Welcome. Thank you all for being here. My name is Margaret Long hwong. We are very honored to welcome our colleagues across the globe and our secretary general for the very first time. Were launching amnesty human rightss report from in the United States. Its year the team of expert researchers puts together the report to document, statebystate, the situation of human rights around the world. With 159 countries and this years report, we have been able to identify some very common themes that we are seeing across the globe. Is the worrying rise in state sponsored discrimination and hate, which we have seen here in the United States as well. A more promising fame, is that we are also seeing rising levels of activism. That is exactly what Amnesty International is all about. I am very pleased today to be able to introduce my three colleagues from the Global Human Rights movement who are all ready to talk about the report and the important work that Amnesty International is doing. First, our secretary general, will give it an overview of the report and the key themes that amnesty is highlighting this year. Erika, who isague the director of amnesty will speak to the human rights themes in our hemisphere including the United States. Our third speaker, the director of our crisis work, will be able to speak to amnestys work on bangladesh and the situation in that haveother crises been rising over the last several weeks and year. I would like to remind each of you, this lunch today is part of an embargoed effort. The report will not be released until 1201 tonight eastern time 12 01 tonight eastern time. We ask you to hold all your stories and social media postings until that time. Thank you all for being here. Thank you all for joining us this morning. Ago, millions of people , not just in the United States, but across the world, were atching anxiously to see what Trump Presidency would yield. After an Election Campaign of and sexesd xenophobic retort. And sexes retort. They were also looking across europe where electoral races in france, the netherlands, austria and germany were showcasing similar rhetoric and the cynical use of fear and hatred. That combined with already harsh crackdowns and identitybased violence, many countries, it was a bleak outlook. Stock ander, we take what we found is, in 2017, to an alarming extent, sadly, the hateful rhetoric crossed into hateful reality. And the usa, we saw the reinstatement of the global gag rule. A deprived millions of women and girls worldwide of vital health care. The travel bans, aimed at mainly muslim countries, the dramatic cutback on Refugee Resettlement numbers leaving thousands more in limbo. A new climate of present massiveness for xenophobia and arose fromarise President Trumps failure to condemn it when he sought. Peddling fear against whole groups of people based on who they are, ultimately leads only one direction. Turn a blind eye, the endgame is or effect and literally fatal. And 2017, we saw no clearer example than the militarys campaign of ethnic cleansing. That was led by the general at the time. That drove more than 600,000 women, men, and children to flee in terror. It was arguably the biggest human rights story of 2017. A story with this roots of years and hatred and systematic discrimination against the other people. The rising rhetoric of hate translated into horrific realworld consequences. That is the bad news from 2017. Theres also a lot of encouraging news. Happens whens what people mask mass in great numbers to say they will not accept the injustices they face. Ordinal they make it a new era of social activism. There is no better example of that than what you have seen with the kids in this country standing up against gun violence in the last few days. Refuse, the children we are talking about, to accept what is unconscionable as the state. The massay to mobilizations for judicial freedom and thousands reading teargas and bullets campaigning against medical shortages and venezuela. Peoples determination to seek justice across the world. Margaret mentioned, this is the first time we are inching our on annual report on the state of human rights in the United States of america. The reason is simple. Usa was, the prominently on both sides of the ledger. Seriously threats to human rights met huge. Resistance what happens here as great residence around the world. As very important for us to remember, we cannot view what happened in 2017 and what is happening today as a simple equation of unprincipled leaders versus people power. A cause for the values of Human Dignity and human rights, hardly contesting and public squares. On the internet, the modern public square. March ine womens d. C. , but we also saw charlottesville. We saw the defense and poland, but we also saw huge nationalist rallies which called for a muslim holocaust. The hatred and fear in our public is not going away. Leaders are ready to throw away peoples rights, dignity, and equality. Those who are willing to stand up for justice and human rights are a critical line of defense area they often pay a heavy price. None more so than the 120 people venezuela, the 312 or more human rights defenders dylan human 2017 killed and 2017. 2017 brings into sharp focus, the urgency of principles and Ethical Leadership around the world. Said,m lincoln famously and im sure we can apply the same two women, nearly all men , but ifd at adversity, you want to test a mans power, him power fear and hatred is a recipe for nothing but violence. 2018 needs leaders prepared to tackle the big challenges. Instead of simply deflecting responsibility. We need leaders who are unafraid to defend the values of human rights, dignity, and quality. People show up by rising up again and again in 2017. We cannot afford for these values to simply be thrown away. The cost to humanity is far too high. We can and must do better than this. Thank you very much. I will invite erika to come. Thank you everyone. Ericae is aircraft and and i will talk about the impact on latin america. The regions experience one of most regressive climates. We are the region with the highest rates of homicide around the world. Where the most unequal region of the world. We also face the consequence, in many ways, of the u. S. Policies that are affecting the ability of people around the continent to exercise human rights. The alarming concern for human rights [indiscernible] has proven to be wellfounded. President trump wasted peoples time and putting his antirights rhetoric and discrimination and xenophobia into action, including by signing a series of executive orders that are threatening the human rights of millions at home and abroad. Some concerns about the impact of these policies in relation to have included the immigration and refugee policies and practices. Like the many president ial orders that have been addressed just the countries for a few days, and also reducing the annual refugee cap 244,000 amid a global refugee crisis with increasing numbers from central america, and other countries in the region seeking protection under the failures of the states to protect them. Executive order on Border Security and immigration improvements and a series of other matchups, is allowing the ande of returning people increase the mandatory detention of a silent teachers silent asylum seekers. Have ahat is going to serious implication and the politics of refugee policy in the region, is the end of the humanitarian programs which allow thousands of salvadorans, haitians, and nicaraguans to live in the country for many years. [indiscernible] intended to provide protection fleeing manmade and natural disasters in many countries of the region. These thousands of people are among the nearly one Million Immigrants who live in the United States whose lives have been upended and said to have deadline under President Trump. Nearlygest group, under dacaigrants have lost temporary work permits in march and 12 of the 15 Top Countries are in the latin american, caribbean region. The threat between the u. S. And mexico border was not enough to crave a sense of division and hadility, President Trump rhetoric against Certain Companies countries are providing an excuse to justify violations of human rights and peoples freedoms. In venezuela, where people are facing the worst human rights crisis in the countrys recent history, this rhetoric of trop against venezuelas really government has not just infuriated that president s, but provided a perfect excuse to deny serious Rights Violations. Also, women and girls are experiencing the terrifying consequences as rhetoric turns to reality. To president s reduction Womens Services has had an on of millions millions in the region. They are restricting almost a. Illion dollars 8 billion funded a nation contraception and pregnancy care to low income women and 150 countries. In latin america, where experts estimate almost 800,000 women are treated annually or complications of an unsafe abortion, President Trump is not only putting that many lives address, but creating context in which countries are proposing new restrictions to law and practices to ensure that women and girls are not accessing rights that are needing in their lives. Crisis after crisis, shook us to the ground. They also inspired many to race in the region against some of these policies. We saw the women arches and some of countries in latin america. This new u. S. How is precisely to commit some of the worst atrocities to the population. To someone who will speak about the crises who are endearing other people in the world. Thank you, erica. Before we go into 2017, i want to share a comment that was sent. O us as you know, this place is being bombarded relentlessly over the last few days. It has been described, probably, as one of the worst sieges that syria has seen in the war. The pediatrician that our team spoke to, said the situation in eastern gouda is worse than words can say. We have been lacking the basics for five years, but today, it is even worse. What do i start with what is happening today when we are going talking about 2017 . This is a direct consequence of the paralysis that has plagued the International Community in 2017. When it comes to conflict, crisis, and mass atrocities, we or zeron zero moral leadership coming from the leadership community. Where 690,000,ar that is pretty much the population of washington dc, left their homes when the army went in, guns blazing, setting their homes on fire, killing the relatives, raping the women. They fled into bungalow where they are now living in camps that are like small cities. 2017 was the year that 400 and were0 470,000 people living, not living, surviving under siege in syria. 90 of those people are in eastern good eastern gouda. Areasas the year that were bombed in yemen without consequence. And 2017, that was the year the International Community could have done it differently. Mass atrocities played out in realtime. We could have done something about it, but they did not. The message is that we have heard, when we have taken the evidence from syria, from yemen, from other places, to the Security Council of the united nations, to the human rights council, has been the capitals are telling us to keep our heads down. Be the rightt not time to engage on that issue. It. Eems a poor when International Community looks back at 2017 and they look at how they could have printed prevented mass atrocities, is funded to crimes against humanity, they will not look back and draw any lessons from this. They will look back and see they were part of the drafting of some of the darkest chapters of modern history. I was on the border with myanmar bangladesh. It was coming across in droves. It was thing scenes of people fleeing and biblical proportions. Amongst the sea of people, theres a woman called chevy got shafica. She had three of her children and two of her children were missing. She never wanted to leave myanmar, and the first thing she said was and i want to go back. She wanted to go back when she is safe, when she would be recognized as a citizen of myanmar and as a rohingya. She wanted to go back when she could send her children to school with dignity. Of those things are unreasonable. None of those things are not doable. None of those things just the justify our response to the Rohingya Crisis. It is clear without ordinary people, in capitals, and countries, and communities, who will push their leaders to take action on the international stage, then we will continue to see people suffer because of this paralysis. We live in a time where crimes against humanity are being beamed into our homes and realtime. This demands real action. There must be comprehensive embargo imposed on militaries that continue to kill civilians, bomb hospitals, and it needs to happen now. And it needs to happen against the militaries that are serial offenders of this. That, without consequences and accountability, war crimes will go unabated. Civilians, including women, children, the elderly, peaceable people with disabilities, not only will suffer but they will die. 2017 taught us one other thing, outrage and condemnation is not enough. Without concrete action from world leaders, a message that they are sending is no longer never again, it is again and again, and this is unacceptable. Thank you. Where going to do 2 things right now. I want to do a recap of the main messages, particularly for the cameras and to do what we traditionally do, which is officially launch the report. You are welcome to join me, all of you, come please. Hold up the reports please, so that we can the purpose of those of you who a lot of different messages. Let me recap quickly, main of our report from 2017 s the word suffer, terrifying consequences has hit and moved policy and actions, and hese consequences have been on a voice, but at the same time, divisive politics attacks on volatile people, ordinary people, particularly youth, stood up to fight for their own freedoms and freedoms of others. And we have a huge number of examples. About how governments have been so brazen in their on human rights and human values, but equally of people world. Ng up across the so thank you very much for listening to us. Were open to take some from you, and i will answer some of them myself, but i have very able colleagues who will help in nswering, so please go ahead, raise your hand, introduce yourself, and keep your and precise, t please. All clear, no questions . Go ahead. Thank you. First time that you chose america as the venue are there any direct results that you will be or is it just at a showcase for your cause . Well, i think the direct being seen already by actions which the United States people are taking up themselves. I hope that this will only intensify and the government will understand, you know, the actions an rhetoric that were hearing from im dent trump and others, sure margaret will stay more, you know, we have a government which just last order had an executive which was reversing the previous governments policy on something has been across the world serious as a violation, which is keeping guatanamo bay open. Not talk, you know, abstract things. We speak. Ppening as we have a president who actually aid, in his very first few months, endorsed the use of torture and you can imagine what this means for governments world who are extensively using torture including in the part of the from. Which you come so i think our message is loud and clear but let me ask wants to add e anything to this point. Just two points. Impact here in the United States is that people will feel inspired and continue motivated to stand up human amnesty is doing rights work in the United States. We dont just do human rights ork in other parts of the world. We do it here and we call out abuses wherever we seem them and have an way it will impact is our colleagues around the world are inspired that we do call out human rights abuses u. S. E its not enough that we can criticize other governments that may not have as much influence in the u. S. Were also out those abuses. Thank you. One more want to add point. Most countries who are violating they always take the cover of National Sovereignty and domestic laws understand when crimess to international you dontational law, have that cover. Oure obligated under International Law to follow the laws. It doesnt matter whether youre or smallest, poorest country the richest most powerful country in the world, internationally human rights law consistent and used the same across all countries. I hope that answers you partially. Go ahead. Thank you. Two questions. To know do you want to introduce ourself [inaudible] which countries do you think are trying to compensate all the are rs that, in your view, undermining human rights, and, how do you feel of multilateral that are stepping this retreat the human rights violation us that you described . Im not sure i exactly question. Your it doesnt compare across countries. But i can give you one example probably what youre talking about, which is, we saw a very against the International CriminalCourt African countries, most visibly which poured out supported by south africa actively. Consequent to that, african countries, they said, we do not take this position. It looked like the icc was really at risk, if a big countries pullan out, i think its been reversed. Is not saying the threat completely gone but we do have countries that will stand up for human rights including leaders some of these countries, but maybe, since its a question argentina, you may want to comment. Backlash dd that the against human rights is also in which context global and regional human rights institutions are be