[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 142 (Wednesday, July 24, 2024)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 59813-59814]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-16399]


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  Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 142 / Wednesday, July 24, 2024 / 
Presidential Documents  

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 Title 3--
 The President

[[Page 59813]]

                Proclamation 10785 of July 19, 2024

                
Captive Nations Week, 2024

                By the President of the United States of America

                A Proclamation

                During Captive Nations Week, we remember all those 
                around the world living under oppression and fighting 
                for their liberty. They remind us that freedom is never 
                free and that even the most brutal regime cannot erase 
                the human yearning for dignity and self-determination.

                As we marked the 80th anniversary of D-Day this year, 
                we were reminded of the dark forces that the United 
                States and its allies fought against in World War II, 
                like aggression, greed, and the desire to dominate and 
                change borders by force. Still today, the struggle 
                between dictatorship and freedom continues. We see it 
                in various places around the world, where rulers govern 
                with contempt for basic human rights, the rule of law, 
                and democratic governance. In countries like Belarus, 
                Cuba, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Iran, 
                Nicaragua, the People's Republic of China, Syria, 
                Russia, Venezuela, and more, millions live without 
                basic freedoms.

                In Europe, we see another stark example. Russia is 
                waging an illegal, unjustifiable, and unprovoked war of 
                aggression against Ukraine. For 2 years, the Ukrainian 
                people have fought with extraordinary courage and 
                bravery. The United States is standing with them, 
                alongside a coalition of more than 50 countries, and we 
                will not walk away or bow down. The autocrats of the 
                world are watching closely to see what happens in 
                Ukraine and if we will let this illegal aggression go 
                unchecked. We cannot let that happen. That is why I 
                signed a national security package into law that 
                provided $61 billion to the people of Ukraine to meet 
                their urgent security and defense needs, ensuring they 
                have the support they need to defend their country.

                At the same time, we support the equal and inalienable 
                rights of all people everywhere. That is why my 
                Administration has been working with the Congress to 
                provide up to $11.8 billion through the end of Fiscal 
                Year 2025 to strengthen democracies across the globe. 
                This year, at the Third Summit for Democracy, the 
                United States and countries around the world came 
                together to strengthen democratic resilience, respect 
                for human rights, and good governance globally. But 
                there is still so much we must do. We must continue 
                working to ensure that women and girls enjoy equal 
                rights and equal participation. We must ensure that 
                Indigenous groups; racial, ethnic, and religious 
                minorities; and people with disabilities do not have 
                their potential stifled by systemic discrimination. We 
                must remember wrongfully detained Americans around the 
                world. And we must ensure that LGBTQI+ people are not 
                targeted with violence because of who they are. When 
                human rights are not upheld, the effects are felt 
                everywhere. They are essential to the advancement of 
                human progress that brings us together.

                The challenges of our time remind us that we must 
                continue to secure our freedom and democracy here at 
                home. I signed an Executive Order to promote access to 
                voter registration and election information so every 
                American has an opportunity to exercise their right to 
                vote. And I signed the Electoral Count Reform Act to 
                ensure that our elections answer to the will of the 
                people. I continue to call on the Congress to pass the

[[Page 59814]]

                Freedom to Vote Act and the John Lewis Voting Rights 
                Advancement Act, which would further protect the sacred 
                right to vote.

                As Americans, we represent something special to the 
                world. We are the only Nation on Earth founded on the 
                idea that all men and women are created equal. Both at 
                home and abroad, our actions every day will ensure that 
                our democracy endures, the soul of our Nation endures, 
                and the free world remains free. This week, we recommit 
                to ensuring that democracy is preserved, is defended, 
                and prevails.

                The Congress, by joint resolution approved July 17, 
                1959 (73 Stat. 212), has authorized and requested the 
                President to issue a proclamation designating the third 
                week of July of each year as ``Captive Nations Week.''

                NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR., President of 
                the United States of America, do hereby proclaim July 
                21 through July 27, 2024, as Captive Nations Week. I 
                call upon all Americans to reaffirm our commitment to 
                championing those around the world who are working, 
                often at great personal risk, to secure liberty and 
                justice for all.

                IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this 
                nineteenth day of July, in the year of our Lord two 
                thousand twenty-four, and of the Independence of the 
                United States of America the two hundred and forty-
                ninth.
                
                
                    (Presidential Sig.)

[FR Doc. 2024-16399
Filed 7-23-24; 8:45 am]
Billing code 3395-F4-P