Fulfilling Our Treaty Obligations and Protecting Americans Abroad
Aug 20, 2013
[First published on Jul 29, 2011 Legal Cell “What role for India in the protection of their citizens abroad?”]
The protection of U.S. citizens abroad ranks among the Secretary’s and the Department’s absolute highest priorities” – was the key point stressed by Patrick F. Kennedy, Under Secretary for Management, United States in his Statement Before the Senate Committee on the Judiciary on July 27, 2011.
According to the statement of Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, the State Department has no greater responsibility than the protection of U.S. citizens overseas – particularly when Americans find themselves in the custody of a foreign government, facing an unfamiliar, and at times unfair, legal system. Last year alone, our consular officers conducted over 9,500 consular visits with more than 3,500 Americans who were in the custody of foreign governments.
Through the international system of consular assistance – a system that has evolved over centuries and today is reflected in binding U.S. treaties– we are able to reach our citizens in these vulnerable situations and help them receive food and medical assistance, communicate with their families, and provide them with information regarding foreign legal systems and how they can access legal counsel overseas. In return, the United States has committed to permit foreign officials to provide the same assistance to their own citizens who are arrested here.
To protect our citizens, we need to do our part to protect those of other countries. Because enactment of this bill serves our critical interests in protecting our citizens, preserving our foreign policy relations, and abiding by our promises under vital treaties we have ratified, I join the Department of Justice and the rest of the Administration in urgently calling on Congress to pass this narrow and carefully crafted legislation.
‘Indo – Indo-Gulf Reparation Mechanisms’ Updates
The Vienna Convention is the base for such activities. Government of India could also render similar Consular assistance to protect its helpless citizens who suffer in the prisons and custody of Police in foreign countries and the GCC (Gulf) countries in particular. Some of the salient points of the statement of Patrick F. Kennedy are quoted below for consideration and implementation by the Government of India to protect the lives of Overseas Indians.
Read Full Text “What role for India in the protection of their citizens abroad?”
MORE RESOURCES
Edwin Montefiore Borchard (1884-1951) “How Far Must We Protect Our Citizens Abroad?”
Comments