[Congressional Bills 104th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 152 Introduced in House (IH)]







104th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 152

Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the President 
 should develop a strategy to bring the United States back into active 
and full membership in the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and 
                         Cultural Organization.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 17, 1995

 Mr. Torres submitted the following resolution; which was referred to 
                the Committee on International Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the President 
 should develop a strategy to bring the United States back into active 
and full membership in the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and 
                         Cultural Organization.
Whereas the House of Representatives recognizes that the United Nations 
        Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) was created 
        in 1946 as an integral part of the United Nations system, designed to 
        promote international cooperation and exchanges in the fields of 
        education, science, culture, and communication with the larger purpose 
        of constructing ``the defenses of peace'' against intolerance and 
        incitements to war;
Whereas in 1984 the United States withdrew from the organization over questions 
        of internal management and political polarization;
Whereas in 1993 the General Accounting Office, after conducting an extensive 
        review of the organization's activities, reported to the Congress that 
        UNESCO has implemented changes to remedy the problems cited by the 
        United States as reasons for its withdrawal in 1984;
Whereas the interagency review undertaken with all relevant Federal departments 
        and agencies in 1993 concluded unanimously in a report to the President 
        that, in the President's words, ``UNESCO's current programs provide 
        valuable services in a range of fields that reinforce our Nation's 
        foreign policy agenda'';
Whereas the organization's current and projected plans offer means for advancing 
        the foreign policy interests of the United States in promoting 
        democracy, sustainable development, and tolerance in order to prevent 
        ethnic, national, and religious conflicts;
Whereas the four interrelated areas of expertise of the organization, which are 
        education, science, culture, and communication, represent important 
        areas of American competitive advantage, and participation in global 
        programs and policymaking in these fields advances the interests of the 
        United States;
Whereas UNESCO-related United States policy interests include reducing 
        illiteracy and improving education, including education for immigrant 
        populations coming from other nations and cultures, increasing tolerance 
        among ethnic and racial minority groups, protecting cultural freedom and 
        the free flow of information, widening access to communications 
        technology markets in developing countries by American businesses, 
        providing broader channels for international collaboration on scientific 
        research, and understanding environmental change and preservation;
Whereas multilateral initiatives in such politically sensitive activities offer 
        advantages and prospects for success in many countries that cannot be 
        easily realized by bilateral initiatives;
Whereas the United States is unable to participate fully in the important 
        policy-setting work of most UNESCO bodies notwithstanding that it 
        remains engaged in some UNESCO programs, such as the International 
        Oceanographic Commission and the Man and the Biosphere;
Whereas it ill serves the United States to pursue an isolationist course in 
        education, science, culture, and communication; and
Whereas the President has declared that the sole impediment to full reengagement 
        by the United States as a member state of UNESCO is budgetary: Now, 
        therefore, be it
    Resolved, That it is the sense of the House of Representatives 
that--
            (1) the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and 
        Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has satisfactorily overcome the 
        problems cited by the United States as the reasons for its 
        withdrawal from the organization in 1984;
            (2) UNESCO's mission in promoting international cooperation 
        in the intellectual sectors is intrinsically important to 
        promoting the ``defenses of peace''; and
            (3) the President should--
                    (A) develop a strategy to reengage the United 
                States in UNESCO's work, with an eye towards resumption 
                of full membership in the organization when funding is 
                made available;
                    (B) direct the Secretary of State--
                            (i) to consult with government agencies, 
                        nongovernmental organizations, and other 
                        interested parties that had substantial 
                        involvement with the work of the organization 
                        before the withdrawal of the United States in 
                        order to formulate goals the United States 
                        should seek at the organization as part of the 
                        strategy;
                            (ii) to reexamine the frameworks 
                        established in law for the participation of the 
                        American nongovernmental sector in UNESCO 
                        policy and activities; and
                            (iii) to reconstitute the United States 
                        National Commission for UNESCO;
                    (C) consult with other governments on prospects for 
                further reform of the organization's policy bodies and 
                governance, particularly with an eye to strengthening 
                in all member states the role of independent, 
                nongovernmental, intellectual sectors in agency 
                programs and governance; and
                    (D) report to the Congress before September 30, 
                1995, on the nature and extent of the consultations and 
                the progress being made on the strategy.
                                 <all>