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[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 1024 Introduced in House (IH)]

<DOC>

115th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. RES. 1024

      Reaffirming the commitment of the United States to promote 
international religious freedom and marking the 20th anniversary of the 
              International Religious Freedom Act of 1998.

_______________________________________________________________________

                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             July 24, 2018

 Mr. Smith of New Jersey submitted the following resolution; which was 
 referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the 
Committee on Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined 
 by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as 
        fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION

 
      Reaffirming the commitment of the United States to promote 
international religious freedom and marking the 20th anniversary of the 
              International Religious Freedom Act of 1998.

Whereas religious freedom is a universally recognized human right and the 
        protection and promotion of this right globally attracts broad support;
Whereas the United States has a long tradition of advancing and protecting 
        religious freedom, understanding that this fundamental right is critical 
        for a flourishing society and essential to protect human dignity and 
        national stability;
Whereas religious freedom includes the right of an individual to worship, think, 
        speak, and act, including in public and in private, in accordance with 
        the beliefs of the individual;
Whereas the free exercise of religion must stand for the right to practice any 
        faith or to choose no faith at all;
Whereas this year marks the 70th anniversary of the United Nations Universal 
        Declaration of Human Rights, which recognizes that ``Everyone has the 
        right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right 
        includes freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom, either 
        alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest 
        his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance'';
Whereas this year also marks the 20th anniversary of the International Religious 
        Freedom Act of 1998 (22 U.S.C. 6401 et seq.), which made religious 
        freedom a United States foreign policy priority and created the position 
        of Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom at the 
        Department of State and the bipartisan United States Commission on 
        International Religious Freedom;
Whereas given the United States commitment to advance religious freedom and to 
        the international covenants that guarantee it as the inalienable right 
        of every human being, United States foreign policy is committed to--

    (1) promoting freedom of religion globally as a fundamental human right 
and as a source of stability and prosperity for all countries;

    (2) assisting emerging democracies to implement freedom of religion and 
to protect individual conscience;

    (3) assisting nongovernment organizations to promote religious freedom 
and to sponsor reconciliation and other programs in disputes which divide 
groups along the lines of religious identity; and

    (4) identifying countries and nonstate actors that are severe 
persecutors on the basis of religious belief and undertaking diplomatic or 
other actions to address religious freedom violations, in order to protect 
fundamental national interests;

Whereas despite efforts to advance and protect religious freedom over the past 
        two decades, the world is experiencing a religious freedom crisis, 
        creating millions of victims and undermining liberty, prosperity, and 
        peace in places vital to the national interests of the United States and 
        our allies and posing direct challenges in the Middle East, Russia, 
        China, South and Southeast Asia, and sub-Saharan Africa;
Whereas an estimated 83 percent of the world's population lives in countries 
        where freedom of religion and conscience is highly restricted, either by 
        the government or by social groups, according to the latest Pew Research 
        Center's Study of Global Restrictions on Religion;
Whereas the absence of fundamental human rights, including religious freedom, 
        contributes to political instability, violence against religious and 
        ethnic minorities, religious extremism, and terrorism;
Whereas research demonstrates that where religious freedom is protected and 
        advanced as a universally recognized human right there is greater peace, 
        political and social stability, economic innovation and development, 
        democratization, women's empowerment, and less violent religious 
        extremism and terrorism;
Whereas the United States Congress affirmed in 2016, with passage of the Frank 
        R. Wolf International Religious Freedom Act (Public Law 114-281), that 
        because the promotion of international religious freedom protects human 
        rights, advances democracy abroad, and advances United States interests 
        in stability, security, and development globally, the promotion of 
        international religious freedom requires new and evolving policies and 
        diplomatic responses that are drawn from the expertise of the national 
        security agencies, the diplomatic services, and other governmental 
        agencies and nongovernmental organizations, and are coordinated across 
        and carried out by the entire range of Federal agencies;
Whereas the 2018 National Security Strategy of the United States recognized the 
        strategic importance of international religious freedom, making the 
        advancement of religious freedom and the protection of religious 
        minorities from violence a ``priority'' of the Administration's foreign 
        policy;
Whereas in the annual proclamation recognizing ``Religious Freedom Day'' on 
        January 16, 2018, President Trump affirmed that the ``United States is . 
        . . the paramount champion for religious freedom around the world 
        because we do not believe that conscience rights are only for Americans. 
        . . . We will be undeterred in our commitment to monitor religious 
        persecution and implement policies that promote religious freedom. 
        Through these efforts, we strive for the day when people of all faiths 
        can follow their hearts and worship according to their consciences.''; 
        and
Whereas Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, announced a first ever Ministerial to 
        Advance Religious Freedom which will be held from July 24 to July 26, 
        2018, as foreign ministers, civil society, and parliamentarians will 
        convene to discuss shared strategies to advance and protect 
        international religious freedom: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) marks the 20th anniversary of the passage of the 
        International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 (22 U.S.C. 6401 et 
        seq.) by reaffirming the commitment of the United States to 
        advance religious freedom as a fundamental part of United 
        States foreign policy;
            (2) commends the Administration for its strong commitment 
        to protect religious freedom globally and efforts to prioritize 
        the protection of religious minorities from violence and other 
        serious human rights abuses;
            (3) commends the Department of State, the Secretary of 
        State, and the Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious 
        Freedom for hosting the Ministerial to Advance International 
        Religious Freedom from July 24 to July 26, 2018, and for all 
        their efforts to engage like-minded allies globally to advance 
        religious freedom and protect vulnerable religious minorities;
            (4) commends United States allies that are working to 
        protect religious freedom globally and those providing 
        humanitarian aid and technical assistance to vulnerable 
        religious minorities;
            (5) calls on the President, the Secretary of State, the 
        Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom, and 
        Members of Congress to leverage the growing network of foreign 
        religious freedom focused institutions and parliamentary groups 
        including such bodies as the International Contact Group on 
        Freedom of Religion or Belief, the Panel of Experts on Freedom 
        of Religion or Belief at the OSCE Office for Democratic 
        Institutions and Human Rights, the European Parliament 
        Intergroup on Freedom of Religion or Belief and Religious 
        Tolerance, the International Panel of Parliamentarians for 
        Freedom of Religion or Belief, and the Commonwealth Initiative 
        for Freedom of Religion or Belief, among others;
            (6) calls on the President and the Secretary of State, in 
        accordance with the International Religious Freedom Act of 
        1998, as amended by the Frank R. Wolf International Religious 
        Freedom Act of 2016 (Public Law 114-281), to continue 
        strengthening United States religious freedom diplomacy and the 
        training of United States diplomats in religious freedom;
            (7) reaffirms the commitment of Congress to work with the 
        Administration to carry out the religious freedom priorities 
        made in the 2018 National Security Strategy of the United 
        States and develop a coordinated strategy to advance 
        international religious freedom and protect vulnerable 
        religious minorities globally;
            (8) calls on the President, the Secretary of State, the 
        Secretary of Defense, the Ambassador-at-Large for International 
        Religious Freedom, and other relevant agencies, and working 
        closely with like-minded allies, to develop a comprehensive 
        response plan to protect and assist the victims of genocide, 
        crimes against humanity, forced dislocations, mass detentions, 
        and violence from extremist actors or terrorists, including in, 
        among other places, Iraq, Syria, China, Burma, North Korea, 
        Nigeria, and Somalia; and
            (9) calls on the President, the Secretary of State, and the 
        United States Trade Representative to ensure that trade 
        negotiations include religious freedom conditions as mandated 
        by the Bipartisan Congressional Trade Priorities and 
        Accountability Act of 2015 (title I of Public Law 114-26).
                                 <all>
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