Minister of External Relations Antonio de Aguiar Patriota and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton conducted the 2012 Global Partnership Dialogue (GPD) on April 16 to review the state of our bilateral relationship following the successful April 9-10 visit of President Dilma Rousseff to the United States, and to highlight the considerable progress in the development of our joint cooperation since the last GPD was held in June 2011. The Participants also noted with satisfaction the important role of the GPD in the formation of the Brazil-U.S. partnership for the 21st century. They agreed that the GPD is an increasingly important mechanism for advancing our bilateral cooperation and promoting shared interests around the world. Minister Patriota and Secretary Clinton also reviewed the progress of several other bilateral dialogues, including the October 2011 Economic Partnership Dialogue; the February 2012 U.S.-Brazil Management Committee to Advance Cooperation on Biofuels; the August 2011 and March 2012 meetings of the Dialogue on the 1980 Hague Convention on Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction; the February 2012 Political-Military Dialogue; the March 2012 Joint Commission Meeting on Science and Technology; the March 2012 Disarmament and Non-Proliferation Dialogue; and the April 2012 Space Security Dialogue.

They stressed that several initiatives fostered at the 2011 GPD moved forward during President Rousseff´s visit to Washington, such as the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding on Aviation Partnership, the Memorandum of Understanding for Technical Cooperation Activities to Enhance Food Security in Third Countries, and the announcement of concrete initiatives to promote the increased flow of goods and travelers between both countries. The participants underscored that academic and research collaboration is a priority between our two countries, and that the U.S. goal of "100,000 Strong in the Americas" complements Brazil´s "Science without Borders" program. They celebrated the successful implementation of the Action Plan on Education, with hundreds of Science without Borders students already studying in the United States. The participants also welcomed the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding on State and Local Cooperation during the Presidential visit.

The 2012 GPD was preceded by high-level discussions on bilateral and international issues. Working groups met on Africa; Latin America; economic and commercial issues; science, technology, innovation, and the environment; internet communication and cyber-related issues; and education and culture. In addition, GPD participants met to discuss issues related to social inclusion.

They expressed satisfaction with the enhanced bilateral cooperation under the Joint Commission on Science and Technology, and welcomed the establishment of a working group on innovation. They also noted the mutual commitment to deepen cooperation and collaboration on a range of issues, including oceans, space, biotechnology, health, nanotechnology, and disaster management. They reviewed Secretary Clinton´s announcement of her intention to send an Innovation Delegation, comprised of entrepreneurs, university representatives, and senior government officials, to Brazil.

They also welcomed the establishment of a new dialogue mechanism on Internet and information and communication technologies (ICT)-related issues such as Internet governance, Internet public policy, cybersecurity, and ICT and telecommunications policy. Participants agreed to hold a first interagency "whole of government" discussion in the second half of 2012 to address the priority issue of Internet governance and cooperation on other Internet policy matters, with plans to hold other discussions over the course of the year.

They underlined education and innovation as key factors in promoting social inclusion, competitiveness, and economic growth. They supported efforts to include American community colleges and students enrolled in the Brazilian Federal Professional and Technological Education Network in the Science without Borders and 100,000 Strong in the Americas programs. They also welcomed the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the Brazilian Federal Agency for Support and Evaluation of Graduate Education (CAPES) and Historically Black Colleges and Universities in the United States under the U.S. -Brazil Joint Action Plan to Eliminate Racial and Ethnic Discrimination and Promote Equality.

The parties agreed to deepen the dialogue that links education, scientific research, and innovation through the Fulbright-Science without Borders Scholar and Distinguished Chair Awards. They also agreed to intensify dialogue with U.S. agencies that conduct scientific research, such as the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH), as well as with private sector companies and associations, to explore ways they could further support the Science without Borders and 100,000 Strong in the Americas programs.

The Participants emphasized the importance of the mutual benefits of stimulating increased investment and trade. In this context, they welcomed the creation of a dialogue on investment during the Presidential visit. They also committed to work closely together to satisfy the requirements of the U.S. Visa Waiver Program and Brazil´s applicable legislation to enable U.S. and Brazilian citizens visa free travel.

The Participants noted that strengthening cultural exchanges is a joint priority for both the United States and Brazil, and agreed to facilitate musical collaborations and exchanges between our two countries. Activities could be centered in New Orleans, Louisiana, and Salvador, Bahia - cities that are emblematic of the rich musical traditions of our countries - and feature performances by Brazilian and American musical groups, workshops, youth programs, and social media. Another partnership priority will be to explore showcasing Brazilian and American musical groups in third countries, possibly Haiti and Mozambique.

They announced their intention to pursue increased dialogue and cooperation on security and in the fight against transnational organized crime, and looked forward to exchanging experiences and intensifying collaboration on this matter. In furtherance of this objective, they welcomed the upcoming visit of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Assistant Secretary William Brownfield to Brazil to meet with counterparts.

The GPD participants supported an intensified dialogue on regional discussions to include exchanges on the Middle East, Africa, Latin America, and East Asia and the Pacific. Recognizing the importance of regular dialogue on shared interests in these regions, the Participants committed to hold discussions later in 2012.

The participants, recognizing shared values and objectives, agreed on the importance of maintaining an open dialogue on Africa to expand the successful existing trilateral cooperation and to exchange views on political developments to identify common contributions to help achieve peace, stability, and sustainable economic development in the region. The Participants also identified new areas for trilateral cooperation in the agricultural and energy sectors.

The Participants welcomed the beginning of a trilateral partnership with the Government of Haiti to improve agriculture practices and technologies. The Participants agreed to cooperate on the Domestic Finance for Development (DF4D) initiative coordinated with specialized Brazilian public institutions to promote effective fiscal management and transparency in third countries, including in Africa. Further, the Participants agreed to expand cooperation in agricultural technology in third countries, with special emphasis on Central America and Lusophone Africa, and to work towards an instrument which will reflect their agreement to work on regulatory cooperation and public outreach, among others. Noting ongoing activities in Africa and Haiti, the Participants expressed their interest in expanding joint trilateral cooperation in Central America and the Caribbean, as well as other parts of the world.

The Participants reaffirmed the intent of both countries to continue to cooperate with Haiti in order to promote its economic and social development. In order to spur new public-private partnerships for Haiti´s energy sector, they committed to work with the Government of Haiti on design and implementation of its national energy plan, including its plans to modernize Haiti´s electric utility and harness renewable energy sources, like the Artibonite 4C hydroelectric plant, to power Haiti´s future development. The Participants reiterated their commitment to Haiti´s security and agreed to pursue partnerships to build the capacity of the Haitian National Police.

The Participants took stock of the progress achieved under the Memorandum of Understanding on the Advancement of Women and under the Joint Action Plan to Eliminate Racial and Ethnic Discrimination and Promote Equality over the last year, including a new focus on ways our governments and private sector will collaborate to create economic opportunities and career training for historically marginalized and vulnerable ethnic groups, women, and youth in preparation for the 2014 World Cup and 2016 Olympic games. They also expressed their joint commitment to seek new ways to promote additional collaboration on LGBT issues in human rights multilateral fora.

The Participants exchanged views on the recent Summit of the Americas, held in Cartagena, Colombia. They highlighted the important contribution of the existing sub-regional and regional processes to the economic and social development of the Americas. Minister Patriota and Secretary Clinton also stressed the importance of the upcoming United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20) in Brazil as an opportunity to promote sustainable development through innovation and broad stakeholder engagement.