[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 368 Engrossed in House (EH)]


H. Res. 368

                 In the House of Representatives, U.S.,

                                                      October 27, 2005.
Whereas the 60th General Assembly of the United Nations will be held in New York 
        City from September through December 2005;
Whereas the United Nations General Assembly is presided over by a President and 
        21 Vice-Presidents, who are nominated by the General Assembly's five 
        regional groupings;
Whereas prior to 2000, Israel was the only member of the United Nations to be 
        excluded from a United Nations regional grouping;
Whereas this exclusion was the result of the refusal by Arab states to permit 
        Israel to join the Asian group;
Whereas this exclusion prevented Israel from serving as the President of the 
        United Nations General Assembly, or as a member of any bureau in the 
        General Assembly and its main committees;
Whereas in 2000, Israel was accepted as a temporary member of the Western 
        European and Others Group (WEOG), which includes Canada, the United 
        States, Australia, and New Zealand, in addition to the countries of 
        Western Europe, and its temporary membership was extended in 2004;
Whereas on April 21, 2005, the Western Europe and Others Group nominated Israel 
        as a candidate for Vice-President of the 60th United Nations General 
        Assembly;
Whereas on June 13, 2005, the 191 member United Nations General Assembly elected 
        Ambassador Dan Gillerman, Israel's Permanent Representative to the 
        United Nations, as one of 21 Vice-Presidents of the 60th General 
        Assembly;
Whereas Israeli Ambassador Gillerman called the election ``a historic moment for 
        Israel'', which had last served as United Nations General Assembly Vice-
        President in 1952;
Whereas Ambassador Gillerman also said that the election confirms that Israel is 
        ``becoming a more active and normal member of the [United Nations]''; 
        and
Whereas United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan welcomed Israel's election 
        to the Vice-Presidency of the General Assembly: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) congratulates Ambassador Dan Gillerman, Israel's Permanent 
        Representative to the United Nations, and the Government and people of 
        the State of Israel on Israel's election as Vice-President of the 60th 
        General Assembly of the United Nations;
            (2) welcomes the nomination by the Western European and Others Group 
        (WEOG) of Israel for the position of Vice-President of the 60th United 
        Nations General Assembly;
            (3) welcomes the election by the United Nations General Assembly of 
        Israel as Vice-President of the 60th General Assembly;
            (4) supports continued expansion of Israel's role at the United 
        Nations;
            (5) notes with concern that Israel remains the object of extreme 
        vilification by many members of the United Nations;
            (6) further notes that Israel remains excluded from the Asian 
        regional grouping within the organization; and
            (7) calls upon United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan to work 
        to end the vilification of Israel at the United Nations and to use his 
        good offices to support Israel's bid to join the Asian regional 
        grouping.



            Attest:

                                                                 Clerk.