Democracy & Human Rights

Clinton Announces Release of 2009 Country Reports on Human Rights - The idea of human rights begins with a fundamental commitment to the dignity that is the birthright of every man, woman and child. Progress in advancing human rights begins with the facts," Secretary of State Clinton said when announcing the release of the U.S.'s 2009 reports on human rights practices in countries worldwide (Video). "And for the last 34 years, the United States has produced the Country Reports on Human Rights Practices, providing the most comprehensive record available of the condition of human rights around the world." (2009 Reports; State’s Posner on Release of 2009 Human Rights Report; Fact Sheet)

U.S. Responds to EU Statement on Death Penalty - "We want to thank the European Union for its expression of concern regarding the death penalty in the United States, and we understand its concern," Chargé d’Affaires Carol Fuller of the U.S. Mission to the OSCE said in a February 10 statement. "As we have said on numerous occasions, the use of the death penalty in the United States is a decision of democratically elected governments at the federal and individual state levels and is not prohibited by international law, nor does capital punishment violate any OSCE commitments."

2010: U.S. Response to EU Statement on U.S. Death Penalty (Feb 12, 2010)

2009: U.S. Response to European Union’s Statement on Death Penalty (Dec 17, 2009) | East European Democracy Initiative Marks 20th Anniversary (Jul 22, 2009) | Biden Lays Out U.S. Foreign Policy Goals, Approaches (Feb 7, 2009) (Remarks) | White House Executive Order on Ensuring Lawful Interrogations (Jan 22, 2009) | Obama Orders Guantánamo Shut Down (Jan 22, 2009) (Executive Order) | President Obama’s Inaugural Address (Jan 20, 2009)

GEORGE W. BUSH ADMINISTRATION

2007: Central Europeans Are Leaders in Promoting Democracy, U.S. Says (Apr 5, 2007)

2006: More Global Effort Needed To Fight Sex Crimes Against Children (Sep 28, 2006) | U.S.-EU Summit Declaration (Jun 21, 2006) | Report Details Mixed Human Trafficking Picture in Europe, Eurasia (Jun 6, 2006) | State's Sauerbrey in Brussels: U.S. Focusing on Preventing Human Trafficking, Protecting Victims (Jun 1, 2006) | State's Fried Meets with Belgian Muslim Leaders, EU Officials (Feb 17, 2006) | U.S. Calls for Restraint, Reason in Wake of Cartoon Controversy (Feb 7, 2006) | State's Volker Discusses Challenges Facing U.S. and EU (Feb 6, 2006) | State's Fried Says United States, Europe United on Freedom Agenda (Jan 20, 2006)