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1 1 (May 20, 2019)

handle is hein.crs/govzti0001 and id is 1 raw text is: Congressional Research Service hfo1krin the legisi ative debate since 1914 Updated May 20, 2019 Global Human Rights: The Department of State's Country Reports on Human Rights Practices Introduction The State Department's Country Reports on Human Rights Practices are an annual U.S. government account of human rights conditions in countries around the globe. The reports characterize countries on the basis of their adherence to internationally recognized human rights, which generally refer to the civil, political, and worker rights set forth in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 1948) and other international human rights agreements. The most recent reports cover calendar year 2018 and were issued on March 13, 2019. They provide individual narratives for nearly 200 countries and are available on the Department of State website. As with prior reports, the 2018 reports do not compare countries or rank them based on the severity of human rights abuses documented. In his remarks introducing the reports, Secretary of State Michael Pompeo specifically noted human rights violations in Iran, South Sudan, Nicaragua, and China, and stated that China in particular is in a league of its own when it comes to human rights violations. Pompeo also noted that the report documents human rights violations in U.S. allied and partner countries as well, but did not name any of these specifically. Similar to prior years, some countries whose human rights practices were criticized in the reports publicly defended their record and accused the United States of human rights challenges of its own. Some changes in emphasis and terminology in the 2018 reports were also noted in U.S. and international media coverage. Human Rights Categories Covered in the 2018 Reports Integrity of the Person Civil Liberties Political Participation Corruption and Government Transparency Governmental Attitude toward Human Rights Investigations Discrimination and Societal Abuses Worker Rights Legislative Mandate The statutory requirement for the human rights reports is found in Sections 116 and 502B of the Foreign Assistance Act (FAA) of 1961 (P.L. 87-195), as amended. Both of these provisions were first enacted via congressional amendments in the mid-1970s and have been broadened and strengthened over time through additional amendments. The 1970s was a formative period for human rights-related legislation as Congress sought to enshrine human rights as a priority in U.S. foreign policy. In 1974, Section 502B of the FAA (22 U.S.C. 2304) was enacted to withhold U.S. security assistance from governments that engage in a consistent pattern of gross violations of international human rights. The following year, Section 116 (22 U.S.C. 2151n) was added, introducing similar restrictions for recipients of U.S. development assistance. Accompanying these provisions was language requiring that the Secretary of State transmit to Congress each year a full and complete report concerning the human rights conditions of recipient countries; this language thus served as the legislative basis for the annual human rights reports. An amendment in 1979 further broadened the reporting requirement to cover all U.N. member states. Despite their legislative origin in connection with U.S. foreign assistance, the reports have generally served as an information source for U.S. policy rather than as a direct instrument for restricting aid. The precise role that the reports should play in U.S. policy has been the subject of continued debate (see Relationship to U.S. Foreign Policy below). Evolution of the Reports In the early reports, there was concern within the State Department about publicly characterizing the human rights conditions in other countries, particularly U.S. allies. The first reports were criticized for being biased and thin on substance. Over time, with improvements in the breadth, quality, and accuracy of the reports, experts have generally come to recognize them as authoritative. The modern reports are cited by lawmakers, foreign governments, human rights organizations, scholars, and others. The scope of the reports has also broadened as Congress has amended legislation to add or expand human rights topics in response to evolving situations and contexts. Topics that now receive increased coverage include worker rights, the rights of sexual minorities and persons with disabilities, and corruption, among others. In addition, the reports now reference separate congressionally mandated reports on international religious freedom (IRF) and trafficking in persons (TIP). Relevant Legislation in the I 16th Congress S. 707 and H.R. 1581, introduced in March 2019, would amend the FAA to require that the human rights reports cover respect for reproductive rights in each country, including issues such as access to maternal health services, statistics on maternal deaths, and discrimination against women and girls in health care settings. The bills would also require that State Department officials consult organizations with expertise and experience in sexual and reproductive health and rights in preparing the annual report. ps:!icrsrepots cong es

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