[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 538 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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117th CONGRESS
  2d Session
S. RES. 538

Expressing support for a second United States-Africa Leaders Summit as 
 an important opportunity to strengthen ties between the United States 
      and African partners and build on areas of mutual interest.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                March 8 (legislative day, March 7), 2022

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

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
Expressing support for a second United States-Africa Leaders Summit as 
 an important opportunity to strengthen ties between the United States 
      and African partners and build on areas of mutual interest.

Whereas meaningful and consistent high-level multilateral engagement between the 
        United States and Africa is necessary for the foreign policy of the 
        United States to keep pace with the rapid transformation and demographic 
        shifts in Africa and to ensure that the United States understands and 
        responds to the dynamism and ambitions of its African partners;
Whereas successive United States Presidential administrations and Congress have 
        identified strategic competition with the People's Republic of China, 
        the Russian Federation, and other malign actors as a threat to the 
        national security priorities of the United States that requires building 
        and maintaining networks of bilateral and multilateral partners and 
        allies, including countries in Africa;
Whereas the People's Republic of China, the European Union, India, Japan, the 
        Russian Federation, and Turkey, among others, have held high-level 
        summits with African leaders to discuss policy priorities and deepen 
        economic, political, and security partnerships;
Whereas, during August 4 through 6, 2014, President Barack Obama hosted the 
        first and only United States-Africa Leaders Summit (referred to in this 
        preamble as the ``2014 Summit'') in Washington, DC, with African leaders 
        representing 50 countries, the African Union Commission, and various 
        private sector and civil society leaders under the theme ``Investing in 
        the Next Generation'';
Whereas the 2014 Summit provided a forum for African leaders to engage in frank 
        exchanges with the Government of the United States and congressional 
        leaders, business executives, and members of civil society regarding--

    (1) development and economic challenges;

    (2) trade, investment, and economic cooperation;

    (3) democracy, human rights, and governance; and

    (4) peace and regional security;

Whereas, on February 5, 2021, at the 34th Ordinary Session of the African Union 
        Assembly, President Joseph R. Biden, Jr., outlined the vision of his 
        administration for a United States-Africa partnership to strengthen 
        relationships and build on mutual interests and respect with the 
        governments, people (including people of the African Diaspora), and 
        regional multilateral institutions of Africa;
Whereas, on November 19, 2021, during a speech to the Economic Community of West 
        African States in Abuja, Nigeria, Secretary of State Antony Blinken 
        announced that the United States would host a second United States-
        Africa Leaders Summit ``to drive the kind of high-level diplomacy and 
        engagement that can transform relationships and make effective 
        cooperation possible''; and
Whereas a well-organized and resourced second United States-Africa Leaders 
        Summit, with an established mechanism for continuity and follow-up, will 
        create a platform upon which the United States and African partners can 
        better structure United States-Africa relationships, deliver on 
        commitments, solve problems, and work together as partners on areas of 
        mutual interest: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the Senate--
            (1) supports the administration of President Joseph R. 
        Biden, Jr., hosting a second United States-Africa Leaders 
        Summit (referred to in this resolution as the ``Summit'') as a 
        vital opportunity to strengthen ties between the United States 
        and African partners;
            (2) underscores the importance of bipartisan, bicameral 
        congressional participation in the Summit;
            (3) commits to working with the heads of state, civil 
        society, private sector, and the African Diaspora to build 
        stronger ties with the United States and pursue mutual 
        interests; and
            (4) urges the Biden administration--
                    (A) to conduct adequate and diverse consultation 
                with African leaders, the African Diaspora, educational 
                institutions, private sector and civil society 
                organizations of the United States and Africa, and 
                public policy institutions in planning the Summit;
                    (B) to consider hosting the Summit in a location 
                outside of Washington, DC, that will--
                            (i) draw broad participation from State 
                        Governors and high-level corporate leadership 
                        in the United States; and
                            (ii) clarify that the private sector, 
                        rather than governments, is the primary driver 
                        of the commercial relationship between the 
                        United States and African countries;
                    (C) to consider facilitating trips by African 
                leaders to other cities in the United States and 
                inviting like-minded partners from Europe, the Middle 
                East, Asia, and the Western Hemisphere to participate 
                as observers;
                    (D) to ensure that sessions focused on trade and 
                investment between the United States and Africa include 
                adequate facilitation of business-focused deal-making 
                with African governments, the African Diaspora, and 
                private sector through Prosper Africa and other similar 
                initiatives;
                    (E) to include a theme for the Summit that focuses 
                on shared democracy, governance, and human rights 
                concerns and priorities;
                    (F) to create opportunities during the Summit for 
                direct congressional engagement and to ensure the 
                participation of multiple cabinet members, including 
                members who do not traditionally work on foreign 
                policy, trade, and investment;
                    (G) to hold bilateral one-on-one presidential 
                engagements during the Summit to build stronger 
                personal relationships with African leaders while also 
                solidifying commitments and areas of mutual interest;
                    (H) to issue a formal declaration or communique 
                after the Summit describing commitments and a roadmap 
                for future engagement; and
                    (I) to create a formal mechanism, with appropriate 
                funding and personnel resources, to track and follow up 
                on the implementation of pledges made at the Summit and 
                build upon such commitments for future summits.
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