U.S. Rep. Chris Smith (R-Hamilton), Vice Chairman of the House International Relations Committee, is helping to lead the U.S. Delegation’s efforts to pass several human rights resolutions at the 60^th Session of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights in Geneva, Switzerland.

    Smith, who authored a successful House resolution last month that urged the Bush Administration to actively push for censure of China by the commission, is actively working to obtain passage of the China resolution; as well as censures of Cuba, North Korea, Belarus, and a host of other nations with abysmal records on human rights.

    “The U.S. has a duty and an obligation to the oppressed throughout the world to call attention to their plight and to hold their oppressors accountable for their actions,” Smith said. 

    “Often, nations with long and horrific records of human rights abuses will try to sugarcoat the truth and attempt to buy support from representatives. As a U.S. representative to the commission, I will do my best to ensure that these bullies are called to account for their actions,” he added. 

    Last month, the House of Representatives passed by a vote of 402-2 a resolution, authored by Smith, urging the U.S. delegation to author and work to pass a resolution encouraging China to take concrete actions to improve treatment of its citizens. 

    While the U.S. has offered such a resolution multiple times over the past 15 years, it did not sponsor the resolution in recent years because of promises made by China to improve its human rights record. Those promises, however, were not fulfilled as the recent State Department Human Rights report highlighted several incidents including killings, torture, mistreatment of prisoners, and forced confessions; as well as the ongoing practice of forced sterilization and forced abortion.

    “If the U.S. and other nations are serious about achieving real human rights reforms in China, we should not let down our guard and accept false promises made by a nation that has unleashed tremendous brutality against its own citizens,” Smith said.

    In addition to resolution condemning China, Smith will work to pass censures of Cuba, Belarus, North Korea, and other nations.

    “One year ago, Cuban Dictator Fidel Castro ordered the roundup of journalists, union activists, and others who have been calling for political freedom and an end to the oppression of the past 40 years. The international community must make sure Castro and other human rights offenders know we are watching and that they will suffer consequences for their barbarism” Smith said. 

    He will also work to call attention to anti-Semitic materials found in textbooks and other materials distributed to Palestinian refugees through UNRWA, a UN Relief organization.