Strategic Assessment

The global terrorist threat continued to evolve rapidly in 2015, becoming increasingly decentralized and diffuse. Terrorist groups continued to exploit an absence of credible and effective state institutions, where avenues for free and peaceful expression of opinion were blocked, justice systems lacked credibility, and where security force abuses and government corruption went unchecked.

A Message From Assistant Secretary Puneet Talwar

The United States and 47 other UN member states have endorsed the joint statement below affirming the importance of and adherence to international humanitarian law at the World Humanitarian Summit, Istanbul, May 23–24.

Every year during monsoon season, the Tonle Sap River reverses course, filling a vibrant freshwater lake close to Cambodia’s capital of Phnom Penh with rich sediments and abundant fish. Tourists frequent the area surrounding the river to snap photos of the “floating villages,” which are communities that appear to be on stilts during the dry season and hover just above the water during the wet season. But beneath the waters of many lakes and rivers in Cambodia lie a dangerous legacy: landmines and unexploded ordnance (UXO) from past conflicts.

Vienna, Austria May 17, 2016 Share

SECRETARY KERRY: Well, good afternoon, everybody, and let me begin by thanking the Government of Austria again. They have very generously facilitated this latest meeting of the International Syria Support Group and they’ve facilitated two rounds before this.