[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 78 Introduced in House (IH)]







108th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. CON. RES. 78

    Expressing the need to reengage Congress and the Administration 
   regarding the social conditions and need for poverty reduction in 
                     Haiti, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             March 5, 2003

  Ms. Lee (for herself, Mr. Frank of Massachusetts, Mr. Cummings, Mr. 
Oberstar, Ms. Schakowsky, Mrs. Christensen, Ms. Woolsey, Mr. Kucinich, 
  Mr. Brown of Ohio, Mr. Conyers, Mr. Meek of Florida, Mr. Rush, Mr. 
 Scott of Virginia, Mr. Deutsch, Mr. Hastings of Florida, Ms. Watson, 
   Ms. Kilpatrick, Mrs. Jones of Ohio, Ms. Jackson-Lee of Texas, Ms. 
 Waters, Mr. Owens, Mr. Payne, Mr. Clyburn, Ms. Carson of Indiana, and 
  Mr. Clay) submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was 
referred to the Committee on Financial Services, and in addition to the 
 Committee on International Relations, for a period to be subsequently 
   determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such 
 provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                         CONCURRENT RESOLUTION


 
    Expressing the need to reengage Congress and the Administration 
   regarding the social conditions and need for poverty reduction in 
                     Haiti, and for other purposes.

Whereas the United States has participated in nearly 200 years of bilateral 
        relations with Haiti and its successive governments;
Whereas Haiti is a nascent democracy, having had less than 7 years to develop 
        strong democratic institutions, such as its justice system;
Whereas the Government of Haiti has dismantled the national military, which was 
        responsible for countless human rights violations;
Whereas Haiti's only law enforcement consists of 3,500 national police who are 
        charged with ensuring the safety of nearly 8,000,000 citizens;
Whereas Haiti is the most impoverished nation in the Western Hemisphere;
Whereas on September 4, 2002, the Organization of American States (OAS) passed 
        Resolution 822 to normalize relations between Haiti and the 
        international financial institutions;
Whereas since the passage of Resolution 822, no formal action has been taken on 
        the part of the international financial institutions;
Whereas the United Nations Joint Programme on HIV/AIDS states that Haiti 
        accounts for 90 percent of the HIV/AIDS infections and case rates in the 
        Caribbean;
Whereas the infant mortality rate in Haiti continues to rise and only 1 in every 
        10,000 Haitians has access to a physician;
Whereas less than 40 percent of all Haitians have access to potable water;
Whereas the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria has approved the 
        Haitian Government's control mechanisms, which include measures to 
        address transparency, for disbursement of grants from the Global Fund; 
        and
Whereas the people of Haiti have a constitutional and fundamental human right to 
        health and the government has the obligation to fulfill these rights to 
        the level of resources available: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), 
That Congress--
            (1) reaffirms its support for the mission of the 
        Organization of American States (OAS) to Haiti and calls on the 
        President to urge that this mission work closely with the 
        Government and people of Haiti to advance their goals and 
        aspirations and not the objectives of other governments or 
        international organizations;
            (2) calls on the United States Agency for International 
        Development, the International Bank for Reconstruction and 
        Development, the International Monetary Fund, and the Inter-
        American Development Bank to convene a meeting of all donors 
        and potential donors to Haiti, with the objective of launching 
        a new and sustainable humanitarian initiative, including a 
        lending program that will help bolster the economic and 
        infrastructure bases of Haiti;
            (3) urges the President to direct the Secretary of State to 
        conduct an immediate review of United States policy toward 
        Haiti, including adequate and appropriate consultations with 
        the relevant committees of Congress;
            (4) calls specifically upon the International Monetary Fund 
        to reevaluate the current staff monitoring program conditions 
        outlined for Haiti and work in the long-term toward a poverty 
        reduction agreement for Haiti; and
            (5) urges the President to instruct the Secretary of 
        Treasury to direct the United States Executive Director at the 
        Inter-American Development Bank to release the 4 social sector 
        and development loans totaling $146,000,000, for health, 
        education, water and sanitation, and transportation, that have 
        been approved by the Board of Executive Directors of the Bank 
        and ratified by the Parliament of Haiti.
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