New York, NY, December 11, 2009

On Friday December 11th, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was the honored guest of the American Pakistan Foundation's (APF) Inaugural Benefit in New York. The event marked the first major address of Secretary Clinton to the Pakistani American community and commemorated the public launch of the APF, an organization founded and led by Pakistani-Americans and other friends of Pakistan with the mission to accelerate the social and economic development of Pakistan through strategic philanthropy and public private partnerships.

By adopting a systematic approach towards meeting the highest priority needs, APF will work towards providing greater access to education and healthcare, developing public-private partnerships to support modern societal infrastructure, and improving the wellbeing and livelihood of the Pakistani people. APF will partner with major foundations, U.S.-based not-for-profit organizations, Pakistani NGO's, and social-entrepreneurs to execute its mission. Through its work it will advance mutual understanding between the people of the United States and Pakistan.

"We were thrilled to have Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton speak at our inaugural event," said Dr. Nafis Sadik, chairwoman of the APF. "Because of the social and economic strains and severe security challenges, Pakistan is at a crossroads. The goal of the APF is to help serve as a catalyst to developing a stable and prosperous future for the Pakistani people by increasing the engagement of Pakistani-American and friends of Pakistan through this effort."

"We are committed to establishing a trusted and secure channel for philanthropic efforts with the highest standards for governance and transparency. Also, in addition to harnessing the generosity of the Pakistani Diaspora and friends of Pakistan, our goal is to leverage their skills and knowledge, to grow the capacity of philanthropic efforts in Pakistan" added Dr. Sadik.

Former U.S. Secretary of State General Colin L. Powell, USA (Ret.) and former Prime Minister of Pakistan Moeen Qureshi are honorary co-chairmen for the American Pakistan Foundation and the Inaugural Benefit.

About the American Pakistan Foundation (APF)

APF is currently fiscally-sponsored by the International Rescue Committee, Inc., a non-profit organization classified under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, which has undertaken a project to assist APF in its goals of providing emergency relief, shelter, food, medical care, and schooling for the millions of needy and vulnerable internally displaced individuals in Pakistan's conflict-affected areas. Visit www.americanpakistan.org for further details.