[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 697 Agreed to Senate (ATS)]

111th CONGRESS
  2d Session
S. RES. 697

     Recognizing the 15th anniversary of the Dayton Peace Accords.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                            December 8, 2010

    Mr. Brown of Ohio submitted the following resolution; which was 
                        considered and agreed to

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
     Recognizing the 15th anniversary of the Dayton Peace Accords.

Whereas on December 14, 1995, the Dayton Peace Accords established peace and 
        ended the war on the Balkan Peninsula in which more than 2,000,000 
        people were displaced and thousands were killed;
Whereas peace treaty negotiations began November 1, 1995, at Wright-Patterson 
        Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio, and concluded there on November 21, 
        1995, when Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, and Serbia agreed to settle 
        all war conflicts;
Whereas after 21 days of negotiations, the peace treaty negotiations 
        successfully concluded with a peace treaty that was accepted by all 
        parties;
Whereas the Dayton, Ohio, community provided outstanding security during the 
        peace treaty negotiations;
Whereas the conclusion of the Dayton Peace Accords was a successful effort of 
        the North Atlantic Treaty Organization led by the United States, with 
        outstanding cooperation from the Russian Federation, Germany, France, 
        and the United Kingdom;
Whereas the Dayton Peace Accords were the result of, and showed the success of, 
        strong joint North Atlantic Treaty Organization efforts to promote and 
        establish peace, security, and prosperity;
Whereas the signatories to the Dayton Peace Accords made a commitment to fully 
        respect human rights and the rights of refugees and displaced persons;
Whereas the Dayton Peace Accords transformed Bosnia and Herzegovina from a 
        country mired in a war based on ethnic and religious differences into a 
        country engaged in an intense, but peaceful, struggle over the manner by 
        which to form an independent and stable country;
Whereas the United States Agency for International Development and other 
        bilateral and multilateral agencies and organizations made large 
        investments to build a strong and independent media in Croatia, Serbia, 
        and Bosnia and Herzegovina;
Whereas the Dayton International Peace Museum honors the Dayton Peace Accords 
        and offers nonpartisan educational programs and exhibitions featuring 
        the themes of nonviolent conflict resolution, social justice, 
        international relations, and peace;
Whereas the people of the State of Ohio and the Dayton region facilitated and 
        strongly supported the implementation of the Dayton Peace Accords, as 
        well as promoted the peaceful democratization of the deeply divided 
        country of Bosnia and Herzegovina;
Whereas stability and prosperity were fostered by the State of Ohio through the 
        establishment of an exemplary relationship between the Ohio National 
        Guard and the Armed Forces of Serbia;
Whereas the Dayton Literary Peace Prize, established in 2006, remains the only 
        literary peace price in the United States and follows the legacy of the 
        1995 Dayton Peace Accords by acknowledging writers who advance peace 
        through literature;
Whereas the city of Dayton and the city of Sarajevo have built a solid 
        relationship as Sister Cities, and many other organizations in the 
        region, such as the University of Dayton and the Friendship Force, have 
        built strong relationships with the people of Bosnia and Herzegovina 
        through programs and exchanges; and
Whereas while progress remains to be made in refining the governance structures 
        of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Dayton Peace Accords successfully 
        established peace, restored human dignity, and laid the foundation for 
        future progress in Bosnia and Herzegovina: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the Senate--
            (1) recognizes the 15th anniversary of the Dayton Peace 
        Accords;
            (2) acknowledges the challenges Bosnia and Herzegovina 
        still face and commends the socioeconomic and political 
        progress that is being made in Bosnia and Herzegovina;
            (3) encourages the Government of Bosnia and Herzegovina to 
        adhere to the membership requirements of the North Atlantic 
        Treaty Organization so that Bosnia and Herzegovina may join the 
        alliance without delay;
            (4) encourages the further integration and cooperation of 
        European countries with the goal of establishing peace and 
        economic prosperity for all of the people of Europe;
            (5) renews the commitment of the United States to support 
        the people of Bosnia and Herzegovina;
            (6) urges the continuation of constitutional reforms, 
        market-based economic growth, and improved dialogue between the 
        people of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the elected Government of 
        Bosnia and Herzegovina; and
            (7) encourages the United States Air Force to take 
        appropriate measures to provide historical interpretation of 
        the site of the Dayton Peace Accords to educate the public on 
        the historical significance of the Dayton Peace Accords and the 
        importance of negotiation in world peace.
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