Title: Recognizing the goal of United States foreign policy should be to promote human rights and equal rights for all.
Policy area: International Affairs

Summary:
This resolution recognizes the 71st anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and urges the U.S. government, as well as U.N. member states, to promote human rights globally.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 527 Introduced in House (IH)]

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116th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 527

   Recognizing the goal of United States foreign policy should be to 
             promote human rights and equal rights for all.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             July 25, 2019

  Mr. Lowenthal (for himself, Mr. Pocan, Mr. Espaillat, Mr. Green of 
   Texas, Mr. Hastings, Mr. Carson of Indiana, Ms. Eshoo, Ms. Lee of 
California, Ms. McCollum, Mr. Danny K. Davis of Illinois, Ms. Haaland, 
   Ms. Norton, Mr. Swalwell of California, Ms. Meng, Ms. Moore, Mr. 
Johnson of Georgia, Ms. Omar, Mr. McGovern, Mr. Raskin, Ms. Schakowsky, 
  Mr. Costa, Mr. Smith of Washington, Mrs. Napolitano, Mr. Himes, Ms. 
 Brownley of California, Mrs. Torres of California, Mr. Grijalva, Ms. 
Lofgren, and Mr. Peters) submitted the following resolution; which was 
              referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
   Recognizing the goal of United States foreign policy should be to 
             promote human rights and equal rights for all.

Whereas the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, adopted by the United Nations 
        (UN) 71 years ago on December 10, 1948, represented the first 
        comprehensive agreement among nations as to the specific rights and 
        freedoms of all human beings;
Whereas the Department of State has declared that a central goal of the United 
        States foreign policy is the promotion of respect for human rights, as 
        embodied in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights;
Whereas the Universal Declaration of Human Rights is a ``common standard of 
        achievement for all peoples and all nations, to the end that every 
        individual and every organ of society, keeping this Declaration 
        constantly in mind, shall strive by teaching and education to promote 
        respect for these rights and freedoms and by progressive measures, 
        national and international, to secure their universal and effective 
        recognition and observance, both among the peoples of UN Member States 
        themselves and among the peoples of territories under their 
        jurisdiction.'';
Whereas it is in the national interest of the United States to impose consistent 
        and principled human rights policies when engaging with both allies and 
        competitors alike;
Whereas according to the Human Rights Foundation, more than half of the world's 
        population live under nondemocratic regimes, meaning that 3,700,000,000 
        people are controlled by absolute monarchs, military occupation or 
        juntas, competitive authoritarians, or full-fledged dictatorships;
Whereas human rights, equal rights, and justice are essential to the realization 
        of fundamental freedoms and promoting more equitable societies, 
        preventing conflict and atrocities, and enhancing participation in the 
        democratic process;
Whereas the United States must build respect for and the protection of human 
        rights, equal rights, and justice for all here at home in order to set a 
        standard by which both allies and competitors can be held to account; 
        and
Whereas particularly in the face of rising global authoritarianism, the 
        executive and legislative branches of the United States Government must 
        prioritize protection of these rights in words and in action when they 
        engage with foreign governments, allies, and competitors alike, around 
        the globe: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) recognizes the 71st anniversary of the Universal 
        Declaration of Human Rights and the celebration of ``Human 
        Rights Day'';
            (2) supports the ideals, indivisibility, and universality 
        of human rights, reaffirms the Universal Declaration of Human 
        Rights, and recognizes that the erosion and violation of human 
        rights anywhere threaten fundamental human rights everywhere;
            (3) urges every UN Member State to promote universal human 
        rights for all peoples;
            (4) urges the executive and legislative branches of the 
        United States Government to develop and implement United States 
        foreign policy that promotes human rights, equal rights, and 
        justice for all; and
            (5) encourages the people of the United States to observe 
        ``Human Rights Day'' and continue their commitment to upholding 
        freedom, democracy, equality, and human rights across the 
        globe.
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