•HRES 1163 IH 
Whereas negotiations began on November 1, 1995, in Day-
ton, Ohio, at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, led by 
then-negotiator Richard Holbrooke and then-Secretary of 
State Warren Christopher, with Chairman of the Presi-
dency of Bosnia and Herzegovina Alija Izetbegovic´, Presi-
dent of the Republic of Serbia Slobodan Milosˇevic´, Presi-
dent of the Republic of Croatia Franjo Tudjman, Euro-
pean Union Special Representative Carl Bildt, First Dep-
uty Foreign Minister of Russia Igor Ivanov, and rep-
resentatives from the United Kingdom, France, Germany, 
and Italy; 
Whereas, after days of extensive discussions, a historic peace 
agreement was signed on December 14, 1995, to halt the 
conflict and bring peace to the region; 
Whereas, despite seemingly insurmountable differences in 
opinions, the negotiations succeeded due to dedicated for-
eign service professionals, a common yearning for a 
peaceful resolution, and an outpouring of support from 
the global community; 
Whereas the General Framework Agreement for Peace in 
Bosnia and Herzegovina, also known as the Dayton 
Peace Accords, laid the groundwork for NATO and Euro-
pean Union (EU) stabilization missions over the past 25 
years, which have allowed the citizens of Bosnia and 
Herzegovina to live peacefully and prosper; 
Whereas the Dayton Literary Peace Prize, established in 
2006, remains the only literary peace prize awarded in 
the United States and recognizes the power of the writ-
ten word to promote peace, and after the death of Am-
bassador Holbrooke in 2011, the Lifetime Achievement 
Award was renamed the Richard C. Holbrooke Distin-
guished Achievement Award; 
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•HRES 1163 IH 
Whereas the peace negotiations were strongly supported by 
the City of Dayton, Ohio, its leaders, and community, 
creating strong relationships between all parties involved, 
including a sister city relationship with Sarajevo; 
Whereas the United States Government reaffirms support for 
Bosnia and Herzegovina’s sovereignty and upholds the 
commitment to equality for all ethnicities according to 
the General Framework Agreement for Peace in Bosnia 
and Herzegovina; and 
Whereas, since the signing of the Dayton Peace Accords, the 
Government and people of Bosnia and Herzegovina have 
been working in partnership with the international com-
munity towards building a peaceful and democratic soci-
ety based on the rule of law, respect for human rights, 
and a free-market economy: Now, therefore, be it 
Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 
(1) condemns human rights abuses that took 
place during the conflict in Bosnia and Herzegovina, 
and reconfirms the joint United States and EU com-
mitment to promote and protect human rights, de-
mocracy, and the rule of law worldwide; 
(2) commends the commitment of the Govern-
ment and people of Bosnia and Herzegovina to 
peace and cooperation 25 years after the Dayton 
Peace Accords; 
(3) encourages the Government of Bosnia and 
Herzegovina to continue pursuing NATO and EU 
membership; 
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•HRES 1163 IH 
(4) encourages the Government of Bosnia and 
Herzegovina to continue its progress towards solving 
its constitutional issues and improving its economic 
policy as it advances towards NATO and EU mem-
berships; 
(5) reiterates the importance of the Dayton 
Peace Accords as the basis of constitutional reform 
in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the promotion of po-
litical, economic, legal, and religious equality 
through the goals and values laid out by the EU; 
(6) urges the Government of Bosnia and 
Herzegovina to pursue constitutional reforms, need-
ed to reconcile the past to seek empathy and respect 
as foundations to build a common future; 
(7) urges the United States Government to 
work closely with the governments of the countries 
that border Bosnia and Herzegovina—especially 
those who are signatories of the Dayton Peace Ac-
cords—to support full implementation of the Sta-
bilization and Association Agreement between the 
EU and the Balkan States, which requires regional 
cooperation; and 
(8) recognizes the State of Ohio and the greater 
Dayton community for their role in fostering the 
Dayton Peace Accords, and for continuing to sup-
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•HRES 1163 IH 
port diplomacy, security, and peace around the 
world. 
Æ 
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