III 

117TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. RES. 538 

Expressing support for a second United States-Africa Leaders Summit as 

an important opportunity to strengthen ties between the United States 

and African partners and build on areas of mutual interest. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

MARCH 8 (legislative day, MARCH 7), 2022 

Mr. RISCH (for himself and Mr. DURBIN) submitted the following resolution; 

which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations 

RESOLUTION 

Expressing support for a second United States-Africa Leaders Summit as an important opportunity to strengthen 

ties between the United States and African partners 

and build on areas of mutual interest. 

Whereas meaningful and consistent high-level multilateral engagement between the United States and Africa is necessary for the foreign policy of the United States to keep 

pace with the rapid transformation and demographic 

shifts in Africa and to ensure that the United States understands and responds to the dynamism and ambitions 

of its African partners; 

Whereas successive United States Presidential administrations and Congress have identified strategic competition 

with the People’s Republic of China, the Russian FederaVerDate Sep 11 2014 00:41 Mar 09, 2022 Jkt 029200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\SR538.IS SR538

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•SRES 538 IS 

tion, and other malign actors as a threat to the national 

security priorities of the United States that requires 

building and maintaining networks of bilateral and multilateral partners and allies, including countries in Africa; 

Whereas the People’s Republic of China, the European 

Union, India, Japan, the Russian Federation, and Turkey, among others, have held high-level summits with African leaders to discuss policy priorities and deepen economic, political, and security partnerships; 

Whereas, during August 4 through 6, 2014, President 

Barack Obama hosted the first and only United StatesAfrica Leaders Summit (referred to in this preamble as 

the ‘‘2014 Summit’’) in Washington, DC, with African 

leaders representing 50 countries, the African Union 

Commission, and various private sector and civil society 

leaders under the theme ‘‘Investing in the Next Generation’’; 

Whereas the 2014 Summit provided a forum for African leaders to engage in frank exchanges with the Government of 

the United States and congressional leaders, business executives, and members of civil society regarding— 

(1) development and economic challenges; 

(2) trade, investment, and economic cooperation; 

(3) democracy, human rights, and governance; and 

(4) peace and regional security; 

Whereas, on February 5, 2021, at the 34th Ordinary Session 

of the African Union Assembly, President Joseph R. 

Biden, Jr., outlined the vision of his administration for 

a United States-Africa partnership to strengthen relationships and build on mutual interests and respect with 

the governments, people (including people of the African 


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Diaspora), and regional multilateral institutions of Africa; 

Whereas, on November 19, 2021, during a speech to the Economic Community of West African States in Abuja, Nigeria, Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced that 

the United States would host a second United States-Africa Leaders Summit ‘‘to drive the kind of high-level diplomacy and engagement that can transform relationships and make effective cooperation possible’’; and 

Whereas a well-organized and resourced second United 

States-Africa Leaders Summit, with an established mechanism for continuity and follow-up, will create a platform 

upon which the United States and African partners can 

better structure United States-Africa relationships, deliver on commitments, solve problems, and work together 

as partners on areas of mutual interest: Now, therefore, 

be it 

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 

2 (1) supports the administration of President 

3 Joseph R. Biden, Jr., hosting a second United 

4 States-Africa Leaders Summit (referred to in this 

5 resolution as the ‘‘Summit’’) as a vital opportunity 

6 to strengthen ties between the United States and Af7 rican partners; 

8 (2) underscores the importance of bipartisan, 

9 bicameral congressional participation in the Summit; 

10 (3) commits to working with the heads of state, 

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1 pora to build stronger ties with the United States 

2 and pursue mutual interests; and 

3 (4) urges the Biden administration— 

4 (A) to conduct adequate and diverse con5 sultation with African leaders, the African Di6 aspora, educational institutions, private sector 

7 and civil society organizations of the United 

8 States and Africa, and public policy institutions 

9 in planning the Summit; 

10 (B) to consider hosting the Summit in a 

11 location outside of Washington, DC, that will— 

12 (i) draw broad participation from 

13 State Governors and high-level corporate 

14 leadership in the United States; and 

15 (ii) clarify that the private sector, 

16 rather than governments, is the primary 

17 driver of the commercial relationship be18 tween the United States and African coun19 tries; 

20 (C) to consider facilitating trips by African 

21 leaders to other cities in the United States and 

22 inviting like-minded partners from Europe, the 

23 Middle East, Asia, and the Western Hemi24 sphere to participate as observers; 


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1 (D) to ensure that sessions focused on 

2 trade and investment between the United States 

3 and Africa include adequate facilitation of busi4 ness-focused deal-making with African govern5 ments, the African Diaspora, and private sector 

6 through Prosper Africa and other similar initia7 tives; 

8 (E) to include a theme for the Summit 

9 that focuses on shared democracy, governance, 

10 and human rights concerns and priorities; 

11 (F) to create opportunities during the 

12 Summit for direct congressional engagement 

13 and to ensure the participation of multiple cabi14 net members, including members who do not 

15 traditionally work on foreign policy, trade, and 

16 investment; 

17 (G) to hold bilateral one-on-one presi18 dential engagements during the Summit to 

19 build stronger personal relationships with Afri20 can leaders while also solidifying commitments 

21 and areas of mutual interest; 

22 (H) to issue a formal declaration or com23 munique after the Summit describing commit24 ments and a roadmap for future engagement; 

25 and 


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1 (I) to create a formal mechanism, with ap2 propriate funding and personnel resources, to 

3 track and follow up on the implementation of 

4 pledges made at the Summit and build upon 

5 such commitments for future summits. 

Æ 


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