IV 

115TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. RES. 534 

Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the people of 

the Kurdistan Region of Iraq have the right to determine their status 

as a sovereign country. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

SEPTEMBER 25, 2017 

Mr. FRANKS of Arizona submitted the following resolution; which was referred 

to the Committee on Foreign Affairs 

RESOLUTION 

Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that 

the people of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq have the 

right to determine their status as a sovereign country. 

Whereas the United Nations International Covenant on Civil 

and Political Rights and the International Covenant on 

Economic, Social and Cultural Rights states that, ‘‘All 

peoples have the right of self-determination. By virtue of 

that right they freely determine their political status and 

freely pursue their economic, social and cultural development’’; 

Whereas the United Nations Charter’s stated purpose, in 

Chapter 1, Article 2, part 2, is ‘‘To develop friendly relations among nations based on respect for the principle of 

equal rights and self-determination of peoples, and to 


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•HRES 534 IH 

take other appropriate measures to strengthen universal 

peace’’; 

Whereas the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI) meets the criteria for post-Cold War state recognition set forth in the 

Charter of Paris and the Vienna Declaration; 

Whereas the KRI meets the four criteria in article 1 of the 

Montevideo Convention on the Rights and Duties of 

States, featuring a permanent population, a defined territory, a government, and the capacity to enter into relations with other states; 

Whereas the Kurdish people meet the objective requirements 

for the right of self-determination, which include a common language, religion, ethnic background, cultural heritage, and history; 

Whereas the KRI has proven as America’s most effective 

partner against the so-called Islamic State, providing the 

United States and coalition partners with ground forces 

sufficient as to not require substantial American ground 

forces; 

Whereas the KRI armed forces, known as ‘‘Peshmerga’’, have 

sacrificed almost 2,000 fighters, with 9,000 wounded and 

more than 60 missing during operations against the socalled Islamic State; 

Whereas the KRI has provided refuge and aid to nearly two 

million refugees and internally displaced persons during 

the course of the Iraqi and Syrian civil wars; 

Whereas the KRI has demonstrated commendable commitment and progress for religious and ethnic pluralism, including for their Assyrian/Chaldean Christian, Baha’i, 

Jewish, Kaka’i, Mandean, Shabak, Shia, Turkmen, 


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•HRES 534 IH 

Yazidi, and Zoroastrian minorities, in addition to demonstrated commitment and progress for gender equality; 

Whereas the Kurds are a historically proven ally against tyranny and terror, including against Saddam Hussein’s regime, and terror groups such as al Qaeda and Ansar alIslam; 

Whereas Saddam Hussein, as dictator of Iraq, pursued a 

campaign of ethnic cleansing and displacement of the 

Kurds, resulting in as many as 182,000 civilian deaths, 

with the aim of territorial expansion at Kurdish expense; 

Whereas according to United Nations General Assembly Resolution 2625, the right to self-determination of a people 

supersedes territorial integrity when a country has violated the ‘‘economic, social, and cultural development’’ of 

a people, and when that people have a valid territorial 

claim to the area; 

Whereas despite intractable disputes between the KRI and 

the Iraqi central government, the KRI has demonstrated 

commitment to non-violent pursuit of their statehood ambitions; and 

Whereas the Kurdistan Region Parliament of Iraq enacted a 

legislative mandate for Iraqi Kurdistan’s 25 September 

independence referendum on September 15, 2017, following formal calls from a majority of political parties in 

the Kurdistan Regional Government: Now, therefore, be 

it 

1 Resolved, That it is the sense of the House of Rep2 resentatives that— 

3 (1) the United States recognizes the sacrifices, 

4 commitment to human rights, and legal and moral 


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•HRES 534 IH 

1 case for self-determination of the residents of the 

2 Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI), and that the resi3 dents of the KRI have the freedom to decide without 

4 outside coercion; and 

5 (2) the United States calls on the international 

6 community and domestic institutions to likewise rec7 ognize the right of self-determination of the people 

8 of the KRI. 

Æ 


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