Earlier today in Geneva, the United Nations Human Rights Council held a special session on Burma. The United States was an early supporter of this special session and a co-sponsor of the resulting resolution on the Situation of Human Rights for Rohingya Muslims and other Minorities in Myanmar. At the special session, Ambassador Kelley Eckels Currie, the U.S. Representative to the UN Economic and Social Council, and Deputy Assistant Secretary Scott Busby of the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor reiterated Secretary Tillerson’s call for all actors to play a constructive role in resolving the human rights situation in Burma and holding perpetrators of human rights violations accountable.

The United States urges an immediate end to violence, restoration of the rule of law, countrywide access for the UN Fact-Finding Mission, immediate humanitarian and media access to affected areas, and guaranteed and verifiably safe, voluntary, and dignified return for those who want to return to their homes.

Respect for human rights of all peoples is a fundamental element of democracy and the United States stands ready to support the elected civilian government in its efforts to achieve peace, stability, and prosperity for all of Burma.

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The U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs is pleased to announce the Zoohackathon 2017 global winner, Team ODINN.

This fall, hundreds of participants competed around the world to develop conservation technology solutions at the second-annual Zoohackathon. Teams were comprised of coders, designers, project managers, and conservation specialists. Each team selected a problem statement supplied by U.S. government agencies and their partners to solve.

The Zoohackathon program promotes understanding of the problem of wildlife trafficking and enlists new partners to combat it by developing practical and innovative conservation technology solutions.

Team ODINN is a four-person team that participated in the London Zoohackathon, which was co-hosted by the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) and U.S. Embassy London.

Team ODINN’s prototype aims to reduce wildlife poaching and illegal trade by improving the effectiveness of field-based camera traps. Currently, wildlife camera traps capture countless images of all kinds of wildlife, limiting their utility for rangers. Team ODINN’s technology acts as an image filter that flags humans and endangered wildlife from the multitude of images, thus enabling rangers to rapidly identify poaching sites. The prototype reduces the number of images that the rangers must examine by 98 percent and can be retro-fitted to existing camera traps, eliminating the need for additional equipment.

For further information about Zoohackathon, please visit www.zoohackathon.com. Follow Zoohackathon on social media at @StateDeptOES and #Zoohackathon.

For media inquiries, please contact OES-PA-DG@state.gov.

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SECRETARY-GENERAL STOLTENBERG: So welcome back to NATO. It’s great to see you, and I really appreciate your strong leadership for so many important issues for the alliance and your ironclad commitment to NATO and to the transatlantic bond and for the fact that the U.S. is increasing their presence in Europe. And NATO is a place where North America meets Europe every day and we discuss, we decide, and we take actions. And that’s exactly what we’re going to do today and tomorrow in addressing many – we are going to address many important security issues for the alliance. So welcome. It’s great to have you here.

SECRETARY TILLERSON: Well, thank you, and first let me thank you for your strong leadership of NATO. I think the alliance has been strengthened under your leadership. Certainly, many have stepped up to confirm their commitment to the alliance, not just in words, but with treasure as well, which you know is very important to President Trump to see this alliance fully capable, and we appreciate your strong leadership of the alliance. As indicated, our commitment is, as you said, is ironclad and our commitment to Article 5 of the agreement is unwavering. And all of our friends in the alliance should know that.

It’s a delight to be here.

SECRETARY-GENERAL STOLTENBERG: Thanks, and thank you.

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On behalf of the Government of the United States of America, I wish all the best for the people of Finland as you celebrate the 100th anniversary of your independence.

The United States and Finland share a deep bond rooted in a mutual commitment to democratic institutions, regional security, and human rights. Finland is a strong international partner on pressing global issues, such as international migration, Arctic cooperation, and defeating terrorism. The United States looks forward to strengthening our relationship and cooperation with Finland in the coming years.

The people of the United States have enjoyed celebrating the centennial together with the people of Finland through the Suomi Finland 100 campaign over the last year. We are particularly fond of Finland’s “sauna diplomacy” and welcomed the chance to relax in the traveling sauna that traveled more than 10,000 miles across the United States this past year. Through such cultural exchanges, including programs like Fulbright and the Ambassador’s Entrepreneurship Challenge, the connections between our people continue to grow closer each year.

I congratulate you once again as you celebrate your “sisu,” your grit and perseverance, and all you have achieved in the last 100 years.

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SECRETARY TILLERSON: Good afternoon, all, and it’s a pleasure to be back in Brussels, particularly to be back at NATO and to be here with Ambassador Hutchison, our NATO ambassador. And we look forward to a very comprehensive discussion today on how to further strengthen this alliance, confirm once again the United States commitment to the alliance, commitment to Article 5 of the alliance, and to also understand better the joint plans between the EU and NATO, which we view can only strengthen the security posture here in Europe. We have a lot of important issues to talk about, look forward to getting to those. Thank you.

The Office of Website Management, Bureau of Public Affairs, manages this site as a portal for information from the U.S. State Department.
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