50. Memorandum From George Lister of the Bureau of Human Rights and Humanitarian Affairs to the Acting Assistant Secretary of State for Human Rights and Humanitarian Affairs (Palmer)1
SUBJECT
- Annual Country Reports on Human Rights Practices
The Department’s EXDIS cable 45423 of February 23 (attached),2 sent to Ambassadors at all diplomatic posts, transmitted the Secretary’s request for answers to five specific questions concerning our annual Human Rights Reports. The 143 replies are summarized below. Sepa [Page 156] rate summaries, showing in more detail how each question was answered in the five regional Bureau areas, are attached.
Conclusions
It should be kept in mind throughout that the questions and answers concern only the Reports, as such, not our over-all human rights policy. Embassy replies provide much evidence of the obvious fact that the latter exerted far more influence than the Reports. Although generalizations can easily be misleading (if only because of the vast variety of political, economic and social factors and conditions encompassed) it is apparent that the Reports, by themselves, have not had a major impact on our foreign relations. But it would be a mistake to assume, therefore, that the Reports have been of little or no consequence. They constituted a significant element of the human rights policy in recent years.
In almost 100 countries the Reports are perceived to have had little or no net effect on our national interests (including instances in which positive and negative effects approximately balanced out). In some 33 countries our Embassies judged the Reports had, on balance, served our national interests, while in 11 others they appear to have had a net negative effect.
In 23 replies the Ambassador and/or Country Team recommended termination of the Report, as distinct from our policy, at least for their countries. Some of these considered it useful to continue the Reports on Governments with poor human rights records. Embassy replies from only six countries were negative across the board, that is, negative on the effect on bilateral relations, negative on the effect on our national interests, and recommending termination of the Reports (at least for those countries on a public basis). The six were Israel, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Yugoslavia and France. (Embassy Paris did not reply to the five questions but these are understood to be the views of Ambassador Hartman.) In 20 countries our Embassies recommended continuation of the Reports. About a dozen Embassies urged shortening or tightening the format, with less attention to economic and social considerations.
Details follows.
[Omitted here is information regarding the 143 replies to EXDIS cable 45423.]
- Source: Department of State, Assistant Secretary Files—Elliott Abrams Subject and CHRON Files, 1981–1987, Lot 89D184, Untitled. Confidential. Drafted by Lister and Romine on July 2. Printed from an unsigned copy.↩
- Not attached. See Document 43 and the attachment thereto.↩