Papers
Blueprints
Leading up to President Obama taking office we released and widely distributed a series of strategy papers developed to guide his administration’s decision-making on a number of critical foreign and domestic policy related issues.
The national security imperative to close Guantanamo remains as compelling today. President Obama should recommit to closing Guantanamo in his second term.
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How to Promote International Religious Freedom
The Obama Administration should develop a preventative strategy for combating religious extremism and promoting religious freedom that is commensurate with the challenges in today’s global landscape.
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How to Disrupt Enablers of Mass Atrocities
Genocide and mass atrocities are threats to U.S. national security interests. Here are concrete steps that the Obama Administration should take to disrupt the supply chain that supports such crimes.
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How to Ensure that the U.S. Drone Program Does Not Undermine Human Rights
To ensure that the U.S. targeted killing/drone program is not undermining human rights, the Obama Administration should prioritize transparency, legality, and oversight.
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How to Integrate Human Rights into U.S.-China Relations
The Obama Administration should prioritize human rights promotion in China and maximize the potential for progress by developing a comprehensive, integrated approach built on a strategy that advances human rights through other issues on the U.S.-China agenda.
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How to Make Change in Egypt a Human Rights Success Story
To make Egypt’s transition a human rights success story, the United States must visibly and intentionally promote rule of law, pluralistic democracy, and civil society at the center of the bilateral relationship.
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How to Protect and Expand Internet Freedom
The vision of “one Internet” requires a coordinated policy objective across all departments of the U.S. government and throughout the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) sector.
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How to Protect LGBTI Persons around the World from Violence
In 2011, President Obama created a clear policy framework for combating serious rights violations against LGBTI persons. Here are recommendations for the administration, for operationalizing and institutionalizing the provisions of the memorandum.
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How to Repair the U.S. Asylum and Refugee Resettlement Systems
The Obama Administration should reaffirm U.S. leadership on the protection of refugees by repairing flaws in the U.S. asylum and resettlement systems.
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How to Repair the U.S. Immigration Detention System
The Obama Administration should prioritize the transformation of detention policies and practices in its immigration reform agenda and should lead this effort from the White House.
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How to Support and Engage Human Rights Defenders
As more countries crack down on nongovernmental organizations, the administration should dedicate itself to a stronger and more consistent approach to supporting civil society and human rights defenders.
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2012 Publications and Reports
Egypt’s Transition to Democracy One Year On: Recommendations for U.S. Policy (January 2012)
Bahrain: The Gathering Storm (February 2012)
Blasphemy Laws Exposed: The Consequences of Criminalizing “Defamation of Religions” (updated March 2012)
The Road to Safety ;Strengthening Protection for LGBTI Refugees in Uganda and Kenya (May 2012)
Disrupting Atrocity Enablers; Maritime Arms Shipments from Russia to Syria (August 2012)
Key Facts and Analysis on the U.S. Targeted Killing Program (November 2012)
How to Close Guantanamo; Blueprint for the Next Administration (December 2012)
How to Disrupt Enablers of Mass Atrocities; Blueprint for the Next Administration (December 2012)
How to Encourage U.S. Companies to Respect Human Rights; Blueprint for the Next Administration (December 2012)
How to Ensure that the U.S. Drone Program Does Not Undermine Human Rights; Blueprint for the Next Administration (December 2012)
How to Integrate Human Rights into U.S.-China Relations; Blueprint for the Next Administration (December 2012)
How to Make Change in Egypt a Human Rights Success Story; Blueprint for the Next Administration (December 2012)
How to Promote International Religious Freedom; Blueprint for the Next Administration (December 2012)
How to Protect and Expand Internet Freedom; Blueprint for the Next Administration (December 2012)
How to Protect LGBTI Persons around the World from Violence; Blueprint for the Next Administration (December 2012)
How to Repair the U.S. Asylum and Refugee Resettlement Systems; Blueprint for the Next Administration (December 2012)
How to Repair the U.S. Immigration Detention System; Blueprint for the Next Administration (December 2012)
How to Support and Engage Human Rights Defenders; Blueprint for the Next Administration (December 2012)