[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 121 (Monday, September 14, 1998)]
[House]
[Pages H7660-H7661]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
SENSE OF CONGRESS ON 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF SIGNING OF UNIVERSAL
DECLARATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS
Mr. GILMAN. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to
the concurrent resolution (H.Con.Res. 185) expressing the sense of the
Congress on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the signing of the
Universal Declaration of Human Rights and recommitting the United
States to the principles expressed in the Universal Declaration, as
amended.
The Clerk read as follows:
H. Con. Res. 185
Whereas on December 10, 1948, the General Assembly of the
United Nations proclaimed the Universal Declaration of Human
Rights, after it was adopted by the General Assembly without
a dissenting vote;
Whereas the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was
modeled on the Bill of Rights of the United States
Constitution and it was developed with strong United States
leadership, and in particular the personal involvement of
Mrs. Eleanor Roosevelt, who served as Chair of the United
Nations Human Rights Commission;
Whereas the Universal Declaration of Human Rights sets
forth fundamental human rights including the right to life,
liberty, and security of person; freedom of religion; freedom
of opinion and expression; freedom of assembly; self-
government through free elections; freedom from slavery and
torture; the right to a fair trial and to equality before the
law; presumption of innocence until proved guilty; the right
not to be subjected to retroactive laws; freedom of movement
within one's state and freedom to leave or return to it; the
right of asylum; the right to a nationality; the right to
found a family; the right against arbitrary interference with
privacy, family, home, or correspondence; the right to own
property; to social security and to work; the right to form
and join trade unions; the right to an adequate standard of
living, to education, and to rest and leisure; and the right
to participation in the cultural life of the community;
Whereas the Universal Declaration of Human Rights has
become the most widely accepted statement identifying human
rights and is referred to in resolutions and covenants
adopted by numerous international organizations, in
multilateral and bilateral treaties, in national
constitutions, and in local laws and decrees; and
Whereas the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, though
it is not a treaty or a binding international agreement, it
is ``a common standard of achievement for all peoples and all
nations'': Now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate
concurring), That the Congress--
(1) reaffirms the commitment of the United States to the
fundamental human rights enunciated half a century ago in the
Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which are a reflection
of the fundamental civil and human rights that are enshrined
in the Declaration of Independence and in the United States
Constitution, and in particular in the Bill of Rights;
(2) expresses the determination to work for the
implementation of and observance of international human
rights and international human rights agreements; and
(3) urges the government leaders of all nations,
representatives of private international human rights
organizations, business and labor leaders, local government
officials, and all Americans to use the Universal Declaration
of Human Rights as an instrument to promote tolerance,
understanding, and greater respect for human rights.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from New
York (Mr. Gilman) and the gentleman from California (Mr. Lantos) each
will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New York (Mr. Gilman).
General Leave
Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may
have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks
on this measure as well as on H. Con. Res. 304 and H. Con. Res. 254
previously considered.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from New York?
There was no objection.
Mr. GILMAN. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
(Mr. GILMAN asked and was given permission to revise and extend his
remarks.)
Mr. GILMAN. Madam Speaker, I commend the chairman of the Subcommittee
on International Operations and Human Rights the gentleman from New
Jersey (Mr. Smith) and the ranking minority member the gentleman from
California (Mr. Lantos) for their timely initiative, and I commend the
gentleman from California for crafting H. Con. Res. 185.
H. Con. Res. 185 expresses the sense of the Congress on the occasion
of the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Universal Declaration of
Human Rights and recommits our Nation to the principles expressed
therein.
On December 20, 1948, the General Assembly of the U.N. proclaimed the
Universal Declaration of Human Rights after it was adopted by the
General Assembly without one dissenting vote. H. Con. Res. 185
summarizes the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and reaffirms our
Nation's commitment to that declaration.
We take for granted so many freedoms that we have in our country. The
gentleman's resolution makes us aware of their preciousness and
reaffirms our commitment to their protection and role in our society
and the world community.
Accordingly, I strongly support H. Con. Res. 185, and I urge my
colleagues to support this resolution.
Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. LANTOS. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Let me first thank my friend the distinguished chairman of the
Committee on International Relations for his comments. Let me also
thank my good friend and distinguished gentleman from Illinois (Mr.
Porter), cochair of the Congressional Human Rights Caucus who joined me
as the principal Republican cosponsor of this bill. I also want to
thank my good friend the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith) the
distinguished chairman of the House International Relations
Subcommittee on International Operations and Human Rights for his
strong leadership on this issue. There are in fact scores of colleagues
across the political spectrum who joined us in introducing this
resolution.
Fifty years is a long time, Madam Speaker, and it is most appropriate
for us to recommit ourselves and this body and our Nation to this vital
document. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights is one of the most
monumental events in the history of human rights. It is the accepted
international definition of human rights, and the declaration continues
to serve as the basis for subsequent international human rights law and
treaties. And it is the critical starting point for future
international agreements on human rights.
Now, I am not naive, Madam Speaker, and I understand that in scores
of countries, this Universal Declaration of Human Rights is not
observed. But that painful fact makes it all the more important that we
recommit ourselves in a solemn way to the principles embodied in this
document.
The drafters of the Universal Declaration were not concerned with
inventing new political concepts and rights which would be granted or
extended to people around the world; but, rather, they were concerned
with defining the fundamental rights that are at the root of our human
nature, rights that are the essence of our humanity. The purpose of the
Universal Declaration was to enumerate these rights and
[[Page H7661]]
to establish the standards that all nations should observe.
The nations which founded the United Nations at the San Francisco
Conference in 1945, the city I have the honor to represent in this body
with my friend the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Pelosi), came to
the conclusion that new tools and international mechanisms are needed
to protect the basic rights of all human beings. They directly
responded to the atrocities of World War II committed by Nazi Germany
and others where fundamental rights were violated in an unprecedented
and systematic attack which produced inconceivable levels of human
suffering.
In 1946, Madam Speaker, the United Nations established the Commission
on Human Rights, the principal decision-making body charged with the
global defense of human rights. The first Chair of the Human Rights
Commission was Mrs. Eleanor Roosevelt, the widow of President Franklin
Delano Roosevelt. Under her inspired leadership, this Commission took
it upon itself to develop a comprehensive and universal catalogue of
human rights definitions, which could serve as the basis for future
legal codifications in the defense of human rights.
After almost 1,400 rounds of voting on practically every word in the
draft declaration, the General Assembly unanimously adopted the
Universal Declaration of Human Rights on December 10, 1948, in Paris at
the Palais de Chaillot. Hence, we annually celebrate December 10 as
International Human Rights Day. Subsequently some 60 human rights
treaties and declarations were negotiated at the United Nations on the
basis of the Universal Declaration.
Unfortunately, Madam Speaker, many of the rights enunciated in the
Universal Declaration are under attack across the globe. I urge my
colleagues to join me and continue our fight for all human rights for
all human beings, even if that means from time to time making some
unpopular decisions. As the sole remaining superpower, we have a
special global obligation to the poor, to the tortured, to the
prosecuted, to the persecuted, to the refugees and the voiceless.
Anything less than full commitment to these human rights would be a
betrayal of our own convictions and beliefs as a Nation and to our
responsibilities spelled out in our Constitution and the Bill of
Rights.
I urge all of my colleagues to support this resolution.
Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. GILMAN. Madam Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the
gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith).
(Mr. SMITH of New Jersey asked and was given permission to revise and
extend his remarks.)
Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Madam Speaker, first of all I want to thank
and congratulate the gentleman from California (Mr. Lantos) for
introducing H. Con. Res. 185 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the
Universal Declaration of Human Rights, a magnificent document. I am
very proud to be one of the cosponsors of the resolution. I do hope it
will get the full support of our colleagues today.
{time} 1415
Madam Speaker, I believe that rights come from God, not from
governments, not from international organizations. Nevertheless, it was
a great step forward when, without a dissenting vote, the United
Nations General Assembly recognized the existence of the rights to
life, liberty, freedom of religion and expression, self-government
through elections, and other important rights that are inherent in our
nature as human beings and children of God.
I am very proud to join my colleague, the gentleman from California
(Mr. Lantos), and I want to thank him again for bringing this important
resolution before the body today.
Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I applaud this measure. It is
imperative that we, as Representatives of the United States of America,
continue to support the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The
vital declaration ensures global preservation of the most basic human
liberties.
Nadezhda Mandelstam once wrote that one must scream to the world to
assert one's right to live and ``send a message to the outside world
demanding help and calling for resistance.'' Silence, in turn, is the
``real crime against humanity.''
It is clear that we must proclaim loudly that we are still demanding
help and calling for resistance against human rights throughout the
world. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights represents such a
voice because it creates a standard of human rights that all the
world's nations must uphold.
As a cornerstone of international customary law, the Declaration
paved the way for legally binding treaties such as the International
Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the International Covenant
on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights. Together, these documents
form the ``International Bill of Rights.''
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights also serves as a model for
national constitutions, laws, and policies. Since 1948, over 90
national constitutions can be traced to the Declaration.
We must continue to vocally support this Declaration. Our silence
would only result in a regression of the work done on behalf of this
document. Instead, we must scream to the world that we will not
tolerate human rights abuses.
Mr. LANTOS. Madam Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I
yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. GILMAN. Madam Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I
yield back the balance of the time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mrs. Morella). The question is on the motion
offered by the gentleman from New York (Mr. Gilman) that the House
suspend the rules and agree to the concurrent resolution, H. Con. Res.
185, as amended.
The question was taken.
Mr. LANTOS. Madam Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
The yeas and nays were ordered.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 5 of rule I and the
Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be
postponed.
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