Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that: (1) it is U.S. policy to oppose slavery, torture, racism, discrimination, and xenophobia; (2) the United States reaffirms its commitment to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights; (3) the United States should give thorough review to domestic policy and legislative proposals that would improve the economic, social, political, cultural, and civil rights and lives of marginalized U.S. communities; (4) the Senate should give its advice and consent to ratifying specified United Nations (U.N.) and International Labor Organization conventions; and (5) the United States should fully support the Inter-American human rights system.
[Congressional Bills 113th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 283 Introduced in House (IH)]
113th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. RES. 283
Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the United
States should become an international human rights leader by ratifying
and implementing certain core international conventions.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
June 27, 2013
Mr. Lewis submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the
Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the Committee on the
Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker,
in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the
jurisdiction of the committee concerned
_______________________________________________________________________
RESOLUTION
Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the United
States should become an international human rights leader by ratifying
and implementing certain core international conventions.
Whereas the United States has played a leading role in developing global human
rights standards since the inception of the Country;
Whereas the first 10 amendments to the Constitution are among the guiding
principles that helped develop the Universal Declaration of Human
Rights;
Whereas Eleanor Roosevelt, wife of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, led the
United States delegation and the United Nations (in this resolution
referred to as the ``UN'') in drafting the Universal Declaration of
Human Rights;
Whereas December 10, 2008, marked the 60th anniversary of the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights;
Whereas the General Assembly of the UN adopted the International Covenant on
Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and the International Covenant on
Civil and Political Rights in 1966;
Whereas the world celebrated the 206th anniversary of the abolition of the
transatlantic slave trade on May 1, 2013;
Whereas on January 1, 2013, the United States recognized the 150th anniversary
of the Emancipation Proclamation;
Whereas the United States continues to make legislative amendments that improve
the rights of all persons in the United States, including the 13th
Amendment in 1865, the Civil Rights Act of 1866, the 14th Amendment, the
19th Amendment, the Social Security Act of 1935, the Fair Labor
Standards Act of 1938, the Housing Act of 1949, the Equal Pay Act of
1963, the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Voting Rights Act of 1965, the
Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, the Age Discrimination
in Employment Act of 1967, the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act of
1987, the Civil Rights Restoration Act of 1988, the Americans with
Disabilities Act of 1990, the Civil Rights Act of 1991, and the Voting
Rights Act Reauthorization of 2006;
Whereas human and civil rights standards and protections require constant review
and attention;
Whereas the UN Millennium Development Goals set forth a 15-year plan to combat
poverty, hunger, disease, illiteracy, environmental degradation, and
discrimination;
Whereas the 43rd General Assembly of the Organization of American States adopted
the Inter-American Convention against Racism, Racial Discrimination and
Related Forms of Intolerance on June 5, 2013;
Whereas there are as many as 27,000,000 people around the world who are
enslaved;
Whereas the United States has supported the adoption of the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights in the UN General Assembly and has ratified
significant international human rights treaties, including the
International Conventions on the Elimination of Racism and
Discrimination, on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of
Genocide, and against Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading
Treatment or Punishment and the International Covenant on Civil and
Political Rights;
Whereas the United States has ratified two of the eight fundamental conventions
outlined by the International Labor Organization (in this resolution
referred to as the ``ILO'') including the Abolition of Forced Labour and
the Prohibition and Immediate Action for the Elimination of the Worst
Forms of Child Labour;
Whereas the United States has also ratified the Optional Protocol to the
Convention on the Rights of the Child on the Sale of Children, Child
Prostitution and Child Pornography and the Optional Protocol to the
Convention on the Rights of the Child on the Involvement of Children in
Armed Conflicts;
Whereas the United States signed the Convention on the Rights of Persons with
Disabilities on July 30, 2009; and
Whereas the United States is expected to be a regional and global leader in the
international civil and human rights movement: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That it is the sense of the House of Representatives
that--
(1) the United States recommits to fighting discrimination,
xenophobia, and human and civil rights abuses in both domestic
and foreign policy;
(2) the United States reaffirms its commitment to the
Universal Declaration of Human Rights;
(3) the United States should give thorough review to
domestic policy and legislative proposals that would improve
the economic, social, political, cultural, and civil rights and
lives of marginalized communities within the United States;
(4) the Senate should give its advice and consent to the
ratification of the UN Covenant on Economic, Social and
Cultural Rights, the UN Convention on the Elimination of All
Forms of Discrimination Against Women and its Optional
Protocol, the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, the UN
Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and its
Optional Protocol, the UN Convention for the Protection of All
Persons from Enforced Disappearance, the First Optional
Protocol to the UN Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and
the Optional Protocol to the UN Convention Against Torture and
other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment;
(5) the Senate should give its advice and consent to the
ratification of the ILO Convention on Forced or Compulsory
Labour, the ILO Convention on Freedom of Association and
Protection of the Right to Organise, the ILO Convention on the
Right to Organise and Collective Bargaining, the ILO Convention
on Equal Remuneration, the ILO Convention on Discrimination in
Respect of Employment and Occupation, and the ILO Convention on
the Minimum Age for Admission to Employment;
(6) the United States should fully support the Inter-
American human rights system, especially hemispheric
conventions regarding the rights of all persons, women,
children, the disabled, marginalized communities, and the right
to freedom of expression; and
(7) it is the policy of the United States to oppose
slavery, torture, racism, discrimination, and xenophobia in all
forms.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the Committee on the Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the Committee on the Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, Global Human Rights and International Organizations.
Referred to the Subcommittee on the Constitution and Civil Justice.
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