[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 266 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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115th CONGRESS
  1st Session
S. RES. 266

  Reaffirming the United States-Liberia partnership, and calling for 
     free, fair, and peaceful elections in Liberia in October 2017.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           September 25, 2017

    Mr. Coons (for himself and Mr. Booker) submitted the following 
  resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
  Reaffirming the United States-Liberia partnership, and calling for 
     free, fair, and peaceful elections in Liberia in October 2017.

Whereas the United States and Liberia share broad and deep bilateral ties over 
        the course of a nearly 200-year relationship;
Whereas the United States established diplomatic relations with Liberia in 1864;
Whereas it is estimated that hundreds of thousands of Liberians died in the 
        country's two interconnected civil wars from 1989 to 2003 and many more 
        fled as refugees;
Whereas today the United States is home to an estimated 80,000 people of 
        Liberian ancestry in vibrant communities across the country, many of 
        whom sought refuge from the violence during the civil wars;
Whereas the people and Government of the United States have a deep and abiding 
        interest in Liberia's democratic stability and post-conflict 
        development;
Whereas United States assistance to Liberia since the end of its second civil 
        war in 2003 has supported post-conflict recovery and a subsequent 
        sustained transition toward broad-based economic growth, improved access 
        to high-quality education, health system strengthening, enhanced 
        socioeconomic welfare for the people of Liberia, the professionalization 
        of the country's military and civilian security forces, efforts to 
        foster the capacities, accountability, and transparency of government 
        institutions, and the consolidation of participatory democracy;
Whereas in 2005, and again in 2011, the citizens of Liberia elected Ellen 
        Johnson Sirleaf as their President, making her the first woman to be 
        elected President of an African nation;
Whereas President Sirleaf was awarded the United States Presidential Medal of 
        Freedom on November 5, 2007, for defending and advancing the democratic 
        rights of her fellow citizens, in the face of house arrest, foreign 
        exile, death threats, and imprisonment, and the Noble Peace Prize on 
        October 7, 2011, for contributing to the nonviolent struggle for the 
        security and rights of women;
Whereas the Government of Liberia has contributed to efforts to foster peace, 
        stability, democratization, as well as regional economic growth, 
        development, and integration in West Africa, as demonstrated by 
        President Sirleaf's role in mediating a peaceful transfer of power in 
        the Gambia in January 2017 and her broader leadership as 2016-2017 
        Chairperson of the Authority of Heads of State and Government of the 
        Economic Community of West African States;
Whereas Liberia will hold Presidential and legislative elections on October 10, 
        2017;
Whereas successful 2017 elections are expected to lead to Liberia's first 
        democratic transfer of power since 1944; and
Whereas public confidence in the electoral process is vital to advancing 
        democracy in Liberia and for ensuring the success of the elections: Now, 
        therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the Senate--
            (1) upholds its commitment to maintain and foster the 
        enduring relationship between the people and the Governments of 
        the United States and Liberia;
            (2) commends President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf for efforts to 
        consolidate post-conflict peacebuilding and democratic gains, 
        promote social and economic development, and foster ties with 
        the international community, and for her work to advance 
        international gender equality;
            (3) urges the Government and people of Liberia and all of 
        the country's political parties to--
                    (A) hold free, fair, credible, and peaceful 
                elections in October 2017 and in the future;
                    (B) adhere to the objectives set out in the Ganta 
                and Farmington River Declarations and promote and 
                ensure peaceful conduct among candidates, their 
                supporters, and Liberian citizens generally;
                    (C) ensure that there is robust civic education and 
                electoral campaign outreach to often politically 
                marginalized groups, including women, urban youth, and 
                rural communities; and
                    (D) raise awareness of and express zero tolerance 
                for violence against women, gender discrimination, or 
                social bias of any nature in the electoral process;
            (4) supports efforts by the Department of State and the 
        United States Agency for International Development to assist in 
        election preparations;
            (5) calls on Liberian citizens to fully participate in the 
        general elections and to pursue legal avenues to resolve any 
        disputes over the results;
            (6) encourages Liberian civil society organizations to 
        intensify civic and voter education, particularly among women, 
        youth, and rural communities, and in local languages;
            (7) condemns any external interference in the election, 
        including any communication or action by convicted war criminal 
        and former armed faction leader Charles Taylor to influence the 
        elections from prison;
            (8) encourages President Donald Trump to appoint an 
        Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs to bolster 
        diplomatic engagement with the Government of Liberia, electoral 
        stakeholders, and civil society and robustly engage with other 
        sub-Saharan African countries and governments;
            (9) calls upon the United States Government and 
        international partners, especially election-focused 
        nongovernmental organizations, to continue to support 
        successful elections and Liberia's anticipated historic 
        democratic post-electoral transition of Executive power; and
            (10) welcomes the visit of President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf 
        to the United States Congress for her final address as 
        President of Liberia.
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