Office of the Historian

262. Memorandum from the Coordinator for Humanitarian Affairs, Department of State (Wilson) to the Deputy Secretary of State (Robinson)1 2

Washington, November 8, 1976

Human Rights under the New Administration

The following represents some personal ideas on how we might start to break in representatives of the new Administration on human rights problems. They are offered to solicit your personal reactions as my boss—not in your capacity as a member of the transition group.

Given the emphasis on human rights in the campaign, not to mention the plank in the Democratic Party platform, it seems certain this subject will be given priority attention. What the new Administration will be looking for first, therefore is a series of moves with high public visibility. The more difficult substantive issues are likely to need a longer time as the realities of the situation become clearer.

There are several things the new Administration can do immediately to catch the public eye.

  • —They will undoubtedly want to name their own Coordinator for Human Rights and Humanitarian Affairs and build up the prestige of the office. For this they will probably need someone who has name and status. I would hope they could be persuaded to choose someone with professional foreign policy experience and balanced judgment— ideally a career foreign service officer. (It cannot, however, be someone with a reputation as a cold warrior.) Examples would be: Tap Bennett, Al Sherer, Terence Todman.
  • —Announce the new Coordinator very early on, well before the inauguration.
  • —Have the Coordinator report directly to the Secretary in addition to the Deputy Secretary.
  • —Announce the intention to beef up the Coordinator’s staff and the intention to designate human rights officers in all overseas posts (if not already done).
  • —Announce the intention to make the U.S. Representative on the UN Human Rights Commission a permanent full time position with Ambassadorial rank. (He can spend his time between HRC meetings working with USUN on the thousand and one human rights questions now plaguing the UN bodies and specialized agencies.) The new U.S. Representative to the HRC could also be designated by name.
  • —Announce a policy of cooperation with the Congress on human rights matters in an effort to achieve a better meeting of the minds.
  • —Announce the commissioning of a special S/P study on practical steps to be taken to improve the human rights situation around the world.

On substantive issues I hope it will be possible to persuade the new management to make haste slowly, adopting a balanced point of view, which should be reflected in the proposed new S/P study.

  • —Concentrate on the proper balance between human rights and other vital U.S. interests.
  • —Seek to emphasize attainment of improved human rights conditions rather than self righteous imagery.
  • —Get to work on the moderate Congressional leadership to curb the enthusiasm of the meat-axe-wielders on the Hill, offering at the same time more forthcoming responses to requests for information and data.
  • —Point out to the Congress the practical problems created by the Harkin amendment for international financial institutions and the need to amend it and prevent its spread to other institutions.
  • —Seek to take over leadership from the Hill on CSCE matters, MFN and trade with bloc countries.
  • —Provide funds for longer range specialized studies to promote human rights through ongoing or special programs and what can be done to protect important basic human rights by governments less democratic than our own besides damning them for not being democracies.
  • —Reexamine the question of U.S. adherence to outstanding multilateral conventions and treaties on human rights (Conventions on Political, Social and Economic Rights and Genocide Convention, e.g.)
  • —Consider new initiatives in the UN such as proposing the replacement of the Moribund Trusteeship Council with a Human Rights Council and the appointment of a UN High Commissioner for Human Rights in lieu of Marc Shreiber’s ineffective staff on the Secretariat. (These probably won’t fly, but might be pushed.)

I believe we would be well advised to raise these issues early on during initial contacts with the new Administration’s representatives in order to forestall any precipitate stops which might be later regretted in this sensitive field.

I would be glad to discuss the foregoing with you at any time when you might be free.

  1. Source: Ford Library, James M. Wilson Papers, Box 6, 9/76–8/77. Confidential. A blind copy was sent to Habib. William Tarpley Bennett, Jr. was U.S. representative and acting head of U.S. delegation to the 28th session of the UN General Assembly, U.S. representative to the 29th and 30th and 7th special sessions of the UN General Assembly, and Acting Permanent Representative to the United Nations, 1976. Albert William Sherer was Chief of U.S. delegation to the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe, February 1974–July 1975, U.S. representative in UN Security Council, from August 1975, and U.S. representative to the 30th regular and 7th special sessions of the UN General Assembly. Terence A. Todman was U.S. Ambassador to Costa Rica from January 1975.↩
  2. Wilson registered suggestions about how the incoming Carter administration could quickly enhance U.S. efforts to promote human rights abroad.↩