[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 164 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







108th CONGRESS
  1st Session
S. RES. 164

Reaffirming support of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment 
of the Crime of Genocide and anticipating the commemoration of the 15th 
anniversary of the enactment of the Genocide Convention Implementation 
          Act of 1987 (the Proxmire Act) on November 4, 2003.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             June 10, 2003

   Mr. Ensign (for himself, Mr. Corzine, Mr. Edwards, Mr. Bayh, Mr. 
 Sarbanes, Mr. Conrad, Mr. Reed, Ms. Landrieu, Mr. Jeffords, Mr. Kohl, 
 Mr. Lieberman, Mr. Kennedy, Mr. Allen, Mr. Biden, Mr. Santorum, Mrs. 
 Dole, Mrs. Boxer, and Mr. Durbin) submitted the following resolution; 
          which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
Reaffirming support of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment 
of the Crime of Genocide and anticipating the commemoration of the 15th 
anniversary of the enactment of the Genocide Convention Implementation 
          Act of 1987 (the Proxmire Act) on November 4, 2003.

Whereas in 1948, in the shadow of the Holocaust, the international community 
        responded to Nazi Germany's methodically orchestrated acts of genocide 
        by approving the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the 
        Crime of Genocide, done at Paris on December 9, 1948;
Whereas the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide 
        confirms that genocide is a crime under international law, defines 
        genocide as certain acts committed with intent to destroy a national, 
        ethnical, racial, or religious group, and provides that parties to the 
        Convention undertake to enact domestic legislation providing effective 
        penalties for persons who are guilty of genocide;
Whereas the United States, under President Harry Truman, was the first nation to 
        sign the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of 
        Genocide;
Whereas the United States Senate approved the resolution of advice and consent 
        to the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of 
        Genocide on February 19, 1986;
Whereas the Genocide Convention Implementation Act of 1987 (the Proxmire Act) 
        (Public Law 100-606), signed into law by President Ronald Reagan on 
        November 4, 1988, enacted chapter 50A of title 18, United States Code, 
        to criminalize genocide;
Whereas the enactment of the Genocide Convention Implementation Act marked a 
        principled stand by the United States against the crime of genocide and 
        an important step toward ensuring that the lessons of the Holocaust, the 
        Armenian Genocide, and genocides in Cambodia, Rwanda and elsewhere will 
        be used to help prevent future genocides;
Whereas a clear consensus exists within the international community against 
        genocide, as evidenced by the fact that 133 nations are party to the 
        Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide;
Whereas, despite this consensus, many thousands of innocent people continue to 
        fall victim to genocide, and the denials of past instances of genocide 
        continue; and
Whereas November 4, 2003, is the 15th anniversary of the enactment of the 
        Genocide Convention Implementation Act of 1987 (the Proxmire Act): Now, 
        therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the Senate--
            (1) reaffirms its support for the Convention on the 
        Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide;
            (2) anticipates the commemoration of the 15th anniversary 
        of the enactment of the Genocide Convention Implementation Act 
        of 1987 (the Proxmire Act) on November 4, 2003; and
            (3) encourages the people and the Government of the United 
        States to rededicate themselves to the cause of ending the 
        crime of genocide.
                                 <all>