Released by the Bureau of International Organization Affairs, Department of State, February 27, 1997.

Few issues command the world's attention so quickly as a well-publicized alert of human rights violations. It is no accident that the subject of human rights is at the top of the news and the international agenda. Years of work by the United Nations, in collaboration with international scholars, diplomats, and private citizens, have made it so. The UN Charter, signed in San Francisco in 1945, is among the first international treaties expressly based on universal respect for human rights.

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights: An International Standard Since 1948

One of the first UN documents, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, reflects many of the ideals of the Bill of Rights in the United States Constitution. The Declaration spells out what the member states of the UN believe are minimum human rights of all people. Among the basic rights it mandates are the right of people to determine their government, freedom of thought and religion, the right to privacy, and the right to a fair trial. It goes on to condemn slavery, torture, and arbitrary arrest. Americans take these rights for granted, but even today they are not the standard in many parts of the world. The universality of the Declaration was reaffirmed at the 1993 World Conference on Human Rights in Vienna.

"All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood." --Article 1, Universal Declaration of Human Rights

The Commission on Human Rights

In the United Nations, issues of human rights fall under the jurisdiction of the Economic and Social Council of the General Assembly, which established the Commission on Human Rights as the main policy-making body to deal with human rights issues. Composed of 53 member governments which serve on a rotating basis, it strives for universal recognition of human rights for all people regardless of "race, color, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth, or other status."

The Commission, based in Geneva, Switzerland, investigates and reports on a wide range of issues, including the prevention of discrimination and protection of minorities, the use of the death penalty, the eradication of modern-day slavery, the status of women, crime prevention and criminal justice, and matters relating to children and indigenous populations. Responding to allegations of human rights abuses, the UN sends its "eyes and ears," special rapporteurs or representatives of the Secretary General, to monitor compliance with the various international human rights instruments and investigate allegations of abuses. In addition, individuals who allege their human rights have been violated may communicate directly with the Center for Human Rights in Geneva.

The Commission may be "just talk," but it has considerable power to generate international publicity on human rights issues. Even the most repressive regime shies away from negative publicity, a fact that has been proven again and again in cases where "bad press" has brought relief for individuals or groups subjected to violation of human rights. In some instances, even the threat of being singled out for criticism in a UN human rights resolution has inspired reform efforts.

United States Participation in Promoting Human Rights

Human Rights are the indispensable basis for the "quiet miracle of a normal life," as President Clinton said recently. The United States has supported human rights projects, such as in Cambodia and Namibia, where we participated in the UN's successful implementation of free and fair elections. After El Salvador's peace accords were signed in 1992, the United States participated in the UN observer mission to monitor the cease-fire and ensure continued observance of human rights in an atmosphere of democratization and political stability. Closer to home, in Haiti, the United States helped the UN to train and equip hundreds of new National Police officers to take the place of paramilitary gangs and abusive police officers. In addition to working through the United Nations, the United States also publishes an annual Human Rights Report which reviews the human rights situation in every country of the world.

"America... has no permanent enemies, only permanent principles.... The United States will not hesitate to address frankly the violation of internationally recognized human rights, whether those violations occur in Cuba or Afghanistan, Burma, Belgrade, or Beijing."--Secretary of State Madeleine K. Albright

Human Rights Abuses Against Women

One of the most widespread abuses of human rights is violence against women. This takes many forms, from son preference, in which female fetuses or newborns are exterminated, to domestic violence. Rape has been used as a weapon of war, as in the former Yugoslavia and Rwanda, and various forms of sexual harassment occur in developed and developing countries alike. Governments at the UN's Fourth World Conference on Women, held in Beijing, China, in September 1995, agreed that there should be shelters, legal aid, and other services for girls and women at risk, and counseling and rehabilitation for perpetrators.

With the vigorous support of the UN, some countries have recently taken steps toward improving laws relating to violence against women. In Burkina Faso, the Government launched a strong advertising campaign to educate and raise awareness about the unhealthy practice of female genital mutilation. In Brazil, police stations staffed entirely by women have been designated to deal with women's issues, including domestic violence.

Tribunals

The UN Security Council has established the Yugoslav War Crimes Tribunal for the prosecution of people responsible for serious violations of international humanitarian law committed in the territory of the former Yugoslavia since 1991, and one of the judges is an American. The Security Council also set up a tribunal for the prosecution of people who are charged with crimes against humanity in the territory of Rwanda and in neighboring territories during 1994. These are the first such tribunals since the 1945 Nuremberg trials.

UN Human Rights Advisory Services and Technical Assistance

The United Nations advisory services program began in 1955 on a small scale, providing institution- building assistance and other services to Member States at their request. Over the last few years, countries such as Bulgaria and Mongolia have incorporated international human rights norms into their constitutions and laws with UN assistance. The Center for Human Rights has helped other nations in the drafting of national laws and in strengthening national and regional institutions. Finally, to spread the understanding of the rights and duties of all people according to international human rights norms, the UN maintains programs to train criminal justice personnel, including judges, lawyers, prosecutors, and police.

High Commissioner for Human Rights

A noteworthy development in the continuing evolution of human rights was the UN General Assembly's establishment of the post of High Commissioner for Human Rights in December 1993 after the Vienna World Conference on Human Rights. Jose Ayala Lasso, the first High Commissioner, received as his mandate the traditional implementation of civil and political rights of individuals, as well as responsibility for more effective liaison within the UN system for crisis management, prevention and early warning, and assistance to countries in periods of transition.

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