[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 8]
[Senate]
[Page 11316]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




   ACCESSION OF ISRAEL TO CONVENTION ON ORGANISATION FOR ECONOMIC CO-
                       OPERATION AND DEVELOPMENT

  Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate now 
proceed to the consideration of S. Res. 188.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the resolution by title.

       The resolution (S. Res. 188) expressing the sense of the 
     Senate in support of the accession of Israel to the 
     Convention on the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and 
     Development.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the 
resolution.
  Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the resolution 
be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, the motion to reconsider be 
laid upon the table, and that any statements relating to the resolution 
be printed in the Record.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The resolution (S. Res. 188) was agreed to.
  The preamble was agreed to.
  The resolution, with its preamble, reads as follows:

                              S. Res. 188

       Whereas Israel has met the membership criteria for the 
     Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development 
     (OECD), and has actively sought membership in the body since 
     2000;
       Whereas, in May 2006, the OECD adopted in full the Report 
     by the Working Party on the Implications of Future 
     Enlargement on OECD Governance, stating that expanding 
     membership is vital to the organization;
       Whereas the OECD is expected to vote on enlargement and 
     consider new countries for membership at a ministerial 
     meeting in May 2007;
       Whereas Israel is the most active nonmember country in the 
     OECD, is a member, observer, or ad hoc observer in 50 working 
     bodies, is party to various OECD declarations, and is already 
     in compliance with multiple OECD standards;
       Whereas Israel made significant economic reforms in recent 
     years that grew the private sector and streamlined the public 
     sector, and the Prime Minister of Israel, Ehud Olmert, stated 
     that OECD membership would anchor these reforms and allow 
     additional reforms;
       Whereas membership in the OECD would strengthen the 
     position of Israel in the global economy, solidify Israel's 
     transition from an emerging market to an advanced economy, 
     and encourage increased foreign domestic investment in 
     Israel;
       Whereas the inclusion of Israel in the OECD would 
     strengthen the OECD because of Israel's high living standard, 
     liberal and stable markets, and commitment to democratic 
     values;
       Whereas Israel is a world leader in science and technology 
     and is home to the most high-technology start-up companies, 
     scientific publications, and research and development 
     spending, per capita;
       Whereas, in 2006, the World Economic Forum ranked Israel as 
     the world's 15th most competitive economy;
       Whereas the accession of Israel to the Convention on the 
     OECD would benefit other OECD member countries because of 
     Israel's leadership in high-technology companies and research 
     and development; and
       Whereas Israel is a strong ally of the United States and 
     supports the United States in international organizations 
     more consistently than any other country: Now, therefore, be 
     it
       Resolved, That it is the sense of the Senate that--
       (1) Israel shares the commitment of the United States to, 
     and the Organisation of Economic Co-operation and Development 
     (OECD) foundational principles of, good government, free 
     markets, and democratic values;
       (2) Israel meets the OECD membership criteria, and is well 
     deserving of membership;
       (3) it is in the interest of the United States to strongly 
     support the accession of Israel to the Convention on the 
     OECD; and
       (4) the United States should strongly advocate for Israel's 
     accession to the Convention on the OECD before and during the 
     OECD ministerial meeting in May 2007 and use all necessary 
     and available means to secure Israel's membership in the 
     OECD.

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