US State Department Issues New Guidelines for Global Human Rights Reports
The United States State Department has released new instructions for its annual report on global human rights abuses. These guidelines will direct US embassies and consulates on how to compile information regarding human rights infringements by foreign governments.
Key Policy Changes
Under these new instructions, countries implementing race or gender diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies may be categorized as infringing on human rights. The State Department stated these changes are intended to stop "destructive ideologies."
Other foreign government policies that US embassies will be instructed to classify as human rights infringements include:
- Subsidizing abortions, alongside the reporting of the total estimated number of annual abortions.
- Gender-transition surgery for minors, defined by the State Department as "operations involving chemical or surgical mutilation... to modify their sex."
- Facilitating mass or illegal migration "across a country's territory into other countries."
- Arrests or "official investigations or warnings for speech," referring to the administration's stance on internet safety laws in some European countries that address online hate speech.
Administration's Position
A senior State Department official, who spoke anonymously, described the new rules as "a tool to change the behaviour of governments." The official also stated that "The United States remains committed to the Declaration of Independence's recognition that all men are endowed by the Creator with certain unalienable rights," adding that rights are "given to us by God, our creator, not by governments."
Deputy Spokesperson Tommy Pigott commented that the new instructions aim to address "new destructive ideologies [that] have given safe harbour to human rights violations." He further stated that the administration "will not allow these human rights violations, such as the mutilation of children, laws that infringe on free speech, and racially discriminatory employment practices, to go unchecked."
Critical Responses
Rights campaigners have stated that these new guidelines redefine established human rights principles, aligning them with the administration's stated ideological objectives. Uzra Zeya, a former senior State Department official and head of Human Rights First, characterized the administration's approach as "weaponising international human rights for domestic partisan ends."
Ms. Zeya stated that "attempting to label DEI as a human rights violation sets a new low in the Trump administration's weaponization of international human rights." She also noted that the new instructions, in her view, exclude the rights of "women, LGBTQI+ persons, religious and ethnic minorities, and non-believers" who, she stated, "enjoy equal rights under US and international law." Ms. Zeya further commented that the new rules demonstrated "jaw-dropping" animosity towards LGBTQI+ individuals.
Contextual Background
These new instructions follow the August publication of the administration's most recent annual human rights report, which contained revisions and reduced scope compared to earlier reports. That report featured reduced criticism of some US allies and increased disapproval of certain other nations. Sections previously included were removed, leading to reduced coverage of issues such as government corruption and the persecution of LGBTQ+ individuals.
Additionally, the report stated that human rights conditions had "worsened" in some European democracies, including the UK, France, and Germany, attributing this to laws targeting online hate speech. The report's language on this matter aligned with previous criticisms from some US technology leaders regarding online harm reduction legislation, which they have characterized as impinging on free speech.
Historically, the State Department's annual human rights report has provided documentation of abuses such as torture, extrajudicial killings, and political persecution of minorities. Its focus and scope have largely remained consistent across previous administrations. These new rules represent an adjustment in the US approach to global human rights reporting, aligning with the administration's domestic policy focus on issues that have generated debate within the United States.