SECRETARY BLINKEN:  Good morning, good afternoon, good evening, everyone.  Thank you all so much for joining.  It’s very good to be with friends and partners from around the world as we prepare to open the second Summit for Democracy. In his first year in office, President Biden launched the summit to look at the future […]

Since 2021, the Summit for Democracy process has focused attention on how governments and non-governmental actors can work together to strengthening democratic institutions and processes, protect human rights, and advance the fight against corruption. At the first Summit for Democracy in December 2021, representatives from governments around the world, civil society, and the private sector […]

SECRETARY BLINKEN:  Well, good afternoon, everyone, and welcome to the State Department and welcome to the second Summit for Democracy. Jen, to you for your remarkable leadership at the White House Gender Policy Council; to Kat, for yours here at the State Department on Global Women’s Issues:  We could not have a better team, a […]

The following is attributable to Principal Deputy Spokesperson Vedant Patel: Deputy Secretary of State Wendy R. Sherman spoke today with Algerian Foreign Minister Ahmed Attaf to congratulate him on his appointment and emphasize the importance of the U.S.-Algeria relationship in addressing a wide range of shared challenges.  Deputy Secretary Sherman and Foreign Minister Attaf discussed […]

The following is attributable to Principal Deputy Spokesperson Vedant Patel: Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke via phone today with Italian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Antonio Tajani.  They discussed Tunisia’s political and economic challenges and the need to help the Tunisian government implement durable solutions.  The United States continues to underscore […]

The following is attributable to Principal Deputy Spokesperson Vedant Patel: Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken spoke today with Kuwaiti Foreign Minister Sheikh Salem Al Sabah to discuss shared regional and global priorities.  Secretary Blinken reaffirmed the strategic nature of the U.S.-Kuwait partnership and highlighted the importance of deepening bilateral cooperation on regional issues.  Secretary […]

Following the first Summit for Democracy in December 2021, the United States engaged in a series of efforts to expand support for human rights defenders (HRDs) worldwide.  For example, the Department of State issued and implemented guidelines that enabled U.S. diplomatic missions to support civil society and HRDs, engaged partners across the diplomatic community to […]