Whereas the First Summit of the Americas, held in December
1994 in Miami, Florida, resulted in a comprehensive Plan of Action, issued by
the region’s democracies, which included initiatives on strengthening
democracy, promoting human rights, combating corruption, furthering sustainable
economic development, encouraging environmental conservation, and committing to
access to universal basic education and health care throughout the
Americas;
Whereas 3 Summits of the Americas and 2 Special Summits of
the Americas have been convened since 1994, resulting in additional initiatives
on sustainable development, strengthening democratic practices and good
governance, the environment, economic relations, combating HIV/AIDS and other
diseases, and numerous other areas of mutual interest and shared responsibility
throughout the Western Hemisphere;
Whereas on July 21, 2008, the Draft Declaration of
Commitment by the Summit Implementation Review Group proposed an agenda for the
Fifth Summit of the Americas to discuss promoting human prosperity, energy
security, environmental sustainability, public security, democratic governance,
and the Summit’s implementation and review process; and
Whereas on February 10, 2009, President Barack Obama
stated that he would attend the Fifth Summit of the Americas to create
the kind of partnership based on respect that the people of Latin America are
looking for and that will be beneficial to the United States
: Now,
therefore, be it
That it is the sense of the
Senate—
(1)to express
support for the Fifth Summit of the Americas as an effective multilateral
forum, convened in the spirit of cooperation and partnership for the 34
democratically elected heads of state of the region to address shared
challenges and foster collaboration throughout the Western Hemisphere;
(2)that the Fifth
Summit provides the United States with an early opportunity to reinvigorate and
strengthen its engagement with the countries of the Western Hemisphere,
especially in—
(A)finding common
solutions to the global economic crisis;
(B)promoting energy
security; and
(C)combating threats
to public and personal security, including threats from terrorism,
international narcotics cartels, and organized criminal groups;
(3)that the United
States is prepared to work with the countries of the Western Hemisphere on
advancing an agenda of human prosperity, including—
(A)encouraging
multilateral development institutions to invest in micro- to medium-sized
enterprises;
(B)continuing the
fight against HIV/AIDS, vector-borne, and noncommunicable diseases;
(C)raising the
standard of living of the people in the region who currently live in
poverty;
(D)eradicating child
labor;
(E)recommitting to
the Millennium Development Goals; and
(F)supporting
investment in public health and education throughout the Western
Hemisphere;
(4)that the United
States should use the Fifth Summit of the Americas to strengthen cooperation by
working with other nations to formulate and implement a regional energy
strategy to promote—
(A)increased
technology and information sharing;
(B)regulatory
harmonization;
(C)integration;
and
(D)renewable and
alternative energy sources;
(5)to welcome civil
society and nongovernmental organizations at the Fifth Summit, and to encourage
their observation and active participation in the Summit’s decision-making
process to strengthen democratic governance, the rule of law, freedom of the
press, and civil society in the Western Hemisphere; and
(6)to set achievable
and measurable goals, based on areas of consensus, and to strengthen followup
mechanisms to review the implementation, reporting, and progress of Summit
initiatives.
March 31, 2009
Reported without amendment