[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 624 Introduced in House (IH)]







110th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 624

    Congratulating the State of Israel on chairing a United Nations 
                committee for the first time in history.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             August 4, 2007

   Mr. Hastings of Florida (for himself and Mr. Gene Green of Texas) 
submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee 
                           on Foreign Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
    Congratulating the State of Israel on chairing a United Nations 
                committee for the first time in history.

Whereas the State of Israel is the only member of the Western and Others Group 
        in a conditional status limiting its ability to caucus with its fellow 
        members of this regional grouping, compete for open seats, or to run for 
        positions in major bodies of the United Nations, such as the Security 
        Council, or United Nations-affiliated agencies, such as the United 
        Nations Human Rights Council;
Whereas Israel is excluded from discussions and consultations of the Western and 
        Others Group at the United Nations offices in Geneva, Nairobi, Rome, and 
        Vienna;
Whereas Israel has been refused admission to the Asian Group of the United 
        Nations, thereby being denied the rights and privileges of full 
        membership in the United Nations;
Whereas Israel has submitted its candidacy for membership on the Security 
        Council for 2019 and hopes to gain full participation rights in the 
        United Nations;
Whereas, in 2004, at the first United Nations Department of Public Information 
        Seminar on Anti-Semitism, former United Nations Secretary General Kofi 
        Annan acknowledged that ``the United Nations' record on anti-Semitism 
        has at times fallen short of our ideals'';
Whereas, in 2005, the United Nations held an unprecedented session to 
        commemorate the 60th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz 
        concentration camp;
Whereas at the opening of the 61st General Assembly in 2006, former United 
        Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan stated that ``on one side, 
        supporters of Israel feel that it is harshly judged by standards that 
        are not applied to its enemies . . . and too often this is true, 
        particularly in some UN bodies'';
Whereas, in January 2007, the United Nations General Assembly adopted by 
        consensus a resolution condemning any denial of the Holocaust;
Whereas, on June 19, 2007, for the first time ever since Israel joined the 
        United Nations, an Israeli diplomat, Mr. Ron Adam, director of the 
        Israel Foreign Ministry's United Nations Political Affairs Department, 
        has been chosen to chair a United Nations committee, the Committee on 
        Program and Coordination (CPC);
Whereas this 33 member body (composed of Argentina, Armenia, Belarus, Benin, 
        Brazil, Bulgaria, the Republic of Central Africa, China, Comoros, Cuba, 
        France, Ghana, Haiti, India, Indonesia, Iran, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, 
        Kenya, Pakistan, Portugal, Korea, Russia, Senegal, South Africa, 
        Switzerland, Uruguay, Venezuela, Zimbabwe, United States, and Israel) 
        approves the work plan for all United Nations agencies and bodies;
Whereas since Israel was accepted as part of the Western Europe and Others Group 
        (WEOG) in 2000, it has had the right to apply for positions on United 
        Nations committees;
Whereas Israel has played an active role in the international community and 
        within the United Nations;
Whereas Israel already sits on several important committees, and representatives 
        from Israel have served as deputy chairs in the United Nations numerous 
        times;
Whereas Israelis were first elected to notable United Nations positions in 1994, 
        including the high administrative tribunal at the Hague, Vice Chair of 
        the World Health Organization's Executive Committee and the Human Rights 
        Committee, in June 2005 Israel's Ambassador to the United Nations, Dan 
        Gillerman, was appointed one of the 21 new vice presidents of the 
        General Assembly, and in July 2005, Israel was elected to deputy 
        chairmanship of the United Nations Disarmament Commission (UNDC); and
Whereas Israel's first unique appointment to chair a United Nations committee 
        will hopefully encourage the normalization of Israel's bilateral and 
        multilateral relations and challenge future disproportionate United 
        Nations condemnation of Israel: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) congratulates Mr. Ron Adam, Israel's Chair of the 
        United Nations Committee on Program and Coordination, and the 
        Government and people of the State of Israel on Israel's first 
        ever appointment to chair a United Nations committee;
            (2) supports continued expansion of Israel's role at the 
        United Nations;
            (3) welcomes recent attempts by the United Nations to 
        address the issue of prevailing anti-Semitism;
            (4) calls on the United Nations to officially and publicly 
        condemn anti-Semitic statements made at all United Nations 
        meetings and hold accountable United Nations Member States that 
        make such statements;
            (5) urges the members of WEOG to extend full and permanent 
        membership to Israel, without conditions, until such time as 
        Israel can serve as an effective member of the Asian States 
        Group; and
            (6) calls upon United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon 
        to work to end any unfair vilification of Israel at the United 
        Nations and to use his good offices to support Israel's bid to 
        join the Asian regional grouping.
                                 <all>