Our reports are founded on the simple truth at the heart of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights—that all people are born free and equal in dignity and rights. Respect for human rights is not a western construct or a uniquely American ideal; it is the foundation for peace and stability everywhere. Universal human rights include the right of citizens to assemble peacefully and to seek to reform or change their governments, a central theme around the world in 2011. As President Obama has said, "History offers a clear verdict: Governments that respect the will of their own people, that govern by consent and not coercion, are more prosperous, they are more stable, and more successful than governments that do not."

The DOS issues its yearly reports on human rights practices to Congress under a legal mandate [22 USC § 2151n] and has filed similar reports for 2010, 2009, 2008, 2007, 2006, 2005, 2004, 2003, 2002 [JURIST reports] and previous years.