Under Secretary Dobriansky alongside the South Pole marker.

U.S. Under Secretary of State for Democracy and Global Affairs, Paula Dobriansky, headed a high level U.S. Government delegation attending the 11th January dedication of the new multi-million dollar Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station.

On the ice, the group was hosted by Dr Ardent Bement, Director of the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF). Dr Bement, who presided over the dedication ceremony, spoke of the ongoing quest to push back the boundaries of the unknown; a task in which the new station will play a key role. He spoke also of the need to pay respect to those who helped transform the continent from a forbidden land to a place of wonder and knowledge, and also paid direct tribute to Sir Edmund Hillary, who had died only a few hours earlier.

"It is fitting that we pause for a moment to remember the accomplishments of Sir Edmund Hillary, who stood near this very spot in January 1958, the first person to do so since Robert Falcon Scott in 1912," he said. "I was honored to meet him at the 50th anniversary of the building of New Zealand's Scott Base in 2007, an accomplishment for which he was responsible. I cannot help but believe that he is here with us in spirit today as we usher in this new phase of scientific exploration of the continent which he so loved."