[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 729 Agreed to Senate (ATS)]

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116th CONGRESS
  2d Session
S. RES. 729

     Recognizing the 25th anniversary of the Dayton Peace Accords.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

           September 30 (legislative day, September 29), 2020

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

                           December 18, 2020

             Committee discharged; considered and agreed to

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
     Recognizing the 25th anniversary of the Dayton Peace Accords.

Whereas December 14, 2020, marks the 25th anniversary of the Dayton Peace 
        Accords that ended the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina and brought peace 
        to Bosnia and Herzegovina;
Whereas ethnic cleansing and concentration camps were used as a tool of war 
        against Bosnian Muslim men, women, and children, culminating in the July 
        1995 genocide at Srebrenica, where 8,000 Muslim men and teenagers were 
        detained and killed;
Whereas the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and the United States 
        initiated airstrikes against Bosnian Serbs to stop grave human rights 
        abuses, which led to ceasefire negotiations and the peace accords;
Whereas negotiations began on November 1, 1995, in Dayton, Ohio, at Wright-
        Patterson Air Force Base, led by then-negotiator Richard Holbrooke and 
        then-Secretary of State Warren Christopher, with Chairman of the 
        Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina Alija Izetbegovic, President of the 
        Republic of Serbia Slobodan Milosevic, President of the Republic of 
        Croatia Franjo Tudjman, European Union Special Representative Carl 
        Bildt, First Deputy Foreign Minister of Russia Igor Ivanov, and 
        representatives from the United Kingdom, France, Germany, and Italy;
Whereas, after days of extensive discussions, a historic peace agreement was 
        signed on December 14, 1995, to halt the conflict and bring peace to the 
        region;
Whereas, despite seemingly insurmountable differences in opinions, the 
        negotiations succeeded due to dedicated foreign service professionals, a 
        common yearning for a peaceful resolution, and an outpouring of support 
        from the global community;
Whereas the General Framework Agreement for Peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina, 
        also known as the Dayton Peace Accords, laid the groundwork for NATO and 
        European Union (EU) stabilization missions over the past 25 years, which 
        have allowed the citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina to live peacefully 
        and prosper;
Whereas the Dayton Literary Peace Prize, established in 2006, remains the only 
        literary peace prize awarded in the United States and recognizes the 
        power of the written word to promote peace, and after the death of 
        Ambassador Holbrooke in 2011, the Lifetime Achievement Award was renamed 
        the Richard C. Holbrooke Distinguished Achievement Award;
Whereas the peace negotiations were strongly supported by the City of Dayton, 
        Ohio, its leaders, and community, creating strong relationships between 
        all parties involved, including a sister city relationship with 
        Sarajevo;
Whereas the United States Government reaffirms support for Bosnia and 
        Herzegovina's sovereignty and upholds the commitment to equality for all 
        ethnicities according to the General Framework Agreement for Peace in 
        Bosnia and Herzegovina; and
Whereas, since the signing of the Dayton Peace Accords, the Government and 
        people of Bosnia and Herzegovina have been working in partnership with 
        the international community towards building a peaceful and democratic 
        society based on the rule of law, respect for human rights, and a free-
        market economy: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the Senate--
            (1) condemns human rights abuses that took place during the 
        conflict in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and reconfirms the joint 
        United States and EU commitment to promote and protect human 
        rights, democracy, and the rule of law worldwide;
            (2) commends the commitment of the Government and people of 
        Bosnia and Herzegovina to peace and cooperation 25 years after 
        the Dayton Peace Accords;
            (3) encourages the Government of Bosnia and Herzegovina to 
        continue pursuing NATO and EU membership;
            (4) encourages the Government of Bosnia and Herzegovina to 
        continue its progress towards solving its constitutional issues 
        and improving its economic policy as it advances towards NATO 
        and EU memberships;
            (5) reiterates the importance of the Dayton Peace Accords 
        as the basis of constitutional reform in Bosnia and Herzegovina 
        and the promotion of political, economic, legal, and religious 
        equality through the goals and values laid out by the EU;
            (6) urges the Government of Bosnia and Herzegovina to 
        pursue constitutional reforms, needed to reconcile the past to 
        seek empathy and respect as foundations to build a common 
        future;
            (7) urges the United States Government to work closely with 
        the governments of the countries that border Bosnia and 
        Herzegovina--especially those who are signatories of the Dayton 
        Peace Accords--to support full implementation of the 
        Stabilization and Association Agreement between the EU and the 
        Balkan States, which requires regional cooperation; and
            (8) recognizes the State of Ohio and the greater Dayton 
        community for their role in fostering the Dayton Peace Accords, 
        and for continuing to support diplomacy, security, and peace 
        around the world.
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