Presidential Document2021-15686
Captive Nations Week, 2021
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
July 21, 2021
Signed
July 16, 2021
Issuing agencies
Executive Office of the President
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 86 Issue 137 (Wednesday, July 21, 2021)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 137 (Wednesday, July 21, 2021)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 38535-38536]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2021-15686]
[[Page 38533]]
Vol. 86
Wednesday,
No. 137
July 21, 2021
Part II
The President
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Proclamation 10233--Captive Nations Week, 2021
Presidential Documents
Federal Register / Vol. 86 , No. 137 / Wednesday, July 21, 2021 /
Presidential Documents
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Title 3--
The President
[[Page 38535]]
Proclamation 10233 of July 16, 2021
Captive Nations Week, 2021
By the President of the United States of America
A Proclamation
From the founding of our Nation to today, through the
crucibles of war and the struggle of successive
generations, America has strived to uphold the ideals
of freedom and democracy upon which our country was
built and expand the ability of people around the world
to freely exercise their rights. As the world's
longest-standing democracy, we carry a special
responsibility to lead at home and abroad, not only by
the example of our power, but by the power of our
example--to prove to ourselves and to the world that
democracy can deliver for all people. Though much has
changed in the world since President Eisenhower issued
the first Captive Nations Proclamation in 1959, its
call for liberty and opportunity still ring true.
During Captive Nations Week, we recommit ourselves to
those principles which form the foundation of our
Nation, and to amplify the voices of courageous
individuals around the world who are striving to
advance the principles of human rights, justice, and
the rule of law.
Today, far too many people are subject to routine
abuses of power, as oppressive governments detain,
harass, or commit acts of violence against dissenting
voices; disseminate disinformation and propaganda;
undermine democratic systems; and otherwise violate the
public trust. These abuses are not new--but they remain
as stern a threat to human rights and freedom as they
have ever been.
No nation or person of conscience can ignore the voices
of those crying out for liberty. We hear Belarusians
peacefully calling for democratic elections, and the
courageous people of Hong Kong demanding the autonomy
and liberty promised by Beijing under the Sino-British
Joint Declaration and Hong Kong's Basic Law. We hear
millions of Uyghurs and other ethnic and religious
minorities in Xinjiang, China, who have been unjustly
interned and subject to surveillance and forced labor.
We hear the determination of those rejecting military
rule in Burma, resisting dictatorship in Venezuela,
taking to streets in Cuba to demand freedom in the face
of brutal state repression, and pressing for free and
fair elections in Nicaragua--as well as the Crimean
Tatars, ethnic Ukrainians, and other ethnic and
religious minorities who suffer repression for opposing
Russia's illegal occupation of Crimea.
The American creed, which defines our Nation, proclaims
that all people are created equal, and deserve to be
treated equally, with dignity and respect, throughout
their lives. We stand in solidarity with the brave
human rights activists and pro-democracy advocates
around the world who risk their lives for the rights of
others. We are committed to ensuring that all those who
are oppressed across the globe--including people with
disabilities, women and girls, members of the LGBTQI+
community, indigenous populations, and racial and
ethnic minorities--are heard, respected, and protected.
During Captive Nations Week, we recommit ourselves to
the timeless, vital work of advancing freedom and
justice for all.
We do that by forging a more equitable and inclusive
society, by solving problems and helping to ease the
burdens people face, and by fulfilling our role as a
global leader for human rights and fundamental freedoms
[[Page 38536]]
of expression, association, peaceful assembly, and
religion or belief. Together with our allies and
partners, we must continue to strengthen democratic
institutions, defend independent civil society and
media freedom, promote free and fair elections, protect
human rights online, insist on accountability for those
who commit abuses and foster cultures of corruption,
and push back against authoritarianism around the
world.
The Congress, by joint resolution approved July 17,
1959 (73 Stat. 212), has authorized and requested the
President to issue a proclamation designating the third
week of July of each year as ``Captive Nations Week.''
NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR., President of
the United States of America, do hereby proclaim July
18 through July 24, 2021, as Captive Nations Week. I
call upon all Americans to reaffirm our commitment to
championing those around the world who strive for
liberty and justice for all.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this
sixteenth day of July, in the year of our Lord two
thousand twenty-one, and of the Independence of the
United States of America the two hundred and forty-
sixth.
<GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT>
(Presidential Sig.)
[FR Doc. 2021-15686
Filed 7-20-21; 11:15 am]
Billing code 3295-F1-P
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