Remarks to the Committee on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, Geneva, Switzerland

The nations of the world must work together to tear down racial walls and to build societies in which every man, woman and child has the opportunity to develop his or her talents to the fullest, says Michael Parmly, deputy assistant secretary of state for democracy, human rights and labor.

Addressing the U.N. Committee on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (CERD) August 3 in Geneva, Parmly said "that is why we have lent our support to programs around the world that fight against racism, discrimination and ethnic prejudice."

Racism, he stressed, can do "great harm" to individuals and society.

Following is the text of Parmly's remarks:

Good afternoon. It is an honor for me to be here today to speak on behalf of the United States of America, and the U.S. Department of State. I look forward to the opportunity to discuss our compliance with the obligations we have assumed under the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination with this distinguished body of independent experts.

Over the past half century, the United States has taken several major steps to reverse the racial segregation and discrimination that had previously been prevalent in many parts of the country. In doing so, progressively and in several discreet stages, we have deliberately and carefully constructed a solid legal framework to fight racism and racial discrimination.

Our Report to this Committee, which we submitted last September and which the public can find at the Internet at www.state.gov, gives considerable detail about our extensive legal protections and the progress our government - at the federal, state and local levels - has made on these issues.

The Report, our statements today, and the answers to the questions we hope to give you on Monday are all the product of an extensive cooperative effort across the United States Government - from the White House, the United States Department of Justice, the Department of State, the Departments of Education and Labor, and many other departments, agencies and entities of the federal government. We have also solicited contributions from many non-governmental organizations, especially those that are active in the areas of civil rights, civil liberties, and human rights.

My colleague Ralph Boyd, who was sworn in as Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights earlier this week, will have more to say about the domestic civil rights record of the United States.

For my part, let me begin by assuring this Committee that the United States takes its obligations under the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination very seriously. Ratification of the Convention was an important milestone for my country, and the United States fully supports the goals of the Convention. In many important respects, the Convention restates the most important objectives of our domestic civil rights laws.

In ratifying the Convention, all state parties agreed to "condemn racial discrimination and to pursue by all appropriate means and without delay a policy of eliminating racial discrimination in all its forms and promoting understanding among all races." This, indeed, is what we have been trying to do for many years. So permit me to state this clearly and unambiguously: the Government of the United States is adamantly opposed to racism in all its forms and manifestations.

The United States is fully committed to being a world leader in the cause of human rights. The United States has been a party to the most important human rights accords, and has been actively involved in the issues raised under those accords. For example, since 1992 the United States has been a party to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, some provisions of which have wider application than those of the CERD. The initial U.S. report, under the Covenant, was submitted to the Human Rights Committee in July 1994.

The United States has also ratified the Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment at the same time as it ratified the CERD. The initial U.S. report under the Convention Against Torture was submitted to the Committee Against Torture in September 1999 and is also available at the Department of State website.

Further, our intensive involvement in the ongoing preparatory process for the upcoming World Conference Against Racism is further evidence of our commitment to creating conditions of equality of opportunity and access for all people.

I believe that it is necessary to address one controversial aspect of Article 4 of the CERD. I want to discuss, in brief, why the United States felt obliged to take a reservation on the language of Article 4 that requires state parties to "declare an offense punishable by law all dissemination of ideas based on racial superiority or hatred...and all other propaganda activities...."

The first, most obvious point is that our reluctance to make such activities criminal should not in any way be taken as support for racist views and propaganda. The fact is, however, our First Amendment protects free speech without regard to content. That said, speech that is intended and likely to cause imminent violence can be restricted under our Constitution. These First Amendment protections have been so strongly supported throughout our history by our people and an extensive body of jurisprudence, that we do not believe this to be an appropriate measure for us to take.

Rather, we have always relied on the marketplace of ideas as the best way to expose objectionable views for what they really are. Yes, this may lead to some ugly statements in the short-term. But over time, we believe that the bankruptcy of racist views becomes clear for all to see.

We recognize that racism can do great harm to individuals and to society. It is a universal problem. No nation is immune from it. That is why the nations of the world must work together to tear down racial walls and to build societies in which every man, woman, and child has the opportunity to develop his or her talents to the fullest. That is why we are here today, and that is why we have lent our support to programs around the world that fight against racism, discrimination, and ethnic prejudice. All countries should welcome open dialogue about these issues. The United States Government is pleased to have an opportunity to speak to the Committee today, and awaits its recommendations for further improvements in our civil rights system.