[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 1143 Introduced in House (IH)]

111th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. RES. 1143

 Commending the Community of Democracies for its achievements since it 
                          was founded in 2000.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             March 4, 2010

Mr. Quigley (for himself, Mr. Shimkus, Mr. Faleomavaega, Mr. Carnahan, 
Mr. Crowley, Mr. Lipinski, Mr. Murphy of Connecticut, Ms. Eddie Bernice 
   Johnson of Texas, Mr. Moran of Virginia, Mr. Honda, Mr. Walz, Ms. 
Norton, Mr. Schock, Mr. Blunt, and Mr. Conaway) submitted the following 
   resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
 Commending the Community of Democracies for its achievements since it 
                          was founded in 2000.

Whereas the Community of Democracies is a global intergovernmental organization 
        of democratic countries which aims to promote democracy and strengthen 
        democratic norms and institutions around the world;
Whereas the Community of Democracies was founded in June 2000 at a ministerial 
        conference in Warsaw, Poland;
Whereas the Warsaw Conference was convened upon the initiative of then-Secretary 
        of State Madeleine Albright and then-Minister of Foreign Affairs of 
        Poland Bronislaw Geremek;
Whereas delegations from 106 countries signed the final declaration of the 
        Warsaw Conference on June 27, 2000, endorsing an agreed list of core 
        democratic principles and practices, and committing themselves to the 
        promotion of those principles and practices;
Whereas since the Warsaw Conference, there have been four subsequent ministerial 
        conferences of the Community of Democracies in Seoul, Korea, in November 
        2002, Santiago, Chile, in April 2005, Bamako, Mali, in November 2007, 
        and Lisbon, Portugal, in July 2009;
Whereas since its founding the Community of Democracies has been guided by a 
        Convening Group, today consisting of Cape Verde, Chile, Czech Republic, 
        El Salvador, India, Italy, Lithuania, Mali, Mexico, Mongolia, Morocco, 
        Philippines, Poland, Portugal, South Africa, South Korea, and the United 
        States;
Whereas in June 2009, Lithuania assumed the Presidency of the Community of 
        Democracies for a two-year term;
Whereas upon the initiative of the Government of Poland, the Community of 
        Democracies established a Permanent Secretariat in Warsaw in January 
        2009, with the goal of strengthening the institution and enabling it to 
        more effectively fulfill its mission of promoting democracy worldwide;
Whereas the Permanent Secretariat in Warsaw has established itself as a vibrant 
        institution of the Community of Democracies, with an active agenda and 
        effective operation;
Whereas under the leadership of the Convening Group, the Lithuanian Presidency, 
        the Permanent Secretariat, and the International Steering Committee, the 
        Community of Democracies has mounted recent efforts to promote democracy 
        in such countries as Iran, Burma, and Afghanistan, and passed 
        resolutions, issued position statements, and committed itself further to 
        missions assisting democratic advancement in those countries and 
        societies which desire it; and
Whereas on the 10th anniversary of the Warsaw Conference, the Community of 
        Democracies will convene in Krakow, Poland, to re-launch the Community 
        and adopt a work program to advance democracy worldwide: Now, therefore, 
        be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) commends the Community of Democracies for its 
        achievements since it was founded in 2000;
            (2) applauds the recent establishment of the Permanent 
        Secretariat of the Community of Democracies and expresses its 
        appreciation to the Government of Poland for the support it has 
        extended to the Permanent Secretariat and for hosting it in 
        Warsaw;
            (3) welcomes the initiative of the Lithuanian Presidency 
        supported by the Convening Group and the Permanent Secretariat 
        to re-establish the Working Groups within the Community of 
        Democracies which will strengthen the Community of Democracies 
        and bring additional value; and
            (4) endorses the Krakow Conference which will be held on 
        the 10th anniversary of the founding of the Community of 
        Democracies, and extends its best wishes for the success of 
        that conference and for the Community's ongoing efforts to 
        promote democracy worldwide.
                                 <all>