Remarks
Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State
Loy Henderson Auditorium
Washington, D.C.
June 15, 2022
SECRETARY BLINKEN: Good afternoon, everyone. Good to see you all here. When I heard everyone was gathering here, I thought the least I could do is drop by to simply say thank you, thank you, thank you for the remarkable work that you’re doing.
You all know this, but four months ago our countries created the Global Action Plan to try to accelerate our efforts to vaccinate 70 percent of our people against COVID-19, the goal set by the WHO. I think we all knew that hitting that target would take countries stepping up together in a highly coordinated way. So we identified key gaps that remained, we established together six lines of effort to bridge those gaps, and then everyone in this room in effect took responsibility for leading this effort and doing it together.
And as we’ve talked, and I know as you’re discussing today, we have made significant progress on each of these lines of effort. A lot more work remains to be done, but this is moving forward precisely because we’ve come together in a coordinated way.
The first line of effort: trying to get more shots into arms. We know that there are a lot of vaccines out there. The challenge has been actually getting the shots into arms. We’ve ramped up vaccine delivery. We’ve improved cold chain capacity to store and ship more doses to more places. We’ve conducted in-country campaigns to increase demand for vaccines.
For example, just to cite a few: Colombia has stepped up its efforts to vaccinate Venezuelan refugees; India has enhanced its vaccine production; Japan has significantly expanded cold chain storage worldwide; Australia, New Zealand are doing great work vaccinating citizens in the Pacific Island nations, just to cite some of the striking examples.
To that end, one of the things I’m excited to be able to share today is that the United States, in partnership with COVAX, will begin donating pediatric Pfizer vaccines for 5-to-12 year-olds. In fact, the first shipment is going out today: 300,000 doses are being donated to Mongolia; 2.2 million doses are being donated to Nepal. We’ve got many more ready to go for countries that want them.
The second line of effort that we’ve all been working on together: strengthening supply chains for COVID-related materials – tests, syringes, treatments. Well, we are building resilience into the supply chains when shortages and disruptions emerge. For example, the European Union has been consulting with businesses across Africa on medical supplies. The United States has started similar engagements in our own hemisphere as well as globally.
The third line of effort: addressing information gaps that lead to low confidence in vaccines. With help from Canada, we’re coordinating across governments to combat misinformation and disinformation, as well as through programs like the United States Global VAX effort, which uses evidence-based interventions to increase vaccine demand.
The fourth line of effort that we’ve been working together: providing more support to frontline health care workers. Well, with leadership from Spain, from India, the Republic of Korea, we’re ensuring that those workers have access to vaccines as well as accurate information about vaccines so that they can stay healthy and keep doing the heroic work that they’re doing every day.
The fifth line of effort: We’ve begun a critical conversation on how to increase access to treatments and therapeutics so that people who get COVID can survive it and bounce back faster. There’s a lot more work we’ll need to do on this line of effort to ensure that we have enough interventions available worldwide, from testing to treating, as we move to the next phase of the pandemic.
And finally, the sixth line of effort: building a stronger, more effective global health architecture so that we can better detect, prevent, respond to future emergencies. Well, we started by building on the work of the structures that we created to address this pandemic – COVAX, the ACT-Accelerator. And I particularly want to thank Norway and South Africa for coordinating the ACT-A’s work to develop and equitably distribute tests, treatments, vaccines; Germany, the United Kingdom, and Japan for galvanizing donors; Indonesia for creating a financial intermediary fund for pandemic preparedness.
I know that we all agree around this table and in this room that if we’re just as vulnerable at the end of this pandemic as we were when COVID-19 began, that’s dangerous and it’s a major disservice to our citizens. We have to seize this opportunity to become better prepared than we were before.
Looking ahead, the lines of effort that we’re all working, the six lines of effort, remain critical. In many ways this is a marathon. We still have a long way to go if we’re going to end the acute phase of the pandemic and build a lasting foundation for our future.
To do that, perhaps more than anything else, we have to maintain our commitment. We can’t let the pandemic and pandemic fatigue deplete our political will. And I just want to assure you all that the United States continues to be intently focused on fighting the pandemic and leaving the world better prepared and better defended for whatever comes next.
This experience, this pandemic, has taught us that health security is national security – and that in this 21st century, health emergencies often can’t be solved by countries working on their own. Viruses don’t respect borders. We are, quite literally, all in this together. And so I’m really grateful to everyone here, to the countries you represent, for this partnership. The progress we’ve made to date has been possible because of your leadership, because of your engagement, because of your willingness to coordinate and collaborate to what I think is a remarkable degree. Now we just need to keep doing it.
So thank you. I hope the meetings here in Washington are productive, I hope they’re energizing, and I look forward to seeing everyone again soon to review our progress, strengthen our efforts, and keep up this common fight. Thank you very, very much. (Applause.).
United States Agency for International Development
Readout
June 16, 2022
The below is attributable to Spokesperson Rebecca Chalif:
Today, Administrator Power met with leaders of democracy and anti-corruption organizations following her recent policy speech at the National Press Club on June 7, to discuss how the United States can seize on this critical moment to galvanize democratic momentum, counter authoritarianism, and support fragile democratic states.
Participants included Doug Rutzen of the International Center for Not-for-Profit Law, Paige Alexander of the Carter Center, Anne Hudock of Counterpart, Lysa John Berna of CIVICUS, Eric Bjornlund of Democracy International, Jeanne Bourgault of Internews, Tony Banbury of the International Foundation for Electoral Systems, Derek Mitchell of the National Democratic Institute, Damon Wilson of the National Endowment for Democracy, Dan Twining of the International Republican Institute, Mike Abramowitz of Freedom House, Alberto Mora of the American Bar Association’s Rule of Law Initiative, Aleksander Dardeli of IREX, Caroline Anstey of Pact, Carlos Eduardo Huertas of Conectas, and Kyra Buchko of Partners Global.
Administrator Power solicited their feedback on the themes and goals outlined in the speech, including how USAID and the participating organizations can continue to work together and pursue innovative approaches to strengthen democracy, combat corruption, and advance development worldwide.
United States Agency for International Development
Readout
June 15, 2022
The below is attributable to Spokesperson Rebecca Chalif:
On June 14, Administrator Samantha Power met with CEO of the International Fertilizer Development Center (IFDC) Albin Hubscher to discuss the adverse effects of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on global fertilizer prices and availability, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa.
Administrator Power discussed ways in which USAID, through the U.S. government’s Feed the Future initiative, is addressing impacts on global hunger, poverty, and malnutrition. The Administrator and Mr. Hubscher discussed emerging challenges facing the fertilizer sector as a result of the current crisis, and actions that are needed to mitigate reduced yields in the coming planting seasons and maintain agricultural productivity in regions most at risk of fertilizer shortages. The Administrator also discussed ways in which the donor community could mobilize multilateral efforts to address this challenge quickly.
Mr. Hubscher discussed efforts that the IFDC, a science-based public international organization and a USAID implementing partner, is taking or planning to take to mitigate higher fertilizer prices and supply disruptions for smallholder farmers, including scaling work to improve soil health for more efficient fertilizer use.
Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield
U.S. Representative to the United Nations
New York, New York
June 15, 2022
AS DELIVERED
Thank you, Madam Foreign Minister for convening this vital debate. And thank you to Secretary-General Guterres for participating today. I also want to express my appreciation to all the briefers and representatives from regional organizations who have joined us today. The role of regional organizations is critical to elevating the women, peace, and security agenda and we welcome their willingness to do more and the critical role that they all play within their respective organizations.
We have seen the disproportionate threats women and girls face in countries and conflicts around the world, including in Mali and Afghanistan, Myanmar and Ukraine, Ethiopia, and elsewhere.
I want to point out that several UN sanctions regimes, such as for South Sudan and Yemen, include designation criteria for those who perpetrate violence against women. We encourage the Security Council to continue to use these tools as it did for Osama al-Kuni Ibrahim, a notorious human trafficker in Libya. In Afghanistan, the Taliban has constrained and, in many areas, eliminated, women’s participation in political, economic, and social spaces. They have made no less than a dozen formal announcements since last September restricting the rights of women and girls.
Once again, we reiterate our call to the Taliban to reverse these restrictions on education, employment, and movement. And we urge the Taliban to allow women to fully and meaningfully participate in Afghan society. The contribution of women will allow Afghanistan to prosper in the years ahead; but the exclusion of women and girls will erase the possibility of stability and economic gains in Afghanistan.
And we cannot talk about the women’s peace and security agenda without reflecting on the consequences of Russia’s horrific invasion of Ukraine and the disproportionate impact it has had on women. As we made clear earlier this month, we continue to see mounting credible reports of atrocities committed by Russia’s forces against civilians, including horrific accounts of gender-based violence and conflict-related sexual violence. There must be accountability for these atrocities as well as those committed by others against women and girls. Perpetrators cannot act with impunity. Regional organizations must play a role here as well and we commit to working with you. As we use every tool at our disposal, we must also work together to strengthen prevention efforts, promote justice in its various forms, as well as provide trauma-informed support services for survivors in the near- and longer-terms.
But one thing that I want to make clear isn’t lost on us, is that women are not passive victims. They are survivors. They are courageous. And they are consistently at the front lines of peace building, both at the grassroots and at the national levels. Women actively take steps to protect their communities from conflict – and they bring a unique understanding of local and regional dynamics to peace processes necessary for sustainable agreements. So, prioritizing the women’s peace and security agenda won’t just changes the lives of women and girls, it will also plant the seed for a more peaceful future for them. Which is why we must make meaningful and lasting progress in addressing gender inequality in all its levels of our society. And as several of our speakers stressed, we must take actions, in addition to words. We must address harmful gender and societal norms.
And we must not, as a Syrian woman told me during my recent visit to Turkey, stop feeling a sense of outrage at violence and atrocities committed against women. And we must continue to promote the full participation and inclusion of women in decision-making roles at all levels of conflict prevention, resolution, and peacebuilding processes.
For our part, through the passage of the Women, Peace, and Security Act of 2017, the United States became the first country in the world to codify our commitment to advancing Security Council Resolution 1325 by enacting a comprehensive Women, Peace, and Security law. And the 2019 U.S. Strategy on Women, Peace, and Security seeks to close the gender gap in leadership by: mobilizing U.S. diplomacy and programs, engaging partners, investing in women’s safety and rights, and amplifying the voices of women leaders and organizations. We look forward to releasing our second report on government-wide WPS implementation efforts at the end of this month and continuing to engage with civil society on this work. And we encourage all UN member states to adopt and implement action plans on Women, Peace, and Security.
To that end, I congratulate the regional organizations – including those here today like the AU and OSCE – who have adopted WPS strategies. Now, they must be translated into actions. But regional organizations also play an essential and necessary role in encouraging countries to adopt and implement national action plans on WPS. Your regional leadership on promoting women’s full, equal, and meaningful participation in peace and security processes is invaluable – and is a powerful signal for individual countries to do the same.
And one area where regional organizations can truly make a difference is in creating a safe space for women peacebuilders, journalists, and civil society. We must all work together to empower these actors and prevent acts of violence against them, including through the misuse and exploitation of digital technologies for online harassment and abuse – and the spreading of gendered disinformation by state and non-state malign actors.
Colleagues – the United States remains fully committed to advancing Security Council Resolution 1325 as a matter of peace and security for everyone. Our responsibility is immense. But our opportunity to change lives, if we do fully commit to the WPS agenda, is even greater. Thank you, Madam President.
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Notice to the Press
Office of the Spokesperson
June 16, 2022
In honor of Pride Month, Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken will host a reception on Friday, June 17 at 5:45 p.m. EDT in the Benjamin Franklin room at the Department of State. The Secretary’s remarks will be open to the press and live streamed on www.state.gov and www.YouTube.com/statedept
The Pride Month reception will also feature brief remarks by U.S. Special Envoy to Advance the Human Rights of LGBTQI+ Persons Jessica Stern and Michael Konstantino, President of glifaa, the organization representing LGBTQI+ employees and allies in U.S. foreign affairs agencies.
Pre-set time for video cameras: 4:45 p.m. from the C Street lobby.
Final access time for writers and stills: 5:15 p.m. from the C Street lobby.
Media representatives may attend this event upon presentation of one of the following: (1) A U.S. Government-issued identification card (Department of State, White House, Congress, Department of Defense or Foreign Press Center), (2) a media-issued photo identification card, or (3) a letter from their employer on letterhead verifying their employment as a journalist, accompanied by an official photo identification card (driver’s license, passport).
Please submit any media inquiries via the web form located on the ‘Information for Journalists’ page on www.state.gov.
Office of the United States Trade Representative
Press Release
June 17, 2022
GENEVA – United States Trade Representative Katherine Tai today released the following statement after the World Trade Organization (WTO) Members reached an outcome on an intellectual property response to the COVID-19 pandemic during the 12th Ministerial Conference.
“Last May when I announced the Biden Administration’s support for a waiver of intellectual property protections for vaccines as part our comprehensive effort to end the pandemic, many doubted that the WTO could rise to the occasion and reach an outcome. But that’s exactly what we have done.
“The text-based negotiations with other WTO Members that we called for have produced accommodations to the intellectual property rules for COVID-19 vaccines that can facilitate a global health recovery. Through difficult and protracted discussions, Members were able to bridge differences and achieve a concrete and meaningful outcome to get more safe and effective vaccines to those who need it most.
“This agreement shows that we can work together to make the WTO more relevant to the needs of regular people. During a global pandemic, under difficult circumstances, the WTO moved quickly to address a major global challenge and respond to the strong desire of our African partners to produce a meaningful outcome. Consultations with our stakeholders in the private sector and civil society, with Members of Congress and their staffs, and colleagues across the Administration, were critical in informing USTR’s understanding of the nuances in the global market, production challenges, and the public health needs of the world’s people.
“Going forward, the Biden Administration will continue work with WTO Members, the private sector, and other partners to expand vaccine manufacturing and distribution to facilitate the global health recovery needed for a robust global economic recovery.”
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Export-Import Bank of the United States
Press Release
June 15, 2022
WASHINGTON – The 2021-2022 Sub-Saharan Africa Advisory Committee for the Export-Import Bank of the United States (EXIM) met yesterday to discuss opportunities and ideas to expand export credit support for renewable projects across sub-Saharan Africa.
The hybrid meeting was led by committee Chair Jim O’Brien. EXIM President and Chair Reta Jo Lewis, First Vice President and Vice Chair Judith Pryor and Director Spencer Bachus all expressed their gratitude for the work the committee has done throughout the past year and reaffirmed EXIM’s commitment to supporting American-made clean energy technologies that will power the global energy transition.
“The entire Biden-Harris Administration is committed to tackling the climate crisis and leading the global energy transition,” said Chair Lewis. “With our interagency partners, EXIM is standing tall to do our part in this effort by unlocking the capital that will help advance American-made clean energy technology competitiveness.”
Members of EXIM’s Council on Climate then briefed the committee on their forthcoming recommendations for how EXIM can further fulfill the agency’s mandate to increase support for environmentally beneficial, energy efficient, energy storage and renewable energy exports.
Following that presentation, the Committee heard from several exporters who discussed the global landscape for renewable energy, with a specific focus on trends in sub-Saharan Africa. Presenters included Plug Power, Lightsourcebp US, Nextracker, and Pollination Capital. EXIM staff then followed with an update on the agency’s key product offerings and recent projects in Africa.
Finally, U.S. Department of Treasury’s Climate Counselor John Morton briefed the group on U.S. government support for renewable energy in Africa. The meeting closed out with a committee discussion and period for public comment.
Established by Congress, the Sub-Saharan Africa Advisory Committee provides guidance and advice regarding EXIM policies and programs designed to support the expansion of financing support for U.S.-manufactured goods and services in sub-Saharan Africa.
Press Statement
Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State
June 15, 2022
Today, we announced an additional $1 billion in additional military assistance for Ukraine. Pursuant to a delegation of authority from the President, I am authorizing our twelfth drawdown of arms and equipment from U.S. Department of Defense inventories for Ukraine’s defense since August 2021, valued at up to $350 million. This authorization, combined with $650 million in additional assistance also announced today under the U.S. Department of Defense’s Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, will bring total U.S. security assistance to Ukraine to over $5.6 billion since Russia launched its brutal and unprovoked full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24.
When he decided to launch an unjustified invasion against his neighbor, President Putin intended to divide the United States and its Allies and partners. Nevertheless, we are stronger and more united than ever. The Kremlin thought it would undermine or even overthrow the Ukrainian government, but President Zelenskyy and the democratically elected government of Ukraine stand strong. Russia’s forces lost the battle for Kyiv and continue a slow and grinding offensive in Ukraine’s east and south, held back by Ukraine’s resolute and valiant defenders.
U.S. security assistance and that of more than 40 Allies and partners continue to strengthen Ukraine’s position to defend its independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity, secure victories on the battlefield, and ultimately strengthen Ukraine’s position at the negotiating table. We have imposed powerful sanctions on Russia, bolstered NATO’s deterrence and defense on the Eastern Flank, and provided historic levels of military and other assistance to Ukraine as it has bravely defended its territory and its freedom.
Our resolve is unwavering. We stand united with Ukraine.
For press releases and information regarding events in the Ukraine, please go to: https://www.state.gov/united-with-ukraine/
For all State Department press releases and statements, please go to: https://www.state.gov/press-releases/
U.S. Department of Agriculture
Press Release
New York
June 16, 2022
Today during a meeting with U.N. ambassadors and officials at the U.S. Mission to the U.N., United States Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack announced the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and The Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine are entering into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to enhance coordination between the U.S. and Ukrainian agriculture and food sectors and build a strategic partnership to address food security.
“Since February the world has witnessed Russia’s unjustified invasion of Ukraine and the disruption it is causing to agricultural production, trade, and most importantly, food security,” said Secretary Vilsack. “Russia’s actions are posing major threats not only to the people of Ukraine but to countries in Africa and the Middle East that rely on the grains and other staples produced in Ukraine. Russia is using food as a weapon and a tool of war to threaten the livelihoods of those around the world, and that is something the agriculture community cannot and will not stand for.
“Ukraine needs the world’s support and this week I met with Ukrainian Minister of Agrarian Policy and Food Mykola Solskyi to express USDA’s commitment to helping rebuild and strengthen Ukraine’s agriculture sector. This MOU will amplify the strategic partnership between our two nations and leverage our collective strength to enhance productivity, address supply chain issues, and identify food security challenges. This is an important step forward and when implemented will allow us to better fight global food insecurity together.”
The MOU will establish a three-year partnership driven by the need to address the economic disruptions in the United States and worldwide due to the Russian war on Ukraine. It is the latest action being taken by the USDA as the Biden-Harris Administration addresses these problems through an all-of-government approach.
Through the MOU, the United States and Ukraine will agree to the consistent exchange of information and expertise regarding crop production, emerging technologies, climate-smart practices, food security, and supply chain issues to boost productivity and enhance both agricultural sectors. USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service will also mobilize its resources to provide Ukraine technical assistance for animal health, biosecurity, and sanitary and phytosanitary controls, and utilize the Borlaug Fellowship Program and re-establish the Cochran Fellowship Program to enhance U.S.– Ukraine collaboration and research as Ukraine rebuilds its agricultural sector.
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Readout
Office of the Spokesperson
June 15, 2022
The below is attributable to Spokesperson Ned Price:
Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken spoke today with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba to share updates on U.S. assistance to Ukraine as it defends itself against Russia’s brutal and unprovoked war. The Secretary and Foreign Minister Kuleba discussed steps to expedite the delivery of heavy weaponry to Ukraine and bolster the Ukrainian economy, including efforts to ensure that Ukrainian agricultural products reach international markets. The Secretary underscored the United States’ diplomatic efforts to solve the global food security crisis caused by President Putin’s war of choice in Ukraine and previewed U.S. objectives for the upcoming G7 and NATO Summits.
United States Agency for International Development
Press Release
June 15, 2022
Today, President Joe Biden announced that the United States, through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), is providing more than $225 million in additional humanitarian assistance to Ukraine amid Russia’s unprovoked war that has pushed 12 million people from their homes and triggered staggering humanitarian needs.
This additional funding will provide lifesaving humanitarian food assistance to people inside Ukraine. In areas with functioning markets, this support will enable partners to provide cash-based transfers for people to purchase food and other essential items. This support will also provide safe drinking water, sanitation, and hygiene, critical medical supplies and health care, protection services, food assistance, shelter assistance including distribution of relief items, logistics support to help ensure assistance reaches people who need it, and coordination support for the humanitarian community. USAID’s Disaster Assistance Response Team based in the region continues to assess needs and coordinate closely with our partners to meet the needs of the most vulnerable, including people who have been forced to flee home.
Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine began on February 24, the United States has provided nearly $914 million in humanitarian assistance to respond to the needs of people in Ukraine and those who have fled to neighboring countries, including more than $702 million through USAID. This includes food, safe drinking water, shelter, emergency health care, and medical supplies. In addition to humanitarian assistance, USAID continues to leverage the decades we have spent investing in people, partners, and institutions in Ukraine to meet the urgent needs of the Ukrainian people. This includes USAID’s work to help Ukraine respond to cyber attacks and threats to energy infrastructure, counter disinformation, support small businesses and the agriculture sector, document human rights violations, meet essential health needs, and ensure the continued functioning of local and national government entities.
The United States continues to stand with the government and people of Ukraine as the human toll of this war grows.
For the latest updates on U.S. humanitarian assistance in Ukraine, visit: www.usaid.gov/humanitarian-assistance/ukraine.
The U.S. Department of State French Language Spokesperson Marissa Scott is based in Johannesburg, South Africa. Please direct interview requests or questions to AFMediaHub@state.gov.
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