A Human Rights Agenda for the Biden Administration

The Biden administration has much to do to restore the United States’ credibility as a human rights leader and to strengthen the human rights system in an era of rising right-wing nationalism, authoritarianism, and competition for global power. In doing so, it needs to lead by example by putting its...

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Main Author: Sarah H. Cleveland
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Cambridge University Press 2021-01-01
Series:AJIL Unbound
Online Access:https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S2398772320000884/type/journal_article
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author Sarah H. Cleveland
author_facet Sarah H. Cleveland
author_sort Sarah H. Cleveland
collection DOAJ
description The Biden administration has much to do to restore the United States’ credibility as a human rights leader and to strengthen the human rights system in an era of rising right-wing nationalism, authoritarianism, and competition for global power. In doing so, it needs to lead by example by putting its own house in order, and act with both courage and humility in the face of deep global skepticism and distrust. Specifically, the administration should pursue five stages of engagement on human rights: reverse and revoke measures taken by the Trump administration, reaffirm the United States’ traditional commitments to human rights at home and abroad, rebuild the State Department and diplomatic corps, reengage with international and regional mechanisms through bilateral and multilateral diplomacy, and reconceptualize the United States’ twenty-first century relationship to human rights. All of the other topics addressed in this symposium—climate, health, elections, migration, structural racism, and trade—implicate human rights. None can be adequately addressed without a robust U.S. human rights agenda.
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spelling doaj.art-499154747d1545418a786e5feb876e022023-03-09T12:27:09ZengCambridge University PressAJIL Unbound2398-77232021-01-01115576210.1017/aju.2020.88A Human Rights Agenda for the Biden AdministrationSarah H. Cleveland0Louis Henkin Professor of Human and Constitutional Rights, Columbia Law School, New York City, New York, United States; UN Human Rights Committee (2015-19); Counselor on International Law to the Legal Adviser, U.S. Dept. of State (2009-11).The Biden administration has much to do to restore the United States’ credibility as a human rights leader and to strengthen the human rights system in an era of rising right-wing nationalism, authoritarianism, and competition for global power. In doing so, it needs to lead by example by putting its own house in order, and act with both courage and humility in the face of deep global skepticism and distrust. Specifically, the administration should pursue five stages of engagement on human rights: reverse and revoke measures taken by the Trump administration, reaffirm the United States’ traditional commitments to human rights at home and abroad, rebuild the State Department and diplomatic corps, reengage with international and regional mechanisms through bilateral and multilateral diplomacy, and reconceptualize the United States’ twenty-first century relationship to human rights. All of the other topics addressed in this symposium—climate, health, elections, migration, structural racism, and trade—implicate human rights. None can be adequately addressed without a robust U.S. human rights agenda.https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S2398772320000884/type/journal_article
spellingShingle Sarah H. Cleveland
A Human Rights Agenda for the Biden Administration
AJIL Unbound
title A Human Rights Agenda for the Biden Administration
title_full A Human Rights Agenda for the Biden Administration
title_fullStr A Human Rights Agenda for the Biden Administration
title_full_unstemmed A Human Rights Agenda for the Biden Administration
title_short A Human Rights Agenda for the Biden Administration
title_sort human rights agenda for the biden administration
url https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S2398772320000884/type/journal_article
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