Whereas, on December 14, 1995, the General Framework
Agreement for Peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina, known as the Dayton Peace
Accords, ended a conflict that threatened to destabilize Europe and resulted in
the death of approximately 250,000 people, and the displacement of more than
2,000,000 men, women, and children;
Whereas negotiations began on November 1, 1995, at
Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio, and concluded there on
November 21, 1995, when the leaders of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, and
Serbia all agreed to a breakthrough peace settlement that sought to halt
conflicts that began in Bosnia and Herzegovina in April 1992;
Whereas previous attempts to negotiate peace in Bosnia and
Herzegovina had been unsuccessful;
Whereas the negotiations were initiated under intense
pressure by many of the world powers, particularly the United States and
Russia, prompting the leaders of the three sides to attend the negotiations in
Dayton, Ohio;
Whereas the United States negotiating team led by
Ambassador Richard Holbrooke guided peace negotiations endorsed by members of
the European Union (EU) and Russian Federation;
Whereas 21 days of intense negotiations occurring at the
Hope Hotel at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base brought hope and an opportunity
for peace;
Whereas the negotiations succeeded, against all
predictions, due to the visionary leadership, the determination of all
involved, the desire for peaceful resolution of the conflict, and the extensive
community support;
Whereas Wright-Patterson Air Force Base was chosen as the
site of the negotiations due to its diversity and security, which offered an
environment where the warring parties could focus on negotiating peace out of
the spotlight of the media and away from distracting geopolitical
pressures;
Whereas the Dayton community unexpectedly became part of
the process as its people became proud to be part of history, holding
candlelight vigils, placing “candles of peace” in their front windows,
congratulating and praying for the negotiators, forming a human peace chain
around Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, and continuing to study peace and human
rights based on the community’s experiences hosting these historic
negotiations;
Whereas the negotiators highlighted Ohio’s ethnic
diversity to show the warring parties that people from disparate ethnic
histories could live everyday life in peace;
Whereas the Dayton Peace Accords provided a framework and
common agreement to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)
implementation and stabilization force missions which provided security for the
citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, and Serbia;
Whereas the Dayton Literary Peace Prize, established in
2006, remains the only literary peace prize awarded in the United States, and
continues the legacy of the 1995 Dayton Peace Accords by honoring authors who
write about peace and whose work provides enduring literary value;
Whereas the Dayton International Peace Museum in downtown
Dayton, a nonprofit, all-volunteer organization, is one of the few
community-based institutions with a focus on peace in the United States, and
the Museum honors Dayton's history as the host of the 1995 Dayton Peace
Accords, offering nonpartisan educational programs and exhibits featuring
themes of nonviolent conflict resolution, social justice issues, international
relations, and peace;
Whereas the Dayton, Ohio, community supported the peace
negotiations and worked to create a strong, lasting relationship with Bosnia
and Herzegovina by hosting numerous visiting delegations, creating a sister
city relationship with Sarajevo, and hosting an international anniversary
commemoration;
Whereas Bosnia and Herzegovina has received a conditional
Membership Action Plan to join NATO pending continued progress on reforms, and
will deploy personnel with the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF)
in the coming months;
Whereas Croatia is progressing on the path to join the EU,
became a NATO member in 2009, and has deployed troops around the world,
including in Afghanistan, fighting alongside the United States Armed Forces to
bring peace, stability, and prosperity to others;
Whereas the Montenegrin Parliament declared independence
from Serbia on June 3, 2006, and thus created a multi-ethnic country with a
viable economy, professional military, and democratic institutions;
Whereas Serbia has recently cleared a major obstacle to EU
integration by committing to negotiate with Kosovo on practical issues
involving the two countries, and is making strong efforts to arrest the last
two war crimes fugitives sought by the International Criminal Tribunal for the
former Yugoslavia, Ratko Mladic and Goran Hadzic;
Whereas the entire State of Ohio has contributed to
stability and prosperity in the Balkan region by fostering an exemplary
relationship between the Ohio National Guard and the Serbian Armed Forces;
and
Whereas the Dayton Peace Accords effectively ended the
conflict, created a multi-ethnic country in the Balkans, and addressed topics
critical to the future of Bosnia and Herzegovina, including regional
stabilization, a constitutional framework, the repatriation of refugees, and
internal security: Now, therefore, be it
That the House of
Representatives—
(1)commends Bosnia and Herzegovina for the
significant progress it has made over the past 15 years on the implementation
of the Dayton Peace Accords;
(2)welcomes and supports the aspiration of
Bosnia and Herzegovina to become a member of the North Atlantic Treaty
Organization (NATO);
(3)reaffirms the
importance of the successful participation of Bosnia and Herzegovina in the
European integration process for the future freedom and prosperity of its
citizens;
(4)encourages the
Government of Bosnia and Herzegovina to continue reforms on economic and
constitutional issues; and
(5)recognizes the
role of the State of Ohio as well as the Greater Dayton community in fostering
and promoting the Dayton Peace Accords and its ideals, and continuing to
support diplomacy, security, and peace around the world.