International Relations – International World Of Business

The Presidential Advisor for the Americas Dodd’s Travel to Mexico, Ecuador, and Costa Rica

Press Room Team — Tue, 13 Dec 2022 16:32:03 +0000

Washington, D.C. December 2022.- Office of the Spokesperson. Special Presidential Advisor for the Americas Christopher J. Dodd will travel to Mexico, Ecuador, and Costa Rica December 11-14. On December 12, in Mexico City, Special Presidential Advisor Dodd will meet with Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador and with Foreign Secretary Marcelo Ebrard and attend celebrations of the 200 years of U.S.-Mexico relations.

On December 13, in Quito, Ecuador, Special Presidential Advisor Dodd will meet with President Guillermo Lasso to discuss issues of shared interest, including promoting economic growth, collaboration on regional migration challenges, and combatting drug trafficking.

On December 14, Special Presidential Advisor Dodd will travel on to San José to meet with President Chaves to build on the strong relationship between Costa Rica and the United States. During the meeting, they will address issues of mutual interest such as Costa Rica’s participation in the Americas Partnership for Economic Prosperity to build regional resilience on supply chains and migration cooperation under the Los Angeles Declaration. and the deteriorating situation in Nicaragua.

Fay Rodríguez appointed as Special Representative for International Labor Affairs

Press Room Team — Tue, 06 Dec 2022 18:25:22 +0000

Washington, D.C. 12/06/2022. Ned Price, Department Spokesperson. We recognize the essential role labor plays in building the U.S. and global economy and in sustaining democracy and protecting human rights around the world. To help lead this work, the U.S. Department of State is appointing Kelly M. Fay Rodríguez as the Department’s Special Representative for International Labor Affairs.

Ms. Fay Rodríguez will lead the Department’s global engagement to promote international worker rights, to elevate labor diplomacy in our foreign policy bilaterally and multilaterally, and to leverage foreign policy tools and commitments for the benefit of American workers and businesses.

Special Representative Fay Rodríguez is internationally recognized for her work on labor issues. Prior to her appointment, she served as Trade and Labor Oversight Counsel for the Ways and Means Committee, and also served several years at the AFL-CIO and Solidarity Center. She holds a JD from City University of New York School of Law, where she was a Haywood Burns Human and Civil Rights Law Fellow, and a BA from Trinity College-Hartford.

For more information, visit the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor page. You can follow the activities of Special Representative Fay Rodríguez on the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor’s Facebook and Twitter @StateDRL and Instagram @usa_humanrights .

Blinken: Celebrating Women Around the World on International Women’s Day

Press Room Team — Tue, 08 Mar 2022 19:17:42 +0000

Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State

Washington, D.C. March 8, 2022.- On International Women’s Day, the United States is proud to join the global community in celebrating the achievements and contributions of women and girls from around the world, while simultaneously recognizing the barriers they continue to face. The United States stands firm in its longstanding commitment to the advancement of gender equity and equality and the empowerment of women and girls, in all their diversity.

Today, the world is facing several significant challenges that disproportionately impact women and girls, including the climate crisis, the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, and humanitarian emergencies and conflict in Ukraine, Ethiopia, Yemen, and in so many other places, including the significant curtailment of the rights of women and girls in Afghanistan.

The United States recognizes that in order to adequately address these pressing challenges, we must focus on the needs of women and girls, and ensure they are empowered participants in all sectors of life. That is why I am proud to preview that the President’s FY 2023 Budget will request approximately $2.6 billion for foreign assistance programs that promote gender equity and equality worldwide, more than doubling the amount requested for gender programs in the FY 2022 Budget. This includes a request for $200 million for the Gender Equity and Equality Action Fund. Additionally, the United States is taking several concrete steps to formalize and accelerate policy efforts to promote the rights of women and girls around the globe, including through the first-ever U.S. National Strategy on Gender Equity and Equality. This strategy formalizes gender equity and equality as primary foreign policy and national security priorities for the United States.

In celebration of International Women’s Day and our time-honored commitment to advancing the status of women and girls, I am proud that today, the Department of State announced the awardees of the 2022 International Women of Courage (IWOC) Awards. I will host the 16th annual IWOC Awards in a virtual ceremony on Monday, March 14 on state.gov. This annual award recognizes and celebrates women, in all their diversity, who have dedicated their lives to promoting human rights, gender equity and equality, peace, justice, the rule of law, and accountability – often at great personal risk or sacrifice. From promoting the rights of LGBTQI+ persons in Nepal, to preventing and responding to all forms of gender-based violence in Liberia, to being the first woman Foreign Minister of Libya, and so much more, the recipients of the 2022 IWOC Award truly exemplify what it means to be courageous. Find more information about the 2022 IWOC Awardees at https://www.state.gov/secretary-of-states-international-women-of-courage-award/.

The United States remains deeply committed to supporting women and girls’ economic security, preventing and responding to all forms of gender-based violence, increasing their access to health, education, justice, human rights and equality under the law, and humanitarian relief, advancing women’s political leadership and decision-making in all areas including addressing climate change and security challenges, developing science and technology, and promoting democracy. To our 2022 International Women of Courage and all the courageous women and girls around the world, I thank you for your strength, leadership, and efforts to make the world a more just, peaceful, and free place for us all.

Secretary Blinken’s Meeting with Foreign Minister Solano of Costa Rica, Foreign Minister Álvarez of the Dominican Republic, and Foreign Minister Mouynes of Panama

Press Room Team — Fri, 04 Mar 2022 12:43:00 +0000

The below is attributable to Spokesperson Ned Price:

Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken met with Costa Rican Foreign Minister Rodolfo Solano Quirós, Dominican Foreign Minister Roberto Álvarez, and Panamanian Foreign Minister Erika Mouynes on March 2 in Washington, DC. Secretary Blinken expressed strong appreciation for the leadership role the three governments took in forming the Alliance for Development in Democracy, a model for how leaders in the Western Hemisphere can collaborate to make progress on issues of common concern. Secretary Blinken thanked the Foreign Ministers for their nations’ efforts to strengthen democratic institutions and norms, including supporting the Nicaraguan people as they strive to re-establish democracy and protect their human rights from Ortega-Murillo regime abuses. They also advanced ongoing joint efforts to improve safe, orderly, and humane migration throughout the region. On regional issues, the group further noted Honduras’ progress in carrying out a democratic transition, and the Xiomara Castro administration’s efforts to combat corruption. They discussed the importance of restoring democracy in Haiti through a Haitian-led dialogue. The group discussed plans to increase coordination on nearshoring, financing, and trade to bolster economic recovery from the effects of the pandemic. Finally, Secretary Blinken noted the valuable support all three countries in the global effort to stand up for democracy and sovereignty for Ukraine and respond to Russia’s aggression with decisive action.

Statement of Secretary Blinken on Dominican Republic Independence Day

Press Room Team — Tue, 01 Mar 2022 13:28:50 +0000

On behalf of the United States, I send warm wishes to the people of the Dominican Republic as you celebrate your Independence Day on February 27. As longstanding partners with shared democratic values, the Dominican Republic and the United States collaborate closely on a wide range of shared priorities, and we both benefit from expansive economic and people-to-people ties.

The Dominican Republic stands out as a defender of democracy, grounded in its commitment to fight corruption, promote transparent governance, and advance institutional reforms. The United States is proud to support these reforms, which will benefit all Dominicans for generations to come.

In the past year, the United States proudly contributed financial and technical assistance for the Dominican Republic’s effective and lifesaving COVID-19 response. The United States looks forward to deepening our collaboration with the Dominican government as we build back better in the coming year. We pledge to continue to strengthen our robust and wide-ranging bilateral agenda geared toward tackling corruption, combating socio-economic exclusion, promoting economic prosperity, and bolstering our strategic security partnership.

We congratulate all Dominicans on 178 years of independence.

Secretary Blinken’s Call with Dominican Republic Foreign Minister Alvarez

Press Room Team — Fri, 30 Apr 2021 20:04:45 +0000

Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken spoke with Dominican Republic Foreign Minister Roberto Alvarez today. Secretary Blinken and Foreign Minister Alvarez emphasized the important U.S.-Dominican bond formed by the over two million Americans of Dominican descent living in the United States, extensive economic ties, and a shared commitment to democracy in the region. They discussed economic and security cooperation, COVID-19 coordination, and regional issues of mutual concern. The Secretary and Foreign Minister also spoke about the importance of advancing human rights, transparency, and the rule of law throughout the region.