[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 70 (Thursday, May 7, 2009)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1108]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  THE REINTRODUCTION OF RECOMMITMENT TO INTERNATIONAL HUMAN AND CIVIL 
                           RIGHTS RESOLUTION

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. JOHN LEWIS

                               of georgia

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 7, 2009

  Mr. LEWIS of Georgia. Madam Speaker, i rise to reintroduce my 
resolution urging the United States to ratify and implement certain 
fundamental international conventions.
  This resolution is supported by a variety of organizations including 
Free the Slaves, Human Rights Watch, AFL-CIO, Amnesty International 
USA, Global Rights, Citizens for Global Solutions, Oxfam America, the 
National Alliance of HUD Tenants, the National Law Center on 
Homelessness and Poverty, and the Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Center for 
Justice and Human Rights.
  This year marks the 60th anniversary of the UN Declaration on 
Universal Rights. It is the foundation of the current human rights 
movement. Americans, led by First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt, helped craft 
this historic convention, and next week, the United States will again 
seek a seat on the United Nations Human Rights Council.
  Last week, I joined my colleagues to protest the genocide in Darfur 
at the Sudanese Embassy in Washington, D.C. Three years ago, many of us 
were arrested doing the same thing; three years later, millions 
continue to suffer.
  Our case against this and other humanitarian crises would be so much 
stronger if the United States had ratified the U.N. Conventions that 
address the rights of women, children, and forced disappearance. How 
can we ask for our global trading partners to respect international 
labor standards, when we ourselves have not ratified ILO standards on 
the right to organize and bargain collectively, or against forced child 
labor, or age discrimination? How can we fight poverty and homelessness 
if we do not support UN Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural 
Rights? How can we stand up for civil rights when we do not support 
hemispheric efforts to recognize historic struggles of marginalized 
communities?
  Our country was founded on the principles of civil and human rights. 
Many, many people--men, women, and even children--have sacrificed their 
lives for the freedoms we enjoy today. Madam Speaker, this is a time of 
war. This is a time when the global economy is struggling This is a 
time when access to food, water, shelter, and resources impacts every 
person on this planet. It is during periods like these when it is most 
important to protect our values and our commitment to universal human 
and civil rights.
  Simply said, this resolution is our recommitment to our own American 
principles and to our neighbors and friends around the world. We must 
always be vigilant. We must be vocal. But we must remember--actions 
speak louder than words.

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