Office of the Historian

76. Memorandum From Jessica Tuchman of the National Security Council Staff to the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Brzezinski)1

Washington, September 12, 1977

You asked what we have done on Human Rights, and why we have had no initiatives. I, for one, believe that many key issues were raised in the PRM 28 effort, have been waiting for some reaction or guidance from you on those questions. I sent over a suggested PRC agenda paper and a draft PD four weeks ago and have heard nothing more about them.2

In the planning document we were asked to submit last Tuesday3 I made a suggestion concerning the President’s first human rights goal—ratification of the Genocide Treaty.4 I suggested that we make an all out effort (including Presidential calls for the first time), to ratify the treaty during the fall session, in order to demonstrate that the extreme right wing is not invincible. I made this suggestion in the context of helping the Panama Canal Treaty get ratified but it obviously has a dual purpose. I still think this is a good idea.

  1. Source: Carter Library, National Security Affairs, Staff Material, Global Issues—Mathews Subject File, Box 10, Human Rights: Presidential Review Memorandum–28: 5/77–11/78. No classification marking. Tuchman did not initial the memorandum.↩
  2. In the NSC Global Issues Cluster’s August 15 evening report, Tuchman indicated that she had drafted the agenda paper that day. (Carter Library, National Security Affairs, Staff Material, Global Issues—Oplinger–Bloomfield Subject File, Box 36, Evening Reports: 8–10/77) She transmitted the agenda paper to Brzezinski under an August 15 covering memorandum and sent a draft human rights PD to Thornton, Pastor, Richardson, Hormats, Hunter, Armacost, and Huntington under an August 19 covering memorandum. Both are in the Carter Library, National Security Affairs, Staff Material, Defense/Security—Huntington, Box 38, Human Rights: 8–9/77. In an August 30 memorandum to Brzezinski, Pastor commented that although he did not have much time to comment on the draft PD, he “wanted to pass on to you that I thought it was excellent.” (Carter Library, National Security Affairs, Staff Material, North–South Pastor Files, Subject File, Box 55, Human Rights: 8–10/77)↩
  3. September 6. The planning document was not found and not further identified.↩
  4. See footnote 16, Document 53.↩