Jun132017

Press Releases: State Department Terrorist Designations of Marwan Ibrahim Hussayn Tah al-Azawi and Majelis Mujahidin Indonesia

United States • Democrats • OECD – United States • Republicans • White House

Media Note

Office of the Spokesperson

Washington, DC

June 12, 2017

The Department of State has designated Marwan Ibrahim Hussayn Tah al-Azawi and Majelis Mujahidin Indonesia (MMI) as Specially Designated Global Terrorists (SDGTs) under Section 1(b) of Executive Order (E.O.) 13224, which imposes sanctions on foreign persons determined to have committed, or pose a significant risk of committing, acts of terrorism that threaten the security of U.S. nationals or the national security, foreign policy, or economy of the United States. As a consequence of these designations, U.S. persons are generally prohibited from engaging in transactions or dealings with Azawi and MMI, and all of their property and interests in property subject to United States jurisdiction are frozen. In addition to the State Department designations, the Department of the Treasury also designated Attallah Salman ‘Abd Kafi al-Jaburi, an Iraq-based, Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) senior leader in charge of factories producing improvised explosive devices, vehicle-borne improvised explosive devices, and explosives, and involved in the development of chemical weapons, as an SDGT under E.O. 13224.

Marwan Ibrahim Hussayn Tah al-Azawi is an Iraqi ISIS leader connected to ISIS’s development of chemical weapons for use in ongoing combat against Iraqi Security Forces. ISIS has repeatedly used sulfur mustard in chemical weapons attacks in Syria as well as in Iraq.

Majelis Mujahidin Indonesia (MMI) is an Indonesia-based terrorist group formed in 2000 by Abu Bakar Bashir, leader of the designated Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) and SDGT group, Jemaah Islamiya (JI). The group has conducted attacks in Indonesia, including claiming responsibility for a May 2012 attack at the book launch of Canadian author Irshad Manji; the attack left three attendees hospitalized. MMI also has links to al-Qa’ida’s affiliate in Syria, the FTO and SDGT group al-Nusrah Front.

Today’s action notifies the U.S. public and the international community that Azawi and MMI have committed or pose a significant risk of committing acts of terrorism. Designations expose and isolate organizations and individuals, and result in denial of access to the U.S. financial system. Moreover, designations can assist or complement the law enforcement actions of other U.S. agencies and other governments.

A list of State Department-designated FTOs and SDGTs is available here: http://www.state.gov/j/ct/list/index.htm.



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Jun132017

Press Releases: On the Occasion of Portuguese National Day (Portugal Day)

United States • Democrats • OECD – United States • Republicans • White House

Press Statement

Rex W. Tillerson

Secretary of State

Washington, DC

June 12, 2017

I am pleased to extend warm greetings on behalf of the United States on the occasion of Portugal Day.

The United States and Portugal share a close bond, dating back to the founding of the United States. Our alliance is built upon and strengthened by innumerable ties of friendship and family. The transatlantic relationship between the United States and Portugal remains vital today. Our two countries cooperate closely through NATO and the United Nations in support of global peace and security.

On this important occasion, we reiterate our commitment to further deepen the friendship between the United States and Portugal and look forward to continued cooperation with our Portuguese partners.



The Office of Website Management, Bureau of Public Affairs, manages this site as a portal for information from the U.S. State Department.
External links to other Internet sites should not be construed as an endorsement of the views or privacy policies contained therein.

Jun132017

Statement by the Spokesperson on the response to anti-corruption

EU

 The detention of hundreds of peaceful demonstrators and violence used against them by the Russian authorities in Moscow, Saint Petersburg and other cities across the country today threatens the fundamental freedoms of expression, association and assembly in the Russian Federation. These fundamental rights are enshrined in the Russian constitution and we expect them to be protected, not eroded.

We expect the Russian authorities to abide fully by the international commitments Russia has made, including in the Council of Europe and the OSCE, to uphold these rights, and release without delay peaceful demonstrators or those people who intended to exercise their fundamental rights.

Jun132017

On World Day Against Child Labour, UN urges protection for children in conflicts and disasters

United Nations

12 June 2017 – Children in areas affected by conflict and disasters are among the most vulnerable, the United Nations International Labour Organization (ILO) in warning on the World Day Against Child Labour, making a strong call for an end to the scourge, especially as children trapped in crisis risk falling prey to trafficking or being forced into hazardous work.

&#8220All children have the right to be protected from child labour,&#8221 said ILO Director-General Guy Ryder in a statement on the World Day.

&#8220Yet, around the world, there are still 168 million children in child labour. Eighty-five million of them are engaged in hazardous work.&#8221

A significant portion these children find themselves undertaking dangerous work, living in areas affected by conflict and disaster and they are the focus of the 2017 commemoration of the World Day, marked annually on 12 June.

As the world strives to achieve the elimination of child labour by 2025, the UN underlined that conflicts and disasters have a devastating impact on people’s lives. They kill, maim, injure and force people to flee their homes; destroy livelihoods, push people into poverty and starvation, and trap many in situations without basic safeguard for their rights.

The first to suffer from human rights violations and abuses are often boys and girls. Their schools are destroyed and basic services are disrupted. Many children are internally displaced or become refugees in other countries, and are particularly vulnerable to trafficking and child labour.

&#8220Today, we are facing the greatest refugee crisis for decades,&#8221 said Mr. Ryder, referring to one of the main drivers of child labour. Globally over 1.5 billion people live in countries that are affected by conflict, violence and fragility. At the same time, around 200 million people are affected by disasters every year.

While a huge part of the world’s responsibility to provide sanctuary and support to children and their families is shouldered by neighbouring host countries, ILO’s Director-General says much more needs to be done to share fairly the responsibility to protect refugees.

In his statement, he particularly urges support to those States on the front line in the affected regions, so that they can provide access to the labour market for adult refugees and access to education for their children.

Amid growing concern for the safety of migrants and children in particular the ILO also noted that the Minimum Age Convention, 1973 (No. 138) and the Convention Worst Forms of Child Labour, 1999 (No. 182) have now been ratified by 169 and 180 States respectively.

&#8220Tomorrow I will have the honour of receiving India’s ratification of both Conventions,&#8221 noted Mr Ryder, explaining that with this &#8220great step forward towards universal ratification,&#8221 almost all the world’s children will be covered by Convention 182; and that coverage of Convention 138 will leap from 60 per cent to 80 per cent.

&#8220Together with the near universal ratification of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, that sends a resounding message about our common cause &#8211 and our common standards that protect children’s human rights,&#8221 he stated.

Jun132017

341 schools set to get superfast broadband thanks to £5m of funding

Welsh Government

Currently all schools in Wales have minimum broadband connections of 10Mbps for primary schools and 100Mbps for secondary schools, but some are not able to upgrade the speed of their services to meet ever increasing demand as a result of technical limitations.

In November 2016, £5 million of investment was made available that will cover the installation of new broadband services. This will provide an immediate increase in speed and in line with provision at other schools ensure that connectivity will continue to grow well into the future.

Orders for the new services have started to be placed with the first delivery expected early in the academic year 2017/18.

Prioritising schools’ access to superfast broadband was a key part of the progressive agreement between the First Minister and Kirsty Williams.

Changes to the curriculum mean digital skills will now be developed and taught through all parts of a pupil’s schooling and not just isolated to specific ICT or computer science classes. The Digital Competence Framework means more than just using computers and aims to equip pupils with the digital skills they need and can apply in the real world in the years to come.

Kirsty Williams said:

“I am committed to making sure all our schools have the infrastructure needed to prepare pupils for the modern world. That is why I announced £5 million of extra investment to make sure all our schools have superfast broadband speeds as a minimum and I am delighted 341 schools will benefit from this.

“Making sure every school, no matter where they are based, has access to superfast broadband remains a priority for me. We know demand for broadband speed in schools will continue to increase.  It is simply unacceptable for a school to be at a significant disadvantage due to poor internet speeds. I will continue to make sure our pupils have the right environment to develop their vital digital skills and continue to raise standards.”

The Education Secretary has also revealed that the use of the Hwb digital learning platform, which is designed to provide all pupils and teachers in Wales with greater access to a centrally-funded range of online tools and resources, is increasing. 

In March Hwb received over 3.2 million page views and averaged over 28 thousand logins each day which has significantly exceeded original expectations. Recent developments to Hwb have delivered an enhanced experience for teachers and learners, giving quicker access to the tools and resources that are most commonly used. The changes were developed following feedback from teachers.