New York, September 22, 1997

[...] And to punish those responsible for crimes against humanity -- and to promote justice so that peace endures - we must maintain our strong support for the U.N.'s war crime tribunals and truth commissions. Before the century ends, we should establish a permanent international court to prosecute the most serious violations of humanitarian law.

The United States welcomes the Secretary General's efforts to strengthen the role of human rights within the U.N. system and his choice of Mary Robinson as the new High Commissioner. We will work hard to make sure that she has the support she needs to carry out her mandate.[...]