As Prepared for Delivery Good afternoon and thank you all for coming today. I would like to use our time to discuss the main U.S. priorities here at the UN Commission on Human Rights. I have a statement prepared for you, and then we can move directly to your questions. The primary focus of our involvement here this year is to acknowledge the vital link between democracy and human rights. As most of you know, the United States is introducing a resolution on the right to democracy that makes just that point.
Democracy is on the rise all over the world, and with good reason.
Government that reflects the will of the people speaks to a universal desire for responsive and responsible government. We recognize that democracy means more than just holding elections, important as they are. Building and maintaining such institutions is not always easy. That is why the United States spends more than a billion dollars a year across the globe, helping struggling democracies and governments in transition create the environment in which democracy and human rights can be respected and sustained. I have just returned from visiting from the Former Yugoslavia Republic of Macedonia, where I visited the Stankovec and Brazda transit camps.