[Congressional Bills 113th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 746 Introduced in House (IH)]

113th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. RES. 746

  Expressing support for the people of Bosnia and Herzegovina as they 
seek to hold government officials accountable, prepare for elections at 
 the state, entity, and cantonal level, and consider constitutional or 
other reforms to enhance the country's prospects for European and Euro-
                         Atlantic integration.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           September 18, 2014

  Mr. Smith of New Jersey (for himself and Mr. Keating) submitted the 
 following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign 
                                Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
  Expressing support for the people of Bosnia and Herzegovina as they 
seek to hold government officials accountable, prepare for elections at 
 the state, entity, and cantonal level, and consider constitutional or 
other reforms to enhance the country's prospects for European and Euro-
                         Atlantic integration.

Whereas a brutal conflict marked by more than three years of aggression and 
        ethnic cleansing, including the commission of war crimes, crimes against 
        humanity, and genocide as well as the use of sexual violence, especially 
        rape, as a tool of war, was brought to an end by the decisive actions 
        eventually undertaken by the international community with the strong 
        leadership by the United States, culminating in the General Framework 
        Agreement for Peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina (commonly referred to as 
        the ``Dayton Peace Accords''), which was agreed to at Wright Patterson 
        Air Force base in Dayton, Ohio, on November 21, 1995, and signed in 
        Paris on December 14, 1995;
Whereas considerable progress on post-conflict recovery was achieved by Bosnia 
        and Herzegovina in partnership with an actively engaged international 
        community during the first decade of the implementation of the Dayton 
        Peace Accords, generating efforts to move beyond the Accord's 
        compromises that were originally intended to restore peace more quickly 
        and preserve and protect human life, but have been considered in a more 
        stable and secure environment to be a hindrance to the development of 
        more democratic, efficient and effective political institutions, 
        particularly at the state level, during a time when the prospects for 
        European and Euro-Atlantic integration make the existence of such 
        institutions necessary;
Whereas the Council of Europe's Venice Commission has concluded that the current 
        constitutional arrangements of Bosnia and Herzegovina are neither 
        efficient nor rational and need to be reformed to make state-level 
        institutions more effective and democratic if the country is to move 
        forward, and the European Court for Human Rights has found certain 
        provisions of the constitution of Bosnia and Herzegovina to be in breach 
        of the European Convention on Human Rights because they establish ethnic 
        criteria for certain elected positions that are discriminatory;
Whereas the failure to reach consensus on constitutional reforms in the second 
        decade of the implementation of the Dayton Peace Accords has led to a 
        deterioration of the political atmosphere in Bosnia and Herzegovina, 
        which has been marred by divisive rhetoric, unwillingness to work 
        constructively with representatives of the international community, 
        threats to the sovereignty, legal continuity, unity, and territorial 
        integrity of the country and pervasive official corruption;
Whereas citizens in various municipalities of Bosnia and Herzegovina reacted to 
        their severely worsening socioeconomic conditions in 2014 with public 
        protest and the formulation of demands for the accountability of 
        government officials, an end to rampant corruption and numerous other 
        actions to address their grievances, particularly at the local level;
Whereas elections at the state, entity, and cantonal level are scheduled to be 
        held in Bosnia and Herzegovina on October 12, 2014;
Whereas the European Union (EU) has expressed its full and firm support for 
        Bosnia and Herzegovina's EU perspective, considers the country to be a 
        potential candidate country for membership, but views it at a standstill 
        in the European integration process while other countries in the region 
        are moving ahead;
Whereas the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) is committed to open 
        membership to any European country in a position to undertake the 
        commitments and obligations of membership and contribute to security in 
        the Euro-Atlantic area, including Bosnia and Herzegovina once it has 
        achieved the necessary progress in its reform efforts;
Whereas the international community retains the robust powers given to it by the 
        Dayton Peace Accords, but has declined in recent years to use those 
        powers adequately to address the deterioration of the political 
        atmosphere in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the resulting stagnation in the 
        country's progress toward integration; and
Whereas it is in the national interest of the United States to ensure that the 
        sovereignty, legal continuity, unity, and territorial integrity of 
        Bosnia and Herzegovina within its internationally recognized borders, 
        are respected and that Bosnia and Herzegovina make progress in achieving 
        its aspirations for Euro-Atlantic and European integration through 
        genuine reform efforts: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) reaffirms its continuing strong support for the 
        sovereignty, legal continuity, unity, and territorial integrity 
        of Bosnia and Herzegovina within its internationally recognized 
        borders;
            (2) affirms equally strong support for the people of Bosnia 
        and Herzegovina as they seek greater democracy, economic 
        prosperity, and successful integration in European and Euro-
        Atlantic institutions;
            (3) expresses profound dissatisfaction with the inability 
        of Bosnia and Herzegovina's political leaders to achieve 
        agreement on reforms necessary for progress in these areas;
            (4) deplores the divisive rhetoric and abuse of legal 
        protections that have become part of Bosnia and Herzegovina's 
        political discourse, including the wrongful denial or 
        mischaracterization of crimes and genocide associated with the 
        conflict between 1992 and 1995, the excessive and unwarranted 
        reliance on veto powers to block decisionmaking at the state-
        level even when such decisions do not present any reasonable 
        threat to the ``vital interests'' of constituent peoples, and 
        the general fomenting of distrust, division, and fear among 
        citizens based on the country's ethnic and religious diversity;
            (5) views the October 12, 2014, elections at the state, 
        entity, and cantonal level as an opportunity for voters to 
        address Bosnia and Herzegovina's current political stagnation 
        and associated problems as well as to express support for 
        reform and for European and Euro-Atlantic integration;
            (6) calls upon the relevant authorities of Bosnia and 
        Herzegovina to ensure these elections are conducted in a free 
        and fair manner;
            (7) encourages the growth of peaceful, civic activism to 
        hold public officials accountable and to engage citizens in the 
        political life of the country, including in the election 
        process and any new initiatives to achieve structural or 
        constitutional reform, in order to achieve increased public 
        trust in the political process, broader consensus on the 
        reforms to be adopted, and more effective, efficient, and 
        democratic governance;
            (8) calls upon the European Union and the North Atlantic 
        Treaty Organization and their member states to make clear the 
        specific steps Bosnia and Herzegovina needs to take in the 
        integration process;
            (9) supports the maintenance of a robust international 
        presence in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the full retention and 
        necessary use of all powers accorded to the international 
        community, including the Office of the High Representative, to 
        meet fully the objectives and conditions set by the 
        international Peace Implementation Council; and
            (10) urges the United States and concerned members of the 
        international community, in all aspects of their relations with 
        Bosnia and Herzegovina, to place renewed emphasis, on respect 
        for the human rights and fundamental freedoms held by the 
        individual, which should not be compromised by any collective 
        protections and privileges accorded to a group, ethnically 
        based or otherwise.
                                 <all>