EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson kicked off the conference with remarks at the Stanford Graduate School of Business.

By MacKenzie C. Babb
IIP Staff Writer
Washington,
06 February 2012

More than 400 global policymakers, development chiefs and technology leaders have gathered in California for a three-day conference to discuss using connection technologies, like the Web and mobile phones, to advance sustainable development in the fields of health, the environment, agriculture and economic growth.

The February 2–4 conference at Stanford University, “Rio+2.0: Bridging Connection Technologies and Sustainable Development,” was sponsored by the U.S. government in preparation for the upcoming United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

“As Rio+20, the 20th anniversary of the 1992 Earth Summit, approaches in June, we have a chance to learn lessons, build partnerships and put in place innovative strategies that can reshape the economic and environmental future of our entire planet,” Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa Jackson said February 3 during her conference keynote address. She added that the collaboration offers “the rarest of opportunities to truly change the world and make a difference that will benefit billions of people.”

Jackson called on participants at the conference to find creative ways to apply existing and cutting-edge technologies to advance sustainable development around the world.

She said communications technologies, such as the Internet, SMS and mobile phones, have proven effective in helping underserved communities around the world gain access to information, better jobs and an improved quality of life.

“In my travels as administrator, I have been to parts of the world where it seemed like everyone had access to a cellphone, but not everyone had access to clean water,” Jackson said. “The opportunities are there to use that technology to make a difference.”

She said connection technologies have the potential to bring together stakeholders from across the spectrum, helping governments, nongovernmental organizations, the private sector and individuals share information about sustainable development.

The administrator added that new technologies allow laws, regulations and compliance assistance to be made available on the Internet and on mobile phones and also simplify the process of reporting environmental violations and corrupt practices.

“Through broad public and private collaboration, made possible through new technology, we can show the world how to build 21st-century urban communities where the environment, health, social inclusion and economic prosperity all go hand in hand,” Jackson said.

She was joined at the conference by several State Department leaders, including Under Secretary of State for Economic Growth, Energy, and the Environment Robert Hormats; Assistant Secretary for Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs Kerri-Ann Jones; and Senior Advisor for Innovation Alec Ross.

Other U.S. government participants included Deputy Under Secretary of Agriculture for Research, Education and Economics Ann Bartuska; the U.S. Agency for International Development’s Senior Counselor and Chief Innovation Officer Maura O’Neill; and Chair of the White House Council on Environmental Quality Nancy Sutley.
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STATEMENT BY SECRETARY CLINTON
International Day of Zero Tolerance to Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting

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Syrians in neighboring Turkey protest against the Assad regime. The U.S. is concerned that the lack of a political process is increasing the chances of a brutal civil war.

By Stephen Kaufman
IIP Staff Writer
Washington,
February 2012

U.S. officials warned that in light of the United Nations Security Council’s failure to support a proposed political solution by the Arab League to end the violence in Syria, the country faces an increased risk of civil war.

Senior Obama administration officials added that the United States will continue to work with the international community outside the United Nations and use diplomatic and economic pressure in response to the Syrian government’s brutality against its people and in support of a peaceful political transition in the country.

Speaking in Bulgaria February 5, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said the United States and others in the Security Council who voted in support of the Arab League’s proposal had hoped it would start political engagement inside the country that would lead to a transition after nearly one year of protests in which at least 5,400 Syrian civilians have been killed by Bashar al-Assad’s regime.

Clinton said it should not be a surprise that many Syrians are moving to defend themselves against their government, and she said the U.N.’s failure to approve a political process will “increase the chances for a brutal civil war.”

The Arab League plan called for an end to the violence and the release of political prisoners. It also called for Assad to delegate power to the Syrian vice president and allow the creation of a national government of unity. However, in a 13–2 vote on February 4, China and Russia exercised their Security Council vetoes and prevented the measure from being adopted.

“Faced with a neutered Security Council, we have to redouble our efforts outside of the United Nations with those allies and partners who support the Syrian people’s right to have a better future,” Clinton said, by using diplomatic pressure as well as a full implementation of regional and national sanctions to “dry up the sources of funding and the arms shipments that are keeping the regime’s war machine going.”

“We will work to expose those who are still funding the regime and sending them weapons that are used against defenseless Syrians, including women and children. And we will work with the friends of a democratic Syria around the world to support the opposition’s peaceful political plans for change,” she said, as well as to try to provide humanitarian relief.

At the White House, press secretary Jay Carney told reporters February 6 that despite the U.S. disappointment over the U.N. vote, pressure on Assad and his regime is continuing to intensify.

“He has dwindling financial resources. He has dwindling access to what he needs to continue to govern. His regime has lost control of parts of the country. There are a number of indications of the desire to depart from the regime by senior Syrian government and military officials. These are telltale signs that Assad’s future is very limited at best,” he said.

Carney said that although U.S. officials “take no options off the table” in their response to the ongoing violence, “the right solution in Syria is a political solution. And there remains an opportunity for that to be achieved, for that transition to democracy to take place.”

U.S. SUSPENDS EMBASSY OPERATIONS IN DAMASCUS

State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland announced that, because of the Assad regime’s failure to adequately respond to U.S. security concerns over the safety of its diplomatic personnel, the United States had suspended its embassy’s operations in Damascus.

“Our concern is that the situation in and around Damascus is becoming increasingly violent, reflecting the fact that the regime is increasingly losing control of the situation because it itself has resorted to violence rather than dialogue with its own people,” she said February 6.

Nuland said Robert Ford has left Damascus and will be returning to Washington, but that he remains the U.S. ambassador to Syria.

She said Ford and other U.S. officials will maintain their contacts with the Syrian people and especially with the Syrian opposition “so that we can make sure that the Syrian people know that we stand with them and their desire for a democratic future.”

MORE COVERAGE

President Obama ordered stricter sanctions on Iran and its central bank for failing to comply with international obligations over its nuclear weapons program.

By Merle David Kellerhals Jr.
IIP Staff Writer
Washington,
February 06, 2012

President Obama ordered stricter sanctions be imposed on Iran and its central bank for noncompliance with its international obligations to halt development of nuclear weapons.

Obama told Congress February 6 that more sanctions were necessary because of deceptive practices by the Central Bank of Iran and other Iranian banks in trying to hide financial transactions of companies and government officials that already have been sanctioned over the country’s nuclear weapons development program. He also cited weaknesses in Iran’s regime to fight money-laundering, which pose an unacceptable risk to the international financial system.

“My goal is to try to resolve this diplomatically, mainly because the only way, over the long term, we can assure Iran doesn’t get a nuclear weapon is by getting them to understand it’s not in their interest,” Obama said in an interview with NBC News that aired on the Today show February 6. He added that the United States has a good estimate of when Iranian scientists and engineers could complete work on a fully functional nuclear weapon, based in part on where they are in the uranium enrichment process.

“Do we know all the dynamics inside Iran? Absolutely not,” Obama said. “And I think one of the difficulties is that Iran itself is a lot more divided now than it was.

“Knowing who is making decisions at any given time inside of Iran is tough. But we do have a pretty good bead on what’s happening with their nuclear program,” he added.

The executive order freezes Iranian assets as well as those of its Central Bank and all Iranian financial institutions held by U.S. banks and financial firms. The order was signed on February 5 and took effect shortly after midnight EST on February 6.

The United States and the European Union (EU) have strengthened sanctions in an effort to convince the Iranian regime to halt all uranium enrichment, a process essential for the construction of a nuclear weapon. The United States, working closely with the EU and other partners, has attempted to negotiate with Iran to halt the weapons development program and find ways to provide Iran with enriched uranium for civilian use.

Six nations — Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia and the United States — have attempted to convince Iran in a series of negotiations to forgo a nuclear development program, but talks halted and have not resumed.

Estimates indicate Iran has more than 3,000 kilograms of reactor-grade low-enriched uranium in stocks at its Natanz enrichment facility and facilities elsewhere in the country. That is enough material for at least a two nuclear weapons, according to previous International Atomic Energy Agency reports. Experts also estimate Iran has begun producing small quantities of uranium to a concentration of about 20 percent, another sign of progress toward nuclear weapons production.

The U.S. Treasury Department said that President Obama’s actions underscore his commitment and resolve to hold Iran accountable for its failure to meet international obligations and ensure it halts uranium enrichment, permits international inspectors to inspect all of Iran’s nuclear facilities, and gives up any efforts to develop nuclear weapons.

“Iran now faces an unprecedented level of pressure due to intensified sanctions applied by the United States and complementary actions by many others around the world,” the Treasury said in a prepared statement. “It will face ever-increasing economic and diplomatic pressure until it addresses the international community’s well-founded and well-documented concerns regarding the nature of its nuclear program.”

MORE COVERAGE

U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations Susan Rice

By Merle David Kellerhals Jr.
IIP Staff Writer
Washington,
February 4, 2012

U.S. Ambassador Susan Rice told the U.N. Security Council February 4 that “the United States is disgusted” by the failure of the council to pass a resolution that backed an Arab League peace plan to end escalating violence in Syria and that urged Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to step down.

China and Russia, both permanent members of the Security Council, vetoed the peace plan resolution, while the United States and 12 other members that included Britain and France voted for it in a rare weekend session.

“The United States is disgusted that a couple of members of this council continue to prevent us from fulfilling our sole purpose here — addressing an ever-deepening crisis in Syria and a growing threat to regional peace and security,” Rice said shortly after the council voted.

A Security Council resolution can be blocked by a single veto from the five permanent members, which are Great Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States. However a double veto by Security Council permanent members is rare.

The vote was prompted, even in the face of Russian opposition, by continued violence in the city of Homs and amid reports that nearly 250 civilian Syrians were killed February 3 by government forces. The United Nations estimates that more than 5,400 civilians have been killed in the nearly 11-month-old civil strife as the Assad regime conducted a military crackdown on all civilian protests.

Rice, who is the U.S. permanent representative to the United Nations, said the text of the resolution did not include sanctions, an arms embargo or a call for international intervention in Syria, but only for a plan to halt the violence and end the Assad regime.

“These members [China and Russia] stand behind empty arguments and individual interests, while delaying and seeking to strip bare any text that would pressure Assad to change his actions. This intransigence is even more shameful when you consider that at least one of these members continues to deliver weapons to Assad,” Rice said.

At an international security conference in Munich, Germany, February 4, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said that the United States and European nations “are united, alongside the Arab League, in demanding an end to the bloodshed and a democratic future for Syria.” Clinton met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on the sidelines of the conference to discuss the then-pending vote of the Security Council. Clinton addressed the Security Council on the resolution January 31.

The Arab League peace plan called for Assad’s regime to withdraw its military forces from residential areas, stop acts of violence against civilians, release opposition prisoners arrested because of the current unrest, end all fighting and bloodshed, delegate power to the vice president and allow creation of a national government of unity. Assad had signed a protocol with the Arab League pledging to meet the conditions set in the plan.

Before the vote was taken in New York, President Obama said that 30 years after Assad’s father “massacred tens of thousands” of Syrian civilians in Hama, the current Assad regime has demonstrated a similar disdain for human life and dignity.

“The Syrian regime’s policy of maintaining power by terrorizing its people only indicates its inherent weakness and inevitable collapse,” Obama said. “Assad has no right to lead Syria, and has lost all legitimacy with his people and the international community.”

Obama pledged continued U.S. support for the Syrian people and vowed to continue working to help them build a better future in Syria.

“Every government has the responsibility to protect its citizens, and any government that brutalizes and massacres its people does not deserve to govern,” Obama said.

Statement by Victoria Nuland, Spokesperson
February 6, 2012 

The United States has suspended operations of our Embassy in Damascus as of February 6.  Ambassador Ford and all American personnel have now departed the country.

The recent surge in violence, including bombings in Damascus on December 23 and January 6, has raised serious concerns that our Embassy is not sufficiently protected from armed attack.  We, along with several other diplomatic missions, conveyed our security concerns to the Syrian government but the regime failed to respond adequately.

Ambassador Ford has left Damascus but he remains the United States Ambassador to Syria and its people.  As the President’s representative, he will continue his work and engagement with the Syrian people as head of our Syria team in Washington.  Together with other senior U.S. officials, Ambassador Ford will maintain contacts with the Syrian opposition and continue our efforts to support the peaceful political transition which the Syrian people have so bravely sought.

As the Secretary told the Security Council on January 31, we continue to be gravely concerned by the escalation of violence in Syria caused by the regime’s blatant defiance of its commitments to the action plan it agreed to with the Arab League.  The deteriorating security situation that led to the suspension of our diplomatic operations makes clear once more the dangerous path Assad has chosen and the regime’s inability to fully control Syria.  It also underscores the urgent need for the international community to act without delay to support the Arab League’s transition plan before the regime’s escalating violence puts a political solution out of reach and further jeopardizes regional peace and security.

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Susan E. Rice
U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations
U.S. Mission to the United Nations
New York, NY
February 4, 2012

AS DELIVERED

Ambassador Rice: Good afternoon. Let me begin by speaking directly to the Syrian people. The United States stands with you, the Syrian people, and we will not rest until you and your bravery achieve your basic, universal human rights, to which all human beings are entitled. Today, we saw clearly which countries are prepared to support the people of Syria-and, indeed, the people of the entire region-as they struggle to attain a future of peace and democracy. And we saw which countries, for their narrow interests, do not. But let there be no doubt. The United States will continue, with partners around the world-partners particularly in the Arab world-to ratchet up the pressure on the Asad regime until finally the people’s voice prevails. We will not rest until that occurs.

This Council, today, again, had a sad moment, which will be recorded in its history, but there was a hopeful aspect to it as well. And that is that more and more countries are united in saying the violence must stop, change must come, there must be a democratic and peaceful transition. Thirteen members of this Council clearly and firmly made that point, and perhaps two more will one day come along-I hope not after too many more innocent Syrians have been killed. I’m happy to take a couple questions.

Reporter: Ambassador, what comes next? You said further measures, further pressure. Can you be more specific about what you think that might be please?

Ambassador Rice: Neil, we have, as the United States, as you know, put increasing sanctions, increasing pressure on the Syrian regime. We are certainly committed on a national basis to continue to intensify our pressure. We have worked with partners in Europe, in Turkey, in the broader Arab world towards that end. We will certainly be consulting with partners in the Arab League and on this Council in the days to come. I think it is fair to say that nobody is giving up. Nobody is turning our backs on the Syrian people. And we will find a way forward to affirm our support for the people of Syria.

Reporter: Ambassador, some believe and feel that it is due to the fact that the U.S. and Russia did not understand each other and did not agree outside of this whole-that this is the result of the double veto. So, A, tell us if you agree and B, tell us kindly, what is your understanding of Mr. Sergei Lavrov’s initiative, probably, in Damascus next week? And are you surprised particularly by the Chinese veto?

Ambassador Rice: I can’t answer the question of what Minister Lavrov’s visit intends or aims to achieve. I can say this: the members of this Council worked tirelessly, exhaustively over the last several days to try to come to consensus. We bent over backwards as co-sponsors to accommodate and meet the concerns of member of this Council. There were those who saw what seemed to me to be a phantom, that somehow this resolution might be construed as authorizing the use of force, even when it was patently obvious that that wasn’t the case. But just to underscore it, we wrote that into the resolution. There were some who wanted to pretend that this resolution imposed sanctions. It never did, never from the beginning in any other iterations. That became clear. There were members of this Council that were uncomfortable with outlining certain elements of the Arab League plan. We insisted that the Arab League initiative be supported. The text that was vetoed did that. But it did so in a way that was garnered-that was intended to garner consensus. It failed. We had many, many attempts, Raghida, up until the minute before we went into the vote to try to find common ground. And I want to say that we-the United States, Morocco, the Arab League, the co-sponsors-made every effort, and those that-no effort was good enough. And so countries took their decision.

There was discussion over the last couple of days, and we indicated, again, that we were interested in reaching consensus but not at the expense of doing violence to the fundamental purpose.

And this is to answer your question, Matt: What was unacceptable, first and foremost, was the amendments that would have rewritten the Arab League plans, both Arab League plans-the one of November 2nd, which both parties have agreed to and committed to but the Syrian government hasn’t implemented but which indeed the Russian Federation has supported. Now, months later, it’s to be revised and rewritten. That was unacceptable.

And it was also unacceptable to try to remove from the plan of the 22nd the timeline that was crucial, an integral aspect of the Arab League initiative. There were many other aspects-efforts to equate the opposition and their actions with those of the regime, which we thought were not only indefensible but reprehensible in their formulations. But they were also not offered during the course of the week when we were engaged in meaningful efforts at negotiations but rather at the 11th hour with a request that the vote be delayed until some indefinite point next week.

With people dying every day, with the regime escalating its violence in a horrific fashion, and the people of Homs under immediate assault, delay was not an option.

Thank you.

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Office of the Press Secretary
For Immediate Release
February 04, 2012
Statement by the President on Syria

Thirty years after his father massacred tens of thousands of innocent Syrian men, women, and children in Hama, Bashar al-Assad has demonstrated a similar disdain for human life and dignity. Yesterday the Syrian government murdered hundreds of Syrian citizens, including women and children, in Homs through shelling and other indiscriminate violence, and Syrian forces continue to prevent hundreds of injured civilians from seeking medical help. These brutal killings take place at a time when so many Syrians are also marking a deeply meaningful day for their faith. I strongly condemn the Syrian government’s unspeakable assault against the people of Homs and I offer my deepest sympathy to those who have lost loved ones. Assad must halt his campaign of killing and crimes against his own people now. He must step aside and allow a democratic transition to proceed immediately.

The Syrian people demonstrated in large numbers across Syria yesterday to participate in peaceful protests commemorating the 30th anniversary of the Hama massacre. They labeled the protests, “We are Sorry, Hama – Forgive Us.” We owe it to the victims of Hama and Homs to learn one lesson: that cruelty must be confronted for the sake of justice and human dignity. Every government has the responsibility to protect its citizens, and any government that brutalizes and massacres its people does not deserve to govern. The Syrian regime’s policy of maintaining power by terrorizing its people only indicates its inherent weakness and inevitable collapse. Assad has no right to lead Syria, and has lost all legitimacy with his people and the international community.

The international community must work to protect the Syrian people from this abhorrent brutality. Earlier this week, our Arab partners called on UN Security Council members to take action to support a political solution to the crisis in Syria and stop Assad’s “killing machine.” The Council now has an opportunity to stand against the Assad regime’s relentless brutality and to demonstrate that it is a credible advocate for the universal rights that are written into the UN Charter.

We must work with the Syrian people toward building a brighter future for Syria. A Syria without Assad could be a Syria in which all Syrians are subject to the rule of law and where minorities are able to exercise their legitimate rights and uphold their identities and traditions while acting as fully enfranchised citizens in a unified republic. The United States and our international partners support the Syrian people in achieving their aspirations and will continue to assist the Syrian people toward that goal. We will help because we stand for principles that include universal rights for all people and just political and economic reform. The suffering citizens of Syria must know: we are with you, and the Assad regime must come to an end.

Click on the image to watch the videos

Geneva,
February 3, 2012

The U.S. Mission to the United Nations in Geneva is pleased to present the first interview in a new series entitled “Americans Abroad: Getting Things Done in Geneva” in which we will highlight the important work Americans do at the UN and other international organizations in Geneva.

The work of these Americans is enormously important, and what they do every day helps the many and varied organizations where they work achieve the successes that you hear about when the unthinkable happens – the earthquakes, pandemics, famines and movements of displaced peoples, but also working on other everyday issues as well, less dramatic, but also critical, from developing global health standards, to defending intellectual property rights and establishing telecommunication standards, among many others.

(Watch the videos)