[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 1055 Introduced in House (IH)]







110th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. RES. 1055

 Recognizing the enduring value of the International Convention on the 
    Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (ICERD) as a 
   cornerstone of global efforts to combat racial discrimination and 
              uphold human rights, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             March 14, 2008

 Mr. Hastings of Florida (for himself, Ms. Slaughter, Mr. Rangel, Mr. 
   Meeks of New York, Ms. Solis, and Mr. Butterfield) submitted the 
 following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign 
   Affairs, and in addition to the Committee on the Judiciary, 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

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
 Recognizing the enduring value of the International Convention on the 
    Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (ICERD) as a 
   cornerstone of global efforts to combat racial discrimination and 
              uphold human rights, and for other purposes.

Whereas racial discrimination and its related disparate outcomes continue to be 
        a problem in the United States and throughout the world;
Whereas in a global effort to monitor and combat racial discrimination, a number 
        of multilateral organizations have become cooperating partners, 
        including the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial 
        Discrimination (CERD), the Organization for Security and Cooperation in 
        Europe's Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), 
        the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI), and the 
        European Union Fundamental Rights Agency (EUFRA);
Whereas CERD recently held its seventy-second session in Geneva, Switzerland, to 
        review anti-discrimination efforts undertaken by the Governments of 
        Fiji, Italy, the United States, Belgium, Nicaragua, Moldova, and the 
        Dominican Republic;
Whereas these countries are among the 173 states party to the International 
        Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination 
        (ICERD);
Whereas agreed upon and originally signed by 85 states on December 21, 1965, 
        ICERD is now one of the most widely ratified United Nations human rights 
        conventions;
Whereas under ICERD, states party commit themselves to condemn racial 
        discrimination and undertake to pursue by all appropriate means and 
        without delay a policy of eliminating racial discrimination and 
        promoting understanding among all races;
Whereas states party also agree to take effective measures to amend, rescind, or 
        nullify any laws and regulations that have the effect of creating or 
        perpetuating racial discrimination and to ensure that all public 
        authorities and public institutions, national and local, shall act in 
        conformity with this obligation;
Whereas the United States ratified ICERD on October 21, 1994;
Whereas in April 2007, the United States submitted its second report to CERD and 
        appeared before CERD on February 21 and 22, 2008, in accordance with 
        ICERD commitments;
Whereas the United States' report details the numerous measures, including 
        measures that have enjoyed some success, undertaken to combat and 
        address racial discrimination and racial disparities;
Whereas the United States Government stated to CERD that ``it supported the 
        elimination of racial discrimination at home and abroad [...] and had 
        made significant progress in improving race relations in the past [and] 
        continued to work actively to eliminate racial and ethnic 
        discrimination. However, challenges still existed, and a great deal of 
        work remained to be done.'';
Whereas in a demonstration of the vibrancy and role of the civil society in the 
        process, over 400 representatives of the United States civil society 
        submitted a shadow report supplementing the United States' report; and
Whereas in response to the United States' report, CERD issued ``Concluding 
        Observations'' for the United States that--

    (1) commended the high-level United States delegation and various 
departments and agencies tasked with eliminating racial discrimination;

    (2) commended the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act of 
1994 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965, the launch of the E-RACE Initiative 
(``Eradicating Racism and Colorism from Employment''), the creation of the 
National Partnership for Action to End Health Disparities for Ethnic and 
Racial Minority Populations, and California Housing Element Law of 1969;

    (3) called on the United States to review the definition of racial 
discrimination and practices and legislation that may not be discriminatory 
in purpose, but in effect, and supported the adoption and strengthening of 
special measures to address racial disparities;

    (4) provided detailed concerns and recommendations regarding Hurricane 
Katrina victims, and racial disparities in housing, employment, healthcare, 
education, and the criminal justice system, including those aspects that 
disproportionately impact women and Native American, Muslim, and migrant 
populations; and

    (5) recommended that the United States establish appropriate mechanisms 
to ensure a coordinated approach toward the implementation of ICERD at the 
Federal, State, and local levels: Now, therefore, be it

    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) recognizes the enduring value of ICERD as a cornerstone 
        of global efforts to combat racial discrimination and uphold 
        human rights;
            (2) commends the United States for meeting its ICERD 
        reporting obligations;
            (3) urges the Secretary of State, in cooperation with the 
        Attorney General and the heads of other relevant Federal 
        departments and agencies, to immediately and routinely 
        communicate CERD's ``Concluding Observations'' to the 
        appropriate Federal, State, and local agencies;
            (4) supports the United States recognition that racial 
        discrimination and resulting disparate outcomes remain a 
        problem and that stereotypes and unconscious biases contribute 
        to the persistence of racial discrimination;
            (5) calls for increased support for research and 
        initiatives by government, civil society, and the private 
        sector, to address both implicit and explicit forms of racial 
        discrimination in health, education, employment, justice, 
        housing, and other sectors; and
            (6) calls upon the United States Government to support 
        existing laws and programs aimed at redressing past injustices 
        detailed in the third United States' report to CERD that have 
        contributed to ongoing racial discrimination and present day 
        disparities.
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