US Mission Geneva

The Government of the United States of America and the Government of Japan welcome the renewed international attention and commitment to achieve the peace and security of a world without nuclear weapons and confirm their determination to realize such a world.

The United States welcomes Secretrary General Soumana and Minister Niang and their respective delegations to this, Niger’s and Senegal’s, second joint WTO Trade Policy Review. We appreciate the Secretariat’s thorough examination of both governments’ trade policy regimes. We also appreciate the detailed reports submitted by the governments of Niger and Senegal. We have developed some questions based on those reports, and we look forward to considering closely your governments’ responses.

On behalf of the members of my delegation, I would like to join with other delegations in congratulating you on the assumption of your post as President of the Meeting of States Parties. You have our full support.

Madame Chairperson. Thank you for the opportunity to present today on behalf of the United States government on obstacles to effective political participation faced by members of minority groups.

November 2009 is National American Indian & Alaska Native Heritage Month. See our collection of information resources and photo slide shows.

The United States was pleased to participate in the eighth round of the Geneva Discussions. The Geneva Discussions offer an important forum where international discussions on security and stability can lead to positive and practical developments on the ground, such as regular meetings of the Incident Prevention and Response Mechanisms (IPRM). Important progress has been made as a result of these IPRM meetings, particularly in the IPRM for Abkhazia.

President Obama has announced two new nominations for Geneva – Eileen Chamberlain Donahoe, United States Representative to the United Nations Human Rights Council and Laura Kennedy, United States Representative to the Conference on Disarmament.

With respect to cluster munitions, let me confirm today that the United States remains committed to negotiate a legally binding Protocol on Cluster Munitions in the CCW to mitigate the threat to civilian populations resulting from the use of cluster munitions.

Harold Hongju Koh: “The rule of law is the cornerstone of President Obama’s approach to national security policy. As everyone here is aware, the relationship between the United States and the Geneva Conventions has been the subject of much international commentary since September 11, 2001 …Today, it is clear that individuals taken into custody by the United States must, as a matter of law, be treated humanely.”