Human Rights Week

Statement by Secretary Colin L. Powell Brussels, Belgium December 8, 2004

This year the government of the United States joins the global community in commemorating the 56th Anniversary of the signing of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Wrought from the horrors of the Second World War, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was adopted by the UN General Assembly to enshrine the principles of equality and justice in law.

In honor of this important event President George W. Bush has officially declared the week of December 10-17, 2004, to be Human Rights Week and December 10, 2004, to be Human Rights Day. In commemorating this week, we reaffirm our commitment to the principles which have come to characterize our nation.

The United States values the sanctity of the individual and is committed to preventing human rights abuses. Our country is one in which all citizens regardless of their race, ethnicity, gender, religious faith or other characteristics, are entitled to enjoy equal opportunities and mutual peace.

Today, millions of people across the globe are denied basic human rights, and so on every continent we make important immediate and long-term investments in democracy and human rights. We are working with other countries to establish governments that are chosen by their own people through democratic processes. We are currently working hand-in-hand with the Afghan and Iraqi governments so that human rights and democratic freedoms will be fully restored to people who have suffered years of oppression. Additionally, I will be in Morocco for the first ever "Forum for the Future," which is an extraordinary gathering of nations offering us the opportunity to promote democracy and freedom to the Broader Middle East and North Africa.

Our fight for human rights will continue so long as tyrannical regimes infringe upon the freedom of citizens. Though this challenge remains formidable in the 21st century, we are committed to upholding the principle and practice of democracy. Meeting this challenge will require an unprecedented amount of cooperation among nations, and we stand united with those countries that respect human dignity. We hold our allies in the war on terror and ourselves to these standards. The struggle for freedom requires scrupulous adherence to human rights, not a relaxation of standards.

Please join the United States Department of State in celebrating Human Rights Week by learning more about international human rights from the website of the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor at http://www.state.gov/g/drl/. Together, we can pave the road towards equality and freedom for all persons around the world.

2004/1335
[End]
Released on December 8, 2004

Monrovia, Liberia Treasury David Loevinger

FROM THE OFFICE OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS December 8, 2004 JS-2133

Statement of U.S. Treasury Deputy Assistant Secretary David Loevinger
Monrovia, Liberia, December 8, 2004

During December 7-8, I met with Liberia's economic leaders, including Chairman Bryant, Finance Minister Lusinee Kamara, Minister for Planning and Economic Affairs, Christian Herbert, and Acting Executive Governor of the Central Bank, Charles Greene. I want to thank Chairman Bryant and his team for their gracious hospitality. I also want to thank Ambassador Blaney, whose tireless efforts have ensured that we in Washington are not distracted by events elsewhere in the world.

The U.S. Treasury Department has devoted significant resources to helping Liberia recover and grow. In Africa, Liberia is the largest recipient of technical assistance from the Treasury Department because we believe that peace will be sustained only if there is economic growth and job creation. This will require disciplined, transparent and accountable monetary and fiscal policies. That is why we have provided advisors to the Ministry of Finance, the Bureau of the Budget, and the Central Bank. The Treasury Department is also working closely with the IMF, World Bank, and the African Development Bank to create conditions for these institutions to once again provide resources to create jobs and reduce poverty.

The Transitional Government of Liberia has made important progress in restoring growth (expected to be over 20% this year) and improving people's lives. As one example, increased competition in cellular telecommunications has cut costs to consumers significantly. Increased competition in other sectors could lead to similar results.

But I must tell my Liberian friends that, despite some very useful reforms taken by the NTGL and the progress made, there remain too many instances where actions of a few individuals cost the Liberian people dearly and undermine the ability of donors, the IMF and the Multilateral Development Banks to reengage with Liberia. Too many revenues still never make it into the government's budget, particularly from the port. And too much of the money collected continues to be spent outside of agreed budgetary procedures. Government officials must be held accountable for transparent management of public resources. This is important to donors, but even more important to the welfare of the Liberian people. It is their money.

My visit to the Finance Ministry highlighted both the progress that has been made. A large taxpayers unit is making strides in ensuring that businesses pay their fair share. I observed deliberations of the Cash Management Committee, which was created to ensure that the government spends only the resources it has, does not again run up arrears, and allocates scarce resources to priority areas. However, there continues to be spending that does not conform with the committee's recommendations.