106. Telegram From the Department of State to All Diplomatic and Consular Posts1
18330. Subject: Annual Human Rights Reports. Reference: 77, State 282352.2
1. Human rights reports on countries proposed for or receiving security and bilateral economic assistance (see reftel for list of countries) are going through final approval in the Department for submission to Congress by January 31. It is expected that Congress will immediately make these reports public.
2. Prior to submission to Congress, the Department will cable the text of each individual country report to the post concerned. In order to ensure that most government officials see the report before it appears in the press, the Embassy should make it available to the host government upon receipt. None of the versions of the reports sent to posts to date have been finally approved. Posts should be careful to wait for receipt of final versions before taking action to make them available to host governments.
3. Given the short lead time, it is preferable, in the interest of speed, to turn over the report at the post rather than in Washington. In cases, [Page 374] however, where the post itself prefers not to pass over the report, the Department can provide a copy to the host government’s Embassy here in Washington, although there is risk that the host government may not receive the report before it is made public. There may also be isolated cases where the post believes that no advance copy of the report should be furnished to the host government.
4. Action requested: Each Embassy is requested to provide a copy of the final approved text to the host government of that country’s human rights report. Posts which believe that the report on their host country should be handed over in Washington rather than abroad, or not at all, should so inform the Department immediately.
5. Embassies in countries on which no reports have been prepared need take no action.
- Source: National Archives, RG 59, Office of the Deputy Secretary: Records of Warren Christopher, 1977–1980, Lot 81D113, Box 15, Human Rights—Country Evaluation Papers. Limited Official Use; Priority. Drafted by Hill on January 23; cleared by Oxman, Tice, Lister, Holly, Martens, Fuerth, and Shurtleff; approved by Schneider.↩
- See Document 91.↩