On July 8, 2019, Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo announced the formation of a Commission on Unalienable Rights. The commission, composed of academics, philosophers, and activists, was charged with providing the U.S. government with advice on human rights grounded in our nation’s founding principles and the principles of the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Final Report of the Commission on Unalienable Rights
On August 26, 2020, the Commission released its final report to the general public. The report is a consensus document that was signed and approved unanimously by all 11 commissioners. It has also been translated into seven languages.
Commission Meetings
- July 16, 2020
Federal Register Notice | Video - March 26, 2020
Federal Register Notice - February 21, 2020
Speakers: Martha Minow (Prepared Testimony [212 KB] | Video), Thor Halvorssen (Prepared Testimony [78 KB] | Video)
Federal Register Notice | Agenda | Minutes | Video - January 10, 2020
Speakers: Kenneth Roth (Video), Diane Orentlicher (Prepared Testimony [141 KB] | Video)
Federal Register Notice | Agenda | Minutes | Video - December 11, 2019
Speakers: Michael Abramowitz (Video), Miles Yu (Video)
Federal Register Notice | Agenda | Minutes - November 1, 2019
Speakers: Cass Sunstein (Prepared Testimony [196 KB] | Video), Orlando Patterson (Video)
Agenda | Minutes - October 23, 2019
Speakers: Michael W. McConnell (Video), Wilfred M. McClay (Prepared Testimony [482 KB] | Video)
Federal Register Notice | Agenda | Minutes | Remarks by Secretary Pompeo
Federal Register Notices
- 07/16/2020 Commission on Unalienable Rights; Notice of Open Meeting
- 02/03/2020 Commission on Unalienable Rights; Notice of Open Meeting
- 12/20/2019 Commission on Unalienable Rights; Notice of Open Meeting
- 11/20/2019 Commission on Unalienable Rights; Notice of Open Meeting
- 10/02/2019 Commission on Unalienable Rights; Notice of Open Meeting
- 05/30/2019 Department of State Commission on Unalienable Rights
Additional Information
- Signed Charter
- Member Biographies
- Please send inquiries and comments to commission@state.gov.
- Note from Dr. Peter Berkowitz about the Commission