Oppose H.R. 2829, the United Nations Transparency, Accountability, and Reform Act of 2011

Recipient: House Foreign Affairs Committee

Dear Member of House Foreign Affairs Committee,

On behalf of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human
Rights, a coalition charged by its diverse membership of more than 200 national
organizations to promote and protect the rights of all persons in the United
States, we write to urge you to oppose H.R. 2829, the United Nations
Transparency, Accountability, and Reform Act of 2011.

Among other things, the bill would severely restrict the
U.S. contribution to the United Nations, including withholding a pro rata share
of U.S. dues that goes to the Human Rights Council, prohibiting voluntary
contributions to the Council, and prohibiting the United States from running
for a second term on the Council. 
Eliminating U.S. engagement with the Human Rights Council would
undermine the global leadership of the United States and our ability to build
support to advance vital human rights protections for people around the
world.  U.S. participation in the Council
has achieved real results, including a groundbreaking resolution that seeks to
address violence, discrimination and incitement to religious hatred without
reference to “defamation of religions,” and the first ever resolution
addressing violence and discrimination against LGBT persons to be passed by a
UN body.

The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights has been
an active participant in the deliberations of the Human Rights Council as they
relate to holding the United States accountable for its human rights
commitments.  We participated in the
Universal Periodic Review (UPR) for the United States and applauded its efforts
to reach out and consult with civil society, both in the preparation of its
report for the UPR and with respect to the convening of the first ever town
hall meeting with civil society in the Council chambers following the formal
presentation of its report to members of the Council.  U.S. participation in the Human Rights
Council has served as a model of democratic engagement with civil society for
countries around the world. 

We are also concerned about a provision in H.R. 2829 to cut
funds to the UN entities tasked with implementing the Convention on the
Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW).  This provision would undermine the important
work of the United Nations to advance women’s rights worldwide. While the
United States has been a global leader in standing up for women and girls
around the world, it has failed to join the 187 other countries that have
ratified CEDAW.  We urge you to oppose
this provision and to support the Administration’s efforts to ask the Senate to
move forward with ratification of CEDAW.

We believe that continued U.S. engagement with the Human
Rights Council provides an important forum to advance human rights globally,
including the civil and human rights of all Americans.  As H.R. 2829 would block effective U.S.engagement
with the Human Rights Council, if enacted, we urge you to oppose the bill.

Sincerely,

Wade Henderson
President & CEO

Nancy Zirkin
Executive Vice President