A bill to require a report on progress toward the Millennium Development Goals, and for other purposes.

Summary: International Cooperation to Meet the Millennium Development Goals Act of 2005 - Expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) the President should continue to provide the leadership shown at the July 2005 summit of the Group of Eight to encourage other countries to pursue the Millennium Development Goals; (2) the President should urge the Group of Eight to consider the findings and recommendations contained in the report prepared by the Commission for Africa entitled "Our Common Interest"; (3) the Group of Eight, as well as governments of the countries of Africa and regional organizations of such governments, should honor the commitments made in the Group's Africa Action Plan; and (4) the international community should continue to build upon the progress made at the July 2005 summit and the September 2005 U.N. summit toward achieving the Millennium Development Goals, and should further enable such progress at the Sixth Ministerial conference of the World Trade Organization scheduled for December 2005.

Directs the Secretary of State to report to the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations and the House Committee on International Relations respecting the international community's progress toward achieving the Millennium Development Goals.

Requires the report to include: (1) a review of commitments made by the United States and other members of the international community concerning the ability of the developing world to achieve the Millennium Development Goals; (2) a review of U.S. policies and progress toward achieving the Millennium Development Goals by 2015, as well as policies to provide continued leadership in achieving such goals by 2015; (3) an evaluation of the contributions of other national and international actors in achieving the Millennium Development Goals by 2015; and (4) an assessment of the likelihood that the Millennium Development Goals will be achieved.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``International Cooperation to Meet 
the Millennium Development Goals Act of 2005''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress makes the following findings:
            (1) At the United Nations Millennium Summit in 2000, the 
        United States joined more than 180 other countries in 
        committing to work toward goals to improve life for the world's 
        poorest people by 2015.
            (2) Such goals include reducing the proportion of people 
        living on less than $1 per day by \1/2\, reducing child 
        mortality by \2/3\, and assuring basic education for all 
        children, while sustaining the environment upon which human 
        life depends.
            (3) At the 2002 International Conference on Financing for 
        Development, the United States representative reiterated the 
        support of the United States for the Millennium Development 
        Goals and advocated, along with other international 
        participants, for a stronger focus on measurable outcomes 
        derived from a global partnership between developed and 
        developing countries.
            (4) On March 22, 2002, President Bush stated, ``We fight 
        against poverty because hope is an answer to terror. We fight 
        against poverty because opportunity is a fundamental right to 
        human dignity. We fight against poverty because faith requires 
        it and conscience demands it. We fight against poverty with a 
        growing conviction that major progress is within our reach.''.
            (5) The 2002 National Security Strategy of the United 
        States notes that ``a world where some live in comfort and 
        plenty, while half of the human race lives on less than $2 per 
        day, is neither just nor stable. Including all of the world's 
        poor in an expanding circle of development and opportunity is a 
        moral imperative and one of the top priorities of U.S. 
        international policy''.
            (6) The National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the 
        United States concluded that the Government of the United 
        States must offer an example of moral leadership in the world 
        and offer parents and their children a vision of the future 
        that emphasizes individual educational and economic opportunity 
        as essential to the efforts of the United States to defeat 
        global terrorism.
            (7) The summit of the Group of Eight held during July 2005, 
        the United Nations summit held during September 2005, and the 
        Sixth Ministerial Conference of the World Trade Organization 
        scheduled to be held during December 2005 have provided and 
        will provide opportunities to measure and continue to pursue 
        progress on the Millennium Development Goals.
            (8) The summit of the Group of Eight held July 6 through 
        July 8, 2005, in Gleneagles, Scotland, brought together the 
        countries that can make the greatest contribution to 
        alleviating extreme poverty in Africa, the region of the world 
        where extreme poverty is most prevalent.
            (9) On June 11, 2005, the United States helped secure the 
        agreement of the Group of Eight Finance Ministers to cancel 100 
        percent of the debt obligations owed to the World Bank, African 
        Development Bank, and International Monetary Fund by countries 
        that are eligible for debt relief under the Highly Indebted 
        Poor Countries Initiative, the initiative established in 1996 
        by the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund for the 
        purpose of reducing the debt burdens of the world's poorest 
        countries, or under the Enhanced HIPC Initiative, as defined in 
        section 1625 of the International Financial Institutions Act 
        (22 U.S.C. 262p-8), which are poor countries that are on the 
        path to reform.
            (10) The report prepared by the Commission for Africa and 
        issued by Prime Minister Tony Blair on March 11, 2005, entitled 
        ``Our Common Interest'', called for coherence and coordination 
        in the development of an overarching package of actions to be 
        carried out by the countries of Africa and the international 
        community to address the complex interlocking issues that 
        challenge the continent, many of which have already been 
        addressed individually in previous summits and under the Africa 
        Action Plan enacted by the Group of Eight.
            (11) The United States has recognized the need for 
        strengthened economic and trade opportunities, as well as 
        increased financial and technical assistance to Africa and 
        other countries burdened by extreme poverty, through 
        significant initiatives in recent years, including--
                    (A) the African Growth and Opportunity Act (19 
                U.S.C. 3701 et seq.) that has opened United States 
                markets to thousands of products from Africa;
                    (B) the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief 
                developed under section 101 of the United States 
                Leadership Against HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria 
                Act of 2003 (22 U.S.C. 7611), the major focus of which 
                has been on African countries;
                    (C) the Millennium Challenge Corporation 
                established under section 604 of the Millennium 
                Challenge Act of 2003 (22 U.S.C. 7703) that is in the 
                process of committing new and significant levels of 
                assistance to countries, including countries in Africa, 
                that are poor but show great promise for boosting 
                economic growth and bettering the lives of their 
                people; and
                    (D) the cancellation by the United States of 100 
                percent of the bilateral debt owed to the Untied States 
                by countries eligible for debt relief under the 
                Enhanced HIPC Initiative.
            (12) The report prepared by the Commission for Africa 
        entitled ``Our Common Interest'' includes the following 
        findings:
                    (A) The people of Africa must demonstrate the 
                leadership necessary to address the governance 
                challenges they face, setting priorities that ensure 
                the development of effective civil and police services, 
                independent judiciaries, and strong parliaments, all of 
                which reinforce a stable and predictable economic 
                environment attractive to investment.
                    (B) Many leaders in Africa have pursued personal 
                self-interest rather than national goals, a tendency 
                that has been in some instances exacerbated and abetted 
                by the manipulation of foreign governments pursuing 
                their own agenda in the region to the detriment of the 
                people of Africa.
                    (C) More violent conflict has occurred in Africa 
                during the period between 1965 and 2005 than occurred 
                in any other continent during that period, and the 
                countries of Africa must engage on the individual, 
                national, and regional level to prevent and manage 
                conflict.
                    (D) The capacity to trade is constrained by a 
                derelict or nonexistent infrastructure in most African 
                countries as well as by the double-edged sword of 
                tariff and nontariff barriers to trade that complicate 
                markets and discourage investment both within and 
                beyond the continent.
                    (E) The local resources for investment in people 
                and the institutions necessary for good governance have 
                been squandered, misappropriated, and, to an 
                increasingly devastating effect, spent on servicing 
                debt to the developed world. Such resources should be 
                reoriented to serve the needs of the people through the 
                use of debt forgiveness and support for institutional 
                reform and internal capacity building.
                    (F) Failing to prevent conflict in Africa results 
                in incalculable costs to African development and 
                expense to the international community and the 
                investment in preventing conflict is a fraction of such 
                costs and expenses, in human, security, and financial 
                terms.
                    (G) Despite difficulties, there is optimism and 
                energy reflected in the scope of activities of 
                individuals such as 2004 Nobel Peace Prize recipient, 
                Wangari Maathai, as well as those of improved regional 
                organizations such as the African Union and the New 
                Partnership for Economic Development's Peer Review 
                Mechanism, and subregional entities such as the 
                Economic Community of West African States, the Inter-
                Governmental Authority on Development, and the 
                potential of the Southern African Development 
                Community.
                    (H) Political reform in Africa has produced 
                results. For example, while in 1985 countries of sub-
                Saharan Africa ruled by dictators were the norm, by 
                2005 dictatorships are a minority and democracy has new 
                life with governments chosen by the people increasing 
                fourfold since 1991.
            (13) The report prepared by the Commission for Africa 
        entitled ``Our Common Interest'' includes the following 
        recommendations:
                    (A) At this vital moment when globalization and 
                growth, technology and trade, and mutual security 
                concerns allow, and common humanity demands, a 
                substantial tangible and coherent package of actions 
                should immediately be taken by the international 
                community, led by the most industrialized countries, in 
                partnership with the countries of Africa, to address 
                the poverty and underdevelopment of the African 
                continent.
                    (B) The people of Africa must take responsibility 
                and show courageous leadership in addressing problems 
                and taking ownership of solutions as the means for 
                ensuring sustainable development, while implementing 
                governance reform as an underlying prerequisite for 
                foreign assistance effectiveness.
                    (C) Each developed country has unique strengths and 
                capacity to add value to a comprehensive assistance 
                plan and should join their individual efforts to a 
                coherent whole that is more efficient and responsive to 
                Africa and the people of Africa.
                    (D) The international community must honor existing 
                commitments to strengthen African peacekeeping capacity 
                and go beyond those commitments to invest in more 
                effective prevention and nonmilitary means to resolve 
                conflict through such regional organizations as the 
                African Union and the subregional Economic Community 
                for West African States.
                    (E) A massive investment in physical infrastructure 
                should be made to support commerce, extend governance, 
                and provide opportunities for education, healthcare, 
                investment and growth.
                    (F) Donors and the governments of the countries of 
                Africa should devote substantial investment in the men 
                and women of Africa through the education and health 
                sectors, enabling and extending recent gains made to 
                reach far more broadly into remote regions.
                    (G) The public sector should actively engage the 
                private sector in driving growth through partnerships 
                by reforming the laws, bureaucracy, and infrastructure 
                necessary to maintain a climate that fosters investment 
                by developing public-private centers of excellence to 
                pursue such reforms.
                    (H) The countries of Africa must maximize the 
                participation of women in both business and government, 
                protect the rights of women, and work to increase the 
                number of women in leadership positions so as to 
                capitalize on the ability of women to deliver scarce 
                resources effectively and fairly.
                    (I) The international community must work together 
                to dismantle trade barriers, including the immediate 
                elimination of trade-distorting commodity support.
                    (J) International donors should strengthen 
                multilateral institutions in Africa to respond 
                appropriately to local and regional crises as well as 
                to promote economic development and ensure the people 
                of Africa are granted a stronger voice in international 
                forums.
                    (K) The international community must join in 
                providing creative incentives for commercial firms to 
                research and develop products that improve water, 
                sanitation, health, and the environment in ways that 
                would dramatically reduce suffering and increase 
                productive life-spans in Africa.

SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Appropriate congressional committees.--The term 
        ``appropriate congressional committees'' means the Committee on 
        Foreign Relations of the Senate and the Committee on 
        International Relations of the House of Representatives.
            (2) Group of eight.--The term ``Group of Eight'' means the 
        forum for addressing international economic, political, and 
        social issues attended by representatives of Canada, France, 
        Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the 
        United States.
            (3) Millennium development goals.--The term ``Millennium 
        Development Goals'' means the goals set out in United Nations 
        Millennium Declaration, resolution 55/2 adopted by the General 
        Assembly of the United Nations on September 8, 2000.

SEC. 4. SENSE OF CONGRESS.

    It is the sense of Congress that--
            (1) the President should continue to provide the leadership 
        shown at the summit of the Group of Eight held in July 2005 at 
        Gleneagles, Scotland, to continue to encourage other countries 
        to develop a true partnership to pursue the Millennium 
        Development Goals;
            (2) the President should urge the Group of Eight to 
        consider the findings and recommendations contained in the 
        report prepared by the Commission for Africa entitled ``Our 
        Common Interest'', in partnership with the nations of Africa, 
        for the development of Africa;
            (3) the Group of Eight, as well as governments of the 
        countries of Africa and regional organizations of such 
        governments, should reaffirm and honor the commitments made in 
        the Africa Action Plan enacted by the Group of Eight in 
        previous years; and
            (4) the international community should continue to build 
        upon the progress made at the summit of the Group of Eight in 
        July 2005 and the United Nations summit in September 2005 
        toward achieving the Millennium Development Goals, and should 
        further enable such progress at the Sixth Ministerial 
        conference of the World Trade Organization scheduled for 
        December 2005.

SEC. 5. REPORT.

    (a) Requirement.--Not later than 60 days after the date of the 
conclusion of the Sixth Ministerial Conference of the World Trade 
Organization that is scheduled to be held in Hong Kong from December 13 
through December 18, 2005, the Secretary of State in consultation with 
other appropriate United States and international agencies shall submit 
a report to the appropriate congressional committees on the progress 
the international community is making toward achieving the Millennium 
Development Goals.
    (b) Content.--The report required by subsection (a) shall include 
the following:
            (1) A review of the commitments made by the United States 
        and other members of the international community at the summit 
        of the Group of Eight in July 2005, the United Nations summit 
        in September 2005, and the Sixth Ministerial Conference of the 
        World Trade Organization scheduled for December 2005, that 
        pertain to the ability of the developing world to achieve the 
        Millennium Development Goals.
            (2) A review of United States policies and progress toward 
        achieving the Millennium Development Goals by 2015, as well as 
        policies to provide continued leadership in achieving such 
        goals by 2015.
            (3) An evaluation, to the extent possible, of the 
        contributions of other national and international actors in 
        achieving the Millennium Development Goals by 2015.
            (4) An assessment of the likelihood that the Millennium 
        Development Goals will be achieved.

            Passed the Senate December 22 (legislative day, December 
      21), 2005.

            Attest:

                                                             Secretary.
109th CONGRESS

  1st Session

                                S. 1315

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 AN ACT

   To require a report on progress toward the Millennium Development 
                     Goals, and for other purposes.