[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 81 Introduced in House (IH)]

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118th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. CON. RES. 81

 Recognizing international days of peace, coexistence, and cooperation.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           December 19, 2023

  Ms. Williams of Georgia (for herself, Mr. Allred, Ms. Crockett, Mr. 
 Grijalva, Ms. Norton, Mr. Johnson of Georgia, Ms. Lee of California, 
  Ms. McCollum, Ms. Scholten, Ms. Tlaib, Mr. McGovern, Ms. Titus, Mr. 
Vargas, Mr. David Scott of Georgia, Ms. Clarke of New York, Ms. Adams, 
Mr. Jackson of Illinois, Mr. Costa, Mr. Khanna, Ms. Omar, Ms. Escobar, 
Mr. Castro of Texas, Mr. Evans, Mr. Mullin, Ms. Sewell, and Ms. Jackson 
Lee) submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was referred 
            to the Committee on Oversight and Accountability

_______________________________________________________________________

                         CONCURRENT RESOLUTION


 
 Recognizing international days of peace, coexistence, and cooperation.

Whereas the preamble to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights says that 
        ``disregard and contempt for human rights have resulted in barbarous 
        acts which have outraged the conscience of humankind, and the advent of 
        a world in which human beings shall enjoy freedom of speech and belief 
        and freedom from fear and want has been proclaimed as the highest 
        aspiration of the common people'';
Whereas the Constitution of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and 
        Cultural Organization (UNESCO) reminds us that ``a peace based 
        exclusively upon the political and economic arrangements of Governments 
        would not be a peace which could secure the unanimous, lasting and 
        sincere support of the peoples of the world, and the peace must 
        therefore be founded, if it is not to fail, upon the intellectual and 
        moral solidarity of mankind'';
Whereas the 2022 Global Peace Index found peacefulness has declined year-on-year 
        for 11 of the last 14 years;
Whereas the 2022 Global Peace Index also noted a persistent decrease in the 
        world's peacefulness and that global violence cost $16.5 trillion in 
        2021;
Whereas strengthening and supporting domestic and global efforts to study, 
        discuss, teach, and develop techniques and methods to encourage and 
        augment global peace efforts is a critical international goal;
Whereas, on November 30, 1981, during the 77th plenary meeting, the United 
        Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution to declare the third 
        Tuesday of September as the International Day of Peace;
Whereas nearly 20 years later, the United Nations General Assembly adopted A/
        RES/55/282, which officially designated September 21 as a global day to 
        recognize and celebrate international cease-fire and nonviolence;
Whereas, in 2001, the United Nations Economic and Social Council Organization 
        proclaimed November 10 as World Science Day for Peace and Development;
Whereas, on February 24, 2003, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a 
        resolution declaring each May 29th as International Day of United 
        Nations Peacekeepers, recognizing the significant sacrifices people have 
        made and continue to make in pursuit of peace;
Whereas, on December 22, 2005, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a 
        resolution declaring December 20th International Human Solidarity Day 
        and defined solidarity as a fundamental and universal value underlying 
        modern human relations;
Whereas, on June 15, 2007, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a 
        resolution declaring October 2 as International Day of Non-Violence, 
        extolling the virtues of nonviolent action such as protests, marches, 
        vigils, and other acts of peaceful resistance;
Whereas, on August 19, 2013, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a 
        resolution declaring April 6th as the International Day of Sport for 
        Development and Peace;
Whereas, on February 2, 2017, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a 
        resolution declaring December 12 as International Day of Neutrality;
Whereas, on January 15, 2018, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a 
        resolution declaring May 16 as International Day of Living Together in 
        Peace, and affirmed that, in order to accomplish the goal of peace, we 
        must eliminate all forms of discrimination and intolerance;
Whereas, on December 12, 2018, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a 
        resolution declaring April 24th International Day of Multilateralism and 
        Diplomacy for Peace, recognizing that peace requires good-faith 
        cooperation;
Whereas, on July 25, 2019, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a 
        resolution declaring April 5th as the International Day of Conscience in 
        order to ``mobiliz[e] the efforts of the international community to 
        promote peace, tolerance, inclusion, understanding and solidarity, in 
        order to build a sustainable world of peace, solidarity and harmony'';
Whereas attaining peace involves the active and persistent process of persuading 
        people of the benefits of peace, cooperation, tolerance, and 
        nonviolence;
Whereas peace is only attainable via a sustained commitment by a critical mass 
        of those striving to do good; and
Whereas peace is a global goal that can only be achieved through thoughtful, 
        deliberative, cooperative actions that center peace as their primary 
        objective: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), 
That Congress--
            (1) recognizes the--
                    (A) 42d anniversary of the International Day of 
                Peace;
                    (B) 22d anniversary of the International Day of 
                Peace being recognized as a period of nonviolence and 
                cease-fire;
                    (C) 22d anniversary of the World Science Day for 
                Peace and Development;
                    (D) 20th anniversary of the International Day of 
                United Nations Peacekeepers;
                    (E) 18th anniversary of Human Solidarity Day;
                    (F) 16th anniversary of the International Day of 
                Non-Violence;
                    (G) 10th anniversary of the International Day of 
                Sport for Development and Peace;
                    (H) 6th anniversary of the International Day of 
                Neutrality;
                    (I) 5th anniversary of the International Day of 
                Living Together in Peace;
                    (J) 5th anniversary of the International Day of 
                Multilateralism and Diplomacy for Peace; and
                    (K) 4th anniversary of the International Day of 
                Conscience; and
            (2) commits to--
                    (A) encouraging the people of the United States to 
                continue commemorating international days of peace, 
                coexistence, and cooperation;
                    (B) supporting activities on international days of 
                peace, coexistence, and cooperation that promote 
                thoughtful, deliberative, and cooperative actions to 
                achieve peace; and
                    (C) facilitating the application of peace, 
                tolerance, cease-fire, and nonviolence throughout the 
                year.
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