Conversations With America: U.S. Engagement with the African Union

U.S. Deputy Asst. Sec. Reuben Brigety Delivers Keynote Address to the Africa Travel Association

Washington, DC
March 16, 2012

Introduction
Good morning. It is a pleasure to be here with you all today. I would like to extend my thanks to Executive Director Edward Bergman and to the Africa Travel Association for hosting this event and for inviting me to take part in its 5th Annual U.S. – Africa Seminar. The United States and Africa have long been partners to ensure sustained economic development which reaches all sectors of society. Our goals for Africa fit squarely within Secretary Clinton’s economic statecraft agenda, which has helped refocus the way the U.S. government engages in its diplomatic operations, placing a heavy focus on economic growth and cooperation as a key pillar of our foreign policy. Secretary Clinton stated: “Our problems have never respected dividing lines between global economics and international diplomacy. And neither can our solutions.”

Last Economic Frontier
The principles embodied in the Secretary’s vision of economic statecraft are highly relevant to Africa — last global economic frontier. Sub-Saharan Africa has achieved impressive economic results over the past decade, including sustained economic growth rates of 5 to 6 percent per annum, growing private sector engagement, improved investment climates, and increased bilateral trade. It is my hope that these positive trends will continue in the years ahead, helping to simultaneously lift people out of poverty, while also creating jobs for American workers in businesses that are positioned to serve the growing African middle class — a middle class that increasingly has disposable income.
There is no question that robust economic development is the key to Africa’s future. Strong, growing economies help stabilize democracies, promote peace, and improve social and health conditions. Many countries in Africa are transitioning into a new phase of economic opportunity that, if managed well, could solidly launch individual economies on a path towards prosperity and peace – and open up new areas for U.S. business.

The U.S. government supports a number of different policies and programs to help Africans and Americans alike capitalize on these emerging opportunities. Whether through the low tariffs for thousands of goods in our centerpiece trade and investment vehicle, the Africa Growth and Opportunity Act, the export financing we provide through the Ex-Im bank, or project financing through the Overseas Private Investment Corporation, the U.S. government continues to dedicate significant resources to supporting two-way trade with Africa. We also routinely engage representatives of African governments both here in Washington and through our Embassies to underscore the importance of good governance, sound economic policy, and a strong regulatory environment as necessary policy choices to spur trade and investment, which in turn help drive economic growth.
One of our programs has specifically helped the tourism industry: our Safe Skies for Africa Program focuses on making air transport safer and has assisted African airport to meet the standards necessary for U.S. carriers to enter Africa. Through this program, Africa can realize better integrated and safer air transport, which will help to foster the further growth of aviation services between Africa and the United States.

We also continue to work in the area of facilitating airline access to international capital markets by encouraging African states to lift barriers to cross-border investments. We will continue working with African states to promote investment and sustainable growth in physical and transportation infrastructure.
Tourism

A large number of countries worldwide depend on tourism for significant revenue, and Africa is no exception. While reading the 2011 State of Tourism in Africa Report, I was struck by the fact that international tourism receipts in Africa totaled USD $44 billion in 2010. This signifies that the sector can become a powerful platform for Africa’s economic growth, and especially, U.S.-Africa tourism.

While it is still an emerging market within the continent, the regional tourism industry has been growing, and at an impressive rate, with tourism arrivals to Africa more than doubling over the last ten years; reaching 63 million persons in 2010 and employing 7.7 million Africans. Sustained economic growth means that African countries need not rely on foreign tourists alone.
Yet, in order for this growth to continue, much still needs to be done. Tourism is a highly competitive business. In the age of digital communication and advertisement, maintaining competitiveness requires the effective use of technology, information, and innovation. As a result, it is often how a state’s resources are managed, and how efficiently they are coupled with man-made innovations, which determines the success of tourist industries.

To this end, Africa’s growth potential both in the tourism industry and in general rests upon its ability to create a solid foundation upon which to develop: a foundation comprised of high-quality infrastructure coupled with strong institutions.
Infrastructure

Adequate infrastructure is crucial to a country’s growth and success as a tourism destination. Many African states still need to develop the infrastructure necessary for advancing tourism, including access to energy, transportation, and telecommunications.

The United States continues to work with African states in order to develop this needed infrastructure. In February, the State Department’s Bureau of African Affairs organized a successful energy trade mission to Mozambique, Tanzania, Nigeria, and Ghana with the goal of encouraging governmental reform and highlighting investment opportunities for American businesses. Later that month, Secretary Clinton hosted the first State Department Global Business Conference, which brought together representatives of overseas American business organizations and highlighted investment opportunities for U.S. businesses across the globe, including a regional breakout session. And I am sure you are all familiar with the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) and the good work it is doing to help develop needed infrastructure in important markets.

Infrastructure will also be the centerpiece of our annual the African Growth and Opportunity Act forum. We hope that Africans will be able to take advantage of trade opportunities when we take the policy discussion a step further when we head out to a follow-on event, the U.S.-Africa Business Conference in Cincinnati. This two-day event in Ohio will focus on trade facilitation, with a special emphasis on infrastructure, and will enable African government officials and entrepreneurs to meet with U.S. businesses, thereby expanding trade networks and helping to identify new trade opportunities.

Infrastructure development is also important for African tourism. The tourism sector cannot develop as readily without the enhancement of health services and personal safety in tourist areas. Likewise, the formulation of transportation policies which establish a more integrated transportation network and clear regulatory system can help reduce the costs of traveling, and fuel competition and growth through the encouragement of greater investment.

A country’s success as a tourist destination also rests with how easily it can be accessed. Thus, sufficient aviation infrastructure is vital when it comes to the ability to attract both greater levels of tourism, and private sector investment for funding other necessary infrastructure requirements.
Best Practices

While there are numerous best practice models within the tourism industry that can be applied to help improve the industry across the continent, what works for one state may not always work for all. The preferences of consumers are formed by the cultural, geographic, or regulatory characteristics of the communities they are visiting. Understanding this relationship allows for the adoption of more fluid sector growth models, allowing communities and states to develop better overall business models, and to more efficiently direct investment.

The Serena hotel chain has stood as an example of the positive spillover effects associated with direct community involvement. Serena community based business models in East Africa have focused on consuming locally produced goods when possible, thus adding local suppliers and employees to the value chain and on utilizing information from, and the support of, local leaders and ethnic groups in the packaging of tours and the building up of local infrastructure to the mutual benefit of all.

Elsewhere in southern Africa, Namibia, with the support of a US $304.5 million Millennium Challenge Corporation Compact, is working to improve tourism. Some $66 million of the compact will be devoted to improving tourism potential and park conservation efforts; efforts which include improving the management and infrastructure of tourist destinations such as Etosha National Park. Through reforms focused on better budget control and transparency, technical assistance, training for management personnel, and investments in local road systems, we expect to realize more private investment in the park and an overall increase in tourism throughout the country.

Conclusion
As Africa continues to grow, so too will its tourism potential. It is up to all parties involved, be they governments, consumers, investors, or local leaders, to work together to realize the goal of a more integrated, open, and developed Africa. I would like to thank the African Travel Association again for inviting me. I wish it continued success and look forward to future opportunities for U.S. – African cooperation and growth. Thank you.

U.S. Department of State Announces Expansion of TechWomen to Africa

File Photo

Washington, DC
March 13, 2012

The U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs announced today that TechWomen – an international exchange that uses technology as a means to empower women and girls worldwide – will expand to sub-Saharan Africa beginning in 2013. TechWomen will bring women working in the technology sector from Cameroon, Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, South Africa, and Zimbabwe to the United States for a four to six week mentoring program with their American counterparts in the United States. The U.S. Department of State is currently accepting proposals to administer TechWomen in 2013. Please visit www.grants.gov for more information.
Following the U.S. portion of the exchange, U.S. mentors will travel to Africa to conduct workshops and follow-on training for women in the technology sector and young girls who have expressed an interest in pursuing a tech-based career.

Launched by Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton in 2011, TechWomen builds on her vision of “smart power” diplomacy. It embraces the full range of diplomatic tools, in this case technology, to bring people together for greater understanding and empower women and girls worldwide. TechWomen initially started in the Middle East and North Africa region last year. In September 2012, the U.S. Department of State will bring 42 women from Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, the Palestinian Territories, Tunisia, and Yemen to the United States for this peer mentorship. TechWomen is currently accepting applications for American mentors.

During the 2011 inaugural program, more than 20 leading U.S. companies participated in the public-private partnership by hosting international TechWomen.

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Historic Book Launched at the Ghana Embassy, Washington, DC

The United States & Ghana: Celebrating Over 50 Years of Friendship & Progress In Pictures

Washington, DC
March 6, 2012

Ghana’s foreign Minister, Honorable Muhammad Mumuni, has launched a commemorative book celebrating 55 years of U.S.-Ghana bilateral relations, during an Independence Day reception held at the Ghanaian Embassy in Washington, DC. The title of the book is “The United States & Ghana: Celebrating over 50 Years of Friendship & Progress in Pictures.” He described the book as “a monument to U.S. – Ghana relations.”

The United States & Ghana is the most comprehensive pictorial compilation of historic events and moments between the United States & Ghana since 1957. The 250 page historic volume uses over 500 carefully selected historical photographs and supporting text to recount U.S.-Ghana relations on a chronological time line as has never been done before. The second half of the book which is dedicated to U.S-Africa relations also uses historical pictures and text to recount U.S.-Africa relations since 1957. Some of the pictures are serious and others are funny but they all add up to make a compelling pictorial documentary. Among other things it is a reference book for the average Ghanaian and American, a history book for youth and students, a manual for diplomats and Foreign Service officials, a guide for investors and development workers, and a coffee table book for every internationally-minded home.

In his foreword the Foreign Minister wrote:

“This picture book could not have come at a better time to re-emphasize the importance of the bonds that exist between nations and I hope that it will inform, educate, and inspire similar scenarios around the world. Between a historical road map, a reference book, and a handbook for diplomats and anyone with interest in U.S. – Ghana and/or U.S. – Africa relations, this book captures and shares 55 years of international relations in a very refreshing and unconventional way and I am extremely proud of Ghana’s contributions.”

The book is a culmination of a 4-year research on U.S.-Ghana/Africa relations. It was authored by Frederick Nnoma-Addison, a Ghanaian-born U.S.-based journalist and published by AMIP News in Washington, DC. As many as 45 institutions in the U.S. and Africa including all U.S. Presidential libraries contributed to the publication. The book currently being marketed in the United States will be launched in Ghana later this year. To obtain copies of this historic volume visit www.amipnewsonline.org or call 202 460 3912 in the United States.

On Friday March 8, Mr. Frederick Nnoma-Addison, pictured below, presented a copy of the book to President Atta Mills during a town hall meeting at the Ghana Embassy. After he received his copy, the President autographed the rear of a poster board displaying the book cover while his Ambassador to the U.S. H.E. Ohene Agyekum (L) and Foreign Minister Muhammad Muminu (R) looked on.

Presidents Obama & Atta Mills (Ghana) Hold Bilateral Meeting In Washington

(Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

Washington, DC
March 8, 2012
Today, President Obama welcomed the President of Ghana, John Atta Mills, to the White House where they discussed the growing commercial and economic ties between the two nations. Ghana was one of the first nations to host the President and First Lady Michelle Obama in 2009. After their meeting, they spoke briefly with reporters, where President Obama outlined a number of initiatives where our countries are working together:

Transcript
3:55 P.M. EST
THE PRESIDENT: Well, it is a great pleasure to welcome President Mills and his delegation from Ghana. This gives me the opportunity to return the extraordinary hospitality that they showed not only me, but also Michelle and Sasha and Malia when we had the opportunity to visit last year. There are sometimes — there’s sometimes a tendency to focus on the challenges that exist in Africa — and rightfully so. But I think it’s important for us to also focus on the good news that’s coming out of Africa, and I think Ghana continues to be a good-news story. This is a country that has established a strong tradition of democracy, and President Mills and I were comparing notes — we’re both up for reelection — but what we agreed to is the fact that regardless of who wins and who loses, our countries’ commitment to making sure that the people have a voice and determine who it is that represents them in their government is what gives both our countries such strength.
And Ghana has proven, I think, to be a model for Africa in terms of its democratic practices. And I very much appreciate the efforts that President Mills has taken not only to ensure fair and free elections, but also to root out corruption, increase transparency, make sure that government is working for the people of Ghana and not just for the few. So we’re very appreciative of those efforts. In addition, Ghana has become a wonderful success story economically on the continent. In part because of the initiatives of President Mills, you’ve seen high growth rates over the last several years. Food productivity and food security is up. There’s been strong foreign investment. That trade and investment benefits folks back home here in the United States as well.

In fact, the President’s government recently is collaborating with a number of American businesses to build infrastructure inside of Ghana, which will create thousands of jobs here in the United States. And the trade that we engage in creates jobs for tens of thousands of people back in Ghana. So that’s a good-news story. And what we’ve also been able to do is collaborate with the Ghanaian government through the Millennium Challenge Corporation — they are a grant recipient — and it has helped to improve a wide range of infrastructure and institutions inside of Ghana. Our Feed the Future program — we’ve been able to help increase productivity there, and the Partnership for Growth — that is also another mechanism where we’re collaborating, for example, on power generation and credit to small businesses and medium-size businesses inside of Ghana.

Ghana has also been a leader, a responsible actor on the international stage, working in the region to help stabilize and reduce conflict there. They’ve been strong partners with us in the United Nations on a whole range of international issues. And as important, President Mills has consistently spoken out on behalf of human rights and making sure that everyone is treated fairly and not discriminated against inside of his country. So I am very proud of the friendship and the partnership between Ghana and the United States. I am confident that it will continue well into the future, beyond the tenures of these two Presidents. And I’m looking forward to having an opportunity to visit Ghana once again sometime in the future.

But in the meantime, Mr. President, welcome to the United States, welcome to your delegation, and we wish you all the best.

PRESIDENT MILLS: Thank you, Mr. President, for this very warm reception. My delegation and I are really honored to be here with the press to say a big thank-you to you, Mr. President, for the honor done us by singling us out for your first visit to Africa — it’s really inspired us.

And I’m also here to also thank you for the help that we have been enjoying and for the high level of cooperation and collaboration that exists between our two countries. We share the same values of democracy. We have come to accept that democracy is the only way. And democracy goes with development. And if you come to Africa, our people are yearning for only one thing — improvement in their daily lives. And there can be no development without peace, which means that we should do the things which will ensure that there is peace and that there’s no room for conflict.

The United States has been a model, and I’m happy that we are cooperating with one another on all kinds of fronts and they are yielding results. And I was telling Mr. President that when one of the roads was commissioned, and it was built with money provided by the MCC under our first compact, you should have seen the joy on the faces of the Ghanaians because there had been a radical transformation in their lives. I mean that is what governance is all about — to see people happy because they now have what they did not have.

So I assured the President that we have elections this year, but we are going to ensure that there is peace before, during, after the election, because when there is no peace, it’s not the elitists who will suffer, it’s the ordinary people who have elected us into office.

So we have a big challenge, and we know that some of our friends in Africa are looking up to us, and we dare not fail them. I have no doubt at all that we have embarked on a useful journey, and we’ll get to the very end. I told you that both of us are facing elections, but our ships will be able to sail safely to their final destination, I want to assure you.

So thanks a lot for the wonderful reception. We will go back with happy memories. And of course, this will also reassure our people that the kind of cooperation we started — from our first President — is growing from strength to strength.

PRESIDENT OBAMA: Thank you, Mr. President.

PRESIDENT MILLS: Thank you, Mr. President.

PRESIDENT OBAMA: Thank you, everybody.

END 4:03 P.M. EST

Fact Sheet on the U.S.-Ghana Development and Economic Relationship
Ghana’s democratic and economic development successes exemplify the integral relationship between democracy, good governance, and development. Ghana also exemplifies many of the positive economic trends in Sub-Saharan Africa. Africa is home to some of the fastest-growing economies in the world, including Ghana, offering enormous potential for enhanced trade and investment by U.S. companies.

A Growing Trading Partner

• Ghana’s Gross Domestic Product grew by at least 13.5 percent in 2011 and will sustain a growth rate of at least 8 percent in 2012, according to the International Monetary Fund.

• Two-way total trade between the United States and Ghana was valued at $1.9 billion in 2011, a 56 percent increase over 2010. U.S. exports to Ghana were valued at $1.2 billion, up from $963 million in 2010, and over the past five years exports of U.S. goods and services have increased over 186%.

• U.S. companies are among Ghana’s largest and highest profile partners, and U.S. companies are increasingly helping to build Ghana’s infrastructure, while adhering to strong environmental and social standards, and ensuring better development outcomes.

• Over the last twelve months, including new contracts signed this week, the U.S. has provided crucial assistance that has made $1.47 billion in U.S. exports possible. A few recent examples include: Miami-based Belstar is implementing a $250 million project providing medical equipment, services and infrastructure to benefit up to 100 hospitals throughout Ghana. The project will make a significant impact on Ghana’s ability to meet its growing need for modern health care infrastructure. The project is expected to generate $147 million in U.S. exports through initial procurements, with an expected total procurement amount of $253 million.

• In the past year and a half, companies such as General Electric and IBM have set up offices in Ghana, and others are expected to soon follow. U.S. companies are involved in a wide range of sectors from oil to cocoa processing, and Ghana now has three direct flights from the U.S., on American carriers.

Partners for Growth

• The United States continues to support Ghana’s economic development and reform efforts through bilateral and regional assistance programs.

• Ghana recently completed its five-year, $547 million compact with the Millennium Challenge Corporation to improve agricultural production, transportation and rural development.

• U.S. development initiatives seek to partner with Ghana to hasten the day when foreign assistance is no longer needed. This includes shared work to build on accomplishments to date and address the remaining constraints to economic growth through the Partnership for Growth.

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Libyan & Sudanese Amongst State Department’s 2012 International Women Of Courage Award Recepients

Hana Elhebshi & Hawa Abdallah Mohammed Salih

Washington, DC
March 5, 2012

One Libyan woman – Hana Elhebshi – and one Sudanese woman – Hawa Abdallah Mohammed Salih – are amongst ten of the world’s leading women activists honored today for their efforts to improve the lives of women despite obstacles and threats to their safety. U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and U.S. first lady Michelle Obama presented the 2012 International Women of Courage Awards during a ceremony today held at the State Department. Secretary Clinton said all the honorees have been working tirelessly to improve the lives of women and girls, despite sometimes having to endure imprisonment and abuse. Mrs. Obama praised the women for refusing to accept the world as it is, and instead fighting to remake the world “as they know it should be.”
The prestigious Secretary of State’s Award for International Women of Courage annually recognizes women around the globe who have shown exceptional courage and leadership in advocating for women’s rights and empowerment, often at great personal risk. Since the inception of this award in 2007, the Department of State has honored 46 women from 34 different countries.
Following the awards ceremony, the International Women of Courage will travel to 10 different U.S. cities to engage with their American counterparts through the International Visitor Leadership Program, including Bozeman, MT; Cincinnati, OH; East Lansing, MI; Indianapolis, IN; Jackson, WY; Kansas City, MO; Minneapolis, MN; Pensacola, FL; St. Louis, MO; Salt Lake City, UT; and Seattle, WA. Their visit to the U.S. began on March 5th with a stop in Pittsburgh.

Hawa Abdallah Mohammed Salih
Hailing from North Darfur, Hawa and her family were forced to flee their home village in 2003 due to fighting between Darfuri rebels and government forces. As a result, she spent much of her young adult life in Abu Shouk internally displaced persons (IDP) camp in El Fasher, North Darfur, where she emerged as a prominent voice for the IDPs. For her advocacy, Hawa has been persecuted and detained on multiple occasions by the Government of Sudan, and was forced to flee Sudan in 2011. In spite of the personal harassment and political challenges that she has faced, Hawa hopes to return to her homeland to continue defending the rights of Darfuris, and in particular the rights of women and children.

Hana Elhebshi
Ms. Hana El Hebshi is a 26-year old Libyan architect who, during the long months of the Libyan revolution, became a symbol of solidarity and a model of courage to many across the country. Working under the pseudonym “Numidia,” a reference to the ancient Berber kingdom and to her own Berber heritage, Hana contributed greatly to proper documentation of the violence and tumult of the revolution and reached out to international media to share the realities of living under the previous regime, despite grave risk. She also became a symbol of hope to the Libyan people that the world was aware of the suffering they were enduring and that hope was on the way.

U.S. Announces Basketball Sports Exchange with South Africa

Washington, DC
March 6, 2012

The U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs announced today a basketball Sports Visitor exchange that will bring 12 South African coaches to the United States March 8-19. During the exchange, the coaches will meet with U.S. sports professionals, work with young American athletes at local schools, participate in a National Basketball Association (NBA) clinic, and conduct teambuilding and injury prevention activities in the Washington, D.C. area. The group will conclude their program in Nashville, Tennessee where they will watch regional basketball games and participate in Special Olympics sessions.

This marks the fourth Sports Visitor exchange with South Africa for SportsUnited over the last six years. In 2006, South African soccer players attended the Youth World Cup; in 2008, a delegation of South African baseball coaches came to the U.S. for training and clinics; and, in May 2011, South African female soccer players attended the Women’s World Cup.
Sports diplomacy builds on Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton’s vision of “smart power,” embracing the use of a full range of diplomatic tools—in this case, basketball—to bring individuals together in order to foster a greater understanding of societal norms and cultures.

SportsUnited is the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs’ sports exchange program at the U.S. Department of State. Athletes and coaches from a range of sports are chosen to conduct clinics, visit schools, and engage with youth overseas in a dialogue on the importance of an education, positive health practices, and respect for diversity. Since 2003, SportsUnited has brought almost 900 athletes from 58 countries to the U.S. to participate in Sport Visitor programs. SportsUnited has sent more than 200 U.S. athletes to more than 50 countries to participate in Sport Envoy programs since 2005.

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