CSIS Southeast Asia Program Names Secretary Clinton Southeast Asia Person of the Year

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton at a joint press availability with ASEAN Secretary General Surin Pitsuwan at the ASEAN Secretariat in Jakarta, during her first trip overseas as Secretary in 2009. State Department photo in the public domain.

The CSIS Southeast Asia Program is pleased to name U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton as our inaugural Southeast Asia person of the year for 2010. The award recognizes the individual who had the greatest impact and influence on strengthening U.S.–Southeast Asia ties over the course of the year.

In 2010, the choice of Secretary Clinton was clear. Since assuming her role as secretary of state, Secretary Clinton has had a vision for strengthening U.S. ties in Southeast Asia, and in 2010 she followed through on that vision with commitment, consistency, and determination.

Under her leadership and guidance, the United States has built on a strong foundation of security and business engagement in the region by bringing strategic and political focus to ASEAN. Secretary Clinton provided leadership for signing the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation (TAC), revising U.S. policy toward Burma to prevent that country from keeping the United States away from the table with ASEAN, initiating the U.S.-ASEAN Leaders’ Meeting, confirming U.S. membership in an ASEAN-centered East Asia Summit (EAS), and confidently asserting American interests in the region through her perfect attendance and statesman-like interventions at the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) and Post Ministerial Conference (PMC). In particular, her comments on the South China Sea at the ARF in Hanoi in July last year helped reassure Southeast Asia friends that the United States was focused, engaged, and committed to promoting peace and prosperity in the Asia-Pacific.

In addition, the State Department, under Secretary Clinton’s leadership and with the able support and limitless energy of Assistant Secretary of State for East Asia and the Pacific Kurt M. Campbell, has injected new energy and developed new partnership frameworks with key ASEAN countries, notably Indonesia, Vietnam, and Malaysia.  Secretary Clinton’s team has strengthened ties with stalwart partners such as Singapore and is developing plans to deepen traditionally strong linkages with treaty allies the Philippines and Thailand.  SecretaryClinton has also been a policy innovator in the region. A good example is the Lower Mekong Initiative that seeks to support sustainable development and infrastructure across mainland Southeast Asia.

While more clearly needs to be done, Secretary Clinton has created a legacy focus on this important region, and CSIS is honored to recognize her leadership and present her with this award.

CSIS Southeast Asia has invited Secretary Clinton to receive her award at a gala dinner in Washington, D.C. Dates are being coordinated and will be announced shortly.

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