04 March 2002

Releasing Reports, Powell Underlines Continued Importance of Human Rights

Washington -- Speaking March 4 on the release of the U.S. human rights reports, U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell declared that the United States "reaffirms what our nation has stood for since its earliest days -- for human rights, for democracy and for the rule of law."

Powell told reporters at the State Department, "The worldwide promotion of human rights is in keeping with America's most deeply held values. It is also strongly in our interests." President Bush, the Congress and the American people all believe "that active support for human rights must be an integral part of American foreign policy," he said.

The United States "is actively pursuing a broad human rights agenda" at all levels, Powell said, defining the term to include "the strengthening of civil society, the spread of accountable government, equal justice and legal reform, freedom of the press, religious liberty, tolerance of workers' rights, protections for children, and the human rights of women and minorities."

In addition, Powell said that the U.S. "will also fully explore the new opportunities that have been created by international cooperation against terrorism to establish, expand and deepen discussions with other governments on human rights issues. The United States welcomes the help of any country or party that is genuinely prepared to work with us to eradicate terrorism. At the same time, we will not relax our commitment to advancing the cause of human rights and democracy."

Powell went further and drew a connection between defeating terrorism and promoting human rights. A world in which every person can exercise "fundamental freedoms is a world in which terrorism cannot thrive," he said. The annual human rights reports, which cover conditions in countries around the world "give a voice to the voiceless, they shed cleansing light on the darkest of abuses, and they provide a benchmark for improvement," he added.

Lorne Craner, assistant secretary of state for democracy, human rights and labor, also addressed the issue of whether the war against terrorism would "sideline America's interest in human rights." He said "this is far from true. In fact, the protection of human rights is even more important now than ever."

Craner reiterated the view expressed by President Bush and Secretary Powell that the international war against terrorism is being fought "not only to protect our rights and freedoms but also to promote them throughout the globe." He added: "To my mind, this is most evident in Afghanistan, which a year ago was ruled by one of the world's most repressive regimes. Liberated from the Taliban, Afghans have come to cherish the freedoms they have regained."

In citing positive human rights progress elsewhere, Craner said, "We saw democratic political reforms taking root around the globe, from Peru to Mexico to Ghana, Senegal and Serbia." But he also mentioned areas where the record, in the U.S. view, is not good. "Some of the world's most repressive regimes, from Cuba to North Korea, have changed little over the past year," he said. After his statement, Craner took questions from reporters about specific countries, including Israel, Colombia, Uzbekistan, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and China.