Doctrinal Advances

The administration was at its strongest in advancing human rights at the level of theory. At the World Conference on Human Rights in Vienna, it abandoned the U.S. government's recent hostility to international human rights law, embracing the full scope of international standards and vowing to study or seek ratification of outstanding human rights treaties. At Vienna and elsewhere, the administration also affirmed the interdependence of human rights, democracy and development. It stressed that "democracy" involves more than competitive elections, but also such democratic institutions as an independent judiciary and law-abiding prosecutors and police.

These doctrinal advances positioned Washington in the mainstream of the human rights debate for the first time in many years. Instead of contesting first principles, the administration accepted the positive law on human rights and worked to defend it. The shift was timely, and effective, in combatting the fundamental challenges to the human rights cause launched by a collection of abusive governments in Vienna.

The administration also took important steps to remedy a traditional neglect of women's rights. Speaking at the World Conference, Secretary of State Warren Christopher called the promotion and protection of women's rights a "moral imperative." In Congressional testimony, John Shattuck, the Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights and Labor, said that "the Clinton administration regards promoting the cause of women's rights as a key element of our overall human rights policy." He pledged to "lead the effort in the United Nations Human Rights Commission toward appointing a Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women," to improve U.S. reporting on women's rights in the State Department's annual human rights survey, andto seek ratification of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women.