[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 169 (Tuesday, September 29, 2020)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5982-S5983]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 SENATE RESOLUTION 729--RECOGNIZING THE 25TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE DAYTON 
                             PEACE ACCORDS

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

                              S. Res. 729

       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

[[Page S5983]]

       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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