Washington, DC - Deputy Secretary Higginbottom will travel to Paris to mark the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization’s (UNESCO) fourth annual International Jazz Day. During an April 29 reception to honor visiting jazz legends, the Deputy Secretary will make remarks highlighting the American origins of jazz and its evolution into an international language of peace, tolerance, and understanding. A star-studded Jazz Day concert will take place April 30.

While in Paris, Deputy Secretary Higginbottom will meet with UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova to reinforce continued U.S. support for UNESCO’s work, especially its cultural heritage preservation efforts. She will also meet senior officials at the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and the French Foreign Ministry to discuss development, macroeconomics, and energy issues.