United States. Congress. House. Committee on Foreign Affairs. REVIEW OF THE 35TH SESSION OF THE UNITED COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN AFFAIRS HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES NINETY-SIXTH CONGRESS FIRST SESSION 497 49-533 APRIL 9, 1979 Printed for the use of the Committee on Foreign Affairs U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE WASHINGTON: 1979 COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN AFFAIRS CLEMENT J. ZABLOCKI, Wisconsin, Chairman L. H. FOUNTAIN, North Carolina GERRY E. STUDDS, Massachusetts DONALD J. PEASE, Ohio DAN MICA, Florida MICHAEL D. BARNES, Maryland WILLIAM H. GRAY III, Pennsylvania TONY P. HALL, Ohio HOWARD WOLPE, Michigan FLOYD J. FITHIAN, Indiana WILLIAM S. BROOMFIELD, Michigan JOHN H. BUCHANAN, JR., Alabama ROBERT J. LAGOMARSINO, California KF27 19799 CONTENTS WITNESSES Page Hon. John H. Buchanan, Jr., a Representative in Congress from the State Hon. Edward M. Mezvinsky, U.S. Representative to the United Nations MATERIAL SUBMITTED FOR THE RECORD Vote on a public condemnation (resolution) against Equitorial Guinea for 10 11 APPENDIXES 1. Working paper prepared by the U.N. Secretariat entitled, “Draft Decla- ration on the Elimination of All Forms of Religious Intolerance," which contains the basic working texts being used by the Commission's 2. Title and preambular paragraphs of the draft declaration, as finally approved by the Commission during its 30th-33d sessions_. 8. Text of Commission Resolution 20 (XXXV), along with the first three articles of the draft declaration, as approved by the Commission at 4. Text of draft International Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman, or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, as submitted by the delegation of Sweden to the 34th session of the Commission___ 5. Report of the working group, summarizing results of its work at the 35th session, including texts of articles 1, 2, 10, and 11 of the draft (III) REVIEW OF THE 35TH SESSION OF THE UNITED NATIONS COMMISSION ON HUMAN RIGHTS MONDAY, APRIL 9, 1979 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, SUBCOMMITTEE ON INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS, Washington, D.C. The subcommittee met at 1:05 p.m., in room 2255, Rayburn House Office Building, Hon. Don Bonker (chairman of the subcommittee) presiding. Mr. BONKER. The Subcommittee on International Organizations will come to order. This is the first in a series of annual hearings that we will be conducting to review the work on the U.N. Commission on Human Rights, as this subcommittee is charged with the responsibility of implementation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The hearing today has a dual purpose: To review the work of the 35th session of the U.N. Commission on Human Rights, which recently met in Geneva, and to assess the role played by the U.S. delegation to the Commission during its annual session. We will probably also get into some of the issues and actions of the last session and what has followed since recommendations were made by the Commission at the 34th session. Also, we will be looking into the President's report on reform and restructuring of the U.N. system, which includes several proposals to improve the effectiveness of international human rights machinery. We are honored to have with us today, as our leadoff witness, a colleague and member of the Foreign Affairs Committee, who has maintained an active interest in human rights policies. On several occasions he has attended the sessions as congressional representative to the Human Rights Conference and the Human Rights Commission meeting in Geneva. I was supposed to be on that trip to Geneva but unfortunately had to cancel, so I am pleased that one of our colleagues managed to attend the session. We are so pleased, John, that you are here today and can share with us some of your perceptions, thoughts, and recommendations, not only about the U.N. Commission on Human Rights, but U.S. participation in the sessions. STATEMENT OF HON. JOHN H. BUCHANAN, JR., A REPRESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF ALABAMA Mr. BUCHANAN. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Let me begin by expressing my own appreciation to you for holding these hearings and (1) |