U.S. Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice introduced the 2006 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices and discussed their findings during a State Department press briefing March 6 in Washington D.C.
Secretary Rice hoped that these reports as "will be a source of information for governments and societies everywhere and a source of inspiration for all who are still working for peaceful, democratic change around the globe.
The Secretary added “We do not issue these reports because we think ourselves perfect, but rather because we know ourselves to be deeply imperfect… We are nonetheless guided by enduring ideals: the inalienable rights of humankind and the principles of democracy toward which all people and all governments must continue striving. And that includes us here in America”.
The Lebanon’s Country Report states that “Lebanon’s significant steps toward reform following the 2005 assassination of former Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri and the subsequent withdrawal of Syrian troops after nearly three decades of occupation have been hampered since the July-August 2006 conflict between Hizballah and Israel.”
To read the full report, Lebanon 2006 Human Rights Report.
The 196 reports describe the performance of governments and entities in putting into practice their international commitments on human rights.
For the first time, the reports include a section in each country's report regarding respect for freedom of speech on the Internet and provide information on the extent of available Internet access in each country, and whether governments inappropriately limit or block access to the Internet or censor Web sites.
The reports, submitted annually to Congress as mandated by U.S. law, examine the status of human rights in 2006 in 196 countries and entities. The reports describe the performance of governments in putting into practice their international commitments on human rights.
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Transcript of Secretary Rice’s Remarks
Lebanon 2006 Human Rights Report
2006 Human Rights Country Report | 
