The Foreign Service Journal, December 2020

18 DECEMBER 2020 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL U.S. Leaves Climate Pact O n Nov. 4 the United States became the first country to withdraw from the Paris Climate Agreement. The Trump administration had given a one-year notice to leave the climate agreement, also known as COP21, on Nov. 4, 2019. World leaders crafted the nonbind- ing agreement in 2015 to substantially reduce greenhouse gas emissions and limit global temperature increases. It was signed and adopted by 190 nations, including the United States. President Donald Trump has long opposed the agreement. “The Paris accord would have been shutting down American producers with excessive regulatory restrictions like you would not believe, while allowing foreign producers to pollute with impunity,” he said at an energy conference on Oct. 23, 2019, in Pittsburgh. The climate treaty requires countries to set voluntary targets to reduce green- house gases such as carbon dioxide. “With our exit from the accord, we are among only a few countries worldwide not signed on to the global agreement,” Dr. George Benjamin, executive director of the American Public Health Associa- tion, said in a Nov. 4 statement. “At the same time, the U.S. is the second-biggest emitter of greenhouse gases in the world,” after China. President-elect Joe Biden tweeted on Nov. 4 that the Biden administration would rejoin the agreement on his first day in office, Jan. 20. SHAPE Act Takes Aim at Harassment and Assault O n Sept. 30, three Democratic representatives (Eliot Engel of New York, Jackie Speier of California and Joaquin Castro of Texas) introduced the State Harassment and Assault Pre- vention and Eradication Act of 2020 to support the “brave (State Department) employees who spoke up about the toxic climate” they suffered as government employees. The SHAPE Act would require the State Department to develop a com- prehensive policy to prevent sexual harassment and discrimination. It would establish an Office of Employee Advocacy and an international 24/7 hotline. The act also would require annual reports to Congress on sexual harassment claims; provide alternate work assign- ments or paid leave for those who file complaints; eliminate forced nondisclo- sure or nondisparagement agreements; mandate bystander intervention training, supervisor training, executive leadership training and implementation of stan- dardized sexual assault protocols. “Our nation’s diplomats serve in every corner of the world, including hot spots like war zones and regions with civil unrest, to provide for the security of our nation,” said Rep. Castro. “The remote nature of a diplomat’s work also makes themmore vulnerable, and too often their complaints of sexual harass- ment, assault and discrimination are not adequately addressed, and victims lack support. The global #metoo movement has shone a spotlight on these systemic failures, including at the U.S. State Department, and it’s long past time to take action with real reforms.” “On behalf of dozens of survivors of harassment, bullying, assault and dis- crimination at the U.S. State Department, we are pleased to work with Reps. Speier, Engel and Castro to introduce the SHAPE Act,” said retired Foreign Service Officer Amy Dahm. n This edition of Talking Points was com- piled by Cameron Woodworth and Steven Alan Honley. AFSPA afspa.org/fsbp afspa.org/dental BlueCross BlueShield Federal Employee Program fepblue.org/wecan Clements Worldwide clements.com/MissionsAbroad Episcopal Church Schools of Virginia episcopalschoolsva.org Federal Employees Defense Services fedsprotection.com Property Specialists, Inc. propertyspecialistsinc.com Richey Property Management richeypm.com Senior Living Foundation slfoundation.org Thunderbird School of Global Management thunderbird.asu.edu/fsj WJD Management wjdpm.com