The United Nations Association of New York today adopted and transmitted to President Nixon a resolution asking him to intercede “strongly” with Soviet Communist Party Secretary Leonid I. Brezhnev on behalf of the human rights of Soviet citizens and “the freedom for Jews and other groups to leave the country.”
The resolution, unanimously adopted by the Association’s Board of Directors noted “with sincere friendship.” the impending visit of Brezhnev to the U.S., but expressed deep concern over “the continued difficulties faced by members of religious, national and cultural groups in securing exit visas from the Soviet Union.”
Citing the 25th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights this year, the resolution welcomed Brezhnev’s visit as an indication of increasing friendship between the U.S. and the USSR.
It went on to remind “Secretary Brezhnev of the deep concerns of Americans–and particularly of Americans concerned with the preservation of international peace–as to the human rights of many Soviet citizens, including scientists, artists and writers, and as to the freedom to exercise their chosen religion and to go out of the country without penalty, in the case of Soviet citizens of Jewish and other religious and ethnic groups.”
The resolution “respectfully suggests to the President of the United States that in his conferences with Secretary Brezhnev he strongly present the concern of Americans that remedial steps be taken as to these denials of rights, to the end that the high purposes of the Universal Declaration may be implemented in the Soviet Union and in all other parts of the world.”
The United Nations Association is a private, non-partisan organization which aims at helping and promoting the goals of the United Nations. The UNA of NY is the local chapter of the nationwide organization.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
