[Congressional Bills 113th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 699 Introduced in House (IH)]

113th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. RES. 699

 Welcoming African leaders to the first United States-Africa Leaders' 
  Summit and African trade ministers to the 13th Forum of the African 
                   Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA).


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             July 31, 2014

Mr. Meeks (for himself, Mr. Camp, Mr. Levin, Mr. Rangel, Mr. Nunes, Mr. 
  Royce, Mr. Engel, Ms. Bass, Mrs. Beatty, Mr. Bishop of Georgia, Ms. 
    Brown of Florida, Mr. Butterfield, Mr. Carson of Indiana, Mrs. 
    Christensen, Ms. Clarke of New York, Mr. Clay, Mr. Cleaver, Mr. 
Clyburn, Mr. Conyers, Mr. Cummings, Mr. Danny K. Davis of Illinois, Ms. 
Edwards, Mr. Ellison, Mr. Fattah, Ms. Fudge, Mr. Al Green of Texas, Mr. 
 Hastings of Florida, Mr. Horsford, Ms. Jackson Lee, Mr. Jeffries, Ms. 
 Eddie Bernice Johnson of Texas, Mr. Johnson of Georgia, Ms. Kelly of 
Illinois, Ms. Lee of California, Mr. Lewis, Ms. Moore, Ms. Norton, Mr. 
Payne, Mr. Richmond, Mr. Rush, Mr. David Scott of Georgia, Mr. Scott of 
   Virginia, Ms. Sewell of Alabama, Mr. Thompson of Mississippi, Mr. 
 Veasey, Ms. Waters, Ms. Wilson of Florida, Mr. Young of Indiana, Mr. 
Boustany, Mr. Larson of Connecticut, Mr. Blumenauer, and Mr. McDermott) 
submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee 
on Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the Committee on Ways and Means, 
for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case 
for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of 
                        the committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
 Welcoming African leaders to the first United States-Africa Leaders' 
  Summit and African trade ministers to the 13th Forum of the African 
                   Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA).

Whereas the United States Congress enacted the African Growth and Opportunity 
        Act (AGOA) in 2000, with broad bipartisan support and with a view to 
        expanding growth and opportunity in Africa;
Whereas in the original AGOA legislation, Congress encouraged the establishment 
        of more regular high-level dialogues, including regular meetings by the 
        President with his African counterparts;
Whereas the people of Africa share the hopes and aspirations of the people of 
        the United States for peace and prosperity, and are both committed to 
        strengthening economic relations;
Whereas it is in the national interest of the United States to support the 
        reduction of poverty in the continent of Africa;
Whereas greater opportunities for mutually beneficial trade and investments 
        promote economic growth, development, poverty reduction, democracy, the 
        rule of law, and stability;
Whereas good governance, including respecting constitutional term limits, human 
        rights, and ensuring that civil society organizations are able to 
        function freely contribute to enduring economic and social development 
        in Africa;
Whereas the countries in Africa are important economic partners of the United 
        States;
Whereas Africa has today 6 of the 10 fastest growing economies in the world, 
        over 1,000,000,000 people, 60 percent of the world's uncultivated 
        agricultural land, and expanding democracies;
Whereas Africa is rich through the youth of its population, enjoying a 
        demographic advantage over all other regions of the world, and is likely 
        to replace China as the biggest contributor to the global workforce by 
        2050;
Whereas it is in the economic interest of the United States to engage and 
        compete in emerging African markets, boost United States-Africa trade 
        and investment, support greater capacity building for Africa, and invest 
        in Africa's youth and leadership development;
Whereas exports from sub-Saharan Africa to the United States under AGOA have 
        increased over three-fold from $7,600,000,000 in 2001 to $24,800,000,000 
        in 2013;
Whereas United States exports to sub-Saharan Africa have increased from 
        $6,900,000,000 to $23,900,000,000 and United States investment in sub-
        Saharan Africa has increased six-fold;
Whereas per capita income in sub-Saharan Africa has more than tripled to $1,624 
        annually since Congress first passed AGOA, yet nearly half the 
        population in sub-Saharan Africa lives in poverty;
Whereas timely renewal of AGOA, which expires September 30, 2015, is critical to 
        the maintenance and promotion of investment opportunities in the region;
Whereas regional integration should be strengthened to improve the full 
        utilization of AGOA preferences, and elimination of barriers to trade 
        and investment in Africa, such as high tariffs, forced localization 
        requirements, restrictions on investment, and customs barriers, among 
        others, will strengthen and improve regional and global integration;
Whereas it remains the goal of United States policy to support the 
        diversification of sub-Saharan exports in terms of products and 
        countries that utilize AGOA;
Whereas the members of the World Trade Organization (WTO) adopted several 
        important Decisions and Declarations in Bali, Indonesia, in December 
        2013, including the Agreement on Trade Facilitation and specific results 
        on agriculture and development, with the protocol of amendment for the 
        Agreement on Trade Facilitation to be adopted on July 31, 2014;
Whereas full implementation of the Agreement on Trade Facilitation will help to 
        address supply-side constraints in Africa, promote regional integration 
        on the continent, and facilitate integration into global supply chains;
Whereas the House of Representatives introduced on June 27, 2013, and passed on 
        May 8, 2014, the Electrify Africa Act, to make it a national policy of 
        the United States to promote the electrification of Sub-Saharan Africa 
        to more than double the number of people with access to power in order 
        to improve health and education outcomes and stimulate economic 
        opportunity; and
Whereas, on June 30, 2013, in Cape Town, South Africa, President Barack Obama 
        announced the Power Africa Initiative, to significantly increase the 
        number of people with access to power in Sub-Saharan Africa: Now, 
        therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) welcomes African leaders to the first United States-
        Africa Leaders' Summit in Washington, DC;
            (2) welcomes African trade ministers to the 13th African 
        Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) Forum;
            (3) recognizes the significant progress and hope that 
        modern Africa represents today in global affairs and economic 
        advancement with its booming demographics, increasing 
        modernization, dynamic youth, and vast resources;
            (4) acknowledges the vast opportunities to boost cultural, 
        trade, and economic relations and partnerships between the 
        United States and Africa;
            (5) recognizes the importance of renewing the AGOA program 
        well before its expiration in September 2015;
            (6) supports studying potential changes to the program to 
        improve its effectiveness and utilization and exploring how 
        Africa can address barriers to become more attractive to trade 
        and investment within Africa as well as globally;
            (7) encourages the prompt and full implementation of the 
        World Trade Organization (WTO) Trade Facilitation Agreement as 
        one important way to address supply-side barriers and encourage 
        greater trade and investment in Africa; and
            (8) welcomes that the African Leaders at the African Union 
        Summit on June 27, 2014, reaffirmed their commitments to all 
        the decisions the Ministers took in Bali, including emphasizing 
        that assistance and support for capacity building should be 
        provided as envisaged in the Agreement on Trade Facilitation, 
        and that the Agreement should be implemented in line with the 
        decision Trade Ministers took in Bali, which provides that a 
        protocol be adopted by July 31, 2014, and definitive entry into 
        force by July 31, 2015.
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