IV 
108TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. RES. 423
Recognizing the 5th anniversary of the signing of the International Religious 
Freedom Act of 1998 and urging a renewed commitment to eliminating 
violations of the internationally recognized right to freedom of religion 
and protecting fundamental human rights. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
OCTOBER 29, 2003
Mr. WOLF (for himself, Mr. DELAY, Mr. SMITH of New Jersey, Mr. ROHR-
ABACHER, Mr. LANTOS, Mr. GREEN of Wisconsin, Mr. PITTS, Mr. KIRK, 
Mr. FRANKS of Arizona, Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN, Mr. BARTLETT of Mary-
land, Mr. TOWNS, Mr. BELL, Mr. DOOLITTLE, Mr. RAMSTAD, Mr. 
FOLEY, Mr. ADERHOLT, Mr. BAKER, Mr. KENNEDY of Rhode Island, Mr. 
JONES of North Carolina, Mr. TERRY, Mr. MCGOVERN, and Mr. 
DEMINT) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the 
Committee on International Relations, and in addition to the Committees 
on the Judiciary, and Financial Services, for a period to be subsequently 
determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provi-
sions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
RESOLUTION 
Recognizing the 5th anniversary of the signing of the Inter-
national Religious Freedom Act of 1998 and urging a 
renewed commitment to eliminating violations of the 
internationally recognized right to freedom of religion 
and protecting fundamental human rights.
Whereas the people of the United States enjoy and respect 
the freedom of religion and believe that the fundamental 
rights of all individuals shall be recognized;
•HRES 423 IH 
Whereas fundamental human rights, including the right to 
freedom of thought, conscience, and religion, are pro-
tected in numerous international agreements and declara-
tions; 
Whereas religious freedom is an absolute human right and all 
people are entitled to do with their own souls as they 
choose; 
Whereas the right to freedom of religion is expressed in the 
Declaration on the Elimination of All Forms of Intoler-
ance and Discrimination Based on Religion or Belief, 
adopted and proclaimed by the United Nations General 
Assembly Resolution 36/55 of November 22, 1981; the 
Helsinki Accords; the International Covenant on Civil 
and Political Rights, done at New York on December 16, 
1966, and entered into force March 23, 1976; the United 
Nations Charter; and the Universal Declaration of 
Human Rights, adopted and proclaimed by the United 
Nations General Assembly Resolution 217(A)(III) of De-
cember 10, 1984; 
Whereas the freedom for all individuals to adopt, believe, 
worship, observe, teach, and practice a religion individ-
ually or collectively has been explicitly articulated in Arti-
cle 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and 
Article 18(1) of the International Covenant on Civil and 
Political Rights; 
Whereas religious persecution is not confined to a country, a 
region, or a regime; but whereas all governments should 
provide and protect religious liberty; 
Whereas nearly half of the people in the world are continually 
denied or restricted in the right to believe or practice 
their faith;
•HRES 423 IH 
Whereas religious persecution often includes confinement, 
separation, humiliation, rape, enslavement, forced conver-
sion, imprisonment, torture, and death; 
Whereas October 27, 2003, marks the 5th anniversary of the 
signing of the International Religious Freedom Act of 
1998 (22 U.S.C. 6401 et seq.), creating the Office of 
International Religious Freedom in the Department of 
State and the United States Commission on International 
Religious Freedom and resulting in a greater awareness 
of religious persecution both in the United States and 
abroad; and 
Whereas the United States recognizes the need for additional 
domestic and international attention and action to pro-
mote religious liberty: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives—
(1) recognizes the 5th anniversary of the sign-
ing of the International Religious Freedom Act of 
1998 (22 U.S.C. 6401 et seq.); and 
(2) urges a renewed commitment to eliminating 
violations of the internationally recognized right to 
freedom of religion and protecting fundamental 
human rights.
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