U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry delivers remarks with Foreign Minister of Brazil Antonio de Aguiar Patriota at the U.S. Department of State in Washington, DC on May 20, 2013. A text transcript can be found at http://www.state.gov/secretary/remarks/2013/05/209664.htm

About the Author: Reta Jo Lewis serves as the Secretary of State’s Special Representative for Global Intergovernmental Affairs.

As many Americans are preparing for this weekend’s Super Bowl — arguably the biggest annual sporting event in the United States — Brazilians are looking ahead to 2014, and 2016, when they’ll host the World Cup and the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

In December 2012, I led a dynamic delegation of sports and entertainment business leaders to Sao Paulo and Brasilia. At the request of Brazil’s Ministry of Sports, my office assembled this delegation to expand U.S.-Brazil cooperation in preparation for Brazil’s hosting a series of major international sporting events, including the 2014 World Cup and 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Our efforts to expand U.S.-Brazil cooperation in this area were met with great enthusiasm from all we met with in Brazil. 

The delegation of 15 experts from the U.S government and the private sector — including national football… more »

About the Author: Kris M. Balderston serves as the Special Representative for Global Partnerships within the Office of the Secretary of State.

We can achieve more together than we can alone.

That simple statement underscored the premise of the first Global Partnerships Week, which we marked December 9-15, 2012. I saw the power of partnerships firsthand in Dubai, where I participated in the Global Entrepreneurship Summit and our Partners for a New Beginning initiative, while our embassies and missions around the world, from Japan to Brazil, spotlighted the value of partnering with the private sector.

Through educational and media events, competitions, and challenges, we’ve seen the State Department recognize the importance of collaborating with the private sector. In Honduras, for example, the Embassy launched a partnership with a local telecommunications company to provide Internet, cable, and phone access at youth outreach centers. In Haiti, Ambassador Pamela White hosted a reception for businesses… more »

About the Author: Alyce Ahn serves as a Foreign Affairs Officer in the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs.

Promoting transparency and accountability. Striving for sustainable development. Preventing corruption in sports. Ensuring political transitions lead to good governance. These were among the goals discussed this month in Brasilia, Brazil, as over 1900 participants from 140 countries gathered for the 15th International Anti-Corruption Conference (IACC). 

The largest multi-stakeholder meeting in the world focused on combating corruption, the IACC is a biennial forum where government officials and representatives from nongovernmental organizations, international organizations, development agencies, and the private sector gather to exchange knowledge, evaluate progress, and collectively devise innovative ways to more effectively promote integrity and fight corruption. This year’s IACC also placed a special emphasis on preventing and combating corruption by mobilizing and… more »

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton meets with Brazilian Foreign Minister Antonio de Aguiar Patriota at the U.S. Department of State in Washington, D.C., October 24, 2012. [State Department photo/ Public Domain]

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton meets with Brazilian Foreign Minister Antonio de Aguiar Patriota at the U.S. Department of State in Washington, D.C. on October 24, 2012.

Media Note
Office of the Spokesperson
Washington, DC
October 24, 2012

Below is the text of a joint statement issued following the fourth meeting of the U.S.-Brazil Global Partnership Dialogue.

Begin text:

On October 24, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and Minister of External Relations Antonio de Aguiar Patriota conducted the fourth meeting of the United States - Brazil Global Partnership Dialogue (GPD) in Washington, D.C. The GPD was first established in 2010 and elevated to the presidential level by President Barack Obama and President Dilma Rousseff in March 2011. This meeting was preceded by senior-level regional consultations on Africa, Asia and Pacific, South Asia, and the Middle East.

Secretary Clinton and Minister Patriota stressed the important role the GPD has played in strengthening cooperation between our two countries, and reaffirmed the joint commitment to form a U.S.-Brazil Partnership for the 21st Century between the governments and peoples of the two nations. The GPD provides a forum through which our countries work together to promote cooperation and dialogue on a broad range of bilateral, regional, and multilateral issues.

The participants expressed satisfaction with the progress under the GPD since the last ministerial on April 16, 2012 in Brasilia. Consultations have been held on the Middle East and Asia that complement dialogues on Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean; economic and commercial issues; science, technology, innovation, and the environment; internet communication and cyber-related issues; and education, culture, and social inclusion. These consultations will continue to facilitate understanding and cooperation between our two countries. MORE

About the Author: Tjada McKenna serves as Deputy Coordinator for Development for Feed the Future.

A week ago, against the backdrop of the Olympics, I witnessed history. I was there not for the Games, but for the Global Hunger Event, which was co-hosted by U.K. Prime Minister Cameron and Brazil Vice President Temer. The event brought civil society and private sector partners together with leaders from across the globe — and even a few Olympic heroes including incomparable Mo Farah — to commit to championing for change against global hunger.

At the top of the list of priorities that emerged: Making significant gains against undernutrition before the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. Just as is true for Olympians to be at their best, we know that… more »

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton poses for a photo with Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil during Rio+20 Conference on June 22, 2012. [Photo courtesy of Walter Mesquita]