IV 
116TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. RES. 1257 
Recognizing International Human Rights Day. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
DECEMBER 10, 2020 
Mr. DIAZ-BALART (for himself and Mr. MCCAUL) submitted the following 
resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs 
RESOLUTION 
Recognizing International Human Rights Day. 
Whereas the United Nations General Assembly adopted the 
Universal Declaration of Human Rights on December 10, 
1948; 
Whereas human rights activists and organizations around the 
world continue to mark International Human Rights Day 
as a time to call for global recognition of human rights; 
Whereas the preamble to the Universal Declaration of 
Human Rights states that ‘‘recognition of the inherent 
dignity and of the equal and inalienable rights of all 
members of the human family is the foundation of free-
dom, justice and peace in the world’’; 
Whereas the Universal Declaration of Human Rights lists the 
freedoms of expression, religious belief, political opinion, 
independent media, access to information, due process, 
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•HRES 1257 IH 
democratic governance, and the right to property among 
the inalienable rights belonging to every person; 
Whereas the United Nations Human Rights Council, while 
founded on sound principles, has failed to fulfill its mis-
sion of promoting human rights in the most repressed 
areas of the world; 
Whereas the Council, which has 47 members at a time, has 
included some of the world’s worst human rights abusers, 
such as Cuba, the People’s Republic of China (PRC), 
Russia, and Nicaragua, and currently the Council in-
cludes Cuba, Eritrea, and the Maduro regime of Ven-
ezuela within its membership; 
Whereas the United States announced its withdrawal from 
the Council on June 19, 2018, due to the organization’s 
profound need for reform, and its myopic focus on criti-
cism of Israel, a democratic country that respects human 
rights; 
Whereas grave human rights abuses in Cuba, Nicaragua, and 
Venezuela should be addressed thoroughly by the Council, 
particularly in regard to documented cases of arbitrary or 
extrajudicial killings, torture, persecution for political 
opinion or religious belief, imprisonment of political oppo-
nents, media censorship, and suppression of the rights to 
speech and assembly; 
Whereas, in October and November 2020, the regime in Cuba 
brutally arrested prodemocracy activists and artists, in-
cluding members of the San Isidro Movement, some of 
whom engaged in a hunger strike to protest the wrongful 
imprisonment of those expressing opposition to repression 
and censorship; 
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•HRES 1257 IH 
Whereas, on December 2, 2020, the Inter-American Commis-
sion on Human Rights (IACHR) announced the publica-
tion of a report, ‘‘People Who Have Been Deprived of 
Their Liberty During the Human Rights Crisis in Nica-
ragua That Began on April 18, 2018’’, detailing the arbi-
trary detention, sexual violence, and harassment that 
have been used in Nicaragua in retaliation against those 
protesting the Ortega regime; 
Whereas the UN International Independent Fact-Finding 
Mission (FFM) on Venezuela issued a report on Sep-
tember 16, 2020, regarding nearly 3,000 cases involving 
human rights abuses, with the FFM’s chairperson Marta 
Valin˜as stating of the report, ‘‘The Mission found reason-
able grounds to believe that Venezuelan authorities and 
security forces have since 2014 planned and executed se-
rious human rights violations, some of which—including 
arbitrary killings and the systematic use of torture— 
amount to crimes against humanity’’, and further stating 
that, ‘‘Far from being isolated acts, these crimes were co-
ordinated and committed pursuant to State policies, with 
the knowledge or direct support of commanding officers 
and senior government officials’’; 
Whereas grave human rights abuses in the PRC should be 
addressed by the Council, particularly in regard to in-
ternment camps, abusive population controls including 
forced and coerced birth control and sterilizations, the 
eradication of the language and culture of minority popu-
lations including Uyghurs, persecution for political opin-
ion or religious belief, media censorship, forced ‘‘dis-
appearances’’, organ harvesting of the Falun Gong, op-
pression of the people of Tibet, torture, and arbitrary or 
extrajudicial killings; 
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•HRES 1257 IH 
Whereas Russia’s grave human rights abuses should be ad-
dressed by the Council, particularly in regard to persecu-
tion and imprisonment of political opponents and civic ac-
tivists, crackdown on independent media, gross violations 
of freedom of religion, targeted assassinations of journal-
ists and political opponents, and the expulsion of human 
rights and democracy organizations; 
Whereas, in 2018, the Council condemned Eritrea’s human 
rights 
abuses, 
documented 
by 
the 
U.N. 
Special 
Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Eritrea, 
to include ‘‘arbitrary detention, enforced disappearances, 
torture and sexual violence and forced labor’’ in 2018, 
and other human rights groups have condemned Eritrea’s 
political and religious persecution, but nonetheless, Eri-
trea was welcomed as a Member of the Council later that 
year; 
Whereas UN Resolution 60/251 declares that ‘‘members 
elected to the [Human Rights] Council members shall up-
hold the highest standards in the promotion and protec-
tion of human rights’’; 
Whereas commemoration of International Human Rights Day 
should include particular focus on countries with the 
world’s worst human rights records such as Cuba, the 
PRC, Russia, Nicaragua, and Venezuela; 
Whereas the United States should continue its important 
work with countries, nongovernmental organizations, and 
human rights activists to promote greater respect for 
human rights in the most repressed areas of the world; 
and 
Whereas respect for human rights is essential to promotion 
of other fundamental goals for a flourishing civil society, 
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•HRES 1257 IH 
rule of law, good governance, economic prosperity, and 
regional stability: Now, therefore, be it 
Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 
(1) recognizes the importance of promoting 
human rights throughout the world; 
(2) honors the independent journalists, human 
rights attorneys, human rights and prodemocracy 
activists, political prisoners, nongovernmental orga-
nizations, and free countries for their selfless dedica-
tion to promoting human rights; 
(3) remembers the sacrifices of those who have 
languished under oppression, suffered for demanding 
respect for basic human rights, or perished as a re-
sult of their advocacy for human rights; 
(4) celebrates the commemoration of 72 years 
of progress toward greater respect for human rights; 
and 
(5) acknowledges that all countries must con-
tinue to work toward universal respect for human 
rights. 
Æ 
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