Ambassador Perry's Speeches

New Year's Day Reception (01 Jan 09)

Honorable Ministers,
Members of Parliament,
Members of the diplomatic corps
Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for joining us here today to bring in the New Year.  I'm so pleased to be able to share this first day of 2009 with so many friends and colleagues.

This year promises to be a year of historic transition for the United States and for the world.  In less than three weeks, President-Elect Barack Obama will take the oath of office, becoming the first African American President in history.  While changes in our foreign policy may result, I am confident that our relationship with Sierra Leone will remain strong.  We recognize the democratic progress made here and urge all countries on the continent do the same.  In particular, the United States encourages Guinea to quickly implement a democratic electoral process that will bring long-term stability to that Mano River Union country.

Our Mission here in Freetown has had a very productive year.  The five agencies that we have at work here -- Department of State, Department of Justice, Department of Labor, Department of Defense, and the US Agency for International Development -- manage cooperative programs aimed at furthering Sierra Leone's aspirations in democracy, agriculture, health, and education, to name a few. 

I recently had the pleasure to launch the Promoting Agriculture, Governance, and the Environment program, through which we will devote $13 million to an integrated development program that builds on connections among these areas.  The approximately $450,000 Ambassador's Girls Scholarship Fund empowers women to be the future leaders of Sierra Leone, providing scholarships throughout primary and secondary school for over four thousand girls.  Our six million dollar Department of Labor program focuses on the most abusive forms of child labor, ensuring that the children of Sierra Leone are afforded the opportunity to be children.  These are just some examples of programs that make a difference in Sierra Leoneans by giving recipients the skills and training needed to make a different, and better, life for themselves and their families.  All of this assistance, indeed all American assistance, comes from the contributions of American taxpayers -- truly a gift from the American people.  Hundreds of private American citizens also contribute to Sierra Leone—doctors from California and Texas, non-profit foundations and organizations from Washington, New Haven, Boston and New York, to name just a few.  Their commitment is vital to building capacity and strengthening the bonds of friendship between our cultures and countries.

While foreign assistance can help Sierra Leone make strides towards its goals, we are encouraged by the recognition that many changes must happen from within.  The Millennium Challenge Corporation, the USG entity that supports countries’ own priority areas such as water resources, health and education, recently released the latest list of eligible countries.  I am frequently asked what issues Sierra Leone needs to address to qualify for MCC funding. 

Economic equality for women is essential -- women must have access to land and credit so that they are on equal footing with men.  Land ownership laws in general must be reformed, to expand access to land and to protect land owners.  Finally, I would like to emphasize the importance of nondiscriminatory laws with regard to citizenship.  Sierra Leone should look closely at assuring that those individuals born here, with families that have lived here for generations, have all the rights and responsibilities of Sierra Leonean nationality.  In the United States, our long tradition of being a melting pot is one of our greatest strengths as a nation.  Sierra Leone has the potential to maximize its productivity, but only when diversity is embraced and nurtured in an atmosphere of mutual respect and national unity.

We look forward to progress in all these areas in 2009.  While U.S. assistance is not always visible, not always tangible, we are always actively engaged with assistance, with advice, and with cooperation.  Thank you for coming, I look forward to working with you all in the New Year offer the best wishes of all Americans to each of you and your families.