91. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Chile1
111. Embtel 75.2 As indicated on other occasions (e.g. in UN) US does not feel it can enter into convention on human rights or join in establishing court to enforce them, but would have no objection if others wished to do so. Department doubts that MFM will be able to come to any concrete conclusions on complicated subject of democracy and human rights, and has felt that declaration on subject, plus assignment certain projects and topics for study to COAS with view submittal projects to Quito Conference would be most that could reasonably be expected.
Department sympathetic to establishment within OAS, if other governments so desire, of some form of commission on human rights with carefully defined functions which would enable it to promote understanding of and respect for democracy and human rights without violating nonintervention principle. This might well be a subject on which MFM would request COAS prepare draft for Quito Conference.
FYI Department’s further ideas this subject set forth in position paper carried by Henry Allen and now approved.3 End FYI.
- Source: Department of State, Central Files, 363/8–759. Confidential. Drafted by Dreier who signed for Herter.↩
- Telegram 75, August 7, requested guidance on a Chilean plan to propose a resolution stating basic political rights and establishing an OAS committee on human rights. (ibid., 363/8–759)↩
- The paper carried by Henry E. Allen, Office of International Conferences, has not been further identified, but see Document 86.↩