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[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 632 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

110th CONGRESS
  2d Session
S. RES. 632

 Calling on the Governments of the People's Republic of China and the 
    international community to use the upcoming Olympic Games as an 
 opportunity to push for the parties to the conflicts in Sudan, Chad, 
   and the Central African Republic to cease hostilities and revive 
  efforts toward a peaceful resolution of their national and regional 
                               conflicts.

_______________________________________________________________________

                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             July 30, 2008

 Mr. Feingold (for himself, Mr. Coleman, Mr. Whitehouse, Mr. Menendez, 
Mr. Lieberman, Ms. Klobuchar, Mr. Cardin, Ms. Landrieu, Ms. Snowe, Mr. 
    Kerry, Mr. Brownback, and Mr. Johnson) submitted the following 
  resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION

 
 Calling on the Governments of the People's Republic of China and the 
    international community to use the upcoming Olympic Games as an 
 opportunity to push for the parties to the conflicts in Sudan, Chad, 
   and the Central African Republic to cease hostilities and revive 
  efforts toward a peaceful resolution of their national and regional 
                               conflicts.

Whereas, since the conflict in Darfur, Sudan, began in 2003, hundreds of 
        thousands of people across the region have been murdered, tortured, and 
        raped, with more than 2,500,000 people driven from their homes as a 
        result of ongoing violence, and all parties to the conflict continue to 
        attack civilians throughout the region, while impeding access of 
        humanitarian workers;
Whereas armed groups move freely among Sudan, Chad, and the Central African 
        Republic, committing murder, banditry, forced recruitment, mass 
        displacement, gender-based violence, and other crimes undermining 
        regional security and exacerbating a cross-border humanitarian crisis;
Whereas, on July 31, 2007, the United Nations Security Council passed Security 
        Council resolution 1769 (2007), authorizing a joint United Nations-
        African Union Mission in Darfur (UNAMID) to implement the Darfur Peace 
        Agreement and protect civilians;
Whereas only one-third of UNAMID peacekeepers have been deployed to the region 
        and those deployed remain under-equipped to protect civilians and are 
        the target of deliberate attacks by armed militias;
Whereas a new joint African Union-United Nations chief mediator, Burkina Faso's 
        foreign minister, Djibril Bassole, has been appointed to reignite 
        stalled peace talks between the parties in Darfur and help establish a 
        cessation of hostilities;
Whereas fighting erupted in Sudan's oil-rich Abyei region on May 13 and 21, 
        2008, leaving 18 civilians dead and giving rise to concerns about a 
        breakdown of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA), which could ruin 
        progress made over the last three years toward lasting peace in southern 
        Sudan and ensnare the wider region into overlapping conflicts;
Whereas the Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court charged the 
        President of Sudan on July 14, 2008, with orchestrating genocide and 
        crimes against humanity in Darfur, elevating hopes for accountability 
        but also fears of retaliation against peacekeepers, humanitarian 
        workers, and civilians;
Whereas the Government of the People's Republic of China has long-standing 
        economic and military ties with Sudan, giving it significant influence 
        on the Government of Sudan;
Whereas, from August 8 to August 24, 2008, China will host the Olympic Summer 
        Games, the most venerated and prestigious international sporting event;
Whereas there is a tradition of an Olympic Truce, originating in ancient Greece, 
        to ensure the safety of athletes traveling to the ancient Olympic Games, 
        the importance of which was reaffirmed in 2003 by the United Nations;
Whereas the Olympic Truce traditionally begins one week before the Olympic Games 
        and extends one week after the end of the Paralympic Games;
Whereas, on October 16, 2007, the United Nations General Assembly passed 
        resolution G/A 62/L.2, ``Building a better and more peaceful world 
        through sport,'' which urges Member States to observe, within the 
        framework of the Charter of the United Nations, the Olympic Truce, 
        individually and collectively, during the Games of the XXIX Olympiad in 
        Beijing, and to cooperate with the International Olympic Committee in 
        its efforts to use sport as an instrument to promote peace, dialogue, 
        and reconciliation in areas of conflict during and beyond the Olympic 
        Games period; and
Whereas the situation in Sudan and the neighboring region remains highly 
        volatile as the Olympics approach: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the Senate--
            (1) expresses its continued support and sympathy for the 
        hundreds of thousands of civilians of Sudan, Chad, and the 
        Central African Republic who have been affected by the ongoing 
        violence and regional instability;
            (2) recognizes the unique opportunity presented by the 
        Olympics and calls on the United Nations, the African Union, 
        and other international leaders to use it to promote peace, 
        dialogue, and reconciliation in areas of conflict and commends 
        those Olympic and Paralympic athletes seeking to advance that 
        cause;
            (3) recognizes the close relationship between the 
        Governments of People's Republic of China and Sudan, and 
        strongly urges the Government of the People's Republic of China 
        to use its full influence to press the Government of Sudan to 
        commit to a cessation of hostilities, allow the full deployment 
        of UNAMID peacekeeping forces, and engage in good faith in 
        efforts to rejuvenate peace talks;
            (4) calls upon the Government of Sudan and other armed 
        actors in the region to immediately adopt a cessation of 
        hostilities, during which they allow unfettered humanitarian 
        access and the full deployment of UNAMID peacekeeping forces as 
        well as engage in good faith efforts to rejuvenate peace talks;
            (5) welcomes the efforts of the new joint African Union-
        United Nations mediator, Mr. Djibril Bassole, to revive a 
        comprehensive peace process with all stakeholders to end the 
        violence, demobilize militias, and promote voluntary return of 
        internally displaced persons and refugees;
            (6) urges the President and the international community to 
        ensure that mediation efforts are supported and backed by 
        credible leverage through targeted pressure and an enforced 
        arms embargo;
            (7) calls upon the United Nations and African Union to use 
        the opportunity presented by a cessation of hostilities to 
        fully deploy and equip UNAMID as well as strengthen the United 
        Nations Mission in Sudan (UNMIS) to better monitor the Abyei 
        region; and
            (8) encourages the United Nations Secretary-General and 
        other international leaders to publicly promote the principles 
        reflected in the Olympic Truce among all the warring parties in 
        Sudan, Chad, the Central African Republic, and other areas of 
        conflict around the world.
                                 <all>
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