[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 153 (Monday, September 25, 2017)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5887-S5888]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         SUBMITTED RESOLUTIONS

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     SENATE RESOLUTION 266--REAFFIRMING THE UNITED STATES-LIBERIA 
PARTNERSHIP, CALLING FOR FREE, FAIR, AND PEACEFUL ELECTIONS IN LIBERIA 
                            IN OCTOBER 2017

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

                              S. Res. 266

       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

[[Page S5888]]

     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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