WASHINGTON, D.C. (BNO NEWS) – U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Thursday praised the decision by the UN Human Rights Council to form a Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Assembly and Association, the first of its kind.

“This unprecedented action is a good first step in defending a fundamental freedom enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, one that I emphasized during my July trip to Poland,” she said. “We hope this resolution will become an impetus for countries around the world to strengthen protections for this fundamental freedom.”

Furthermore, she said that the resolution that created Special Rapporteur displays the common ground for countries that haven’t always stood up for “such fundamental beliefs”, who supported the resolution.

She said that an active and vibrant civil society is an essential element of a free nation, and she applauded the action by the international community to take the President’s call to stand with human rights and civil society. Secretary Clinton concluded by saying that the U.S. will always continue efforts to lead and expand respect for the fundamental freedom of assembly for civil society worldwide.

The White House praised the passing of the Special Rapporteur as well, noting that it co-sponsored the resolution that created it. The mechanism enjoyed broad cross-regional support from 62 countries. President Obama said last week that the “Arc of human progress has been shaped by individuals with the freedom to assemble.”

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