[Congressional Bills 112th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 126 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
112th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. RES. 126
Supporting the mission of UNESCO's World Heritage Convention and
celebrating the 2011 International Day for Monuments and Sites.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
March 31, 2011
Mr. Kerry (for himself, Mr. Nelson of Florida, and Mr. Udall of New
Mexico) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the
Committee on Foreign Relations
_______________________________________________________________________
RESOLUTION
Supporting the mission of UNESCO's World Heritage Convention and
celebrating the 2011 International Day for Monuments and Sites.
Whereas the United States was the primary architect of the Convention Concerning
the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage, done at Paris
November 23, 1972 (commonly known as the ``World Heritage Convention''),
and the following year became the first of the now 187 countries to
ratify the convention;
Whereas the World Heritage Convention is the most widely accepted and effective
conservation mechanism for the world's most significant natural and
cultural sites, and the only international convention focused on both
nature and culture;
Whereas the World Heritage Convention exemplifies the United Nations
Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization's (UNESCO) goals of
promoting peace through cultural dialogue;
Whereas the ideals set forth in the Convention reflect the commitment of the
United States to conserving its national parks and other forms of
natural and cultural heritage;
Whereas the United States has served four terms on the World Heritage Committee,
most recently from 2005 through 2009;
Whereas the World Heritage List currently contains 911 cultural and natural
sites, 21 of which are located within the United States, including
Florida's Everglades National Park, whose Ten Thousand Islands area
composes part of the largest stand of protected mangrove forest in the
Western hemisphere; Wrangell-St. Elias and Glacier Bay National Parks in
Alaska, which contain some of the world's longest glaciers; California's
Redwood National and State Parks, home to some of the tallest and oldest
trees in the world; Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona, which
retraces geological history over 2,000,000,000 years and represents the
four major geologic eras; Independence Hall in Pennsylvania, where both
the Declaration of Independence and the United States Constitution were
signed; and Taos Pueblo, in New Mexico, one of the oldest continuously
inhabited communities in the United States, and the only living American
community designated both a World Heritage Site and a National
Historical Landmark;
Whereas, in 2010, for the first time in 15 years, the World Heritage Committee
inscribed a site in the United States, Papahanaumokuakea Marine National
Monument, onto the World Heritage List, a site that is a natural and
cultural treasure for Hawaiians and is rich in marine biodiversity and
pristine natural beauty;
Whereas UNESCO and its World Heritage Centre play a vital role in the
safeguarding of monuments and sites in times of crisis, war, or natural
disaster;
Whereas, in an age of increasing conflict and volatility, the World Heritage
Convention is more important than ever in ensuring the protection of
priceless historical treasures;
Whereas the recent upheaval in Egypt, which threatened artifacts from the
antiquities museum in Cairo, and mounting concerns about the destruction
of the Roman ruins of Leptis Magna and other ancient cites in Libya
serve as reminders of the crucial role UNESCO plays in promoting
protection and conservation;
Whereas, through its List of World Heritage in Danger, UNESCO seeks to work with
national governments to preserve natural and cultural sites under
duress, by raising international awareness and providing local
authorities with the support they need;
Whereas, in Afghanistan, UNESCO's safeguarding campaign is premised on the
belief that a shared cultural heritage can strengthen national identity
and create a common sense of ownership over the country's past and
future;
Whereas the United States Government provides considerable assistance to World
Heritage sites around the globe through programs such as the National
Park Service's World Heritage Fellowship, which provides site managers
from developing countries with training at World Heritage sites in the
United States, including Everglades, Grand Canyon, Hawaii Volcanoes, and
Olympic National Parks;
Whereas the World Heritage Centre has formed innovative partnerships with
several private organizations in the United States, including new
interactive tools that allow users to virtually tour UNESCO World
Heritage sites from their computers;
Whereas April 18th has been endorsed by the UNESCO General Conference as the
International Day for Monuments and Sites, also known as World Heritage
Day; and
Whereas the 39th anniversary of the day in 2011 reflects a long-standing
commitment to the celebration and preservation of natural and cultural
sites around the world: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Senate--
(1) supports the mission of UNESCO's World Heritage
Convention;
(2) acknowledges the 39th anniversary of the International
Day for Monuments and Sites; and
(3) commends UNESCO and its role in preserving and
celebrating natural and cultural sites worldwide.
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