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THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release December 10, 1998

FACT SHEET

Human Rights Day 1998 and Eleanor Roosevelt Human Rights Award

President Clinton today commemorates Human Rights Day and marks the 50th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), the U.N. General Assembly declaration affirming fundamental freedoms and human rights for all people. On the historic anniversary of the UDHR, President Clinton announces several policy initiatives to advance human rights at home and abroad. He also honors four distinguished American human rights leaders as the inaugural recipients of the newly-created Eleanor Roosevelt Award for Human Rights.

Human Rights Policy Initiatives

Signing of a Human Rights Executive Order, that strengthens our efforts to implement human rights treaties, and creates an Administration working group to coordinate these efforts. (strikethrough:)
Establishment of a Genocide Early Warning Center, jointly run by the State Department and the Central Intelligence Agency, to train intelligence resources on situations that could potentially lead to genocide.
Enhancing our response to human rights emergencies. The U.S. Agency for International Development will provide up to $8 million over the next five years to non-governmental organizations to enhance their rapid response capacities. Organizations can use these funds for a variety of purposes, including the creation of assessment teams, monitoring units or other means of addressing situations where human rights may be imminently threatened.
Providing increased assistance to victims of human rights abuse. The Department of State will significantly increase our annual contribution to the U.N. Voluntary Fund for Torture Victims (from $1.8 million in FY 1998 to $3 million in FY 1999). This Fund distributes money to organizations around the world that rehabilitate those who have suffered torture. In addition, the Department of State is initiating a program to address the needs of genocide survivors in Rwanda, Bosnia and Cambodia. This program will primarily target women, providing training and counseling.
Combating child labor by contributing $30 million this year to the International Labor Organization's International Program on the Elimination of Child Labor, a ten-fold increase over last year's $3 million contribution. This program works with governments, businesses and non-governmental organizations to discourage the use of child labor around the world.
Issuing new guidelines for the adjudication of asylum claims by children in the U.S. The U.S. is the second country after Canada to adopt such guidelines. The guidelines will sensitize immigration officials to the special needs of our youngest and most vulnerable asylum seekers.
Preventing youth hate crime through publication in January of a guide for schools entitled "Protecting Students from Harassment and Hate Crimes", developed jointly by the Department of Education and the National Association of Attorneys General. The guide provides suggestions to school systems for addressing the issue of school violence.
Protecting victims of smugglers, traffickers and sweatshop owners. The Department of Justice will explore legislative options to address the immigration situation of illegal aliens in the U.S. who are the victims of serious abuses such as forced labor and forced prostitution. The aim is to encourage greater reporting to and cooperation with U.S. authorities in targeting abusers of human rights.

Eleanor Roosevelt Human Rights Award

Eleanor Roosevelt was the driving force behind the adoption in 1948 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. To honor her commitment to the principles of the Declaration the President established the Eleanor Roosevelt Award for Human Rights.

For the inaugural recipients of this new award, the Secretary of State recommended, and the President approved, four distinguished American human rights leaders.

Robert L. Bernstein, founder of the Fund for Free Expression as well as Human Rights Watch and retired chairman of Random House.

Representative John Lewis, life-long civil rights leader.

Bette Bao Lord, human rights activist, China scholar and novelist.

Dorothy Q. Thomas, women's rights activist responsible for groundbreaking research and advocacy on human rights violations against women around the world.

1998 ELEANOR ROOSEVELT AWARD CITATIONS:

ROBERT L. BERNSTEIN

Robert Bernstein has dedicated his life to giving voice to the voiceless, from publishing banned books to founding the groups that led to the creation of Human Rights Watch. His ceaseless efforts have increased both our determination and ability to oppose human rights violations wherever they occur. We honor him today for a life devoted to the active defense of freedom and dignity throughout the world.

JOHN LEWIS

For 40 years John Lewis has been at the vanguard of the civil rights struggle. From Freedom Rides to the House of Representatives, he has educated and mobilized generations of Americans in the crusade against injustice. He often did so at great personal risk, yet he never deviated from his commitment to peaceful change through nonviolent means. We honor him today for his uncompromising heroism in the face of bigotry and his unswerving commitment to the principles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

BETTE BAO LORD

Born in China, raised in the United States, Bette Bao Lord has dedicated her life to the defense of liberty, particularly through her inspired leadership of Freedom House. One of her books on China includes the story of a boy who flies a kite each day outside a prison so that his captive father will see the kite and not lose hope. Her work has similarly sustained hope in countless others. We honor her today for her own activism and for setting a high standard for human rights and democracy activists around the world.

DOROTHY Q. THOMAS

Dorothy Thomas has played a leading role in efforts to define and defend women's rights around the world. Through her work at Human Rights Watch, she has raised global awareness of state-sponsored violence and discrimination against women and helped reshape international law to fight these abuses. We honor her today for her courageous advocacy of women's rights as basic human rights.

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