,,iii  #aaeth ,,congress  #b;d ,session 
,s4 ,,res4 #djg  ,,in ,,the ,,senate    
,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states  ,february 
#ae1 #bjah ,mr4 ,coons 7for himself and 
,mr4 ,tillis7 submitted the following   
resolution2 which was referred to the   
,committee on ,foreign ,relations       
,,resolution  ,recognizing the critical 
work of human rights defenders in       
promoting human rights1 the rule of law1
 democracy1 and good governance4        
,whereas the ,declaration on the ,right 
and ,responsibility of ,individuals1    
,groups and ,organs of ,society to      
,promote and ,protect ,universally      
,recognized ,human ,rights and          
,fundamental ,freedoms 7referred to in  
this preamble as the ,declaration on    
,human ,rights ,defenders7--  7#a7 was  
adopted by the ,united ,nations ,general
 ,assembly on ,december #i1 #aiih2 and  
7#b7 states that1 ,everyone has the     
right ''' to promote and to strive for  
the protection and realization of human 
rights and fundamental freedoms at the  

national and international levels2      
,whereas the ,department of ,state      
defines human rights defenders as       
individuals1 working alone or in groups1
 who non-violently advocate for the     
promotion and protection of universally 
recognized human rights and fundamental 
freedoms2 ,whereas the ,senate supports 
the right of human rights defenders all 
over the world to promote the           
fundamental freedoms enshrined in--     
7#a7 the ,universal ,declaration of     
,human ,rights1 adopted at ,paris on    
,december #aj1 #aidh2 and  7#b7 human   
rights treaties2  ,whereas human rights 
defenders protect the rights of         
vulnerable individuals and groups2      
,whereas1 according to ,amnesty         
,international1 an estimated #c1ejj     
human rights defenders have been        
murdered since the adoption of the      
,declaration on ,human ,rights          
,defenders2 ,whereas1 in certain parts  
of the world1 the work of human rights  
defenders is threatened through-- 7#a7  

restrictions on--  7,a7 the press2 and  
7,b7 the freedoms of expression1        
assembly1 and association2  7#b7 smear  
campaigns2  7#c7 arbitrary detentions2  
7#d7 laws restricting the funding and   
registration of human rights            
organizations2  7#e7 physical attacks2  
7#f7 enforced disappearances2  7#g7     
impunity with respect to crimes         
committed against human rights          
defenders2 and  7#h7 abuses of-- 7,a7   
antiterrorism legislation2 and  7,b7    
states of emergency2 and  ,whereas1 in  
the ,country ,reports on ,human ,rights 
,practices for #bjaf of the ,department 
of ,state1 ,secretary of ,state ,rex    
,tillerson noted the commitment of the  
,united ,states to the human rights     
guaranteed to all individuals around the
 world3 ,now1 therefore1 be it  ,that   
the ,senate-- 7#a7 commends human rights
 defenders for their critical work in   
promoting human rights1 the rule of law1
 democracy1 and good governance2  7#b7  
recognizes the rights of human rights   

defenders to the freedoms of            
association1 assembly1 and expression1  
including the rights of those           
individuals to collect and publish data 
on government abuses2  7#c7 condemns all
 threats to-- 7,a7 human rights         
defenders2 and  7,b7 the work of human  
rights defenders in promoting           
universally recognized human rights2    
7#d7 welcomes the imposition of         
sanctions by the ,president1 on         
,december #ba1 #bjag1 and under the     
,global ,magnitsky ,human ,rights       
,accountability ,act 7subtitle ,f of    
title ,,xii of ,public ,law #aad-cbh2   
#bb ,u4,s4,c4 #bfef note71 with respect 
to human rights abusers and corrupt     
actors2  7#e7 encourages all countries  
to recognize their duties under the     
,declaration on the ,right and          
,responsibility of ,individuals1 ,groups
 and ,organs of ,society to ,promote and
 ,protect ,universally ,recognized      
,human ,rights and ,fundamental         
,freedoms1 adopted by the ,united       

,nations ,general ,assembly on ,december
 #i1 #aiih1 to protect1 promote and     
implement all human rights and          
fundamental freedoms2 and  7#f7 calls on
 the ,president and ,secretary of ,state
 to maintain leadership by the ,united  
,states in promoting human rights4