June 28, 2001

President George W. Bush
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Ave. NW
Washington, D. C. 20500

Dear President Bush:

I am writing on behalf of the 153,000 members of the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) regarding the failures of the United States in defending human rights, and urge you to take action to seek ratification of:

• The Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights

• Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women

• Convention on the Rights of the Child.

We also are alarmed that the seat historically occupied by the United States on the United Nations’ Human Rights Commission was lost.

Each of the above issues points out the lack of leadership by the United States for the protection of children and families in this global community. Taken as a whole, this combination paints a picture of a country that espouses protection of human rights, and at the same time, is one of the last to take action to support those rights.

Human rights concerns have been the cornerstone of the social work profession in the United States from its beginnings. Individual social workers, the International Federation of Social Workers, and NASW’s 1999 International Policy on Human Rights have addressed the importance of a global human rights perspective.

The National Association of Social Workers will continue to advocate for the rights of vulnerable people and condemns policies, practices, and attitudes of bigotry, intolerance, and hate that put any person’s human rights in grave jeopardy. I urge you to re-establish the United States’ position as a leader in the protection of human rights.

Sincerely,

Ruth W. Mayden, President
National Association of Social Workers