| |
|
Although many associate President Jimmy Carter (1977-1981) with the institutionalization of human rights in U.S. foreign policy, George Lister was fond of pointing out that the impetus for the institutionalization of human rights in U.S. foreign policy actually began in Congress in the early 1970s. Congressmen Donald Fraser (D-Minnesota) and (now Senator) Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) were at the forefront of this initiative in different ways.
Between August 1 and December 7, 1973, Congressman Fraser, then chair of the House Subcommittee on International Organizations and Movements, conducted 15 public hearings on U.S. foreign policy and human rights with more than 40 witnesses, including U.S. government officials, jurists, academics, and representatives of non-governmental organizations. The outcome of these hearings was a March 1974 subcommittee report that made 29 specific recommendations calling for the U.S. government to play a leadership role in international human rights protection. The first recommendation stated: "The Department of State should treat human rights factors as a regular part of U.S. foreign policy decision-making."
Read More...
Selected Documents:
-
"The History of HA/DRL" by George Lister, Dec 28, 2000 Draft (9 pages)
-
"U.S. Human Rights Policy: Origins and Implementation" by George Lister May 26, 1987 (3 pages, a copy of State Department publication)
-
Correspondence from Fraser to Kissinger, June 27, 1974 on creating an Office for Human Rights, assigning an Officer for Human Rights Affairs in each regional bureau and appointing an Assistant Legal Adviser on Human Rights (2 pages)
-
Correspondence from Lister to Bill Rogers, Oct 9, 1974 on Roger's Meeting with Don Fraser, referencing progress of the Subcommittee's 29 recommendations (1 page)
-
Correspondence from Lister to ARA Office Directors, July 15, 1975 on "Human Rights Reports for Congress" with attached memorandums from Morton Holbrook and James Wilson outlining State Department strategy for human rights reports (8 pages)
-
Correspondence from Lister to Bill Rogers, Sept 11, 1975 requesting permission to record an interview on human rights with Radio Pacifica (1 page)
-
"A presentation recorded for broadcast over Radio Pacifica" 1975 (11 pages)
-
Correspondence from Lister to Bill Rogers, Feb 12, 1976 and attachment of Roger's speech which Don Fraser inserts into the Congressional Record of Feb 11, 1976 (3 pages)
-
Correspondence from Lister to Harry Shlaudeman, December 10, 1976, on "Human Rights Reports" (1 page)
-
Correspondence from Lister to ARA Office Directors, March 17, 1976 on human rights country reports (8 pages) [Copyright: ARA George Lister to ARA Office Directors, "Human Rights Reports," memorandum, 17 March 1976, Mexico Documentation Project, The National Security Archive, Washington, D.C.]
-
Correspondence from Lister to National Security Advisor Zbigniew Brzezinski, April 27, 1977, on "Human Rights Policy Impact: Latin America" (3 pages)
-
Correspondence from Lister to ARA Office Directors, June 10, 1977 on ''Human Rights Evaluation Reports'' (2 pages)
-
Cable drafted by Lister to ARA diplomatic posts, June 1977, on ''Human Rights Evaluation Reports'' (2 pages)
-
Correspondence from Patricia Derian to Terence Todman Feb 15, 1978 on "Human Rights Reports" (1 page)
-
"Human Rights and the Hemisphere" Sept 14, 1978 (10 pages)
-
Correspondence from Patricia Derian to Ambassador Viron Vaky, Feb 16, 1979 on Lister's contributions to the 1978 Human Rights Country Reports (1 page)
-
Correspondence from Lister to ARA Office Directors, March 19, 1979 on "Latin America Human Rights Progress Reports" (1 page)
-
Correspondence from Donald Pease to Patricia Derian Jan 14, 1981 on keeping human rights focus in Reagan Administration (1 page)
-
Correspondence from Patricia Derian to Donald Pease Jan 19, 1981 on keeping human rights focus in Reagan Administration (1 page)
-
Correspondence from Lister to Elliott Abrams, Dec 10, 1981 on Harkin's speech entitled "An Agenda for Elliott Abrams" (1 page)
-
Correspondence from Lister to Richard Schifter, August 22, 1988 on how human rights policy has improved dialogue with opposition groups (1 page)
-
Correspondence from Lister to Ambassador Bishop July 29, 1992 on "Nonviolence Discussion" (1 page)
-
Correspondence from Lister to John Shattuck, Aug 9, 1993 (2 pages)
-
Correspondence from John Shattuck to All HA DAS's and Office Directors on ''Inspection Report'' with attachment of section of report (7 pages)
-
Correspondence from Lister to Steve Coffey Feb 13, 1997 on "Russian Women's Status" (3 pages)
|
|
|
