About the Authors: Jon Danilowicz is Political/Economic Counselor at the U.S. Embassy to Bangladesh, and Melissa Bentley is a Planning Officer in S/CRS.
Recognition of the Value of a Whole-of-Government Approach to Strategic Planning
A year-long partnership between the Office of the Coordinator for Reconstruction and Stabilization (S/CRS) and the U.S. Embassy to Bangladesh in Dhaka has resulted in the FY 2011 Bangladesh Mission Strategic Plan (MSP) being recognized by the U.S. Department of State as the “MSP of the Year.” This award recognized the Embassy’s embrace of the S/CRS-inspired whole-of-government approach to strategic planning. This significant accomplishment flowed from the Embassy’s strong integration, unity of purpose, and strategic approach to planning.… more »
About the Author: Eythan Sontag is a member of the Active component of the Civilian Response Corps, and lead for S/CRS’s Africa Regional Coordination Team.
Interagency Assessment Teams Working on the Ground To Better Inform and Strengthen U.S Policies
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s August 2009 trip to Africa demonstrated the Administration’s commitment to the continent and to a number of countries in particular. One of those is the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), where, during her trip, five priority areas for collaboration with the Government of the DRC were identified: Economic Governance, Anti-Corruption, Agriculture and Food Security, Sexual and Gender-Based Violence and Security Sector Reform.
The Civilian Response Corps is playing a major role… more »
Climate Change is one of the greatest threats facing our planet. No nation can solve this crisis on its own. Climate change is a global challenge that demands a global solution. The United States is committed to forging an international response and achieving a successful outcome at the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP-15) in Copenhagen, December 7-18.
About the Author: Arturo A. Valenzuela serves as Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs.
It is my pleasure to extend a warm welcome to readers from around the world to the new DipNote. I plan to share perspectives on U.S. relations with countries of the Western Hemisphere and welcome your comments along the way. Bienvenido!Bem-vindo!Bienvenue!
President Obama, Vice President Biden, and Secretary Clinton have made several trips to the region since taking office. They have established a new tone of engagement and open dialogue with the hemisphere. U.S. relations with the hemisphere are strong, dynamic, and effective. There is probably… more »
About the Authors: Maria Otero serves as Under Secretary for Democracy and Global Affairs and Michael Posner serves as Assistant Secretary for Democracy, Human Rights and Labor.
In the world of U.S. foreign policy, it has been a big week for human rights. In Oslo, President Obama accepted the Nobel Peace Prize saying, “Only a just peace based upon the inherent rights and dignity of every individual can be truly lasting.” And on Monday, Secretary… more »
About the Author: Ambassador Eric Goosby serves as the U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator, leading all U.S. Government international HIV/AIDS efforts.
This week, I had the honor of traveling to Malawi to visit with Government of the Republic of Malawi officials and civil society members and observe programs supported by the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). I also attended the Third Southern Africa Regional Meeting of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria with Professor Michel Kazatchkine, Executive Director of the Global Fund. … more »
About the Author: Michelle Bernier-Toth serves as the Director of American Citizens Services in the Office of Overseas Citizen Services for the Bureau of Consular Affairs.
Like the First Family, many of you may be planning to travel this holiday season. About 41 million people are expected to fly from December 17 to January 16, according to the Air Transport Association, and many more holiday travelers will be out on the roads. Whether you are packing your bags for the sunny beaches of the Caribbean or headed to the snowy slopes of Switzerland, we hope you will read the following tips to help make your holiday travels safe, smooth and stress-free.
Sign up so the State Department can better assist you in an emergency: Record your travel plans with the State Department through a free online… more »
About the Author: Ambassador Philip Verveer serves as U.S. Coordinator for International Communications & Information Policy.
While in San Francisco for a conference last week, I had the opportunity to tour Silicon Valley and meet representatives from a number of Northern California-based technology firms. Special Representative for Commercial and Business Affairs Lorraine Hariton, a successful Silicon Valley tech executive prior to joining the State Department three months ago, Steven Koltai, and Joseph Burton also participated. The Silicon Valley meetings were scheduled with the extremely helpful assistance… more »
About the Author: Katie Dowd serves as the New Media Director at the U.S. Department of State.
Today, it is a pleasure and an honor to announce the launch of a new and improved www.state.gov. Home to millions of page views a month, state.gov brings visiting audiences information every day on our major foreign policy objectives and the travels and missions of Secretary Clinton. The site also provides visitors with vital travel services such as visa and passport information.
Enthusiastic about the new design and wanting to share a message to all those visiting the site, Secretary… more »
DipNote is the official blog of the U.S. Department of State —a place to share stories, discuss experiences, and inspire new ideas on the important foreign policy issues of the day. more »
While I agree, unless you have felt the sting of hypocrisy from minority inequality, fiscal inequality here to the actuality of Religious persecution which…
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Willow writes:
Is there an unbrella that is suited for an Amazonian, Ukranian, nuclear power head location?
more »
Secretary Clinton (Dec. 17): "The United States is proud to call Romania a trusted friend and ally. On behalf of President Obama and the people of the United States, I congratulate the people of Romania on twenty years of democracy." -Full Text more »
A new look and improved functionality for the Departmentâs official website employs the best practices of 21st century statecraft: to educate, listen, learn, and engage. Watch>> more »
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New Blog Post: Assessment Teams Deploy to the Democratic Republic of #Congo http://bit.ly/4HEedE
![River scene in Bangladesh. [State Department photo]](https://swap.stanford.edu/was/20100322163935im_/http://blogs.state.gov/images/Dipnote/behind_the_scenes/bangladesh_m.jpg)
![View from a plane as it lands in Goma, Democratic Republic of the Congo. [State Dept.]](https://swap.stanford.edu/was/20100322163935im_/http://blogs.state.gov/images/Dipnote/behind_the_scenes/congo_m.jpg)
![Participants are seen at main meeting venue of COP-15 Climate Summit, Copenhagen, Dec. 8, 2009. [AP]](https://swap.stanford.edu/was/20100322163935im_/http://blogs.state.gov/images/Dipnote/behind_the_scenes/2009_1211_cop-15_center_m.jpg)
![President Obama speaks at 5th Summit of the Americas, Port-of-Spain, Apr. 17, 2009. [AP Photo]](https://swap.stanford.edu/was/20100322163935im_/http://blogs.state.gov/images/Dipnote/behind_the_scenes/2009_1217_obama_americas_m.jpg)
![Children eat porridge at an orphanage, Blantyre, Malawi, May 23, 2006. [AP File Photo]](https://swap.stanford.edu/was/20100322163935im_/http://blogs.state.gov/images/Dipnote/behind_the_scenes/2009_1217_malawi_aids_orphans_m.jpg)
![Travelers queue at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport airlines counter, Nov. 26, 2008. [AP]](https://swap.stanford.edu/was/20100322163935im_/http://blogs.state.gov/images/Dipnote/behind_the_scenes/2009_1217_chicago_airport_m.jpg)
![People surf the Internet at a cafe in Frankfurt, Germany, Nov. 10, 2005. [AP File Photo]](https://swap.stanford.edu/was/20100322163935im_/http://blogs.state.gov/images/Dipnote/behind_the_scenes/2009_1217_internet_cafe_m.jpg)
