Halpern Chides U.S. for Failure to Ratify U.N. Anti-genocide Pact

Failure of the United States Congress to ratify the United Nations genocide convention was deplored today in a speech on the House floor by Rep. Seymour Halpern, New York Republican. The convention, adopted by the U.N. in 1948, has been ratified by nearly 70 states, including the USSR.

Rep. Halpern said the treaty, which would outlaw persecution of racial, ethnic, and religious groups, should be ratified at this session, or “our nation’s participation in the coming human rights year will seem shallow.” He said: “It is truly lamentable that the United States, which has always stood for the dignity of the individual, has not acted in a practical way to enhance the application of human rights around the globe. Our indecision on the genocide convention is a typical instance.”