"The past year also marked important democratic gains in such countries as Nigeria, Burma, Sri Lanka, and Venezuela," Kerry said in an opinion article for the Boston Globe newspaper. He said that as one year gives way to the next, international leaders have an opportunity to build on several major achievements of 2015.

Kerry noted that the demands of leadership are relentless and, as one calendar is replaced by the next, the US must prepare and is preparing for the new tests that await. Boston global