The U.S. Department of State has released its latest Country Reports on Human Rights Practices.

Mandated by Congress to help guide its decisions on foreign military and economic aid, the reports are also used by journalists, scholars, activists, governments, and intergovernmental organizations.

With the announcement of the release, we saw a spike in related searches on USA.gov. Our users have been specifically looking for the report on China, which includes Tibet, Hong Kong, and Macau.

You can read the individual reports, or use the Build a Report tool to compare human rights topics of your choosing across countries.

President Obama declared Human Rights Week beginning Saturday, December 10th. Human Rights Week celebrates our basic freedoms and renews the United States’ commitment to supporting and advancing every person’s right to human dignity.

The United States works with other governments, organizations and institutions to promote and work towards human rights for all. The State Department pushes to:

• Hold governments accountable to their obligations under universal human rights norms and international human rights instruments;
• Promote greater respect for human rights, including freedom from torture, freedom of expression, press freedom, women’s rights, children’s rights, and the protection of minorities;
• Promote the rule of law, seek accountability, and change cultures of impunity;
• Assist efforts to reform and strengthen the institutional capacity of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and the United Nations Commission on Human Rights; and
• Coordinate human rights activities with important allies, including the European Union, and regional organizations.

Learn more about Human Rights Week at humanrights.gov.

On behalf of President Obama and the people of the United States, I congratulate Nelson Mandela and join the world in celebrating his 93rd birthday this Sunday. I am honored and humbled to call President Mandela my friend. Like millions of his admirers around the world, I am deeply moved by his generosity of spirit and unfailing courage in the face of overwhelming obstacles. After 26 years locked in an apartheid prison, he emerged to lead South Africa’s transition from the division of apartheid to an integrated, multi-racial democracy. He embraced his jailers without bitterness or hatred and provided an example to his own people and people everywhere.

…the people of Libya have made themselves clear: It is time for Qadhafi to go—now, without further violence or delay.