On July 16-23, President Bill Clinton will travel to India, Vietnam, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, and Australia to visit the work of the Clinton Foundation and deliver remarks at the 20th International AIDS Conference.
The trip will highlight President Clinton’s longstanding commitment to the Asia/Pacific region, as well as the work of the Clinton Foundation on a number of issues that are critical to the region, including global health and improved access to medicines; climate change; and economic development.
President Clinton has a long commitment to the Asia/Pacific region. As President, he helped enhance global economic growth by responding quickly to the Asian Financial Crisis of 1997, and promoted economic development by elevating the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) to a head-of-state event. President Clinton also encouraged inclusive, democratic governance across the region, and worked to promote peace and defuse conflict.
Since leaving office, President Clinton has focused on the Asia/Pacific region – working to improve access to life saving medication through the Clinton Health Access Initiative; supporting commitments to global philanthropy through the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI); and addressing the causes of climate change through the Clinton Climate Initiative. After the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, President Clinton was named U.N. Special Envoy for Tsunami Recovery. Along with President George H.W. Bush, he headed an international effort to help countries devastated by the disaster recover, rebuild, and enjoy stronger economic opportunities. President Clinton traveled to the Asia-Pacific region fourteen times – eleven as President, and three times as U.N. Special Envoy for Tsunami Recovery.
