U.S. State Department Releases 2008 Human Rights Report

25 February 2009

Department of State Seal

The U.S. Department of State released the 2008 edition of its annual Country Reports on Human Rights Practices, congressionally-mandated documents that summarizes human rights issues in all countries around the world. The reports are submitted by the U.S. Department of State to the U.S. Congress in compliance with the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (FAA), as amended, and section 504 of the Trade Act of 1974, as amended. The law provides that the Secretary of State shall transmit to the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate, by February 25 "a full and complete report regarding the status of internationally recognized human rights” for countries that receive U.S. assistance, as well as all other foreign countries which are members of the United Nations. The reports cover internationally recognized individual, civil, political, and worker rights, as set forth in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.  The reports make note of both major human rights violations in non-democratic countries and minor issues of concern in countries with generally positive records.  To read the English version of the 2008 report on Poland, please follow this link. To read the Polish version, please click here.