[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 167 (Wednesday, December 21, 2005)]
[Senate]
[Pages S14408-S14410]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION TO MEET THE MILLENNIUM DEVELOPMENT GOALS ACT 
                                OF 2005

  Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate 
proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 281, S. 1315.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the bill by title.
  The legislative clerk read as follows:

       A bill (S. 1315) to require a report on progress toward the 
     Millennium Development Goals, and for other purposes.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the 
bill, which had been reported from the Committee on Foreign Relations, 
with amendments.

  [Strike the parts shown in black brackets and insert the parts shown 
in italic.]

                                S. 1315

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``International Cooperation to 
     Meet the Millennium Development Goals Act of 2005''.

     SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

       Congress makes the following findings:

[[Page S14409]]

       (1) At the United Nations Millennium Summit in 2000, the 
     United States joined more than 180 other countries in 
     committing to work toward goals to improve life for the 
     world's poorest people by 2015.
       (2) Such goals include reducing the proportion of people 
     living on less than $1 per day by \1/2\, reducing child 
     mortality by \2/3\, and assuring basic education for all 
     children, while sustaining the environment upon which human 
     life depends.
       (3) At the 2002 International Conference on Financing for 
     Development, the United States representative reiterated the 
     support of the United States for the Millennium Development 
     Goals and advocated, along with other international 
     participants, for a stronger focus on measurable outcomes 
     derived from a global partnership between developed and 
     developing countries.
       (4) On March 22, 2002, President Bush stated, ``We fight 
     against poverty because hope is an answer to terror. We fight 
     against poverty because opportunity is a fundamental right to 
     human dignity. We fight against poverty because faith 
     requires it and conscience demands it. We fight against 
     poverty with a growing conviction that major progress is 
     within our reach.''.
       (5) The 2002 National Security Strategy of the United 
     States notes that ``a world where some live in comfort and 
     plenty, while half of the human race lives on less than $2 
     per day, is neither just nor stable. Including all of the 
     world's poor in an expanding circle of development and 
     opportunity is a moral imperative and one of the top 
     priorities of U.S. international policy''.
       (6) The National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the 
     United States concluded that the Government of the United 
     States must offer an example of moral leadership in the world 
     and offer parents and their children a vision of the future 
     that emphasizes individual educational and economic 
     opportunity as essential to the efforts of the United States 
     to defeat global terrorism.
       [(7) The summit of the Group of Eight scheduled for July 
     2005, the United Nations summit scheduled for September 2005, 
     and the Sixth Ministerial Conference of the World Trade 
     Organization scheduled for December 2005 will provide 
     opportunities to measure and continue to pursue progress on 
     the Millennium Development Goals.]
       (7) The summit of the Group of Eight held during July 2005, 
     the United Nations summit held during September 2005, and the 
     Sixth Ministerial Conference of the World Trade Organization 
     scheduled to be held during December 2005 have provided and 
     will provide opportunities to measure and continue to pursue 
     progress on the Millennium Development Goals.
       (8) The summit of the Group of Eight [scheduled for] held 
     July 6 through July 8, 2005, in Gleneagles, Scotland, [will 
     bring] brought together the countries that can make the 
     greatest contribution to alleviating extreme poverty in 
     Africa, the region of the world where extreme poverty is most 
     prevalent.
       (9) On June 11, 2005, the United States helped secure the 
     agreement of the Group of Eight Finance Ministers to cancel 
     100 percent of the debt obligations owed to the World Bank, 
     African Development Bank, and International Monetary Fund by 
     countries that are eligible for debt relief under the Highly 
     Indebted Poor Countries Initiative, the initiative 
     established in 1996 by the World Bank and the International 
     Monetary Fund for the purpose of reducing the debt burdens of 
     the world's poorest countries, or under the Enhanced HIPC 
     Initiative, as defined in section 1625 of the International 
     Financial Institutions Act (22 U.S.C. 262p-8), which are poor 
     countries that are on the path to reform.
       (10) The report prepared by the Commission for Africa and 
     issued by Prime Minister Tony Blair on March 11, 2005, 
     entitled ``Our Common Interest'', called for coherence and 
     coordination in the development of an overarching package of 
     actions to be carried out by the countries of Africa and the 
     international community to address the complex interlocking 
     issues that challenge the continent, many of which have 
     already been addressed individually in previous summits and 
     under the Africa Action Plan enacted by the Group of Eight.
       (11) The United States has recognized the need for 
     strengthened economic and trade opportunities, as well as 
     increased financial and technical assistance to Africa and 
     other countries burdened by extreme poverty, through 
     significant initiatives in recent years, including--
       (A) the African Growth and Opportunity Act (19 U.S.C. 3701 
     et seq.) that has opened United States markets to thousands 
     of products from Africa;
       (B) the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief 
     developed under section 101 of the United States Leadership 
     Against HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria Act of 2003 (22 
     U.S.C. 7611), the major focus of which has been on African 
     countries;
       (C) the Millennium Challenge Corporation established under 
     section 604 of the Millennium Challenge Act of 2003 (22 
     U.S.C. 7703) that is in the process of committing new and 
     significant levels of assistance to countries, including 
     countries in Africa, that are poor but show great promise for 
     boosting economic growth and bettering the lives of their 
     people; and
       (D) [the United States has canceled] the cancellation by 
     the United States of 100 percent of the bilateral debt owed 
     to the Untied States by countries eligible for debt relief 
     under the Enhanced HIPC Initiative.
       (12) The report prepared by the Commission for Africa 
     entitled ``Our Common Interest'' includes the following 
     findings:
       (A) The people of Africa must demonstrate the leadership 
     necessary to address the governance challenges they face, 
     setting priorities that ensure the development of effective 
     civil and police services, independent judiciaries, and 
     strong parliaments, all of which reinforce a stable and 
     predictable economic environment attractive to investment.
       (B) Many leaders in Africa have pursued personal self-
     interest rather than national goals, a tendency that has been 
     in some instances exacerbated and abetted by the manipulation 
     of foreign governments pursuing their own agenda in the 
     region to the detriment of the people of Africa.
       (C) More violent conflict has occurred in Africa during the 
     period between 1965 and 2005 than occurred in any other 
     continent during that period, and the countries of Africa 
     must engage on the individual, national, and regional level 
     to prevent and manage conflict.
       (D) The capacity to trade is constrained by a derelict or 
     nonexistent infrastructure in most African countries as well 
     as by the double-edged sword of tariff and nontariff barriers 
     to trade that complicate markets and discourage investment 
     both within and beyond the continent.
       (E) The local resources for investment in people and the 
     institutions necessary for good governance have been 
     squandered, misappropriated, and, to an increasingly 
     devastating effect, spent on servicing debt to the developed 
     world. Such resources should be reoriented to serve the needs 
     of the people through the use of debt forgiveness and support 
     for institutional reform and internal capacity building.
       (F) Failing to prevent conflict in Africa results in 
     incalculable costs to African development and expense to the 
     international community and the investment in preventing 
     conflict is a fraction of such costs and expenses, in human, 
     security, and financial terms.
       (G) Despite difficulties, there is optimism and energy 
     reflected in the scope of activities of individuals such as 
     2004 Nobel Peace Prize recipient, Wangari Maathai, as well as 
     those of improved regional organizations such as the African 
     Union and the New Partnership for Economic Development's Peer 
     Review Mechanism, and subregional entities such as the 
     Economic Community of West African States, the Inter-
     Governmental Authority on Development, and the potential of 
     the Southern African Development Community.
       (H) Political reform in Africa has produced results. For 
     example, while in 1985 countries of sub-Saharan Africa ruled 
     by dictators were the norm, by 2005 dictatorships are a 
     minority and democracy has new life with governments chosen 
     by the people increasing fourfold since 1991.
       (13) The report prepared by the Commission for Africa 
     entitled ``Our Common Interest'' includes the following 
     recommendations:
       (A) At this vital moment when globalization and growth, 
     technology and trade, and mutual security concerns allow, and 
     common humanity demands, a substantial tangible and coherent 
     package of actions should immediately be taken by the 
     international community, led by the most industrialized 
     countries, in partnership with the countries of Africa, to 
     address the poverty and underdevelopment of the African 
     continent.
       (B) The people of Africa must take responsibility and show 
     courageous leadership in addressing problems and taking 
     ownership of solutions as the means for ensuring sustainable 
     development, while implementing governance reform as an 
     underlying prerequisite for foreign assistance effectiveness.
       (C) Each developed country has unique strengths and 
     capacity to add value to a comprehensive assistance plan and 
     should join their individual efforts to a coherent whole that 
     is more efficient and responsive to Africa and the people of 
     Africa.
       (D) The international community must honor existing 
     commitments to strengthen African peacekeeping capacity and 
     go beyond those commitments to invest in more effective 
     prevention and nonmilitary means to resolve conflict through 
     such regional organizations as the African Union and the 
     subregional Economic Community for West African States.
       (E) A massive investment in physical infrastructure should 
     be made to support commerce, extend governance, and provide 
     opportunities for education, healthcare, investment and 
     growth.
       (F) Donors and the governments of the countries of Africa 
     should devote substantial investment in the men and women of 
     Africa through the education and health sectors, enabling and 
     extending recent gains made to reach far more broadly into 
     remote regions.
       (G) The public sector should actively engage the private 
     sector in driving growth through partnerships by reforming 
     the laws, bureaucracy, and infrastructure necessary to 
     maintain a climate that fosters investment by developing 
     public-private centers of excellence to pursue such reforms.
       (H) The countries of Africa must maximize the participation 
     of women in both business and government, protect the rights 
     of women, and work to increase the number of

[[Page S14410]]

     women in leadership positions so as to capitalize on the 
     ability of women to deliver scarce resources effectively and 
     fairly.
       (I) The international community must work together to 
     dismantle trade barriers, including the immediate elimination 
     of trade-distorting commodity support.
       (J) International donors should strengthen multilateral 
     institutions in Africa to respond appropriately to local and 
     regional crises as well as to promote economic development 
     and ensure the people of Africa are granted a stronger voice 
     in international forums.
       (K) The international community must join in providing 
     creative incentives for commercial firms to research and 
     develop products that improve water, sanitation, health, and 
     the environment in ways that would dramatically reduce 
     suffering and increase productive life-spans in Africa.

     SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.

       In this Act:
       (1) Appropriate congressional committees.--The term 
     ``appropriate congressional committees'' means the Committee 
     on Foreign Relations of the Senate and the Committee on 
     International Relations of the House of Representatives.
       (2) Group of eight.--The term ``Group of Eight'' means the 
     forum for addressing international economic, political, and 
     social issues attended by representatives of Canada, France, 
     Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the 
     United States.
       (3) Millennium development goals.--The term ``Millennium 
     Development Goals'' means the goals set out in United Nations 
     Millennium Declaration, resolution [55/1] 55/2 adopted by the 
     General Assembly of the United Nations on September 8, 2000.

     SEC. 4. SENSE OF CONGRESS.

       It is the sense of Congress that--
       [(1) the President should continue to provide the 
     leadership necessary at the summit of the Group of Eight 
     scheduled for July 2005 at Gleneagles, Scotland, to encourage 
     other countries to develop a true partnership to pursue the 
     Millennium Development Goals;]
       (1) the President should continue to provide the leadership 
     shown at the summit of the Group of Eight held in July 2005 
     at Gleneagles, Scotland, to continue to encourage other 
     countries to develop a true partnership to pursue the 
     Millennium Development Goals;
       (2) the President should urge the Group of Eight to 
     consider the findings and recommendations contained in the 
     report prepared by the Commission for Africa entitled ``Our 
     Common Interest'', as a fundamental guide on which to base 
     their planning, in partnership with the nations of Africa, 
     for the development of Africa;
       (3) the Group of Eight, as well as governments of the 
     countries of Africa and regional organizations of such 
     governments, should reaffirm and honor the commitments made 
     in the Africa Action Plan enacted by the Group of Eight in 
     previous years; and
       [(4) the international community should pursue further 
     progress toward achieving the Millennium Development Goals at 
     the summit of the Group of Eight scheduled for July 2005, the 
     United Nations summit scheduled for September 2005, and the 
     Sixth Ministerial Conference of the World Trade Organization 
     scheduled for December 2005.]
       (4) the international community should continue to build 
     upon the progress made at the summit of the Group of Eight in 
     July 2005 and the United Nations summit in September 2005 
     toward achieving the Millennium Development Goals, and should 
     further enable such progress at the Sixth Ministerial 
     Conference of the World Trade Organization scheduled for 
     December 2005.

     SEC. 5. REPORT.

       (a) Requirement.--Not later than 60 days after the date of 
     the conclusion of [the World Trade Organization Ministerial 
     meeting in Hong Kong that is scheduled to be held] the Sixth 
     Ministerial Conference of the World Trade Organization that 
     is scheduled to be held in Hong Kong from December 13 through 
     December 18, 2005, the Secretary of State in consultation 
     with other appropriate United States and international 
     agencies shall submit a report to the appropriate 
     congressional committees on the progress the international 
     community is making toward achieving the Millennium 
     Development Goals.
       (b) Content.--The report required by subsection (a) shall 
     include the following:
       (1) A review of the commitments made by the United States 
     and other members of the international community at the 
     summit of the Group of Eight [scheduled for] in July 2005, 
     the United Nations summit [scheduled for] in September 2005, 
     and the Sixth Ministerial Conference of the World Trade 
     Organization scheduled for December 2005, that pertain to the 
     ability of the developing world to achieve the Millennium 
     Development Goals.
       (2) A review of United States policies and progress toward 
     achieving the Millennium Development Goals by 2015, as well 
     as policies to provide continued leadership in achieving such 
     goals by 2015.
       (3) An [evaluation] evaluation, to the extent possible, of 
     the contributions of other national and international actors 
     in achieving the Millennium Development Goals by 2015.
       (4) An assessment of the likelihood that the Millennium 
     Development Goals will be achieved.
  Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the amendment 
at the desk be agreed to, the committee-reported amendments, as 
amended, if amended, be agreed to, the bill, as amended, be read a 
third time and passed, the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table, 
and that any statements relating to the measure be printed in the 
Record.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The amendment (No. 2693) was agreed to, as follows:

       On page 13 line 21-22, strike ``as a fundamental guide on 
     which to base their planning,''

  The committee-reported amendments were agreed to.
  The bill (S. 1315), as amended, was read the third time and passed, 
as follows:
  (The bill will be printed in a future edition of the Record.)

                          ____________________