Under Secretary of State for Civilian Security, Democracy, and Human Rights Sarah Sewall is set to visit Nepal and India from November 9-16, 2014. During her stay in Nepal, she plans to engage with the Prime Minister, the Foreign Minister, and other senior officials. The discussions will focus on bilateral coordination on key issues such as Nepal's progress towards adopting a constitution and completing its democratic transition. Sewall will also meet civil society leaders, including Judge Tek Narayan Kunwar, who was recognized as a 2014 TIP Report Hero for his efforts against human trafficking within the criminal justice system. Additionally, she will visit Tibetan refugee settlements in Kathmandu and Pokhara.
In India, Under Secretary Sewall's agenda includes meetings with senior government officials to discuss advancing common global interests through shared democratic values. She is scheduled to deliver a policy speech titled “Human Rights, Challenges and Opportunities in the 21st Century” at the American Center in New Delhi. Furthermore, she will meet Kailash Satyarthi, co-winner of the 2014 Nobel Peace Prize and a 2007 TIP Report Hero for his work against child labor and trafficking. Discussions on combating extremism with interfaith leaders are also planned.
As the United States Special Coordinator for Tibetan Issues, Sewall will travel to Dharamsala to address Tibetan refugee concerns. She will announce a new award of $3.2 million for a Tibetan Health System Strengthening Project aimed at improving access to quality health services and ending preventable child and maternal deaths while creating tuberculosis-free communities for Tibetan refugees in India and Nepal.
For further details about this trip or information on the State Department’s work on civilian security, democracy, and human rights initiatives can be obtained by contacting Alex Kahan at KahanAL@state.gov or following @civsecatstate on Twitter.