IV

103D CONGRESS

1ST SESSION H. CON. RES. 93

Concerning United States policy relating to the north of Ireland.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

MAY 5, 1993

Mr. KING (for himself, Mr. LEVY, Mr. MANTON, Mr. NEAL of Massachusetts,

Mrs. MALONEY, Mr. SERRANO, Mr. TOWNS, Mr. FISH, Mr. ACKERMAN,

Mr. MCHUGH, Mr. HOKE, Mr. QUINN, and Mr. BLUTE) submitted the

following concurrent resolution; which was referred to the Committee on

Foreign Affairs

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

Concerning United States policy relating to the north of

Ireland.

Whereas the nation of Ireland was partitioned in 1921 without sanction and in contravention of the expressed wishes

of an overwhelming majority of its people;

Whereas this partition of the six counties of the north of Ireland from the remainder of Ireland resulted in the institutionalization of discrimination and violence against

such community artificially created by the partition and

in the denial of such community’s democratic rights and

right to self-determination;

Whereas the civil rights movement founded in the 1960s by

the minority community in the north of Ireland—which
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drew its inspiration from the marches led by the Rev. Dr.

Martin Luther King, Jr. in the United States—was violently suppressed;

Whereas in the past 25 years over 3,000 individuals have

been killed and over 25,000 individuals wounded in this

conflict in the north of Ireland;

Whereas numerous violations of international law, human and

civil rights abuses, and suppression of free speech and

peaceful assembly have been found to exist in the north

of Ireland by the United Nations Human Rights Commission, the European Court of Human Rights, and

scores of independent inquiries;

Whereas despite more than 20 years of initiatives, including

the accords reached at Sunningdale and Hillsborough and

ongoing peace-talks, no progress in achieving a resolution

of the conflict has resulted and the incidence of human

rights violations has continued unabated, as documented

in recent reports by Amnesty International and Helsinki

Watch;

Whereas this conflict has escalated and expanded beyond the

borders of the six counties of the north of Ireland and

now presents an immediate and continuous threat to the

peace and security of the entire region;

Whereas for more than 200 years, the people of the United

States have supported the legitimate aspirations of selfdetermination and democracy of peoples throughout the

world and, on March 24, 1993, Secretary of State Warren Christopher declared respect for human rights to be

a cornerstone of United States foreign policy; and

Whereas the United Nations, through its Special Committee

on Decolonization, has, in the past 3 decades, helped to
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bring peace, stability, and self-determination to numerous

former colonies throughout the world: Now, therefore, be

it

1 Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate

2 concurring), That it is the sense of the Congress that—

3 (1) the policy of the United States concerning

4 the six counties of the north of Ireland should be

5 consistent with the policy of the United States con6 cerning other areas of the world where people are

7 seeking democratic reform and self-determination;

8 and

9 (2) the President, in the interests of peace, jus10 tice, and democracy, should forcefully advocate Unit11 ed Nations diplomatic intervention and involvement

12 in the peace-making process in the six counties of

13 the north of Ireland.

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