The U.S. Department of State recently organized the inaugural plenary meeting for Subscribing States of the voluntary Code of Conduct of the Export Controls and Human Rights Initiative (ECHRI). This significant event took place in Washington, D.C. on September 14-15.
ECHRI, which had its origins at the first Summit for Democracy in 2021 as part of the Presidential Initiative for Democratic Renewal, represents a multilateral endeavor. Its primary goal is to counter the misuse of goods and technology by both state and non-state actors for the purpose of committing serious violations or abuses of human rights. This is achieved through the strategic application of export controls in pursuit of national security interests.
The Code of Conduct, unveiled during the second Summit for Democracy in 2023, is the product of leadership from the United States. It seeks to establish voluntary and nonbinding political commitments among Subscribing States. These commitments revolve around the responsible use of export controls to prevent the proliferation of goods, software, and technologies that have the potential to enable serious human rights abuses.
The recent plenary gathering was a momentous occasion as it brought together representatives from 25 Subscribing States along with non-governmental stakeholders. The primary purpose of this meeting was to deliberate on the implementation of the Code of Conduct and explore avenues for further integrating human rights criteria into export control frameworks. Over the course of two days, participants also engaged in discussions about best practices concerning information sharing and efforts to enhance the consideration of human rights within export control processes.
The United States maintains its steadfast commitment to promoting democracy and safeguarding human rights, consistent with its core values. These endeavors are pursued in alignment with the goal of fostering global peace, security, and prosperity.
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