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[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 839 Engrossed in House (EH)]

H. Res. 839

                In the House of Representatives, U. S.,

                                                      November 4, 2009.
Whereas Madagascar is the world's fourth largest island, and home to up to 
        150,000 species of unique flora and fauna;
Whereas during the last 20 years, with the support of the U.S. Government and 
        others, Madagascar has made substantial progress in stopping 
        environmental degradation, effectively managing natural resources and 
        preserving its unique biodiversity;
Whereas three-quarters of Madagascar's people live in rural areas and two-thirds 
        live on less than $2 per day, safeguarding these natural resources is 
        essential to Madagascar's continued economic growth and development;
Whereas these natural resources contribute to economic development through the 
        tourism sector, drawing an estimated $390,000,000 per year;
Whereas, on March 17, 2009, Marc Ravalomanana was forced to resign as the 
        democratically-elected President of Madagascar and Andry Rajoelina was 
        installed as de facto head of state;
Whereas, on March 20, 2009, the United States condemned the removal of Marc 
        Ravalomanana and the installation of Andry Rajoelina as tantamount to a 
        coup d'etat, undemocratic, and contrary to the rule of law, announced a 
        suspension of non-humanitarian assistance, and later terminated compact 
        assistance through the Millennium Challenge Corporation to the de facto 
        Rajoelina government;
Whereas two-thirds of Madagascar's people depend on natural resources for their 
        sustenance and livelihoods, and decreased assistance for conservation 
        efforts may have dire humanitarian consequences;
Whereas the African Union and the Southern African Development Community have 
        suspended Madagascar's participation until constitutional order is 
        restored;
Whereas in October 2009, the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), Conservation 
        International, and the Wildlife Conservation Society condemned an 
        interministerial order issued by the de facto administration granting 
        sweeping authorization to export raw and semi-processed hard wood as 
        ``legaliz[ing] the sale of illegally cut and collected wood onto the 
        market; allow[ing] for the potential embezzlement of funds in the name 
        of environmental protection; and constitut[ing] a legal incentive for 
        further corruption in the forestry sector'';
Whereas natural resource degradation occurring under the de facto government 
        includes--

    (1) open and organized plundering of precious wood from natural 
forests, including World Heritage Sites such as Marojejy and Masoala 
National Parks;

    (2) intimidation and menace of legitimate local community management 
structures, and expropriation of revenue and benefits from them, causing 
suffering and impoverishment;

    (3) intensified smuggling of endemic and protected species and species 
parts and/or products to the national and international markets;

    (4) proliferation of destructive practices such as illegal mining and 
slash-and-burn agriculture within protected areas and environmentally 
sensitive areas;

    (5) degradation of forests, pushing some rosewood and ebony species to 
the brink of extinction; and

    (6) the degradation of the resource base that rural communities depend 
upon represents an immediate and future threat to local governance, local 
incomes, and food security; and

Whereas the vast majority of this precious wood is destined for global export 
        markets: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) strongly condemns the March 2009 coup d'etat in Madagascar and 
        supports the people of Madagascar in immediately undertaking a 
        democratic, consensual process to restore constitutional governance, 
        culminating in free, fair, and peaceful elections;
            (2) commends the African Union and the Southern African Development 
        Community for taking strong action against anti-democratic forces in 
        Madagascar and encourage their continued resolve to return Madagascar to 
        the rule of law;
            (3) strongly condemns the illegal extraction of Madagascar's natural 
        resources and its impact on biodiversity and livelihoods of rural 
        communities, including illegal logging, smuggling of wild species, and 
        illegal mining;
            (4) supports action by competent authorities and the people of 
        Madagascar to stop this illegal devastation and bring those perpetrating 
        these crimes to justice;
            (5) calls upon importing countries to intensify their inspection and 
        monitoring processes to ensure that they do not contribute to the demand 
        for illegally sourced precious woods from Madagascar; and
            (6) calls upon consumers of rosewood and ebony products to check 
        their origin, and boycott those made of Malagasy wood, until 
        constitutional order is restored.
            Attest:

                                                                          Clerk.
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