United States of America: Assistant Secretary Witkowsky’s Travel to Germany and Ghana

In Berlin, Assistant Secretary Witkowsky will lead an interagency delegation to the second U.S.–Germany Conflict Prevention and Stabilization Dialogue hosted by Germany’s Director-General for Crisis Prevention, Stabilization, Peacebuilding, and Humanitarian Assistance. During this dialogue they will discuss areas of shared interest and cooperation, including activities under the U.S Strategy to Prevent Conflict and Promote Stability.  The Assistant Secretary will also take part in the third plenary of the Berlin Climate Security Conference, where she will underscore the growing intersection of conflict prevention and climate-related efforts, advocating for integrated approaches as outlined in the newly released U.S. Framework for Climate Resilience and Security. Also, while in Berlin, she will participate in a joint roundtable with Director-General Potzel co-hosted by U.S. Embassy Berlin and the German Council on Foreign Relations focused on women, peace, and security.

Assistant Secretary Witkowsky and Director-General Potzel will then lead a U.S.-German interagency delegation to Ghana to advance ongoing cooperative efforts to promote stability in Coastal West Africa.

The delegation will travel to northern Ghana to launch the Coastal States Stability Mechanism (CSSM), co-developed by USAID and Germany, and will discuss CSSM initiatives to expand and improve government delivery of critical services and support efforts to promote social and economic resilience in the face of instability and conflict. They will meet with local government officials, traditional leaders, and civil society representatives to discuss further collaboration on enhancing security, preventing conflict, and promoting long-term stability in northern Ghana.

In Accra, the delegation will meet with Ghanaian officials to discuss shared priorities for countering violent extremism and enhancing cooperation through the Strategy to Prevent Conflict and Promote Stability.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of U.S. Department of State.