Ugandans, not Americans or any other outsider.

QUESTION: My name is Candia Steven from The New Vision newspaper. My questions are about regional security. The first part is about the U.S. mission in Somalia. Under this administration there has been a spike of attacks in Mogadishu, an al-Shabab initiative. President Museveni is proposing a no-fly zone over Mogadishu in Somalia. I'm wondering, what is the take of the Obama administration on that? And lastly, just about two days ago there was an intervention by the U.S. Navy Seals in Somalia carrying out a rescue mission. I'm wondering, are we going to see more solid intervention by the U.S. Army in Somalia?

DEPUTY SECRETARY BURNS: Let me try to address your questions. What I would say in general is that the United States both admires and strongly supports the constructive role that Uganda has played in seeking to help Somalians deal with the very serious challenges that they face. Uganda's leadership role in AMISOM, for example, has been extraordinarily important and we will continue to do everything we can to support that role materially as well as diplomatically. I don't have a particular comment on the issue of a no-fly zone, except to once again reinforce our strong commitment to the international efforts, the efforts of AMISOM and in particular the leadership of Uganda in helping Somalians to deal with those problems. And I don’t have much to add to what's already been said about the recent operation that helped free two hostages. Obviously the United States takes very seriously its responsibility to American citizens any place in the world, and we're proud of the capability of our armed forces to help deal with those kind of challenges.

QUESTION: I'm Sudhir Byaruhanga, NTV. My question is about gay rights in Uganda. Although they have been pushing, still gay people cannot live freely in Uganda. What would be your comment on that?

DEPUTY SECRETARY BURNS: The United States strongly supports human rights around the world, and that means rights that apply universally to any human being--to LGBT individuals, as Secretary Clinton said very clearly in her recent speech--just as to any other human being. I think it's important to note that the Ugandan government's own human rights commission has spoken out clearly about what it believes to be the unconstitutionality of the draft legislation that's been proposed, and the fact that it runs counter to international law. So we will continue to express strong support for human rights for every human being, whether it's LGBT individuals or others. That's important in any society.

QUESTION: My name is Tabu, with the Daily Monitor newspaper. It's exactly 107 days since the U.S. Special Forces were dispatched to Uganda to track Kony. Do you know what the activities record of their operations has been since October last year? And, just as a last part, what is the honest view of the Obama administration about President Museveni, who has been in power now for 26 years, who has removed constitutional term limits and continued to win elections that some argue are rigged?

DEPUTY SECRETARY BURNS: First on the question you asked about the LRA. The United States continues to strongly support regional efforts--efforts led by countries in the region to deal with the scourge that Joseph Kony and the LRA represent. As you know very well, this is a group that has caused enormous damage and for far too long has threatened far too many people across large parts of this continent. Our President recently decided to provide limited military advice because we think that will help our partners--those in the region who are leading this effort--to be more effective and to pursue more effectively the LRA. That's a very important challenge and it's an effort that has won support from the UN Security Council as well as the African Union.

With regard to your question about President Museveni, our view is that the president is the democratically elected president of this country, and he's been an important partner on a range of regional security issues and other questions, as I mentioned before. We think that area of cooperation is something that we want to strengthen. We note that the most recent elections were, in the judgment of many outside observers, an improvement on the previous elections, but there were also flaws that a number of observers took note of and that are very important to address. And we believe that it's extremely important, as I said before, to build greater respect for human rights, for the rule of law, and to build stronger democratic institutions, which certainly includes an independent media that is able to hold officials accountable and ensure that there is transparency. It's extremely important to continue to build and strengthen those kind of institutions in the years ahead, because those are the real building blocks, I think, for a stable democratic society of the sort that is most likely to realize the full potential of Ugandans.

QUESTION: Tabu again--one more question on Sudan. With everything going on in the region, from violence in Kenya to the elections in the DRC, plus South Sudan maybe imploding, how will you raise the issue of South Sudan with President Museveni?

DEPUTY SECRETARY BURNS: South Sudan is a very important issue, not just for President Museveni and Uganda, but for the African Union, whose leaders will be meeting in a couple of days, as well as for the international community. The United States has been proud to contribute in the past toward a road map that has produced the independence of South Sudan, but we remain quite focused on the importance of follow-through now on the remaining issues that have to be sorted out between Khartoum and Juba. As I said before, regional leaders, particularly with the African Union leaders about to meet, have an extraordinarily important role to play in helping the parties to get back on a path that is going to produce the kind of stability that both of those countries--the Republic of Sudan and South Sudan--need and deserve. The United States will continue to play a very active role, but I think there's also an extremely important role for the African Union to play as well, and for important leaders in the region like President Museveni.

Thank you all very much.