U.S. Department of State

	Ukrainians demonstrate outside the Parliament in Kiev, November, 2004. AP/Wide World Photo

America's experience affirms our conviction that all people can live and prosper in peace when guided by a commitment to freedom and democracy. Protecting human rights and promoting democracy is a cornerstone of a U.S. foreign policy that seeks to end oppression, combat terrorism, and advocate democratic ideals and freedoms worldwide. Together with our allies, like-minded governments, and partners in the public and private sectors, we employ a range of diplomatic and program tools to promote democracy and human rights worldwide. Our partners include the United Nations, where the U.S. led the effort to establish a UN Democracy Fund in 2005. We seek opportunities to encourage and support human rights advocates and policy makers to facilitate positive change in countries that routinely ignore international human rights. This principle guides our decisions about international cooperation, the character of our foreign assistance, the allocation of resources, and our actions in international fora. The Department's annual report, Supporting Human Rights and Democracy: The U.S. Record, catalogues these combined efforts, strategies, policies and programs to promote democracy and human rights. While the U.S. plays a leading role to promote democracy and human rights, the Department recognizes that these values are not uniquely American. Democratization must ultimately be a process driven by a society's citizens. Toward that end, the Department works to ensure that democratic reforms reflect a representative political process.

1. New National Government takes office with a clear popular mandate. Preparations for local/regional elections move forward in accordance with relationship defined in Constitution.
2. A select number of women occupy positions of local authority (i.e. at the city level or within the central government at the judicial, legislative, or executive level) inside Kabul.

1. Presidential elections held in October 2004. More than 10 million Afghans registered and 8 million participated in the election, 40 percent of whom were women. Provincial Council and National Assembly elections scheduled for September 18, 2005. 1.69 million new voters registered for upcoming parliamentary elections.
2. Two women are Cabinet Ministers (Minister of Women's Affairs and Minister of Martyrs and Disabled); first female governor appointed (Bamiyan).

Elections that were scheduled to date have occurred and were free, fair and competitive. Unanticipated free and fair elections also occurred in Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia held its first municipal elections and elections are now scheduled in additional municipalities. Many other countries have scheduled elections and through Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI), the Department will work to ensure they are free, fair and competitive, including:

• Senate elections in Tunisia,
• Parliamentary elections in Egypt,
• Parliamentary elections in Lebanon,
• Municipal and parliamentary elections in West Bank/Gaza.

1. The U.S. builds a coalition of like-minded countries that actively cooperates to promote international religious freedom issues in multilateral forums.
2. More prisoners are released because of U.S. Government intervention.
3. At least two additional bilateral or regional international religious freedom initiatives are undertaken laying the groundwork for significant policy changes in those countries or regions.

1. Initiative begun with Saudi Arabia on religious freedom issues; efforts on Uzbekistan and Eritrea as part of broader international efforts on human rights in those countries; continued religious freedom dialogue with China.
2. Religious prisoners were released in Vietnam, Saudi Arabia, China, and other countries.
3. Intensive diplomacy with Vietnam resulted in a binding agreement. Commitments were secured on religious freedom in key areas of concern. Initial work by international religious freedom Office to explore possibilities for working on religious freedom issues in appropriate multilateral forums, including the UN.

1. Initiatives with Vietnam and Saudi Arabia significantly raised the profile of religious freedom issues in these countries.
2. Efforts to develop constructive working relationships with the EU, the UN Special Rapporteur on Religious Freedom, and the OSCE have improved multilateral cooperation on religious freedom.
3. Successful U.S. diplomatic efforts to win release of religious prisoners has discouraged the practice of imprisonment in some countries; demonstrated U.S. commitment to religious communities to address the issue; and opened an avenue for talks on systemic changes that may help remove the threat of imprisonment on religious grounds.

Middle East Partnership Initiative

The Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI) made strong strides to bolster democracy in FY 2005. Nearly 100 Arab women legal professionals from sixteen countries participated in the launch of the Arab Women's Legal Network in Amman, Jordan in July 2005. MEPI quickly responded to the spring 2005 elections in Lebanon by mounting a program to increase electoral transparency through effective monitoring, public opinion polls and a nationwide voter education campaign. In Egypt, MEPI supported civil society organizations in domestic election monitoring, youth training to develop advocacy skills, and voter education ahead of fall 2005 elections. Additionally, MEPI launched multiple projects to strengthen the role of indigenous civil society organizations in North Africa and the Middle East, particularly in the Persian Gulf.

An election official empties a ballot box in front of election observers in Tripoli, northern Lebanon, June 2005. AP/Wide World Photo