U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor Michael H. Posner delivers remarks to the International Association of Official Human Rights Agencies (IAOHRA) Annual Conference in Washington, DC on August 7, 2012. [Go to http://video.state.gov for more video and text transcript.]

Remarks
Hillary Rodham Clinton
Secretary of State
Table Bay Hotel
Cape Town, South Africa
August 8, 2012

Well, it’s always a pleasure being in Cape Town, and I remember exploring Cape Town for the first time with Erica, and it’s just wonderful seeing someone who has loved this city for so long coming back and leading our consulate. And it’s also especially touching that her husband is leading our consulate in Durban. And he was with me in Pretoria yesterday, and between the two of them, they are a dynamic duo for American diplomacy.

I also very much – yes – (applause) – you can give them both a round of applause. Thank you. I’m also very, very pleased to be joined by the Ambassador – Ambassador Gips and Liz Gips, who – Liz Berry Gips, right? – who is just a terrific partner to the Ambassador in everything he’s doing on behalf of our relationship with the country. Don and Liz and their three sons have just made a tremendous difference in connecting up people to people and in civil society and NGOs, as well as the day-to-day work between our governments.

And I’m here to say thank you. Thank you for everything you all do every single day on behalf of this really vital relationship. I just finished speaking at the Western Cape University about the importance of the relationship between the United States and South Africa, not only with respect to what we do between our two countries, but what we must do throughout the world. And you are doing an excellent job of carrying our values, promoting our interests, and deepening our relationship. MORE. 

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton meets with South African International Relations and Cooperation Minister Maite Nkoana-Mashabane for the second meeting of the South Africa-United States of America Strategic Dialogue in Johannesburg, South Africa, on August 7, 2012. [State Department photo/ Public Domain]

Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom Suzan Johnson Cook participates in a Facebook chat at the U.S. Department of State in Washington, D.C., on August 7, 2012. [State Department photo/ Public Domain]

U.S. Assistant Secretary of Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor Michael H. Posner Delivers Testimony on the Implementation of the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry Report before the Tom Lantos Commission on Human Rights in Washington, DC in August 1, 2012. [Go to http://video.state.gov for more video and text transcript.]

Press Statement
Hillary Rodham Clinton
Secretary of State
Washington, DC
August 2, 2012

On behalf of President Obama and the people of the United States, I want to congratulate the members of the Somali National Constituent Assembly and the Somali people on yesterday’s historic vote to approve Somalia’s Provisional Constitution. By laying the foundations for a mutually agreed upon system of governance, this vote moves Somalia closer towards lasting stability.

Made up of 825 Somalis from across the country, the National Constituent Assembly represented the diverse concerns of the nation as it reviewed and ultimately approved the Provisional Constitution. Despite significant logistical difficulties, political pressure, death threats, and two attacks on the National Constituent Assembly venue, this vote affirms that the Somali people will not be intimidated by violence as they work to rebuild their country. The people of the United States applaud the members of the National Constituent Assembly for their dedication and conviction. MORE. 

About the Author: Hannah Rosenthal serves as the U.S. Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism.

I have just returned from London, inspired by the youth, musicians, athletes, and community leaders who are taking action in their communities to stop hate and create global tolerance. In anticipation of the 2012 London Olympic and Paralympic Games, Special Representative Pandith and I joined festivities in London to promote the Hours Against Hate — Walk A Mile campaign.

The Hours Against Hate — Walk A Mile campaign activates people around the world to walk in someone else’s shoes to promote respect across lines of culture, religion, tradition, class, disability, and gender. The campaign is a public-private initiative between the U.S. Department of State, Transcendental Music, Rock-It Media, SoFit Mobile, and the Global Impact Institute. By downloading the free SoFit application onto a Smartphone, participants can virtually partner with people in different parts of… more »

Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori delivers a video message on the 2012 Hours Against Hate Campaign on July 31, 2012. [Go to http://video.state.gov for more video and text transcript.]

About the Author: Paula Uribe serves as a Senior Advisor in the Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs.

The International AIDS Conference, AIDS 2012, brought more than 23,000 medical professionals, advocates, policy makers, and people living with HIV/AIDS to Washington, D.C., from July 22-27 from more than 180 countries. The Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs organized a roundtable on the margins of the event with lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) activists from the Western Hemisphere on July 23 to hear how AIDS is affecting LGBT persons in Latin America and the Caribbean. 

Activists noted the stigma, discrimination, and violence their communities face on a daily basis because of their sexual orientation or gender identity. According to participants, transgender individuals are especially at risk of violence and discrimination. In most cases identification documents do not reflect their gender identity, which can make voting a difficult or even dangerous… more »