Fact Sheet: East Asia Summit Outcomes

President Obama attended the East Asia Summit (EAS) on November 20 in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, as part of the Administration’s continued focus on rebalancing its engagement in Asia to reflect the economic and strategic importance of this dynamic region.  As an Asia-Pacific power the United States’ economic and security future is inextricably linked to the region, and President Obama used the summit to explore with other Asia-Pacific leaders ways to enhance cooperation on the region’s most pressing challenges, including energy, maritime security, non-proliferation, and humanitarian assistance and disaster response.  The President made clear that full and active U.S. engagement in the region’s multilateral architecture helps to reinforce the system of rules, norms, and responsibilities, including respect for universal human rights and fundamental freedoms, that are essential to regional peace, stability, and prosperity.

The EAS is the region’s premier forum for Asia-Pacific leaders to discuss pressing political and strategic issues.  The EAS was launched in 2005 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, bringing together leaders of the 10 member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and six other Asia-Pacific region countries.  With the participation of the United States and Russia for the first time in 2011, the EAS now includes all the major regional powers, including U.S. treaty allies Japan, the Republic of Korea, Australia, Thailand, and the Philippines, as well as India and China.

Energy Cooperation:  Economic and population growth are fueling energy demand, making energy security an increasingly important issue in the Asia-Pacific region.  To address this shared concern, President Obama announced the U.S.-Asia Pacific Comprehensive Partnership for a Sustainable Energy Future.  This White House initiative will bring together in a comprehensive framework U.S. energy-related cooperation in multilateral and bilateral channels, focusing on providing technical assistance and financing for renewables, energy interconnectivity and markets, natural gas, and sustainable development.  By leveraging U.S. private-sector engagement, technical expertise, and financing, in partnership with Brunei, Indonesia, and other regional leaders, this initiative will tangibly enhance energy security in the Asia-Pacific, setting the path for sustainable development for the 21st century. 

See U.S.-Asia Pacific Comprehensive Partnership for a Sustainable Energy Future Fact Sheet

Maritime Security:  EAS members are linked by the region’s maritime spaces, which have enabled the region’s dynamic economic growth and facilitated greater connectivity.  Maritime security is a priority issue for EAS countries that recognize that challenges including territorial and maritime disputes, piracy, trafficking in illicit materials, and natural disasters can threaten regional peace, stability, and prosperity.  President Obama reaffirmed U.S. national interests in the maintenance of peace and stability, respect for international law, unimpeded lawful commerce, and freedom of navigation.  President Obama encouraged the parties to make progress on a binding Code of Conduct in the South China Sea to provide a framework to prevent conflict, manage incidents when they occur, and help resolve disputes.

The United States has consistently worked with its partners in the Asia-Pacific region to build capacity and promote cooperation on maritime security issues.

• At the EAS, President Obama announced the U.S. intention to accede to the Regional Cooperation Agreement on Combating Piracy and Armed Robbery Against Ships in Asia (RECAAP), the first government-to-government agreement to promote and enhance cooperation against piracy and armed robbery in Asia.

• President Obama affirmed that the Expanded ASEAN Seafarers Training (EAST) program, which he announced at the U.S.-ASEAN Leaders Meeting, will be open to participation by all EAS members.

• The United States welcomed the creation of the Expanded ASEAN Maritime Forum to provide a platform for coordination among EAS countries on a range of maritime issues including marine environment, resource management, piracy, and capacity building.

Non-Proliferation:  Noting the acute proliferation challenges facing the Asia-Pacific region, President Obama has called on regional leaders to work together and take steps to ensure that the world’s most dangerous weapons do not fall into the most dangerous hands.  The United States welcomes positive steps made by EAS member states and regional forums toward improving regional cooperation on nonproliferation.  These include:

• Thailand’s endorsement of the Proliferation Security Initiative, a global effort that aims to stop trafficking of weapons of mass destruction, their delivery systems, and related materials to and from states and non-state actors of proliferation concern.

• Vietnam’s ratification of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Additional Protocol, which contains measures that increase the IAEA’s ability to verify the non-diversion of declared nuclear material and to provide assurances as to the absence of undeclared nuclear material and activities in a State.

• Japan, Australia, New Zealand, the Republic of Korea and Indonesia contributing to the Peaceful Uses Initiative, a five-year campaign announced by Secretary Clinton in 2010 to increase support for the IAEA’s peaceful uses programs.

• The ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) adoption of its first-ever work plan on Nonproliferation and Disarmament, calling for specific workshops and capacity-building projects on nonproliferation, the peaceful use of nuclear energy, and disarmament. 

President Obama welcomed these developments while acknowledging that much work still remains to be done to counter the spread of weapons of mass destruction and their means of delivery in the region.  He called on leaders to:

• Reaffirm their support for the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula in order to maintain peace and stability in the region.

• Reaffirm countries’ commitment to the international nonproliferation regime, stressing the importance of full compliance with our obligations under all UN Security Council Resolutions addressing nonproliferation, particularly those addressing Iran and North Korea.

• Support the outcomes of the 2012 Nuclear Security Summit held in Seoul to secure nuclear materials and prevent nuclear terrorism.

• Promote transparency and cooperation on safe, secure and peaceful nuclear development in the region, including through implementation of IAEA safeguards and universalizing of the Additional Protocol.

• Promote international bio-security cooperation and advance the outcomes from the Final Document of the 2011 Review Conference of the Biological Weapons Convention.

Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief:  The Asia-Pacific experienced major disasters with devastating impacts in 2011, accounting for 80 percent of global economic losses to disasters.  Humanitarian assistance and disaster relief is a core agenda item of the EAS.  The United States has a strong record of working with EAS member countries in disaster preparedness and institutional strengthening, and of bringing a unique set of capabilities, skills, and expertise in humanitarian assistance and disaster relief.

• Since 1995, the United States has invested more than $95 million in disaster risk reduction efforts in the region.  This year, the United States provided an additional $22.7 million for disaster risk reduction programs which save lives at the time of disasters.

• President Obama welcomed the support by EAS Leaders for the Rapid Disaster Response (RDR) agreement.  The RDR can significantly increase the ability for states to provide and receive swift and effective support in the event of future natural disasters in the region, as well as provide a framework for closer links between regional disaster response authorities.

• The President welcomed efforts to expand participation in regional humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR) exercises, including the BALIKATAN U.S.-Philippine exercise that welcomed international participants for the first time this year.  The United States also committed to join partner nations next year for the third ARF Disaster Relief Exercise co-hosted by Thailand and South Korea and the inaugural ASEAN-led, ADMM-Plus HADR and Military-Medicine Exercise hosted by Brunei.

Health:  While technological progress has dramatically increased the movement of people, products, and ideas throughout the Asia-Pacific, it has also facilitated the spread of infectious diseases, some with pandemic potential.  The United States has a history of partnering with countries in Asia to support the health and well-being of the region.  U.S. efforts are premised on building local capacity to improve the regional response to health issues and relying less on outside assistance.

• President Obama was joined by the other EAS leaders in supporting Australia’s Declaration on Drug-Resistant Malaria.

• The United States is partnering with Thailand, a regional leader in malaria control, to fight drug resistant malaria in the region.  The two-year, $680,000 agreement will support the Thai Ministry of Public Health’s efforts to strengthen malaria control and surveillance, particularly among migrant populations along its borders with Burma and Cambodia where drug-resistant malaria is most prevalent.

• The United States partnered with Singapore under the U.S.-Singapore Third Country Training Program (TCTP) to co-sponsor a Combating Counterfeit Health Products training course in August.

• U.S. participation in activities like the Lower Mekong Initiative (LMI) helps drive regional cooperation to build more effective regional disease responses and facilitate health exchanges.  USAID’s Pandemic Influenza and other Emerging Pandemic Threats programs support domestic efforts and cross-border collaboration in line with the goals of the LMI at approximately $12.5 million per year.

President Obama Announces More Key Administration Posts

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, President Barack Obama announced his intent to appoint the following individuals to key Administration posts:

• Althemese Pemberton Barnes – Member, National Museum and Library Services Board
• William M. Brown - Member, President’s National Security Telecommunications Advisory Committee
• Vishakha N. Desai – Member, National Museum and Library Services Board
• Darryl J. Ford – Member, Board of Directors of the National Board for Education Sciences
• Kris D. Gutiérrez – Member, Board of Directors of the National Board for Education Sciences
• Sue Hoppin – Member, Board of Visitors to the United States Air Force Academy
• Bridget Terry Long – Member, Board of Directors of the National Board for Education Sciences
• Margaret R. (Peggy) McLeod – Member, Board of Directors of the National Board for Education Sciences
• Brigadier General Paula G. Thornhill (Ret)  – Member, Board of Visitors to the United States Air Force Academy
• Robert A. Underwood – Member, Board of Directors of the National Board for Education Sciences

President Obama said, “I am pleased to announce that these experienced and committed individuals have agreed to join this Administration, and I look forward to working with them in the months and years ahead.”

President Obama announced his intent to appoint the following individuals to key Administration posts:

Althemese Pemberton Barnes, Appointee for Member, National Museum and Library Services Board
Althemese Pemberton Barnes is the Executive Director of the John G. Riley Museum, which she founded in 1996.  In 1997, she established The Florida African American Heritage Preservation Network, a statewide professional museum association.  She served in Florida’s Departments of Education and Labor as an Employment Counselor and Program Specialist, retiring in 1995.  From 1965 to 1970, she was a music instructor in the Leon County Schools in Tallahassee, Florida.  She has worked as a consultant on several oral history and cultural development projects, and directed the publication of historical books, heritage trail maps, guides, and documentaries.  She is a member of the American Association of Museums, the Florida Heritage Foundation, the Florida Association of Museums, the Association of African American Museums, and the National Trust for Historic Preservation.  Ms. Barnes received a B.S. and an M.S. from Florida A&M University.

William M. Brown, Appointee for Member, President’s National Security Telecommunications Advisory Committee
William M. Brown is the President and CEO of Harris Corporation, an international communications and information technology company based in Melbourne, Florida.  Before joining the Harris Corporation, he was Senior Vice President for Corporate Strategy and Development at the United Technologies Corporation (UTC).  Mr. Brown joined UTC in 1997, prior to which he was a Senior Engagement Manager at McKinsey and Company.  He began his career at Air Products and Chemicals, Inc., where he worked as a Project Engineer.  Mr. Brown serves on the Board of the Fire Department of New York Foundation and the Florida Polytechnic Board of Trustees.  He received a B.S. and an M.S. from Villanova University, and an M.B.A. from the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania.

Dr. Vishakha N. Desai, Appointee for Member, National Museum and Library Services Board
Dr. Vishakha N. Desai is President Emerita of Asia Society, an organization she led as President and CEO from 2004 to 2012.  From 1977 to 1990, Dr. Desai worked at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston in a variety of roles, ultimately serving as Assistant Curator of Indian, Southeast Asia, and Islamic collections from 1981 to 1990, and, simultaneously serving as the Head of Academic Programs from 1981 to 1988.  Dr. Desai has been a visiting professor at numerous universities, and was an assistant and associate professor at the University of Massachusetts from 1988 to 1990.  Dr. Desai is on the board of The Brookings Institution, and is an advisor and reviewer for the New York City Advisory Commission for Cultural Affairs.  She served as the President of the Association of Art Museum Directors from 1998 to 1999, and was on the boards of the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, Leadership Education for Asian Pacifics, Inc., Asian University for Women, and the Massachusetts Foundation for the Humanities.  Dr. Desai received a B.A. from Bombay University and an M.A. and Ph.D. from the University of Michigan.

Dr. Darryl J. Ford, Appointee for Member, Board of Directors of the National Board for Education Sciences
Dr. Darryl J. Ford currently serves as the Head of School for William Penn Charter School in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, a position he has held since 2007. Prior to this, he was the Middle School Director at William Penn Charter School from 1997 to 2007. From 1992 to 1997, Dr. Ford was Headmaster and Executive Director of St. Gregory Episcopal School in Chicago. He serves on the boards of the Friends Council on Education and the Villanova University Board of Trustees. Dr. Ford received his B.A. and B.S. from Villanova University and his M.A. and Ph.D. from the University of Chicago Department of Education.

Dr. Kris D. Gutiérrez, Appointee for Member, Board of Directors of the National Board for Education Sciences
Dr. Kris D. Gutiérrez is Professor of Literacy and Learning Sciences and holds the Inaugural Provost’s Chair at the University of Colorado Boulder, a position she has held since 2009. In addition, Dr. Gutiérrez currently serves as a Member of the Board of Directors of the National Board for Education Sciences, a position she has held since 2011. She has been Associate Faculty of the Laboratory of Comparative Human Cognition at the University of California at San Diego since 2002 and Professor Emerita of Social Research Methodology at the Graduate School of Education and Information Sciences at the University of California at Los Angeles, where she taught from 1989 to 2009. Dr. Gutiérrez is a Member of the National Academy of Education and Past President of the American Educational Research Association (AERA) and the National Conference on Research on Language and Literacy. She served as a Member of the United States Department of Education’s Reading First Advisory Committee and President Obama’s Education Policy Transition Team. She is a recipient of numerous awards, including the AERA Scholars of Color Distinguished Scholar Award, the AERA Division C Sylvia Scribner Award, a Bernard Osher Fellowship with the Exploratorium Museum of Science, and a fellowship at the Center for Advanced Studies in the Behavioral Sciences. Dr. Gutiérrez received a B.A. and M.A. from Arizona State University and a Ph.D. in English and Education at the University of Colorado at Boulder.

Sue Hoppin, Appointee for Member, Board of Visitors to the United States Air Force Academy
Sue Hoppin is President of the National Military Spouse Network, an organization she founded in 2010.  In 2005, she joined the Military Officers Association of America as a benefits associate, and rose to become Deputy Director for Spouse Outreach.  From 2009 to 2012, Ms. Hoppin was the Military Family Liaison to the Fairfax County School Superintendent’s Business and Community Advisory Council.  She serves on the Board of Directors of Blue Star Families, and has served on the Air Force Charity Ball Committee since 2007 and as its Publicity Chair since 2008.  Ms. Hoppin received a B.A. from the University of Denver and a M.A. from the University of Oklahoma.

Dr. Bridget Terry Long, Appointee for Member, Board of Directors of the National Board for Education Sciences
Dr. Bridget Terry Long is currently Xander Professor of Education at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Education, a position she has held since 2011. Dr. Long has served on the Board of Directors of the National Board of Education Sciences as a Member since 2010, and as Chair since 2011. Dr. Long has been a professor of education and economics at the Harvard Graduate School of Education since joining the school in 2000. Dr. Long is also a Research Associate of the National Bureau of Economic Research and a Research Affiliate of the National Center for Postsecondary Research. Dr. Long received the National Academy of Education/Spencer Postdoctoral Fellowship and the Robert P. Huff Golden Quill Award. Dr. Long received an A.B. in Economics from Princeton University and an M.A. and Ph.D. in Economics from Harvard University.

Dr. Margaret R. (Peggy) McLeod, Appointee for Member, Board of Directors of the National Board for Education Sciences
Dr. Margaret R. (Peggy) McLeod has been a consultant since 2011 to national advocacy and professional organizations, universities, states, and school districts on issues related to the education of English language learners, immigrant youth, and English language learners with disabilities. Dr. McLeod currently serves as a Member on the Board of Directors of the National Board for Education Sciences, a position she has held since 2010. From 2009 to 2011, Dr. McLeod was Executive Director of Student Services at Alexandria City Public Schools. From 2007 to 2008, Dr. McLeod served as Assistant Superintendent for Special Education in the District of Columbia Office of the State Superintendent of Education. From 2005 to 2007, Dr. McLeod was Executive Director of the Office of Bilingual Education for District of Columbia Public Schools. Earlier in her career, she was Deputy Director of the National Associate for Bilingual Education, a Special Assistant to the Assistant Secretary at the United States Department of Education’s Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services, and an English as a Second Language Teacher for D.C. Public Schools. Dr. McLeod received a B.A. in Economics from the University of Puerto Rico, an M.A. in Special Education from New York University, and an Ed.D. in Bilingual Special Education Leadership from the George Washington University.

Brigadier General Paula G. Thornhill (Ret), Appointee for Member, Board of Visitors to the United States Air Force Academy
Brigadier General Paula G. Thornhill (Ret) is a Senior Political Scientist and Director of the Strategy and Doctrine Program for Project AIR FORCE at the RAND Corporation.  After 29 years of service, she retired from the U.S. Air Force in 2009 as a Brigadier General.  Her last assignment was Commandant of the Air Force Institute of Technology at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base from 2006 to 2009.  From 2005 to 2006, she was Principal Director for Near Eastern and South Asian Affairs in the Office of the Secretary of Defense and from 2004 to 2005, she served as Special Assistant to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. She has taught at the Air Force Academy, and from 2001 to 2004, she was Dean of Faculty and Academic Programs at the National War College.  Ms. Thornhill received a B.S. from the United States Air Force Academy, an M.A. from Stanford University, an M.S. from the National War College, and a D.Phil. from Oxford University.

Dr. Robert A. Underwood, Appointee for Member, Board of Directors of the National Board for Education Sciences
Dr. Robert A. Underwood currently serves as the President and Professor Emeritus at the University of Guam, a position he has held since 2008. In addition, Dr. Underwood currently serves as a Member on the Board of Directors of the National Board for Education Sciences, a position he has held since 2011. From 2004 to 2007, he served as the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Asian Pacific Islander American Scholarship Fund. From 1993 to 2003, Dr. Underwood served five terms as Guam’s Congressional Delegate to the U.S. House of Representatives. Dr. Underwood was the Founding Member of the Guam Humanities Council, where he served from 1990 to 1993. Dr. Underwood received a B.A. and an M.A. from California State University, Los Angeles, and an Ed.D. in Policy, Planning, and Administration from the University of Southern California.

Presidential Proclamation -- Thanksgiving Day, 2012

THANKSGIVING DAY, 2012

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BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

A PROCLAMATION

On Thanksgiving Day, Americans everywhere gather with family and friends to recount the joys and blessings of the past year. This day is a time to take stock of the fortune we have known and the kindnesses we have shared, grateful for the God-given bounty that enriches our lives. As many pause to lend a hand to those in need, we are also reminded of the indelible spirit of compassion and mutual responsibility that has distinguished our Nation since its earliest days.

Many Thanksgivings have offered opportunities to celebrate community during times of hardship. When the Pilgrims at Plymouth Colony gave thanks for a bountiful harvest nearly four centuries ago, they enjoyed the fruits of their labor with the Wampanoag tribe -- a people who had shared vital knowledge of the land in the difficult months before. When President George Washington marked our democracy's first Thanksgiving, he prayed to our Creator for peace, union, and plenty through the trials that would surely come. And when our Nation was torn by bitterness and civil war, President Abraham Lincoln reminded us that we were, at heart, one Nation, sharing a bond as Americans that could bend but would not break. Those expressions of unity still echo today, whether in the contributions that generations of Native Americans have made to our country, the Union our forebears fought so hard to preserve, or the providence that draws our families together this season.

As we reflect on our proud heritage, let us also give thanks to those who honor it by giving back. This Thanksgiving, thousands of our men and women in uniform will sit down for a meal far from their loved ones and the comforts of home. We honor their service and sacrifice. We also show our appreciation to Americans who are serving in their communities, ensuring their neighbors have a hot meal and a place to stay. Their actions reflect our age-old belief that we are our brothers' and sisters' keepers, and they affirm once more that we are a people who draw our deepest strength not from might or wealth, but from our bonds to each other.

On Thanksgiving Day, individuals from all walks of life come together to celebrate this most American tradition, grateful for the blessings of family, community, and country. Let us spend this day by lifting up those we love, mindful of the grace bestowed upon us by God and by all who have made our lives richer with their presence.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim Thursday, November 22, 2012, as a National Day of Thanksgiving. I encourage the people of the United States to join together -- whether in our homes, places of worship, community centers, or any place of fellowship for friends and neighbors -- and give thanks for all we have received in the past year, express appreciation to those whose lives enrich our own, and share our bounty with others.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twentieth day of November, in the year of our Lord two thousand twelve, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-seventh.

BARACK OBAMA