[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 37 (Monday, March 15, 2010)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1514-S1515]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 STATE DEPARTMENT HUMAN RIGHTS REPORTS

  Mr. CARDIN. Mr. President, this month's release of the State 
Department's annual Country Reports on Human Rights Practices shows the 
value of consistently monitoring human rights around the globe.
  As Chairman of the U.S. Helsinki Commission charged with monitoring 
international human rights commitments in 56 countries from the U.S. 
and Canada to Europe and Central Asia, this annual report is a key tool 
that we, and others, use to track progress being made on universal 
freedoms.
  This year's reports have increased significance as 2010 is the 35th 
anniversary of the Helsinki Final Act and the 20th anniversary of 
historic international human rights agreements, the Copenhagen 
Document, and the Charter of Paris for a New Europe.
  In a year commemorating such landmark human rights documents, this 
month's State Department reports remind us that many of the commitments 
countries made in the past still have not been met with meaningful 
action today.
  In Belarus, where I visited last summer, the political space for 
opposition remains tightly controlled, independent media face continual 
harassment, and elections are a farce.
  The overall situation in Russia remains disturbing as well. There 
2009 was a year again filled with mourning the very people who stood 
for freedom, be they journalists, human rights advocates or lawyers 
simply trying to present a case against corruption. The country's 
harassment of Jehovah's Witnesses and forceful break up of public 
demonstrations remain particularly concerning.
  I urge Kazakhstan, as the current chair of the OSCE, to lead by 
example through concrete actions, starting with the release of activist 
Yevgeny Zhovtis, whom staff from the Helsinki Commission visited this 
week in prison. Zhovtis at least deserves the same freedoms afforded 
other prisoners in his facility, including the right to work outside 
the facility during the day.
  In Kosovo, in addition to problems with human trafficking, official 
corruption and a lack of judicial due process, the State Department 
notes the lack of progress regarding displaced persons of all 
ethnicities, politically and ethnically motivated violence, and 
societal antipathy against Serbs and the Serbian Orthodox Church. The 
lack of progress regarding the country's international recognition, 
while unfortunate, does not absolve Kosovo authorities from their 
responsibility to ensure greater respect for human rights and adherence 
to the rule of law.
  Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy Human Rights and Labor 
Michael Posner, who serves as the State Department Commissioner on the 
U.S. Helsinki Commission, did a superb job of unveiling the report 
today with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
  I was heartened to hear him specifically flag examples of 2009 human 
rights violations within the OSCE region that drew the attention of the 
Commission last year. The banning of construction of Muslim minarets in 
Switzerland, the pervasiveness of discrimination against Roma--Europe's 
largest ethnic minority, and the continued rise of anti-Semitism in 
Europe sadly still remain concerns this year.
  While these country reports help to hold all governments--including 
our own--to account; and while much of their text shows the reality of 
a world troubled by violent conflicts and the mistreatment of our most 
vulnerable people; the State Department reports also show the positive 
that surrounds us.
  In this vein, Assistant Secretary Posner was right to mention the 
fairness of Ukraine's recent elections, for which my colleague 
Cochairman Hastings led the election observation mission. And the 
reports are eager to cite progress where appropriate.
  But these reports affirm something else, and that is the strength of 
the legislative-executive branch cooperation when it comes to upholding 
universal standards. The Helsinki Commission is unique among all 
federal agencies for being comprised of Senate, House and executive 
branch commissioners, and Assistant Secretary Posner's activity with 
the Commission

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and the State Department's annual human rights reports mandated by 
Congress are but two examples of our two branches working together to 
keep a spotlight on human rights abuses.

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