Supporting Human Rights and Democracy

Lorne Craner, Assistant Secretary for Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor
Testimony to House Committee on International Relations
Washington, DC
July 9, 2003

Chairman Smith and Members of the Committee, on behalf of Secretary Powell, I am proud to formally present to the Committee on International Relations a new State Department report entitled, "Supporting Human Rights and Democracy: The U.S. Record 2002-2003." As Secretary Powell says in the preface:

"This document complements our annual Country Reports on Human Rights Practices in substance and spirit, and details how we are applying the high standards of the Country Reports to the actions we are taking to decrease the number and severity of human rights abuses worldwide."

The Department of State welcomed this new reporting requirement and the opportunity to catalog the steps we are taking to promote internationally accepted human rights standards and norms. At the same time, we want to fully acknowledge the essential role of this Committee in the creation of this report.

Chairman Smith, over the years you have worked tirelessly to help human rights victims and to press our government to address their needs. We want to thank you for holding a Full Committee hearing to focus attention on this report; we know that the legislative calendar in July is very full and this hearing clearly demonstrates your commitment to these issues.

Mr. Lantos, you were the source of the legislative language in the FY03 Foreign Relations Authorization Act that resulted in the mandate for the Department to issue this report. This is just the latest example of your leadership in the human rights field.

Before continuing with a description of the report, I would also like to publicly acknowledge those who worked hard to produce this volume. I want to thank everyone in the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor for their hard work in compiling this report. Special thanks are due to Robert Jackson, head of the Office for the Promotion of Human Rights and Democracy, and his officers, as well as Cynthia Bunton and the officers who work for her in the Country Reports Office. I also want to thank those outside my bureau because this report would not have been possible without contributions from hundreds of officers from both regional and functional bureaus throughout the State Department, plus USAID, and other agencies, as well as employees of non-governmental organizations.

BURMA.

Before turning to the new report, I want take advantage of this important forum to express our outrage about events in Burma. These events are not covered in the new report because they took place after the report was finalized, but everyone should know that this Administration has lost its patience with the regime in Burma. We consider the attack on Aung San Suu Kyi to be the work of government thugs. We have heard reports that Aung San Suu Kyi was being held in the notorious Insein prison and has reported been moved to another undisclosed location. We strongly condemn her continued detention. The Burmese junta must release her and her supporters immediately and form a concrete plan to restore democracy in Burma. We have been working with Members of Congress, our allies in Europe and ASEAN and others to press for the release of Suu Kyi and other democracy advocates.

WHY WE SUPPORT HUMAN RIGHTS AND DEMOCRACY.

As I said at the Country Reports hearing, spreading democratic values and respect for human rights around the world is one of the primary ways we have to advance the national security interests of the U.S. The defense of liberty is both an expression of our ideals and a source of strength that we have drawn on throughout our history. Democratic values have also been at the heart of America’s most enduring and effective alliances. For that reason, this report reflects our solidarity with those brave souls who dare to dream of freedom, not only in democratic societies, but also in repressive ones. They are setting the course of history and we must help them. The President’s National Security Strategy explicitly commits the U.S. to work actively to bring democracy, development, free markets and free trade to every corner of the world. We start from these core beliefs and look outward for possibilities to expand liberty. Our goals are political and economic freedom, peaceful relations with states, and respect for human dignity. Secretary Powell has said, "America stands willing to help any country that wants to join the democratic world."

I am also reminded that President Reagan said in his 1982 "Promoting Democracy and Peace" speech before the British Parliament:

"…democracy is not a fragile flower; still it needs cultivating….The objective I propose is quite simple to state: to foster the infrastructure of democracy --- the system of a free press, unions, political parties, universities ---which allows a people to choose their own way, to develop their own culture, to reconcile their own differences through peaceful means….This is not cultural imperialism: it is providing the means for genuine self-determination and protection of diversity."

Keeping in mind our desire to extend democracy, but not having unlimited funds available to us, we developed a framework for focusing our resources. One obvious criterion is the importance of a country to America’s national interests, but we also need to be realistic about the conditions required to have the desired effect. Key to such considerations will be the understanding of the reality that our assistance is unlikely, in and of itself, to create the changes we seek. In countries where the local dynamic is already moving towards democracy our assistance can help leverage the cause in the right direction. The will for change at a national level is therefore critical. It makes little sense, for example, to spend millions to train judges in a country where the ruler will not tolerate an increasingly independent judiciary, or fund programs in countries with ample private resources but without the will to pursue democratic goals.

If we are to be successful, it most likely will be over the long term. The challenges faced in these regions did not come about, and will not be solved, overnight.

THE PURPOSE OF THE REPORT.

For more than 25 years, the annual Country Reports on Human Rights Practices, a factual account of the human rights performance of nations around the globe, has been an increasingly indispensable human rights tool that is often used to shine a spotlight on human rights violators. As Deputy Secretary Armitage said recently about this report, "Every year, for the last 25 years, we have released a 10-inch report on human rights violations around the world. The bulk alone speaks volumes about the distance the world still needs to travel between the reality of the day and the high standard we all want to reach."

We believe in the power of information, and we have been willing, when some others have not, to condemn human rights abusers. Some have called this a "name it and shame it strategy." However, the purpose of our new report is to show that U.S. support for human rights is more than a once-a-year exercise in identifying abuses.

Specifically, the purpose of our new report, as we see it, is to answer the question, "What are you doing about it?" We have written a report to demonstrate, in a systematic way, that the U.S. Government is working hard to integrate human rights reporting into policy.

More and more, we are using human rights reporting to tailor assistance programs to help countries achieve democratic governance. Examples of this approach are President Bush’s U.S.-Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI) and the Millennium Challenge Account (MCA) for projects in countries whose governments rule justly, invest in their people, and encourage economic freedom. Likewise we are working through innovative fora like the Community of Democracies to help strengthen democratic institutions that protect human rights and to voice both commitment to international standards and concern about continued human rights abuses such as Burma.

THE REPORT PROCESS.

Supporting Human Rights and Democracy: The U.S. Record 2002-2003 details U.S. efforts to support human rights in 92 countries and entities with especially problematic and persistent human rights violations. We take care to include places of concern for "extra judicial killings, torture, or other serious violations of human rights," as called for in the Foreign Relations Authorization Act, Fiscal Year 2003.

For those who wonder why a certain country is not included, we were asked to issue a report, not on all countries that are members of the UN, as is the case with the Country Reports, but on countries where serious problems occur regularly. Just because a country is not in this report does not necessarily mean that human rights problems do not exist in that country; it does mean that we do not see a persistent pattern of human rights violations, or a government policy promoting violations.

I was recently asked if the countries included in the report are the 92 worst countries, to which I responded that that is a fair assessment, both in terms of democracy and human rights. You can find countries in this report that are progressing toward democracy, but they still have human rights problems; and just because a country is not mentioned in this report does not mean that U.S. Government assistance programs are not being provided such countries.

The chapters in the new report typically begin with a very brief mention of the human rights conditions. This snapshot should not be read as providing a complete picture of everything we know about the human rights conditions in any country; those wishing more detail should reference the annual Country Reports on Human Rights Practices. Next, we provide a short narrative about our human rights strategy, followed by a sampling of the activities we are taking to defend liberty.

REGIONAL PROGRAMS.

At this point, I would like to provide the Committee with an overview of some of our activities in the various regions. Time does not permit me to describe at length each of the regional sections of the report. I would encourage anyone interested in more detail to refer directly to the report. It is available on the State Department web page at www.state.gov.

This report is an overview of our efforts, not an exhaustive account of all U.S. Government programs. It is a representative sample of our human rights activities. To get a truly comprehensive picture it would be necessary to consider, for example, this Administration’s commitment to try to reform the World Bank and other multilateral development banks to make them more effective in improving the world’s poor areas.

And finally in this vein, while we are very pleased with the way the report turned out, we hope that everyone remembers that this is a first time effort, and that we welcome ideas and suggestions for next year. I would like to share some examples from the report of the kinds of activities the Administration has undertaken to support human rights and democracy around the world:

Afghanistan continues to recover from 23 years of conflict and political instability. The lack of basic infrastructure and central government authority inhibit basic human rights for minority ethnic and religious groups, for women and for displaced persons. In 2002, the U.S. Government committed $800 million in assistance, and the Afghanistan Freedom Support Act authorized an additional $5 million for the Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission (AIHRC). A total of $80 million has been provided to assist women and girls in education, health care, human rights, and other programs. The U.S. Government also funded the establishment of ten neighborhood-based Women's Centers in Kabul and several nearby cities to provide vocational training to women and 14 Women's Centers focusing on literacy and development of vocational skills for $2,575,000. My Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor's Human Rights and Democracy Fund (HRDF) has provided funding to support the AIHRC, which the Bonn Agreement of December 2001 established as the national institution in charge of defining the human rights agenda in Afghanistan.

In Angola, 85 percent of the population will soon have access to Angola’s only independent radio station, Radio Ecclesia, which is making a pronounced difference by providing listeners with unbiased reporting; members of Angola’s civil society have called the radio a key player in bringing democracy to the country. I am pleased to note that the funding came from my bureau.

Our human rights and democracy strategy for Azerbaijan addresses a wide range of issues, with U.S. assistance in support of the strategy totaling about $8 million in FY 02. Diplomatic efforts are key, as we have pushed a strong human rights and democracy agenda in meetings with government officials, activists, and religious minorities at all levels. We are enhancing the rule of law through the training of judges, lawyers and students, enhancing legal literacy and improving women’s access to justice. A major U.S. focus has been creating the conditions for free and fair elections through strengthening political parties and election administration, training election monitors, and urging the government to undertake necessary reforms. Our Embassy co-sponsored the first-ever nationally televised roundtable debates between government and opposition parties and civil society on proposed Constitutional amendments. We are strengthening non-governmental organizations through small grants and resource centers. U.S. assistance is funding the professional development of journalists and technical assistance to independent television stations. We have pushed the Government to respect religious freedom and have maintained close ties with local religious communities. We even brought some of their representatives on visitors programs to the U.S., to discuss issues such as Islam in America. Finally, to combat trafficking in persons, we promoted preventive measures by the government and awareness campaigns by NGOs, and funded a trafficking research study.

We helped monitor the June 2002 municipal and legislative elections throughout Cameroon, contributing to one of the freest and fairest elections in the country's history. Our public diplomacy resources funded election observation workshops and a resource center for journalists, political parties, civil society and local observers. Journalists and others who participated in "Operation Cell Phones for Democracy" said these programs contributed significantly to detecting electoral fraud. To help contain radical Islam, the U.S. involved young Muslim leaders in the International Visitors Program that provided training in religious freedom, democracy and human rights. To address trafficking in persons, the U.S. worked with International Labor Organization on an ambitious four-part plan to encourage legislation, train enforcement personnel, educate parents, and assist victims.

The United States employs multiple strategies to promote human rights and strengthen the rule of law in China. We shine the spotlight on human rights abuses and routinely press China in bilateral and multilateral fora to bring its human rights practices into compliance with international human rights standards. The Ambassador and other Department officers also work with Chinese officials, NGOs and other organizations to identify areas of particular concern and encourage systemic reforms. Starting in 2002, the United States has strongly backed its support of systemic reform by funding a multi-million dollar program to promote legal reform and encourage judicial independence; to increase popular participation in government; to promote international labor standards; and to foster the development of civil society in China. All these efforts are coordinated with China's other human rights dialogue partners to ensure that China hears a clear and coherent message from the international community and that programs funded by the international community are complementary.

The 2002-2003 U.S. human rights and democracy strategy for Colombia is both proactive and responsive, tackling the root causes of human rights and democratic instability while continuing to invest in emergency humanitarian assistance and protection measures necessary to address the internal armed conflict. In FY02, we provided Colombia with $130.4 million in aid to support judicial reform, stronger democratic institutions, human rights protection programs, peace initiatives, an early warning system, humanitarian assistance and alternative development. The USG is currently implementing programs to protect threatened populations, increase access to justice, support judicial reforms and the rule of law, promote transparency and anti-corruption in local governance, support peace initiatives, reintegrate child soldiers, and provide humanitarian assistance to displaced populations. DRL’s HRDF is supporting a project to temporarily resettle threatened Colombian judicial sector personnel outside the country in order to save their lives and provide them specialized training to enhance their ability to perform their jobs upon their return to Colombia.

While the world’s media was focused on the war in Iraq, Internews, through a DRL grant, focused its attention on providing Arab journalists invaluable lessons in the role of accuracy, objectivity, and balance in reporting and local media. As part of its on-going series of training Middle East journalists in responsible reporting, Internews trained 40 male and female reporters on basic reporting, interviewing and reporting skills, as well as legal issues, critical analysis, freedom of expression, and ethics. Veiled women worked alongside those not wearing veils. This training demonstrated once again that the United States can nurture vibrant, pluralistic, and open media.

Iraq is not included in our report due to the rapidly evolving situation. On the democracy front, DRL Deputy Assistant Secretary Scott Carpenter is working closely with Ambassador Bremer in support of the Coalition Provision Authority’s (CPA) efforts to establish a representative Iraqi interim administration. We are looking at a range of activities to lay the groundwork for democratic self-rule, including a constitutional process, political party development, elections, anti-corruption and women’s issues. The CPA has set up an Office of Human Rights and Transitional Justice, led by DRL officer Sandy Hodgkinson to deal with mass graves, property claims, missing persons and special courts for crimes against humanity. On mass graves, there has been an initial assessment and we are working to obtain international assistance to begin exhumations and forensic examination.

In Morocco, one of the most progressive countries in the Middle East, we pulled out the stops in helping create the conditions for democratic elections, which paid off handsomely in the parliamentary elections last fall – among the best ever held in the region. The U.S. funded projects trained candidates and political parties, strengthened transparency in the election process, and promoted voter outreach and education and the training of women candidates. We are continuing our work strengthening parties and NGOs for upcoming municipal elections. We keep in close touch with a range of civil society activists, including Jewish and Berber community leaders, to help improve the human rights environment, with particular emphasis on women’s rights, child labor, trafficking and religious tolerance. The United States also is funding a highly successful American Bar Association/Freedom House program that assisted the Government in reforming the Moroccan Penal Procedure Code. We are now starting to train judges, prosecutors and lawyers on how to implement the new code. We have used visitors programs effectively as well, bringing Moroccan NGOs representatives, government officials and activists to the United States to enhance their ability to confront children’s rights and child trafficking, labor rights, prison reform, and women’s rights, to the United States. This included five women political activists who observed U.S. Congressional elections last November.

In October 2002 Freedom House opened Central Asia’s first resource center for human rights NGOs in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. Demand for resources at the center quickly surpassed its physical capacity, leading Freedom House to relocate the center to a larger building and install additional phone lines for greater Internet access. In April a second center opened in the Fergana Valley and human rights activists in every district in the country have asked for a center. The centers have greatly increased the capacity of human rights activists to effectively react to human rights abuses, including deaths in detention, as well as their sense of security to speak out and press their government for greater accountability. The Government of Uzbekistan has also noticed the centers’ presence and has shown an interest in wanting to understand international standards governing press and freedom of expression.

Conclusion.

I have been asked if there are places where the U.S. is less aggressive in promoting human rights, for fear of running afoul of an ally. The answer to that question is no. That said, we do not have cookie-cutter approach to democracy around the world. The way we address concerns in one country may not be the way we address them in others. Every country is different and we look for the approach we believe will be the most effective, using the range of diplomatic tools available to us. Mongolia is a democracy, Mali is a democracy and Mexico is a democracy, but they are all headed in different democratic directions and at different paces. Assistance to those countries must be tailored accordingly.

Mr. Chairman, Members of the Committee, we have tried to provide a report that is true to both the language and the spirit of the mandating legislation that came out of this Committee. We have made the link from reporting to policy. The good news is that democracy is now accepted as an international norm.

I want to conclude by noting that democracy building has historically been a bipartisan issue. The best example we can offer overseas is that politics is not a winner-take-all sport. I look forward to working with this Committee in promoting human rights and democracy overseas, for there remains much to do.

Thank you, again, for this hearing. Thank you for your commitment to human rights and democracy. I would be happy to answer your questions.

[End]

Released on July 9, 2003