[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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