HUMAN RIGHTS AND THE 2020 U.S. ELECTIONS
2020 is a crossroads year for human rights, both in the U.S. and abroad. Around the world, authoritarian forces are gaining traction and strength, cracking down on peaceful dissent and free expression. Governments are failing to address existential threats to our human rights – including civil war, climate change, political corruption, and rising inequality. The world is confronted with the highest displaced population in history at a time when governments are increasingly closing their doors to migrants and refugees seeking safety. These human rights crises are rocking every region of the globe at a time when the international community’s resolve to tackle these crises is on the decline.
No matter the outcome of the 2020 presidential election, U.S. leaders will be critical in protecting – or weakening – human rights both at home and abroad.
What choices should U.S. national leaders make to defend and advance human rights? Amnesty International strives to answer this question each and every day. Amnesty International is the world’s largest grassroots human rights organization, with millions of members and supporters worldwide. We engage in policy advocacy, public education, and activism to demand human rights protections for all people – no matter who they are or where they come from. Our researchers document human rights violations in war zones and hot spots across the globe.
Ahead of the 2020 elections, Amnesty International is pleased to present these policy recommendations, which will serve as a blueprint for foreign and domestic policies that protect human rights. Our recommendations span domestic and global spheres, ranging from regulating U.S. gun sales to ending U.S. arms sales that fuel war crimes abroad to building a humanitarian protection system that addresses the needs of people at the U.S. border as well as those seeking safety across the globe. Our policy recommendations are informed by firsthand documentation conducted by Amnesty researchers worldwide as well as the policy expertise of Amnesty’s national advocates and specialists.
Amnesty International welcomes the opportunity to engage with you further on these recommendations. We look forward to working with you to protect and promote human rights in this new decade and beyond.