SCON 71 RS

Whereas in the aftermath of the Holocaust, the international community vowed ‘never again’ to allow systematic killings on the basis of nationality, ethnicity, race, or religion;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

Whereas a number of other genocides and mass atrocities have occurred, both prior to and since that time;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

Whereas the United States Government has undertaken many initiatives to ensure that victims of genocide and mass atrocities are not forgotten, and as a leader in the international community, the United States has committed to work with international partners to help to prevent genocide and mass atrocities and to help protect civilian populations at risk of such;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

Whereas the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide in 1948, which declares genocide, whether committed in a time of peace or in a time of war, a crime under international law, and declares that the parties to the Convention will undertake to prevent and to punish that crime;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

Whereas the United States was the first nation to sign the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, and the Senate voted to ratify the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide on February 11, 1986;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

Whereas the Act entitled, ‘An Act to establish the United States Holocaust Memorial Council’, approved October 7, 1980 (Public Law 96-388), established the United States Holocaust Memorial Council to commemorate the Holocaust, establish a memorial museum to the victims, and develop a committee to stimulate worldwide action to prevent or stop future genocides;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

Whereas the passage of the Genocide Convention Implementation Act of 1987 (Public Law 100-606), also known as the Proxmire Act, made genocide a crime under United States law;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

Whereas, in response to lessons learned from Rwanda and Bosnia, President William J. Clinton established a genocide and mass atrocities early warning system by establishing an Atrocities Prevention Interagency Working Group, chaired by an Ambassador-at-Large for War Crimes Issues from 1998 to 2000;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

Whereas, in 2005, the United States and all other members of the United Nations agreed that the international community has ‘a responsibility to use appropriate diplomatic, humanitarian and other peaceful means, in accordance with Chapter VI and VIII of the United Nations Charter, to help protect populations from genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity’;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

Whereas the United States and all other members of the United Nations further pledged that they were ‘prepared to take collective action, in a timely and decisive manner, through the Security Council, in accordance with the [UN] Charter, including Chapter VII, on a case-by-case basis and in cooperation with relevant regional organizations as appropriate, should peaceful means be inadequate and national authorities are manifestly failing to protect their populations from genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity’;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

Whereas the 2006 National Security Strategy of the United States stated, ‘The world needs to start honoring a principle that many believe has lost its force in parts of the international community in recent years: genocide must not be tolerated. It is a moral imperative that states take action to prevent and punish genocide. . .. We must refine United States Government efforts--economic, diplomatic, and law-enforcement--so that they target those individuals responsible for genocide and not the innocent citizens they rule.’;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

Whereas the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, the American Academy of Diplomacy, and the United States Institute of Peace convened a Genocide Prevention Task Force, co-chaired by former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright and former Secretary of Defense William Cohen, to explore how the United States Government could better respond to threats of genocide and mass atrocities;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

Whereas the final report of the Genocide Prevention Task Force, released in December 2008, concluded that the lack of an overarching policy framework or a standing interagency process, as well as insufficient and uncoordinated institutional capacities, undermines the ability of the United States Government to help prevent genocide or mass killings and offered recommendations for creating a government wide strategy;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

Whereas, in February 2010, the former Director of National Intelligence, in his annual threat assessment to Congress, highlighted countries at risk of genocide and mass atrocities and stated, ‘Within the past 3 years, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Sudan all suffered mass killing episodes through violence starvation, or death in prison camps. . .. Looking ahead over the next 5 years, a number of countries in Africa and Asia are at significant risk for a new outbreak of mass killing.’;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

Whereas the Quadrennial Defense Review, released in February 2010, states that the Defense Department should be prepared to provide the President with options for ‘preventing human suffering due to mass atrocities or large-scale natural disasters abroad’;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

Whereas the 2010 National Security Strategy notes, ‘The United States is committed to working with our allies, and to strengthening our own internal capabilities, in order to ensure that the United States and the international community are proactively engaged in a strategic effort to prevent mass atrocities and genocide. In the event that prevention fails, the United States will work both multilaterally and bilaterally to mobilize diplomatic, humanitarian, financial, and--in certain instances--military means to prevent and respond to genocide and mass atrocities.’;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

Whereas genocide and mass atrocities often result from and contribute to instability and conflict, which can cross borders and exacerbate threats to international security and the national security of the United States;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

Whereas the failure to prevent genocide and mass atrocities can lead to significant costs resulting from regional instability, refugee flows, peacekeeping, economic loss, and the challenges of post-conflict reconstruction and reconciliation; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink

Whereas United States leadership and actions toward preventing and mitigating future genocides and mass atrocities can save human lives and help foster beneficial global partnerships: Now, therefore, be itCommentsClose CommentsPermalink

Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives concurring), [Struck out->]That the Senate--[<-Struck out]

[Struck out->](1) recommits to honor the memory of the victims of the Holocaust as well as the victims of all past genocides and mass atrocities;[<-Struck out]

[Struck out->](2) affirms that it is in the national interest and aligned with the values of the United States to work vigorously with international partners to prevent and mitigate future genocides and mass atrocities;[<-Struck out]

[Struck out->](3) supports efforts made thus far by the President, the Secretary of State, the Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development, the Secretary of Defense, and the Director of National Intelligence to improve the capacity of the United States Government to anticipate, prevent, and address genocide and mass atrocities, including the establishment of an interagency policy committee and a National Security Council position dedicated to the prevention of genocide and other mass atrocities;[<-Struck out]

[Struck out->](4) urges the President--[<-Struck out]

[Struck out->](A) to direct relevant departments and agencies of the United States Government to review and evaluate existing capacities for anticipating, preventing, and responding to genocide and other mass atrocities, and to determine specific steps to coordinate and enhance those capacities; and[<-Struck out]

[Struck out->](B) to develop and communicate a whole of government approach and policy to anticipate, prevent, and mitigate acts of genocide and other mass atrocities;[<-Struck out]

[Struck out->](5) urges the Secretary of State, working closely with the Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development--[<-Struck out]

[Struck out->](A) to ensure that all relevant officers of the Foreign Service and particularly those deploying to areas undergoing significant conflict or considered to be at risk of significant conflict, genocide, and other mass atrocities receive appropriate advanced training in early warning and conflict prevention, mitigation, and resolution;[<-Struck out]

[Struck out->](B) to determine appropriate leadership, structure, programs, and mechanisms within the Department of State and the United States Agency for International Development that can enhance efforts to prevent genocide and other mass atrocities; and[<-Struck out]

[Struck out->](C) to include relevant recommendations for enhancing civilian capacities to help prevent and mitigate genocide and mass atrocities in the upcoming Quadrennial Diplomacy and Development Review;[<-Struck out]

[Struck out->](6) urges the Secretary of the Treasury, working in consultation with the Secretary of State, to review how sanctions and other financial tools could be used against state and commercial actors found to be directly supporting or enabling genocides and mass atrocities;[<-Struck out]

[Struck out->](7) recognizes the importance of flexible contingency crisis funding to enable United States civilian agencies to respond quickly to help prevent and mitigate crises that could lead to significant armed conflict, genocide, and other mass atrocities;[<-Struck out]

[Struck out->](8) urges the Secretary of Defense to conduct an analysis of the doctrine, organization, training, material, leadership, personnel, and facilities required to prevent and respond to genocide and mass atrocities;[<-Struck out]

[Struck out->](9) encourages the Secretary of State and Secretary of Defense to work with the relevant congressional committees to ensure that a priority goal of all United States security assistance and training is to support legitimate, accountable security forces committed to upholding the sovereign responsibility to protect civilian populations from violence, especially genocide and other mass atrocities;[<-Struck out]

[Struck out->](10) supports efforts by the United States Government to provide logistical, communications, and intelligence support, as appropriate, to assist multilateral diplomatic efforts and peace operations in preventing mass atrocities and protecting civilians;[<-Struck out]

[Struck out->](11) calls on other members of the international community to increase their support for multilateral diplomatic efforts and peace operations to more effectively prevent mass atrocities and protect civilians;[<-Struck out]

[Struck out->](12) encourages the Secretary of State to work closely with regional and international organizations, the United Nations Special Adviser for the Prevention of Genocide, and civil society experts to develop and expand multilateral mechanisms for early warning, information sharing, and rapid response diplomacy for the prevention of genocide and other mass atrocities; and[<-Struck out]

[Struck out->](13) commits to calling attention to areas at risk of genocide and other mass atrocities and ensuring that the United States Government has the tools and resources to enable its efforts to prevent genocide and mass atrocities.[<-Struck out]

That the Senate--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink




(1) recommits to honor the memory of the victims of the Holocaust as well as the victims of all past genocides and mass atrocities;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(2) affirms that it is in the national interest and aligned with the values of the United States to work vigorously with international partners to prevent and mitigate future genocides and mass atrocities;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(3) supports the establishment of an interagency policy committee and a National Security Council position dedicated to the prevention of genocide and other mass atrocities;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(4) urges the President--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(A) to direct relevant departments and agencies of the United States Government to review and evaluate existing capacities for anticipating, preventing, and responding to genocide and other mass atrocities, and to determine specific steps to coordinate and enhance those capacities; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(B) to develop and communicate a whole of government approach and policy to anticipate, prevent, and mitigate acts of genocide and other mass atrocities;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(5) urges the Secretary of State, working closely with the Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(A) to ensure that all relevant officers of the Foreign Service and particularly those deploying to areas undergoing significant conflict or considered to be at risk of significant conflict, genocide, and other mass atrocities receive appropriate advanced training in early warning and conflict prevention, mitigation, and resolution;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(B) to determine appropriate leadership, structure, programs, and mechanisms within the Department of State and the United States Agency for International Development that can enhance efforts to help to prevent genocide and other mass atrocities; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(C) to ensure recommendations for enhancing civilian capacities to help prevent and mitigate genocide and mass atrocities in the upcoming Quadrennial Diplomacy and Development Review;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(6) urges the Secretary of the Treasury, working in consultation with the Secretary of State, to review how sanctions and other financial tools could be used against individuals and entities found to be directly supporting or enabling genocides and mass atrocities;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(7) recognizes the importance of flexible contingency crisis funding to enable United States civilian agencies to respond quickly to help prevent and mitigate crises that could lead to significant armed conflict, genocide, and other mass atrocities;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(8) urges the Secretary of Defense to conduct an analysis of the doctrine, organization, training, material, leadership, personnel, and facilities required to help prevent and respond to genocide and mass atrocities;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(9) encourages the Secretary of State and Secretary of Defense to work with the relevant congressional committees to promote the effective use of United States security assistance and training is to support legitimate, accountable security forces committed to upholding the sovereign responsibility to protect civilian populations from violence, especially genocide and other mass atrocities;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(10) supports efforts by the United States Government to provide logistical, communications, and intelligence support, as appropriate, to assist multilateral diplomatic efforts and peace operations in preventing mass atrocities and protecting civilians;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(11) calls on other members of the international community to increase their support for multilateral diplomatic efforts and peace operations to more effectively prevent mass atrocities and protect civilians;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(12) encourages the Secretary of State to work closely with regional and international organizations, the United Nations Special Adviser for the Prevention of Genocide, and civil society experts to develop and expand multilateral mechanisms for early warning, information sharing, and rapid response diplomacy for the prevention of genocide and other mass atrocities; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(13) commits to calling attention to areas at risk of genocide and other mass atrocities and ensuring that the United States Government has the tools and resources to enable its efforts to help prevent genocide and mass atrocities.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

Calendar No. 722

Recognizing the United States national interest in helping to prevent and mitigate acts of genocide and other mass atrocities against civilians, and supporting and encouraging efforts to develop a whole of government approach to prevent and mitigate such acts.