Remarks Haitian Prime Minister Garry Conille Before Their Meeting

Hillary Rodham Clinton
Secretary of State

Treaty Room

Washington, DC

February 8, 2012

SECRETARY CLINTON: Well, it’s a tremendous pleasure and honor for me to welcome Haiti’s prime minister. Prime Minister Conille is working very hard alongside President Martelly and other leaders in Haiti to give Haitians the future that they deserve, and we are proud to be your partner and your friend in this very important undertaking.

And I look forward to continuing our conversations, Prime Minister.

PRIME MINISTER CONILLE: Thank you very much for meeting with us. Thank you for (inaudible). I’m very, very happy to be here. And we’re very thankful for your government’s support to Haiti, not only after the earthquake, but for years and years. And we’re grateful for the opportunity to have these discussions.

SECRETARY CLINTON: Thank you, sir.

PRIME MINISTER CONILLE: Thank you Madam Secretary.

SECRETARY CLINTON: My pleasure. Thank you all.

The Central America Regional Security Initiative: Enhanced Levels of Cooperation and Coordination

Fact Sheet

Bureau of Public Affairs

February 6, 2012

“We'll work closely with regional partners like Mexico, Colombia, Chile, Canada, and international partners like Spain, the European Union and the Inter-American Development Bank. This has to be a coordinated effort that draws on the unique expertise of different countries and institutions.” – President Barack Obama

The Five Goals of CARSI in Central America: 1. Create safe streets for the citizens of the region; 2. Disrupt the movement of criminals and contraband to, within, and between the nations of Central America; 3. Support the development of strong, capable, and accountable Central American governments; 4. Re-establish effective state presence, services and security in communities at risk; and 5. Foster enhanced levels of coordination and cooperation between the nations of the region, other international partners, and donors to combat regional security threats.

CARSI – An Integrated, Collaborative Regional Security Program 
The Central America Regional Security Initiative (CARSI) responds to these threats and supplements the strategies and programs the nations of Central America are implementing on their own and in cooperation with other countries. CARSI is coordinated with other nations, international financial institutions, the private sector, civil society, and the Central American Integration System (SICA). It is a coordinated approach that draws upon the expertise and efforts of like-minded donors supporting the citizen safety goals of Central American countries.

Seven Unique Nations Facing Common Threats and Challenges
Although each of the countries of Central America faces unique threats to its citizens, many challenges require regional coordination and cooperation. Central American governments share a desire to break the power, violence, and impunity of the region’s drug, gang, and criminal organizations and strengthen law enforcement and judicial institutions so they can advance the rule of law, resist corruption, and prevent the spread of organized crime. Central America also seeks greater cooperation with other countries, such as the United States, Colombia and Mexico, for support in securing the region’s borders and countering criminal activities originating outside Central America.

U.S. Assistance – Fostering Cooperation – Encouraging Coordination
The United States is moving quickly to help build the capacity of Central American states individually and collectively to arrest and reverse a rapidly deteriorating security environment that jeopardizes citizen safety and the rule of law. A wide range of donors, governments, international financial institutions, and multilateral entities are working to address the Central American security crisis and other development priorities. As efforts to improve the security situation in Central America expand, and donor budgets become strained, the United States, the countries of Central America, and other partners need to focus international assistance as effectively as possible to advance the region’s highest priority citizen safety objectives. The United States will forge consensus with our partners in the region, the Central American Integration System (SICA), donor nations, and international organizations to develop citizen safety goals and priorities, and to come to agreement on the effective coordination, rationalization, and streamlining of high-impact programs to make them effective and sustainable.

For more information related to the Central America Regional Security Initiative, please visit our website at http://www.state.gov/p/wha/rt/carsi/index.htm.

The Central America Regional Security Initiative: State Presence and Security in At-Risk Communities

Fact Sheet

Bureau of Public Affairs

February 6, 2012

“Every citizen, regardless of where the man or woman comes from, who their parents might be, what kind of village or family they came from, is entitled to his or her rightful share of social, political, economic and civic power.” – Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton

The Five Goals of CARSI in Central America: 1. Create safe streets for the citizens of the region; 2. Disrupt the movement of criminals and contraband to, within, and between the nations of Central America; 3. Support the development of strong, capable, and accountable Central American governments; 4. Re-establish effective state presence, services and security in communities at risk; and 5. Foster enhanced levels of coordination and cooperation between the nations of the region, other international partners, and donors to combat regional security threats.

CARSI – An Integrated, Collaborative Regional Security Program 
The Central America Regional Security Initiative (CARSI) responds to these threats and supplements the strategies and programs the nations of Central America are implementing on their own and in cooperation with other countries. CARSI is coordinated with other nations, international financial institutions, the private sector, civil society, and the Central American Integration System (SICA). It is a coordinated approach that draws upon the expertise and efforts of like-minded donors supporting the citizen safety goals of Central American countries.

Communities at Risk
Gangs, narcotics traffickers, and organized criminal groups are making significant inroads throughout Central America – in many instances exerting control over entire communities and in vast areas of territory. Central American governments need more appropriate training, equipment, and political will to regain this lost territory and provide adequate levels of citizen safety, public services, and economic and social activity for citizens of the region. Although countries may suppress organized crime by stepping up law enforcement actions in areas with high criminal activity, few have developed long-term plans for a balanced prevention-intervention-law enforcement approach that addresses the root causes of criminal activity: a lack of access to basic services such as health care, high youth unemployment, insufficient educational opportunities, overburdened and inefficient justice systems, and increased levels of stress on families.

U.S. Assistance – A Balanced Approach: Prevention, Intervention, & Law Enforcement
The United States is assisting Central American governments in re-establishing effective state presence in communities at risk. CARSI supports and fosters community policing initiatives, enhances citizen-based crime prevention programs, develops economic and social programs to provide alternative livelihoods and activities for at-risk youth, and provides academic and technical training to break the cycle of poverty that yields recruits for gangs, traffickers, and organized crime. By taking back the neighborhoods of the region, citizens will again be capable of participating in the social and economic opportunities that can help them rise out of poverty, provide new opportunities for Central America’s youth, and increase social inclusion for marginalized groups throughout civil society.

For more information related to the Central America Regional Security Initiative, please visit our website at http://www.state.gov/p/wha/rt/carsi/index.htm.

The Central America Regional Security Initiative: Strong, Capable, and Accountable Central American Governments

Fact Sheet

Bureau of Public Affairs

February 6, 2012

“Strengthening the rule of law, attacking criminal organizations head-on, rehabilitating those who do fall into criminality while preventing young people from doing that in the first place, rooting out corruption, and ensuring accountable and effective institutions are essential.” – Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton

The Five Goals of CARSI in Central America: 1. Create safe streets for the citizens of the region; 2. Disrupt the movement of criminals and contraband to, within, and between the nations of Central America; 3. Support the development of strong, capable, and accountable Central American governments; 4. Re-establish effective state presence, services and security in communities at risk; and 5. Foster enhanced levels of coordination and cooperation between the nations of the region, other international partners, and donors to combat regional security threats.

CARSI – An Integrated, Collaborative Regional Security Program 
The Central America Regional Security Initiative (CARSI) responds to these threats and supplements the strategies and programs the nations of Central America are implementing on their own and in cooperation with other countries. CARSI is coordinated with other nations, international financial institutions, the private sector, civil society, and the Central American Integration System (SICA). It is a coordinated approach that draws upon the expertise and efforts of like-minded donors supporting the citizen safety goals of Central American countries.

Developing Institutional Capacity
One of the key objectives of CARSI is supporting the development of strong, transparent and effective Central American governments and institutions. The violence and impunity of the region’s drug, gang, and criminal organizations present overwhelming challenges to governments already struggling to develop and maintain effective institutions. Central America needs greater investment in rule of law institutions, sufficient government revenues to support social services for the citizens of the region, and the creation of a culture that resists corruption. These investments will build confidence in public officials and government institutions by Central American citizens.

U.S. Assistance – Working with Governments to Strengthen Governments
The United States, through CARSI and complementary U.S. assistance programs supports host nation efforts to conduct profound and self-sustaining democratic reform to their law enforcement, prosecutorial, judicial, prison, and related rule of law institutions to increase institutional transparency and protect government institutions from criminal penetration and influence. Strong, accountable government presence in communities at risk to gangs, traffickers, and crime is also a critical objective. CARSI is assisting host government efforts to develop community and neighborhood-based programs to address the social and economic causes of crime and violence, and to increase citizen participation with law enforcement and government institutions in such efforts. CARSI is supporting Central American nations in their efforts to assess and collect taxes equitably from citizens and businesses as a means of funding government programs that will enhance citizen safety, improve rule of law institutions, and provide basic services to citizens.

For more information related to the Central America Regional Security Initiative, please visit our website at http://www.state.gov/p/wha/rt/carsi/index.htm.

The Central America Regional Security Initiative: Disrupt the Movement of Criminals and Contraband

Fact Sheet

Bureau of Public Affairs

February 6, 2012

“...Our greatest threat has moved to Central America, where traffickers and criminal gangs now facilitate the flow of up to 95% of all cocaine reaching the U.S. and threaten the very governments themselves.” – Assistant Secretary of State for International Narcotics Control and Law Enforcement Affairs William Brownfield

The Five Goals of CARSI in Central America: 1. Create safe streets for the citizens of the region; 2. Disrupt the movement of criminals and contraband to, within, and between the nations of Central America; 3. Support the development of strong, capable, and accountable Central American governments; 4. Re-establish effective state presence, services and security in communities at risk; and 5. Foster enhanced levels of coordination and cooperation between the nations of the region, other international partners, and donors to combat regional security threats.

CARSI – An Integrated, Collaborative Regional Security Program 
The Central America Regional Security Initiative (CARSI) responds to these threats and supplements the strategies and programs the nations of Central America are implementing on their own and in cooperation with other countries. CARSI is coordinated with other nations, international financial institutions, the private sector, civil society, and the Central American Integration System (SICA). It is a coordinated approach that draws upon the expertise and efforts of like-minded donors supporting the citizen safety goals of Central American countries.

The Illicit Movement of Goods and People Threatens the Security of the Region
Narcotics traffickers and other criminal organizations continue to establish trafficking routes to and through Central America, leading to rising domestic drug consumption in Central American countries. The widespread availability of firearms, including weapons trafficked into the region, increases the incidence of violent crimes. The expansion of transnational gangs and their networks across Central America creates communities of fear where gangs effectively control entire neighborhoods. Organized crime seeks to rob governments of taxes and import duties by circumventing legitimate trade routes, reducing the ability of the state to fund and provide basic services to its citizens. Much as the United States has recognized its need to secure its borders, so have the nations of Central America.

U.S. Assistance – Securing Borders and Facilitating Legitimate Trade
Through CARSI, the United States is working with the nations of Central America to secure the region’s borders and to deny territory to drug and arms traffickers, gangs, and other organized criminal organizations that are exploiting the region to further their illicit activities. CARSI provides border security training, technical assistance and advisors, equipment, and investigative support to identify and disrupt trafficking networks and to prevent the movement of criminals and illicit goods within the region. U.S. activities support host nations’ interdiction efforts at airports, at sea and land ports of entry, in the littoral waters and airspace of the region, and in the region’s remote areas between formal border crossings.

For more information related to the Central America Regional Security Initiative, please visit our website at http://www.state.gov/p/wha/rt/carsi/index.htm.

The Central America Regional Security Initiative: Safe Streets

Fact Sheet

Bureau of Public Affairs

February 6, 2012

“Everyone knows the statistics, the murder rates surpassing civil war levels, the citizens who rank insecurity as their top concern, the violence that burdens economic development and foreign direct investment, the threats to democracy, the impacts on society’s most vulnerable populations, especially women and children.” – Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton

The Five Goals of CARSI in Central America: 1. Create safe streets for the citizens of the region; 2. Disrupt the movement of criminals and contraband to, within, and between the nations of Central America; 3. Support the development of strong, capable, and accountable Central American governments; 4. Re-establish effective state presence, services and security in communities at risk; and 5. Foster enhanced levels of coordination and cooperation between the nations of the region, other international partners, and donors to combat regional security threats.

CARSI – An Integrated, Collaborative Regional Security Program 
The Central America Regional Security Initiative (CARSI) responds to these threats and supplements the strategies and programs the nations of Central America are implementing on their own and in cooperation with other countries. CARSI is coordinated with other nations, international financial institutions, the private sector, civil society, and the Central American Integration System (SICA). It is a coordinated approach that draws upon the expertise and efforts of like-minded donors supporting the citizen safety goals of Central American countries.

Insecurity Diminishes Economic and Social Opportunity
The deteriorating security situation in Central America is evident on the streets and within the neighborhoods of the region and has led to a rapid decline in citizen safety. In addition to increases in all types of crime, the region has some of the world’s highest per capita murder rates. The sense of insecurity on the streets of Central America reduces economic opportunity for citizens as they avoid taking public transportation and conducting basic daily tasks, such as shopping at public markets, for fear of being the victim of random or targeted crimes. Declining state security deters businesses from investing in the region and limits economic growth for the countries of Central America. Criminal groups exploit limits in law enforcement capabilities in the region, weak rule of law institutions, and official corruption. Criminal groups exercise control over neighborhoods and territory through intimidation and reduce the ability of governments to provide basic services such as health care and education services, to their citizens.

U.S. Assistance – Ensuring Citizen Safety – Taking Back the Streets
Through CARSI, the United States is assisting the governments of the region in their effort to take back the streets and create an improved citizen security environment with safer communities and a culture of lawfulness. CARSI programs enable Central American governments to weaken the structure – and diminish the influence and violence – of drug cartels, gangs, organized crime, arms traffickers, and other transnational criminal organizations. Through CARSI, the United States is implementing sustainable, high-impact programs in law enforcement training and professionalization, anti-gang activities, equipping police and security forces, sharing information within the region for the investigation and disruption of criminal activities, and assisting in the interdiction of narcotics, firearms, bulk cash, and smuggling.

For more information related to the Central America Regional Security Initiative, please visit our website at http://www.state.gov/p/wha/rt/carsi/index.htm.

The Central America Regional Security Initiative: A Shared Partnership

Fact Sheet

Bureau of Public Affairs

February 6, 2012

“The U.S. is committed to citizen safety in Central America…We are doing everything we can in the fight against corruption and impunity, in providing the equipment and the support that law enforcement and the military require, and helping to build civil society to stand against the scourge of drug trafficking.” – Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton

Citizen Safety Under Siege
Within Central America, the deteriorating security situation threatens citizen safety. Narcotics traffickers continue to establish trafficking routes to and through Central America. The continued expansion of national and transnational gangs creates communities of fear where gangs are effectively in control. Organized crime—from extortion to corrupt acts by government officials—robs citizens of confidence in their ability to earn a livelihood, provide for their families, and trust public officials for solutions.

The Five Goals of CARSI in Central America: 1. Create safe streets for the citizens of the region; 2. Disrupt the movement of criminals and contraband to, within, and between the nations of Central America; 3. Support the development of strong, capable, and accountable Central American governments; 4. Re-establish effective state presence, services and security in communities at risk; and 5. Foster enhanced levels of coordination and cooperation between the nations of the region, other international partners, and donors to combat regional security threats.

CARSI – An Integrated, Collaborative Regional Security Program 
The Central America Regional Security Initiative (CARSI) responds to these threats and supplements the strategies and programs the nations of Central America are implementing on their own and in cooperation with other countries. CARSI is coordinated with other nations, international financial institutions, the private sector, civil society, and the Central American Integration System (SICA). It is a coordinated approach that draws upon the expertise and efforts of like-minded donors supporting the citizen safety goals of Central American countries.

U.S. Assistance – Meeting the Threat – Building Capacity
The $361 million in U.S. CARSI assistance since 2008 supports the following priorities in the Central American countries of Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Panama:

• Assist law enforcement and security forces to confront narcotics and arms trafficking, gangs, organized crime, and border security deficiencies, as well as to disrupt criminal infrastructure, routes, and networks;
• Build the capacity of law enforcement and the justice sector to serve citizens and to address regional threats; and
• Advance community policing, gang prevention, and economic and social programming for at-risk youth and communities disproportionately affected by crime.

For more information related to the Central America Regional Security Initiative, please visit our website at http://www.state.gov/p/wha/rt/carsi/index.htm.

Acting Assistant Secretary Roberta S. Jacobson To Travel to Peru and Argentina

Office of the Spokesperson

Washington, DC

February 3, 2012

Acting Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs Roberta S. Jacobson will travel to Peru and Argentina from February 5 - 11. The purpose of her trip is to meet with government, business, and civil society members in these key regional partners.

In both countries, Acting Assistant Secretary Jacobson will meet with senior officials to discuss issues of mutual interest, including bilateral cooperation and regional concerns. She will also meet with political and civil society leaders. Jacobson will highlight with government and university officials in both countries President Obama’s 100,000 Strong in the Americas goal to increase international study between the United States and Latin America. In Peru, Acting Assistant Secretary Jacobson will discuss important issues such as socially inclusive economic growth and counternarcotics cooperation. In Argentina, she will meet government officials, as well as with representatives from U.S. companies doing business in Argentina, and civil society leaders. Her visit will also highlight cooperation between our national parks services.

To get updates on Acting Assistant Secretary Jacobson’s trip, follow her on Twitter @WHAAsstSecty.

United States-Brazil MOU on the Advancement of Women Focus Area: Advancing Women and Girls in STEM

Washington, DC

February 2, 2012

"I always hear stories about how we can’t find enough engineers, we can’t find enough computer programmers…And that’s why we’re emphasizing math and science. That’s why we’re emphasizing teaching girls math and science. We’ve got to lift our game up when it comes to technology and math and science. That’s, hopefully, one of the most important legacies that I can have as President of the United States." --President Barack Obama, April 2011

Under the Memorandum of Understanding on the Advancement of Women that Secretary Clinton and former Brazilian Foreign Minister Celso Amorim signed in March 2010, the United States and Brazil focus on recruiting, retaining, and advancing women and girls in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields. Jointly, the two countries have conducted numerous professional and educational exchange programs and events to advance the issue. We are seeking to institutionalize these exchanges, even as we build on their success through the development of mentoring and network-building programs.

Educational Exchanges

• Expansion of exchanges between high school girls in STEM – We hope to work with science and technology high schools in Washington, D.C., and New York City; these exchanges (including virtual exchanges) focus on retaining the interest of girls in STEM areas. Two Brazilian girls were selected to attend the annual global “National Youth Science Camp” in West Virginia in summer 2011, cosponsored by the Department of State.
• Expansion of exchanges for teacher and administrators in STEM – We identify ongoing opportunities for these exchanges (including virtual exchanges), such as a recent partnership between the U.S. Embassy in Brasilia and The Boeing Company to sponsor the travel of two female elementary school science teachers to a NASA Space Camp in July 2011.

Professional Exchange Programs

• Eight Brazilian women scientists traveled to the United States on a Voluntary Visitor Program to exchange and showcase best practices for engaging and retaining women in science. The scientists visited U.S. universities and scientific organizations that have progressive programs for women scientists. They also attended the 55^th Session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW), the theme of which was empowering women and girls through science and technology.
• Eight American women scientists traveled to Brazil, where they visited research institutions and scientific organizations. The scientists also attended Brazil’s Third National Conference on Women at the invitation of the Brazilian Women’s Ministry (SPM). The scientists participated as roundtable panelists at the opening of Embassy Brasilia's Science Corner at CNPq (National Council of Technological and Scientific Development). 

Meetings

• UN Commission on the Status of Women Side Event – Co-sponsored by the United States and Brazil, this side event, titled "Changing Mindsets to Promote Women and Girls in Science," showcased best practices in Brazil, India, and the United States from institutions that enhance opportunities for women and girls in science.
• "Changing Mindsets to Promote Women and Girls in Science" Symposium – Held at the Department of State, this symposium examined policies and programs that attract girls to STEM areas, keep them involved through college, and provide concrete tools for women to advance at every level of their careers. Partners included the National Science Foundation, NASA, the National Institutes of Health, and the National Academy of Sciences.

Education Cooperation Partnership Between the United States and the State of Pernambuco, Brazil

Office of the Spokesperson

Washington, DC

February 3, 2012

Presidents Obama and Rousseff share a commitment to promoting an innovative U.S.-Brazil education partnership to meet the needs of a 21st-century workforce. Last year, both Presidents set complementary goals for international education. President Obama announced the "100,000 Strong for the Americas" goal to see the number of students from Latin America and the Caribbean studying in the United States increase to 100,000 and 100,000 students from the United States studying throughout the region by the end of the decade. Likewise, President Rousseff’s “Science without Borders” initiative to support as many as 100,000 students for international study over the next four years, with at least half coming to the United States, is a visionary approach to building and expanding Brazil’s role as a global leader. The two countries will reinforce their commitments to international education with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on educational cooperation between U.S. Ambassador to Brazil Thomas Shannon and Pernambuco State Secretary of Education Anderson Gomes, witnessed by Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Wendy Sherman, on February 3, 2012. The following programs, including the MOU, demonstrate the broad educational partnership between the United States and Brazil.

Memorandum of Understanding on Educational Cooperation: The MOU covers a broad range of areas in education that the United States and Pernambuco support, including: “To enhance training (vocational and technical) and access to the labor market by using the English language as a tool for access to information and communication, enabling new forms of social interaction and cultural immersion; To promote the academic, cultural and technological exchange of students, teachers and other education professionals; To develop youth leadership; To exchange leadership management experiences in schools; To develop the teaching of the English language in the educational system of Pernambuco; and to promote social inclusion and diversity in education.”

“Win the World” program: On November 3, 2011, Pernambuco Governor Eduardo Campos unveiled an ambitious educational program for state high schools called “Win the World.” This program has three pillars: providing English language instruction to 24,000 public high school students; sending 1,000 outstanding English students overseas for six-month exchanges to the United States, the United Kingdom, New Zealand, and Canada; and providing enhanced teacher training to approximately 450 English teachers statewide through the Department of State’s English Language Fellows Program. The U.S. Mission in Brazil, through its Public Affairs Offices and Regional English Language Office, has collaborated on and supports all three pillars.

Pernambuco English Language Fellows Program: The State of Pernambuco, in partnership with the U.S. Mission in Brazil, will host six Senior English Language Fellows to Pernambuco for the 2012 academic year to conduct teacher training courses that reach 450 public school teachers. The State of Pernambuco will provide approximately $250,000 in direct funding for the project as well as in-kind support totaling about $150,000. The U.S. government will fully fund one of the six fellows and will pay for international transportation as well as course materials, with a total investment of approximately $150,000.

English Access Microscholarship Program: Fifty students from Santos Dumont Public High School in Recife have received full scholarships for two years of English language instruction at the binational center Associação Brasil-América. Access students gain an appreciation for U.S. culture and democratic values through cultural enhancement activities and participate in leadership and volunteer activities outside the classroom. The program will continue this year, incorporating students from other schools.

Grenada Independence Day

Hillary Rodham Clinton
Secretary of State

Washington, DC

January 31, 2012

On behalf of President Obama and the people of the United States, I am delighted to congratulate the people of Grenada as you celebrate your 38th anniversary of independence this February 7th.

Grenada has shown a deep commitment to protecting its democratic traditions and delivering educational and economic opportunities to its citizens. The people of the United States have been committed to helping Grenada build a brighter future through business and higher education partnerships. Together, we are upholding our common values through partnerships like the Caribbean Basin Security Initiative, the Partnership Framework for HIV and AIDS, the Energy and Climate Partnership of the Americas, and the Caribbean Youth Empowerment Program. The United States remains steadfast in our commitment to strengthening the ties of friendship between our countries as we face the challenges of our region together.

As you celebrate your independence with family, friends and loved ones, know that the United States stands with you as a partner and friend as we work toward a more peaceful and prosperous future for all of our people.