[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 141 (Wednesday, July 22, 2020)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 44449-44450]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-16035]
[[Page 44447]]
Vol. 85
Wednesday,
No. 141
July 22, 2020
Part III
The President
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Proclamation 10056--Captive Nations Week, 2020
Presidential Documents
Federal Register / Vol. 85, No. 141 / Wednesday, July 22, 2020 /
Presidential Documents
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Title 3--
The President
[[Page 44449]]
Proclamation 10056 of July 17, 2020
Captive Nations Week, 2020
By the President of the United States of America
A Proclamation
Tragically, hundreds of millions of people around the
world continue to suffer under repressive regimes.
During Captive Nations Week, we condemn the cold grip
of tyranny that holds nations under unjust rule, and we
reaffirm our commitment to all who are fighting to
overcome oppression. We renew our deep devotion to the
principles of liberty, justice, and the rule of law,
and we know the United States will continue to shine as
an unparalleled example for all nations.
President Dwight D. Eisenhower first proclaimed Captive
Nations Week in 1959 to declare our Nation's steadfast
support for people throughout the world who are denied
fundamental rights by their governments. The belief
that a just government's powers are derived from the
consent of the governed is sacrosanct in our country,
but it is not shared universally. In many countries,
citizens who peacefully speak their views, practice
their religion, or strive to hold their governments
accountable for abuses experience reckless disregard
for their rights. Recently, authoritarian regimes have
used the coronavirus pandemic to justify increased
restrictions on individual human rights. These regimes
have suppressed the free flow of timely and accurate
information about the pandemic by censoring or
imprisoning people who dare to share unapproved
information or opinions. The most notable example today
is China, where the virus originated and government
suppression led directly to this global pandemic. In
addition, the Chinese government has seized upon this
opportunity to snuff out freedom in Hong Kong, which
had been the only bastion of liberty in that captive
nation.
The United States encourages all nations to respect
individual liberty, uphold the rule of law, and be
accountable to their people through consent-based
governments. Authoritarian regimes that do not respect
the inherent dignity of every individual hold the
dreams and potential of their people captive, enabling
poverty, repression, and anguish to flourish as they
deny their people their God-given rights. We will never
waver in our firm belief that liberty, justice, and the
rule of law unleash the fullness of life that God
intended for everyone. This week and always, we stand
with all people who yearn to live freely, securely, and
prosperously under rights-respecting, transparent, and
accountable governments rooted in the consent of the
governed.
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, DONALD J. TRUMP, President of the
United States of America, by virtue of the authority
vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the
United States, do hereby proclaim July 19 through July
25, 2020, as Captive Nations Week. I call upon all
Americans to reaffirm our commitment to supporting
those around the world striving for liberty, justice,
and the rule of law.
[[Page 44450]]
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this
seventeenth day of July, in the year of our Lord two
thousand twenty, and of the Independence of the United
States of America the two hundred and forty-fifth.
(Presidential Sig.)
[FR Doc. 2020-16035
Filed 7-21-20; 11:15 am]
Billing code 3295-F0-P