01 April 2003
Powell Says U.S. Committed to Advancing Human Rights
(Secretary of State releases 2002 human rights report) (2300)
The State Department's 2003 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices,
says Secretary of State Colin Powell, "reflect the steadfast
commitment of the United States to advance internationally agreed
human rights principles worldwide."
The congressionally mandated human rights report -- consisting of
chapters on practices in 196 countries -- was delivered to Congress on
March 31. Powell said at a State Department news briefing that it will
help shape the Bush administration's policy decisions as it works
toward a safer, freer world.
He said the administration is strongly committed to working with
government leaders, nongovernmental organizations, free trade unions
and individuals across the globe to improve compliance with
international human rights standards.
"We are helping to create the conditions that make societies strong
and vibrant through our support for the rule of law, independent
media, religious liberty and the rights of minorities," the secretary
added.
Following is a transcript of Powell's briefing, released by the State
Department:
(begin transcript)
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Office of the Spokesman
March 31, 2003
REMARKS
Secretary of State Colin L. Powell
On the State Department's 2002 Country Reports on Human Rights
Practices
March 31, 2003
Washington, D.C.
SECRETARY POWELL: Well, good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. I am
pleased to present the Department's Country Practices Reports for 2002
on Human Rights Practices throughout the world.
These congressionally mandated reports reflect the steadfast
commitment of the United States to advance internationally agreed
human rights principles worldwide. Our country was founded on the
precept that freedom is the birthright of every human being, and
America is proud to serve as a force for freedom across the globe.
As we lead an international campaign against terrorism, we are also
working to extend the blessings of freedom at home and abroad. People
of every race, religion and region, people of every color, creed and
continent, want to live in freedom, in safety, and to create a better
future for their children.
As I speak, U.S. forces and our coalition partners are fighting to
protect our country and the world from the potentially catastrophic
combination of an outlaw state, weapons of mass destruction and
terrorism. In the process, we are liberating the Iraqi people from a
ruthless tyranny that has showed utter contempt for human life.
We are resolved to help the Iraqi people achieve a united and stable
country and move toward democracy and prosperity under a
representative government that respects the rights of all of its
citizens.
Saddam Hussein's regime is a classic illustration of the fact that
such regimes which ruthlessly violate the rights of their citizens
tend to pose the greatest threats to international peace and
stability.
In contrast, states which demonstrate a high degree of respect for
human rights are likeliest to contribute to international security and
well-being. Where human rights and freedoms flourish, terrorists and
tyrants do not thrive, and conflict and chaos do not reign. America's
democratic values, our national interest and our obligations to the
international community demand that the defense and promotion of human
rights are an integral and active part of our foreign policy.
The Bush Administration is strongly committed to working with
government leaders, nongovernmental organizations, free trade unions
and individuals across the globe to improve compliance with
international human rights standards. We are working to foster
accountable governance and spur political, legal and economic reforms.
We are channeling development assistance and other resources towards
nations that govern justly, that invest in their people, and that
embrace economic freedoms.
We are helping to create the conditions that make societies strong and
vibrant through our support for the rule of law, independent media,
religious liberty and the rights of minorities. We are working to
defend the rights and enhance the political, social and economic
standing of women by championing their full participation in the
public life of their countries and their equal access to essential
services.
Brutality against women, the rape and the mutilation of women, can
never be justified, whatever the circumstances or culture.
The United States is a leader in the international effort to combat
the appalling crime of human trafficking, of which the overwhelming
majority of victims are women and children.
And we join in solidarity with courageous men and women all over the
world who strive to advance human rights and democratic values within
their own countries and throughout the international community.
These Country Reports on Human Rights Practices will help to shape the
Bush Administration's policy decisions as we work toward a safer,
freer world. We also trust that the information contained in these
reports will prove useful to other governments and to the press and
the public as they seek to expose and eradicate human rights abuses
and to increase human rights compliance.
We have done our utmost to ensure that these reports are accurate and
objective. They speak for themselves. They also speak to President
Bush's solemn pledge that the United States will always stand for the
nonnegotiable demands of human dignity.
With that, I will hand the briefing over to Lorne Craner, the
Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights and Labor,
who will make his own statement and then take your questions with
respect to the Human Rights Report.
Before I leave, though, I am prepared to take a question or two on any
other subject, if you are so interested.
George.
QUESTION: On the report. The report is rather harsh on China. Have you
decided whether or not to seek a resolution on China at the Human
Rights Commission?
SECRETARY POWELL: We have not made a decision on that. As we have said
to the Chinese, we have seen some slippage over the past year and it
is of concern to us, and we have raised it with them on a number of
occasions, most recently my last meeting with Foreign Minister Tang.
QUESTION: Is there anything you would like to say about what your
hopes and goals are for the trip that you're going on tomorrow,
particularly -- well, in each of the two stops?
SECRETARY POWELL: Yeah, as I told you last time, I think it was up at
the lectern, now that the UN work is behind us and some time was freed
up, I'm able to travel and this week opened up for me and so I thought
I would take advantage of it, go to Turkey, and to review the
situation there, have a chance to catch up with the work of Ambassador
Khalilzad and to make sure that we have a common understanding of the
situation in Northern Iraq. I want to reassure Turkish leaders that we
believe that the work we are doing there now should make it
unnecessary for them to consider any incursions in the region, but at
the same time to hear their point of view and make sure that we have a
common understanding.
In Brussels, I'll have the opportunity to meet with a number of
individual ministers, but also to talk to NATO as a group and with the
addition of some others that will also allow me to speak to the EU. I
have to do a number of trips like this, really, in the weeks and
months ahead, but Brussels is a stop that was intended to get a number
of them in one place.
I want to give them an update on Operation Iraqi Freedom and also
begin conversations about our hopes for Iraq in the future, for the
people of Iraq, how we can all work together to provide a better life
for them and to help them to rebuild their country after decades of
devastation by the Hussein regime.
QUESTION: Mr. Secretary, how do you reconcile the fact that on your
list of the coalition in the war in Iraq many of the countries show up
pretty badly in the report, particularly, for example, Uzbekistan and
Eritrea? When you're waging a war supposedly to liberate the Iraqi
people, how is it that some of your allies have records which are
pretty bad themselves?
SECRETARY POWELL: We are waging a war to remove weapons of mass
destruction from Iraq and, in the process, liberate the Iraqi people,
because this is a regime that oppressed its people and would not get
rid of its weapons of mass destruction. We do not believe it is
inconsistent to work with nations who are willing to assist in this
effort who, themselves, have some problems with respect to human
rights, that we candidly talk to them about and encourage them to
change. Assistant Secretary Craner spends a great deal of his time
visiting these countries, and in each and every one we make it clear
to them that even though we're cooperating in some areas, cooperation
can improve and our relationship can be strengthened if they will
adhere to what we consider the basic, basic concepts of human rights.
So it's a question of working with them to improve the situation in
those countries at the same time that we are working with them in a
willing coalition, such as we are, in Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Yes, ma'am.
QUESTION: Can I ask you a question about Laos? The U.S. Commission on
International Religious Freedom, for the third year in a row,
recommended that Laos be a country of particular concern, but the
State Department didn't take that recommendation. Can you tell me why
and can you tell me if the human rights concerns that seem to have
gotten worse this year are going to come in to play in the
negotiations about whether you're going to give normal trade relations
to Laos?
SECRETARY POWELL: We take a comprehensive look at every country, but I
think for the specifics of the justification, I'll see if Assistant
Secretary Craner wants to say more about it, or we might have more
when Ambassador Boucher has a next opportunity to brief you.
QUESTION: Sir, more about your visit to Turkey. Have you ruled out
asking them to have more troops in -- to have U.S. troops in there,
particularly as the war might take longer than perhaps some people
were --
SECRETARY POWELL: At the moment, I think I know of no additional
requests that the Pentagon has, my colleagues in the Pentagon have.
And I'm not carrying anything, but of course I'll be talking to
Secretary Rumsfeld and my colleagues over there before I arrive in
Turkey to see if there are any specific issues they wish me to raise.
QUESTION: Do you foresee any role for NATO in the post-war Iraq?
SECRETARY POWELL: That's not the purpose of my visit, but I know that
NATO has been expressing interest in out-of-area activities and how
they can play a more effective role in the 21st century, and so I
would be interested in any ideas they have. But no, we are not -- I am
not going for the purpose of negotiating any NATO role in the new
phase of Iraq's life after the liberation of its people.
QUESTION: Do you think the United States has done enough in terms of
public diplomacy in the Arab world? Are you disappointed with these
efforts? I know administration officials are going on television over
there, but what more can be done? And are you disappointed?
SECRETARY POWELL: We're doing as much as we can. We're always looking
for new ways of carrying our message to the Arab world. We do spend a
great deal of time on Arab television and we are looking for every
channel that we can use. We are sending a lot of material out to our
embassies and our embassies are in touch with the governments and with
the publics of the countries in which those embassies are located.
I also hope that as the operation progresses and as we are able to
break the back of Iraqi resistance, which we most certainly will be
doing in the days ahead, and people are no longer intimidated, people
are no longer terrified by the Fedayeen or by the intelligence and
security apparatus that, for the most part, has these people trapped
in their towns and villages, we are confident that when the people are
free to speak and understand that the United States and its coalition
partners have come in peace to provide them with a better life, images
will flow from that that I think will make the case that the United
States and its coalition partners came for a specific purpose, a
number of specific purposes: one, to get rid of the weapons of mass
and break this nexus between rogue states' weapons of mass destruction
and terrorism, and now that that regime did not comply with its
international obligations, remove it and put in place a representative
government that will provide a better life for the Iraqi people; get
rid of the torture chambers; get rid of a regime that would cut the
tongues out of people who would resist it. This kind of barbaric
behavior has no place in the world, and I think that message will
eventually come through.
One more.
QUESTION: Mr. Secretary, it's been about a week, I believe, since you
last reported that you had talked to Foreign Minister Ivanov or sent
him the latest material about military related goods. Have you had any
response yet?
SECRETARY POWELL: I talked to him again this morning, but we did not
discuss that particular issue. I think they may still be looking at
it. I haven't gotten a response back from him and it may come back
through other channels, as well.
Okay, thank you. I've got to let Lorne go on.
(end transcript)
(Distributed by the Office of International Information Programs, U.S.
Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
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