; Whereas Russia’s grave human rights abuses should be addressed by the Council, particularly in regard to persecution and imprisonment of political opponents and civic activists, crackdown on independent media, gross violations of freedom of religion, targeted assassinations of journalists and political opponents, and the expulsion of human rights and democracy organizations; Whereas, in 2018, the Council condemned Eritrea’s human rights abuses, documented by the U.N. Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Eritrea, to include arbitrary detention, enforced disappearances, torture and sexual violence and forced labor in 2018, and other human rights groups have condemned Eritrea’s political and religious persecution, but nonetheless, Eritrea was welcomed as a Member of the Council later that year; Whereas UN Resolution 60/251 declares that members elected to the [Human Rights] Council members shall uphold the highest standards in the promotion and protection of human rights ; Whereas commemoration of International Human Rights Day should include particular focus on countries with the world’s worst human rights records such as Cuba, the PRC, Russia, Nicaragua, and Venezuela; Whereas the United States should continue its important work with countries, nongovernmental organizations, and human rights activists to promote greater respect for human rights in the most repressed areas of the world; and Whereas respect for human rights is essential to promotion of other fundamental goals for a flourishing civil society, rule of law, good governance, economic prosperity, and regional stability: Now, therefore, be it