Foreign Relations of the United States, 1977–1980, Volume II, Human Rights and Humanitarian Affairs

131. Memorandum From the Director of the Policy Planning Staff (Lake) to Secretary of State Vance¹

Washington, March 27, 1978

The Human Rights Institute

The following is an additional option (option 5) to the memorandum sent you by HA, H, and S/P on March 20.² It is based on a suggestion by Deputy Assistant Secretary Luers of EUR (attached).³

Option 5. Propose, as an alternative to a new Human Rights Institute, that the Administration and Congress act together to increase the human rights roles of existing government entities such as the Endowments for the Humanities and the Arts, USIA/ICA, Library of Congress, and HEW. Congress would give them an express mandate, and funding, to increase their programs for conferences, publications, exhibits, and research into human rights problems. A senior advisor to the President would be designated to oversee and coordinate their human rights activities.

Pro

—Would integrate human rights more directly into the daily operations and thinking of the bureaucracy. Might do more to institutionalize a concern for human rights into American policy than creation of a separate entity.

—Would avoid the creation of a new bureaucracy which might at times be at variance with Administration policy.

—Would not risk tarnishing NGO’s with an Administration embrace.

Con

—Might lead Congress to mandate some of the specific elements of the Human Rights Institute legislation which pose foreign policy problems into the programs of existing Government agencies.

—Might be seen as Administration resistance to the idea of a truly independent voice on human rights issues.

—Might be taken by human rights activists on the Hill as an additional good idea, rather than as an alternative to the proposed Institute.⁴

1. Source: National Archives, RG 59, Central Foreign Policy File, P780068–0897. Limited Official Use. Drafted by Jennone Walker. A stamped date indicates the memorandum was received in S/S at 7 p.m. on April 4. Additional copies are in the National Archives, RG 59, Office of the Deputy Secretary: Records of Warren Christopher, 1977–1980, Lot 81D113, Box 15, Human Rights Center and National Archives, RG 59, Policy and Planning Staff—Office of the Director, Records of Anthony Lake, 1977–1981, Lot 82D298, Box 3, TL 3/16–31/78. Lamb appended the following comment to Oxman on the undated version in Christopher’s files: “I had this on trip; but did not discuss with WC. DL 4/3.”
2. Tab A is attached but not printed. The March 20 memorandum is printed as Document 126.
3. Tab B is attached but not printed. Luers’ memorandum is printed as Document 128.
4. There is no indication as to whether Vance approved or disapproved the recommendation, although a notation in an unknown hand written on the first page of the memorandum reads: “CV has read—action returned to S/P” with a stamped date of April 4.