The Trump administration’s cuts and restructure of the U.S. State Department represent a dangerous attack on human rights and health, Physicians for Human Rights (PHR) said today. The U.S. Congress should urgently review and contest these changes, while working to reinstate these key offices.
The dismantling of multiple U.S. government offices that were central in promoting human rights undermines global efforts to prevent and bring an end to atrocities, as well as to ensure accountability for perpetrators and justice and redress for survivors and victims of these violations.
Among others, eliminated or consolidated positions and offices include:
- Under Secretary for Civilian Security, Democracy & Human Rights
- Office of Global Criminal Justice
- Office of Global Women’s Issues
- Office of Global Health Security & Diplomacy
“The only people who will benefit from the Trump administration’s withdrawal of U.S. leadership are war criminals and perpetrators of mass atrocities around the world,” said Stephen Rapp, JD, former U.S. Ambassador-at-Large for War Crimes Issues and PHR Board member, who led the Office of Global Criminal Justice from 2009-2015.
“By shuttering vital State Department offices and teams, the Trump administration abandons survivors of grave human rights violations and emboldens would-be perpetrators everywhere,” said Amb. Rapp. “The Office of Global Criminal Justice has supported survivors and civil society from Syria to Sudan to Xinjiang to Iraq and Ukraine and beyond, helping to document crimes and build strong cases against those responsible. Long supported by both Republican and Democratic administrations, the Office of Global Criminal Justice helps make the world a safer place. President Trump and Secretary of State Rubio undermine human rights through these reckless and short-sighted actions.”
“The Office of Global Criminal Justice has been a leader and strategic partner for countries, international institutions, and civil society organizations in pursuing justice and accountability for the most ruthless perpetrators of atrocities,” said Karen Naimer, JD, LLM, PHR director of programs. “Its strengthening of national justice systems has been a bedrock for enabling domestic prosecutors to pursue justice in national courts. The Office of Global Criminal Justice has also improved international justice mechanisms and its global partnerships have provided indispensable pathways for survivors and victims of war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide, including those who have endured conflict-related sexual violence, to obtain redress.”
When the Rwanda-backed M23 militia wreaked havoc in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) in 2012-2013, the Office of Global Criminal Justice played a critical role in advocating for U.S. engagement to end atrocities, to prevent further human rights violations, and to support national and international accountability for those responsible for committing the most brutal crimes. These actions helped to strengthen access to justice for victims and survivors.
When Bosco Ntaganda, the former leader of M23 who had been wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for war crimes, surrendered himself at the U.S. embassy in Kigali, Rwanda in 2013, the Office of Global Criminal Justice helped to navigate the complex legal and administrative process of delivering him to the ICC. In a 2019 landmark judgment, the ICC convicted Ntaganda of war crimes and crimes against humanity, including for rape, murder, recruitment of child soldiers, and sexual slavery.
“Around the world, war criminals like Ntaganda are empowered by Trump and Rubio’s actions, and victims and survivors are further deprioritized and sidelined,” said Naimer. “As eastern DRC again contends with a new M23 onslaught and occupation of large areas of North and South Kivu in Eastern DRC, the Office of Global Criminal Justice could have been mitigating harms, preventing further devastation, and supporting accountability. The Trump administration’s retreat on human rights will result in impunity for perpetrators and remove opportunities for recourse for victims.”
“Congress should immediately review the new changes and restore the Office of Global Criminal Justice and the programs it supports,” said Amb. Rapp.
The Office of Global Women’s Issues has also provided an important platform for amplifying the human rights of women and girls and it delivered transformative support for civil society organizations seeking to improve the conditions of women and girls globally.
“The evisceration of human rights offices at the State Department leaves all of us less safe and less secure,” said Naimer.
The Trump administration’s restructuring of the State Department is coupled with the near-elimination of USAID and the thousands of life-saving health and humanitarian programs it supported around the world, which has threatened the lives of millions of people.
Physicians for Human Rights (PHR) is a New York-based advocacy organization that uses science and medicine to prevent mass atrocities and severe human rights violations. Learn more here.