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December 10, 2009

Today marks 鈥淗uman Rights Day鈥 and the anniversary of the (UDHR). The UDHR, arguably the founding document of the modern human rights system, outlines the basic rights and protections that are to be enjoyed by all people.

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Under the guidance of Eleanor Roosevelt, , and the document was clearly influenced by our nation's own Bill of Rights. However, our policies and practices have not always lived up to the ideals for which it stands.

In a statement released today, Jamil Dakwar, director of the 老澳门开奖结果 Human Rights Program noted:

The Obama administration must hold the U.S. accountable to international human rights standards, as well as uphold its stated commitment to transparency by addressing policies that have fallen short of those standards. President Obama's commitment to human rights must be translated from rhetoric to reality.

Specifically, practices such as racial profiling, the mistreatment and prosecution of former child soldiers in military commissions, the sentencing of juveniles to life sentences without parole and the dramatic increase in the abusive detention of immigrants continue to smear the United States鈥 human rights reputation and threaten American values of fairness and justice for all. And although President Obama has taken laudable steps toward improving America鈥檚 human rights record, the U.S. continues to lag behind other countries in issues such as the death penalty, women鈥檚 rights and children鈥檚 rights. Learn more about the different ways that we鈥檙e falling behind.

We can and must do better.

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