[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 729 Agreed to Senate (ATS)]
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116th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. RES. 729
Recognizing the 25th anniversary of the Dayton Peace Accords.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
September 30 (legislative day, September 29), 2020
Mr. Brown (for himself and Mr. Portman) submitted the following
resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations
December 18, 2020
Committee discharged; considered and agreed to
_______________________________________________________________________
RESOLUTION
Recognizing the 25th anniversary of the Dayton Peace Accords.
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
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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