[Congressional Bills 114th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 532 Introduced in House (IH)]
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114th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. RES. 532
Recognizing the 20th anniversary of the Dayton Peace Accords.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
November 18, 2015
Mr. Turner (for himself, Mr. Connolly, Mr. Jordan, Mr. Gibson, Mr.
Bishop of Georgia, Mr. Tiberi, Mr. Lipinski, Ms. Kaptur, Mr. Bishop of
Utah, Mr. Ryan of Ohio, and Mr. Gibbs) submitted the following
resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs
_______________________________________________________________________
RESOLUTION
Recognizing the 20th anniversary of the Dayton Peace Accords.
Whereas, on December 14, 1995, the general framework agreement for Peace in
Bosnia and Herzegovina, known as the Dayton Peace Accords, ended a
conflict that threatened to destabilize Europe and resulted in the death
of approximately 250,000 people, and the displacement of more than
2,000,000 men, women, and children;
Whereas negotiations began on November 1, 1995, at Wright-Patterson Air Force
Base in Dayton, Ohio, and after 21 days of negotiations, the leaders of
Bosnia, Herzegovina, Croatia, and Serbia acquiesced to a peace
settlement that would halt conflicts that had brought destruction and
ruin to Bosnia and Herzegovina since April 1992;
Whereas previous attempts to negotiate peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina had been
unsuccessful and coercion for lasting peace by world powers,
particularly the United States and Russia, finally forced the three
sides into negotiations in Dayton, Ohio;
Whereas the United States negotiating team lead by Ambassador Richard Holbrooke
guided peace negotiations endorsed by members of the European Union (EU)
and Russian Federation;
Whereas 21 days of intense negotiations occurring at the Hope Hotel at Wright-
Patterson Air Force Base brought hope and an opportunity for peace;
Whereas the negotiations succeeded, against all predictions, due to outstanding
leadership, determination of all involved, mutual desire for a peaceful
resolution, and the extensive community support;
Whereas Wright-Patterson Air Force Base was chosen as the site of negotiations
due to its diversity and security, which offered an environment where
the warring parties could focus on negotiating peace out of the
spotlight of the media and away from distracting geopolitical pressures;
Whereas the Dayton community unexpectedly became part of the process as its
people became proud to be part of history, holding candlelight vigils,
placing ``candles of peace'' in their front windows, congratulating and
praying for the negotiators, forming a human peace chain around Wright-
Patterson Air Force Base, and continuing to study peace and human rights
based on the community's experiences hosting these historic
negotiations;
Whereas negotiators highlighted Ohio's ethnic diversity to show the warring
parties that people from disparate ethnic histories could live everyday
life in peace;
Whereas the Dayton Peace Accords provided a framework and common agreement to
the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) implementation and
stabilization force missions which provided security for the citizens of
Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, and Serbia;
Whereas the Dayton Literary Peace Prize, established in 2006, remains the only
literary peace prize awarded in the United States, and continues the
legacy of the 1995 Dayton Peace Accords by honoring authors who write
about peace and whose work provides enduring literary value;
Whereas the Dayton International Peace Museum in downtown Dayton, a nonprofit,
all-volunteer organization, is one of the few community-based
institutions with a focus on peace in the United States, and the Museum
honors Dayton's history as the host of the 1995 Dayton Peace Accords,
offering nonpartisan educational programs and exhibits featuring themes
of nonviolent conflict resolution, social justice issues, international
relations, and peace;
Whereas the Dayton, Ohio, community supported the peace negotiations and worked
to create a strong, lasting relationship with Bosnia and Herzegovina by
hosting numerous visiting delegations, creating a sister city
relationship with Sarajevo, and hosting an international anniversary
commemoration;
Whereas Bosnia and Herzegovina received a conditional Membership Action Plan to
join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) pending continued
progress on reforms, and deployed troops with the International Security
Assistance Force (ISAF) in 2009 through the end of the mission last
year, and continue to support NATO and its allies through the deployment
of troops for the NATO-led Resolute Support Mission;
Whereas Croatia successfully became a NATO member in 2009 and a European Union
(EU) member in 2013, and formerly deployed troops with the ISAF, and is
currently supporting the Resolute Support mission;
Whereas the Montenegrin Parliament declared independence from Serbia on June 3,
2006, and thus created a multi-ethnic country with a viable economy,
professional military, and democratic institutions, and has a Membership
Action Plan to join NATO, and has deployed troops currently
participating in the Resolute Support mission;
Whereas Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, and Montenegro continue to fight
alongside NATO and the United States Armed Forces to bring peace,
stability, and prosperity to others;
Whereas Serbia reached an agreement on normalizing relations with Kosovo in
2013, and was accepted as a European Union (EU) membership candidate in
2014, and continues to implement changes on the path to full EU
membership, and Serbia's strong efforts to arrest the last 2 indicted
war criminals sought by the International Criminal Tribunal for the
Former Yugoslavia was successful;
Whereas the entire State of Ohio has contributed to stability and prosperity in
the Balkan region by fostering an exemplary relationship between the
Ohio National Guard and the Serbian Armed Forces; and
Whereas the Dayton Peace Accords effectively ended the conflict, created a
multi-ethnic country in the Balkans, and addressed topics critical to
the future of Bosnia and Herzegovina, including regional stabilization,
a constitutional framework, the repatriation of refugees, and internal
security: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
(1) commends Bosnia and Herzegovina for the significant
progress it has made over the past 20 years on the
implementation of the Dayton Peace Accords;
(2) welcomes and encourages the aspiration of Bosnia and
Herzegovina to become a member of the North Atlantic Treaty
Organization (NATO);
(3) reaffirms the importance of the successful
participation of Bosnia and Herzegovina in the European
integration process for the future freedom and prosperity of
its citizens;
(4) encourages the Government of Bosnia and Herzegovina to
continue reforms on economic and constitutional issues;
(5) encourages the international community to gather for a
Dayton Peace Accords II in order to reaffirm our commitment to
lasting peace in the Balkans; and
(6) recognizes the role of the State of Ohio as well as the
Greater Dayton community in fostering and promoting the Dayton
Peace Accords and its ideals, and continuing to support
diplomacy, security, and peace around the world.
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