U.S. Department of State 
Office of the Spokesperson
December 27, 2011

Statement by Mark Toner, acting spokesperson

We condemn the Syrian military’s escalation of violence in Homs, Daraa and other cities prior to the deployment of the Arab League monitors. We have seen horrific pictures of indiscriminate fire, including by heavy tank guns, and heard reports of dozens of deaths, thousands of arrests, as well as beatings of peaceful protestors.

These repressive actions are not consistent with the terms of the Arab League initiative that the Syrian regime agreed to on November 2 or the protocol on observers that the regime agreed to on December 19. These agreements, designed to protect civilians, called for removal of military forces from the cities; allowing peaceful demonstrations; stopping violence by security forces, including the government’s shabiha militia; releasing all political prisoners; and allowing Arab League monitors and members of the international media to report freely on events throughout the country.

In keeping with the Arab League agreement, we expect that Arab League monitors will be able to deploy and move freely within Homs and other Syrian cities as protestors peacefully gather in reaction to the regime’s excessive violence. The monitors should have unfettered access to protestors and to areas most severely affected by the regime’s crackdown. They bear a heavy responsibility in trying to protect Syrian civilians from the depredations of a murderous regime.

The next steps that the United States and the international community take will consider the extent of genuine cooperation from Syrian authorities with the Arab League monitoring mission, and the government’s degree of compliance with the other elements of the Arab League initiative. If the Syrian regime continues to resist and disregard Arab League efforts, the international community will consider other means to protect Syrian civilians.

Speaking with the Press on the Sidelines of the Special Session on Syria

December 2, 2011

Ambassador Donahoe:  Today is a very important day for the Human Rights Council.  As you know, this is the third time that we’ve had to call an urgent session to address the human rights crisis in Syria in just the last seven months.  Today’s session had unprecedented support from 29 members of the Human Rights Council and 72 UN member states.  That’s the highest level support we’ve ever received for any special session at the Human Rights Council.  Those numbers are significant.

I think what’s notable about what we heard today from the Commission of Inquiry and the High Commissioner as well as the Special Procedures include the escalating numbers of killings, numbers of people in detention and arrested, numbers of people seeking exile, refugees, and those who are internally displaced.  The numbers are escalating and the situation is worsening by the day.

I also have to comment on, in particular, the really disgusting, appalling factual evidence of torture of children to the point of death; sexual violence on a widespread basis, particularly against men, also of children to the point of death and of women in detention.

Another very important aspect of the proceedings I just stepped away from include the emotional appeals we heard from the Arab leadership.  This special session was called for with the support of Qatar, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Libya in their renewed membership status, and Jordan.  Very important to have all of that Arab support.  And I think you could even go so far as to say the emotional appeal made by the Arab members really captures the sentiment today of the international community and they are leading us in our shared views that the Assad regime must step down, the violence must end.

I think last I will comment on the evidence of complicity of the Assad regime in these atrocities.  There is no doubt of that complicity in the intentional nature of this violence.  It’s systematic, widespread, and to the point of possibly raising to the level of crimes against humanity.

I think the evidence that we heard today, and that’s in the report coming from defectors about their instructions to shoot and kill, open fire on peaceful protestors is devastating, and the fact that some of those defectors themselves lost their lives because they could not follow those orders speaks for itself.

I will stop there and take your questions.

Question:  How disappointed are you that the resolution appears to have been watered down and removed any reference to the Security Council?  Is that an effort to get all countries including Russia and China on board?

Ambassador Donahoe:  I think there’s always a tradeoff.  The United States, as much as anybody in this case, would like to see the most forward-leaning possible resolution with respect to the human rights situation in Syria.  We always want it to be the most forward leaning.  However, we all have a tradeoff with garnering the support from as many countries as possible and we’re always seeking cross-regional support.  So we are extremely satisfied that what looks like will be the end point, the resolution that we will pass later today, will be very forward-leaning and will have the highest level of support that we could have hoped for.  So I think we have a really nice balance there between those two elements.

Question:  The Russians suggested that opposition forces in Syria are getting weapons from outside and that is fueling the conflicts.  What is your position?

Ambassador Donahoe:  I would say everybody has to keep the focus on the complicity of the Syrian authorities.  That is where our focus should be.  These are human rights violations by the government and I think that there’s a lot of propaganda about whether it’s involvement of outsiders or the responsibility of opposition forces.  I think a lot of that should not be our focus.  Our responsibility is to address the complicity of the government and accountability for human rights violations that have been committed by the government.

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Statement by Ambassador Eileen Chamberlain Donahoe
Human Rights Council Special Session on Syria

Geneva
December 2, 2011

Thank you Madame President.

For the third time this year, we join a special session to make clear the international community’s grave concerns over the situation in Syria, where the authorities are committing mass atrocities and gross human rights violations against the Syrian people.

The Syrian people have an irrepressible hunger for a new political order. They are no longer willing to tolerate denial of their human rights and the trampling of their dignity. They are no longer willing to remain quiet about the corruption and brutality of the Assad regime. Assad and his inner circle cannot respond to these legitimate aspirations of the Syrian people, so they assault a peaceful opposition with appalling violence and terror.

The Syrian government’s violence continues to escalate. The regime is stoking the fears of Syria’s minority communities with propaganda about foreign conspiracies and domestic terrorism. Make no mistake: the regime is driving the cycle of violence and sectarianism.

Peaceful protestors have suffered mass arrests, shabiha thuggery, and extrajudicial execution. But as they are literally beaten off the streets, protestors are learning new forms of peaceful resistance such as boycotts and strikes. Security forces have responded to peaceful civil disobedience with intimidation, vandalism — and worse. According to the Commission of Inquiry report that we all have before us, security forces systemically use torture and sexual violence, even against children.

The United States welcomes the forceful report of the Commission of Inquiry. I want to highlight the Commission’s recommendations for the immediate admission and protection of human rights monitors; for the unfettered admission of international media; and for the United Nations to continue to take steps to halt the violence in Syria. This special session today, and the resolution before it, move these recommendations forward.

We once again call on the Syrian regime to immediately admit the Commission of Inquiry and grant it unfettered access throughout Syria. Similarly, Syria must immediately admit Arab League monitors, independent human rights monitors, and humanitarian organizations, with no restrictions on their activities.

We condemn in the strongest possible terms the ongoing slaughter, the arbitrary arrest, and the torture of peaceful protestors. We will continue to work with regional partners and the broader international community to pressure the Assad regime to end the violence against the Syrian people. The Syrian government’s abuses have been condemned by leaders of the Arab world, including by the actions taken by the Arab League over the past week; by other international leaders; and by the United Nations, where just over one week ago in a vote in the General Assembly’s Third Committee, 122 members of the United Nations stood together to call for an immediate end to the violence in Syria.

Our message is firm and clear:
•  To the people of Syria — the world stands by you, and we will not ignore your plight in the face of ongoing violence;

•  To the Syrian Government — the time has come to end the flagrant violations of the human rights of your people, and to allow Syrians their right to peacefully and democratically change their government.

Thank you.

November 28, 2011

The United States welcomes the release this morning of the report by the independent international Commission of Inquiry on Syria. We commend the hard work and resourcefulness of the Commission in compiling the report despite the Syrian government’s refusal to grant access to investigate within Syrian borders.

The Commission’s findings confirm what we have been hearing for several months — that on a nearly daily basis the Assad regime is killing peaceful demonstrators and committing arbitrary detentions, torture, and other serious human rights violations. This report amplifies an already growing chorus of international condemnation and call for action.  It is clear to anyone who reads it that Assad’s unwillingness to end his regime’s violence is taking Syria down a very dangerous path despite efforts led by the Syrian people to start a peaceful transition to democracy.

Today, members of the Human Rights Council are collecting signatures for an urgent interactive session of the Council on Friday, December 2, where we will review the Commission’s report and make recommendations about how to contribute to a resolution of the crisis.

We commend the Arab League’s leadership in addressing the urgent situation in Syria and we profoundly admire the brave Syrians, including those inside Syria, who contributed to this report at great personal risk.  The continued attention to the crisis in Syria by the Human Rights Council reflects the priority the international community places on supporting the Syrian people and bringing an end to the Assad regime’s violence against them.

Statement by Ambassador Susan E. Rice, U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations, on the Reinstatement of Libya to the UN Human Rights Council, November 18, 2011

The reinstatement of Libya to the UN Human Rights Council marks the start of a new opportunity for the Libyan people. The General Assembly’s unanimous suspension of Libya nearly nine months ago was an extraordinary and historic response to a vicious, indiscriminate campaign of violence by the Qadhafi regime. With strong support from nations in the Middle East and every region of the world, the international community demonstrated that it would not turn a blind eye to one ruler’s shameful treatment of his own people.

Today’s reinstatement is a significant achievement for the Human Rights Council, which demonstrated commendable leadership in requesting Libya’s suspension. It is also a strong step towards regularization of Libya’s role in the international system and a statement of solidarity with the Libyan people, who have made extraordinary sacrifices to pursue an inclusive and democratic future that respects and protects human rights.

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Human Rights Council (archive photo)

U.S. Welcomes Reinstatement of Libya’s Membership Rights in the U.N. Human Rights Council

Friday, November 18, 2011

Statement by Ambassador Eileen Chamberlain Donahoe
U.S. Representative to the Human Rights Council

The United States welcomes the reinstatement today of Libya’s membership rights in the United Nations Human Rights Council.  The resolution adopted this morning by the United Nations General Assembly was based on commitments made by the new Libyan government to uphold its obligations under international human rights law, to promote and protect human rights, democracy and the rule of law, and to cooperate with relevant international human rights mechanisms, as well as the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and the International Commission of Inquiry established by the Human Rights Council.

Nine months ago, at an urgent session of the HRC addressing the unfolding human rights crisis in Libya, HRC members passed a consensus resolution to recommend suspension of Libya’s membership rights in the Human Rights Council.  Action by the General Assembly followed within days.   This marked an unprecedented move by the General Assembly and a turning point for the HRC:  it was the first time membership rights of a sitting member were stripped due to systematic violations of human rights.

Today we have come full circle.  The conflict in Libya has ended and the National Transitional Council has been recognized by the United Nations as the legal representative of Libya.  This is a moment of great promise and also immense challenge for Libya.  The eyes of the world are focused on Tripoli as the new leadership strives to establish a democratic government that provides freedom, dignity and security to all Libyans.

My delegation and I look forward to working with the representatives of a truly liberated Libya at the Human Rights Council. The United States calls on Libya’s new leadership and the civil society they now represent to live up fully to their human rights commitments.   As Libya embarks on a new era and begins building the institutions necessary for the respect and defense of human rights for the future, it is now more essential than ever that representatives of the new government are part of the international discourse on human rights.

Ambassador Donahoe at the Brookings Institute

The Following Article was published
November 9, 2011
on DipNote: the State Department’s Official Blog

I was delighted to be invited to speak at a Brookings Institute event last Friday, November 4, 2011, along with UN Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights Kyung-wha Kang. I owe a great deal of thanks to Ted Piccone and Brookings for their insightful and intelligent reports, which we use often at the Human Rights Council. And it was a pleasure to share the stage with Deputy Kang, whom I consider a colleague, a partner, and friend.

The United States just completed the first two years as a member of the Human Rights Council (HRC). When I first started this job, we were all hopeful that U.S. engagement would make a constructive difference. But even the most optimistic among us could never have dreamed that the HRC would live up to its potential to the extent it has in the past two years, and the Arab Awakening was big part of that. I was asked to speak on what the HRC has done during the Arab Awakening, but it’s also interesting to note what the Arab Awakening brought to the HRC. People say that every crisis brings opportunity, and the Arab Awakening was a true testing ground to see if the HRC would step up to the plate.

When I first arrived in Geneva, I wanted to change the agenda of the Council. What has been interesting is that Council has also served as a vehicle for many countries to show new leadership. For most of its short history, the HRC had been dominated by countries working from a block or ideological mentality — North vs. South, developed vs. developing. These countries were set in their comfortable block positions, but the events of Arab Awakening made people think about which side of history they wanted to be on and consider breaking out of their ideological position.

President Obama said earlier this year in May that “The United States supports a set of universal rights. And these rights include free speech, the freedom of peaceful assembly, the freedom of religion, equality for men and women under the rule of law, and the right to choose your own leaders — whether you live in Baghdad or Damascus, Sana’a or Tehran.”

I feel that the Arab Awakening legitimized desires for these rights. Those rights facilitate all human rights. It’s not about West vs. non-West. There were activists and regular people saying “no” to the establishment; they were saying these are our rights. This was positive for the HRC, and it definitely shifted the dynamics.

Moving now to the specifics of where the HRC has taken concrete actions in response to the tumult of the Arab Awakening. In Tunisia, there’s a new UN human rights field office working closely with the transitional government. In Yemen, the situation remains fluid but the Council passed resolutions in June and September that will keep a human rights focus on the ongoing change there. We need to keep the dialogue open and encourage a smooth transition.

But the first real test case of the HRC’s reaction to the Arab Awakening was in Libya.

On Friday, February 25, 2011, within days of Qadhafi’s appalling declaration that he would hunt down opposition fighters “like rats,” the Human Rights Council met for an emergency session in Geneva. It was a remarkable day. A sense of purpose, energy, and resolve was palpable as delegates worked with one another and with their respective capitals to respond to the crisis. In an emotional moment, we listened as the Libyan envoy stated publicly that he no longer represented the Qadhafi regime, but instead spoke for the people of Libya. It was clear we had entered a moment of profound historic change, and that as diplomats, delegates and governments we needed to summon the best within ourselves to rise to this challenge.

Confronted with the gross and systematic human rights violations of the Qadhafi regime, Council members turned to the strongest options available to them. The Council ordered the dispatch of an independent commission of inquiry to investigate the situation on the ground, recommended the UN General Assembly suspend Libyan membership in the HRC, and demanded an end to attacks against civilians and the arbitrary arrest and torture of peaceful demonstrators.

The Council’s action that Friday sent a powerful signal of the international community’s unity and was instrumental in forging the resolve demonstrated in the days to come. The following day, the UN Security Council unanimously adopted a resolution imposing an arms embargo on Libya, freezing the assets of key human rights violators and members of the Qadhafi family, and referring the Libyan case to the International Criminal Court. That Monday, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton joined foreign ministers from around the world at the Human Rights Council to urge Qadhafi to step down and end the bloodshed. On Tuesday, the General Assembly stripped Libya’s membership rights in the Council, the first time this had happened to a sitting member due to gross violations of human rights.

As the Council was responding to the situation in Libya, uprisings across Syria presented a distinct set of challenges in a different geopolitical context. Protests in Damascus, Dara’a and elsewhere were met with a wave of killings, violence, torture and persecution by the Asad regime. In late April, Council members met for a separate special session to condemn the violence there and send to Syria a fact finding mission from the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights.

In August, responding to a new spike in government-orchestrated violence against the Syrian people, the Council held a second urgent session to express the international community’s outrage and to establish a new independent commission of inquiry to investigate allegations of violations of international human rights law and establish facts to hold perpetrators accountable, which will report to the HRC later this month and again in March. The Council has not finished its work on Syria.

Despite focused action, Syria’s story remains unfinished. We will continue to pressure the Syrian authorities to stop the brutal repression of its people, and we will continue to shine a sharp spotlight on the Syrian regime’s flagrant human rights violations.

Both the cases of Libya and Syria show the HRC’s new maturity and resolve. It has become an important platform from which the international community directly confronts human rights crises and stands up for the universal human rights of all. The Arab Awakening captured the imagination of people across the world. It also jolted the HRC into action. While the world watched in awe as ordinary people struggled for basic freedom and dignity, the Council responded by gathering essential facts, condemning atrocities, and pressuring the Qadhafi and Asad regimes to halt the violence.

The Human Rights Council is not and will never be a perfect institution, but the Arab Awakening provided it an opportunity to grow and to have a real impact. Going forward, our job is to ensure the Council continues to improve, and to live up to its responsibility to support the aspirations for freedom and dignity of people throughout the world.

Office of the Spokesperson
Washington, DC
October 1, 2011

South Sudan: The United States joined South Sudan and the Africa Group on a consensus resolution that welcomes South Sudan as a new State and member of the United Nations and also welcomes the government’s commitment to strengthen national human rights mechanisms. The resolution calls upon the government to strengthen ongoing cooperation with the UN Mission in South Sudan on human rights issues, and also invites the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights to assist the new government.

Libya: The United States worked closely with Morocco, Libya, and others on a consensus resolution that recommends the UN General Assembly lift Libya’s suspension from the Human Rights Council. The resolution also welcomes the commitments made by the new Libyan government to uphold its obligations under international human rights law and to cooperate with international human rights mechanisms, including the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and the international Commission of Inquiry established by the Human Rights Council at the February 2011 Special Session on Libya.

Yemen: The United States worked with delegations from Yemen and the Netherlands, as well as others on a consensus resolution that calls for a rapid political transition and transfer of power, as outlined in the plan drawn up by the Gulf Cooperation Council, and condemns ongoing violations of human rights in Yemen. The resolution notes the Yemeni government’s announcement to launch transparent and independent investigations, which will adhere to their international obligations. The resolution also calls upon the Government of Yemen and the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights to develop a framework for dialogue and cooperation in the field of human rights.

Syria: At an interactive dialogue on Syria, the United States welcomed the prompt formation of the Commission of Inquiry mandated at the August 2011 Special Session on Syria. The U.S. government called on the Syrian authorities to allow the Commission of Inquiry, international humanitarian agencies, and international media unrestricted access to report on the abhorrent conditions inside Syria. The United States called on the Asad regime to step aside, and to stop killing and torturing the Syrian people immediately.

Israeli/Palestinian Issues: The United States continues to believe the disproportionate focus on Israel diminishes the credibility and effectiveness of the Council. The United States continues to strongly oppose the permanent agenda item devoted to Israel-related issues, which is the only agenda item devoted to a specific country. There were no resolutions under the Israel-specific agenda item at this session.

Fighting Racism: The United States worked with Brazil to co-sponsor a consensus resolution that urged States to fight against racism and strengthen democracy. The United States is committed to working with our global partners, both bilaterally and multilaterally, in the fight against racism and racial discrimination. The United States also recognized the importance of tolerance and reconciliation, citing the powerful example of Nelson Mandela, as tools in the effort to foster more just, tolerant, and equal societies.