The Foreign Service Journal, September 2021

18 SEPTEMBER 2021 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL Time for State to Recognize Subnational Diplomacy I’m grateful for South Carolina’s leadership in international engagement. American cities and states are increasingly engaging in robust diplo- macy with international partners and stakehold- ers. It’s time that the State Department formally recognizes subnational diplomacy and works to strengthen productive international friend- ship and cooperation on the city and state level in pursuit of mutual interests. This will not only strengthen the positive and productive relation- ships our cities and states develop but also serve to reinforce our friendships and potentially temper enmities. —Rep. Joe Wilson (R-S.C.), in a July 20 press release in support of the City and State Diplomacy Act. Broadening Diplomatic Reach The world has grown smaller and more interconnected than ever before. By improving engagement between our cities and foreign nations, and coordi- nation with the State Department on such engagement, we can bolster our cultural and economic ties and cooperation, share best practices, and broaden our nation’s diplomatic reach. —Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-N.Y.), chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, in a July 20 press release in support of the City and State Diplomacy Act. Consulates Help in Florida Disaster As of this evening we have helped the relatives of those missing in Surfside, from over a dozen countries, get visas to travel to South Florida. Most have either arrived or are now en route. Our embassies and consulates abroad have done a phenomenal job. Thank you. —Senator Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), in a June 25 tweet after the Champlain Towers South collapse in Surfside, Florida. HEARD ON THE HILL JOSH ambassadorial nominations at afsa.org/ list-ambassadorial-appointments, and appointments of senior-level officials at the various foreign affairs agencies at afsa.org/tracker-senior-official- appointments. TIP Report Cites Systemic Racism I n its 2021 Trafficking in Persons report released on July 1, the State Depart- ment argues that systemic racism in the United States and other countries is a driver of human trafficking. It is the first time that State has connected systemic racism to human trafficking, Reuters reported. The nearly 650-page report tracks trafficking trends in 188 countries, including the United States. “In many ways, the United States and other governments face human traf- ficking challenges and trends today that reflect the living legacy of the systemic racism and colonization globalized dur- ing the transatlantic slave trade through chattel slavery and regional practices of indigenous dispossession,” the State Department says in the report. “We must break this inhumane cycle of discrimination and injustices if we hope to one day eliminate human traf- ficking,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken writes in his introduction to the report. The State Department also focused on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on human trafficking. “Governments across the world diverted resources toward the pandemic, often at the expense of anti-trafficking efforts, resulting in decreased protection measures and service provision for vic- tims, reduction of preventative efforts, and hindrances to investigations and prosecutions of traffickers,” the report states. n This edition of Talking Points was compiled by Cameron Woodworth and Steven Alan Honley. Cover of the 2021 TIP Report. STATEDEPARTMENT