Dharamsala, October 2 – The United States government announced the appointment of Under Secretary Maria Otero as the Special Coordinator for Tibetan Issues. The announcement was made by the Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton yesterday.
The appointment was welcomed by the Washington based International Campaign for Tibet whose Director of Government Relations, Todd Stein, said the position is “fundamental to US engagement on Tibet, and a key component to promoting dialogue between the Dalai Lama and his representatives and the Chinese government.”
The appointment of the Special Coordinator for Tibetan Issues is mandated by the Tibetan Policy Act of 2002 and is an indication of the United States’ commitment to a negotiated resolution on Tibet that preserves the distinct religious, cultural and linguistic heritage of the Tibetan people, a statement International Campaign for Tibet said.
Otero, who succeeds Paula Dobriansky, recently accompanied Valerie Jarrett, White House Senior Advisor to Dharamsala, the residence of the Tibetan leader the Dalai Lama.
During her confirmation hearing on June 25, 2009 before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Otero stated that the Obama administration was “disappointed by the lack of progress during eight rounds of talks between the Chinese government and the Dalai Lama’s representatives,” adding that “substantive dialogue…holds out the best hope for progress in addressing the legitimate, longstanding, concerns of Tibetans, which have been a key factor in recent unrest.”
Before accepting her appointment as Under Secretary of State, Ms. Otero served as the CEO of ACCION International, a leading microfinance organization dedicated to alleviating global poverty.
