Democracy and development are front and center to the Obama administration's human rights agenda, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Dec. 14 in a speech at Georgetown University in Washington.

Clinton emphasized that human rights must be taken in a larger context. Democracy, development and human rights must be simultaneously addressed in order to make a difference and not just to prove a point, she stressed.

The top U.S. diplomat explained that while people must be protected from oppression, fear, discrimination, and torture, they must also be "free from the oppression of want - want of food, want of health, want of education, and want of equality in law and in fact."

Clinton explained: "To fulfill their potential, people must be free to choose laws and leaders; to share and access information, to speak, criticize, and debate. They must be free to worship, associate, and to love in the way that they choose. And they must be free to pursue the dignity that comes with self-improvement and self-reliance, to build their minds and their skills, bring their goods to the marketplace, and participate in the process of innovation."

A four-pronged approach

Clinton cited a four-pronged approach to the administration's human rights agenda, "accountability, principled pragmatism, partnering from the bottom up, and keeping a wide focus where rights are at stake."

Accountability, Clinton said, is not only about naming human rights offenders. The United States, for its part, will encourage governments to take responsibility by embedding human rights in government institutions and building strong laws to prevent their abuse, she said.

Pragmatism was another buzzword Clinton used during the speech. She stressed that the U.S. would not compromise its principles and, to this end, push for reforms within multilateral organizations, which she referred to as valuable tools to promoting human rights.

On partnerships, Clinton said the Obama administration would publicly support grassroots efforts organized by citizens in partner countries. The cooperation of individuals and organizations, she said,
is just as important as the work of national governments in achieving human rights for all.

Clinton also said the U.S. will give these groups access to tools like the U.S. Global Human Rights Defenders Fund and endorse their efforts through honors and awards.

Assistance from the international community, she said, should target those who need it the most but it should also foster large-scale economic development and self-reliance in recipient countries.

Russia and China

In her discussion, the secretary of state also touched on human rights issues in China and Russia.

Clinton said the administration is engaging in talks both with the Chinese and Russian governments as well as civil society actors. The U.S. is handling tough negotiations "behind closed doors," in contrast to their more public actions on human rights issues in Honduras and Guinea, she indicated.

Clinton has been criticized during her visit to China in February for downplaying Chinese human rights violations. Obama was met with similar sentiments after his November visit to the Asian country.

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