•HRES 37 IH 
Whereas, in May 2004, Bahrain concluded negotiations with 
the United States for the establishment of a Free Trade 
Agreement; 
Whereas, in 1963, Kuwait became the first Gulf country to 
hold elections; 
Whereas Kuwait revived its elected National Assembly in Oc-
tober 1992 after six years of suspension or occupation; 
Whereas Kuwait’s National Assembly allows those with the 
right to vote, through their elected representatives, to 
force the resignation of government ministers and over-
turn government decrees; 
Whereas, in July 2003, Kuwait held parliamentary elections 
that were largely free and fair with the next elections 
scheduled to be held in 2007; 
Whereas, in 2004, His Highness Sheikh Jabir al-Ahmad Al 
Sabah, Amir of the State of Kuwait separated the offices 
of Prime Minister and Crown Prince in an effort to es-
tablish greater political accountability; 
Whereas, in May 2004, the Government of Kuwait embarked 
on a renewed effort to extend voting rights to women, 
which had previously been blocked by the Parliament; 
Whereas, in February 2004, Kuwait and the United States 
signed a Trade and Investment Framework Agreement; 
Whereas, in late 1998, His Highness Sheikh Haman Bin 
Khalifa Al-Thani, Amir of the State of Qatar, announced 
that a constitution would be drafted providing for an 
elected National Assembly to replace the appointed 35-
member Consultative Council in place since independence 
in 1971;
•HRES 37 IH 
Whereas, in March 1999, women for the first time partici-
pated in Qatar’s elections for a municipal affairs council, 
and thus Qatar became the first country in the Gulf to 
extend suffrage to women; 
Whereas, in 2002, countrywide municipal elections were held 
in Qatar and women participated fully; 
Whereas, in 2003, Qatar approved a new constitution by ref-
erendum which ensures freedom of political expression, 
freedom of association, and freedom of religion, and in-
cluded the establishment of a 45-member parliament 
(with 30 members to be elected and 15 members to be 
appointed by the Amir of Qatar); 
Whereas, on June 8, 2004, the Amir of Qatar announced 
that the new constitution will come into effect on June 
8, 2005, and country-wide parliamentary elections will be 
held later that year; 
Whereas, in June 2004, Qatar hosted a gathering of more 
than 100 civil society activists, professors, journalists, 
and political party members from across the region that 
produced ‘‘The Doha Declaration for Democracy and Re-
form’’, which demands that all Arab countries adopt 
modern, democratic constitutions, hold free, fair and reg-
ular elections, place limits on executive power, guarantee 
freedom of association and freedom of expression, permit 
the full participation of women in political life, and end 
extra-judicial procedures, emergency laws, and torture; 
Whereas, in March 2004, Qatar and the United States signed 
a Trade and Investment Framework Agreement; 
Whereas, in September 2000, Oman held the first direct elec-
tions to its 83-seat Consultative Council;
•HRES 37 IH 
Whereas, in November 2002, His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin 
Said, Sultan of the Sultanate of Oman, announced the 
extension of voting rights to all citizens over 21 years of 
age, beginning with the October 2003 parliamentary elec-
tions; 
Whereas women voted in the 2003 parliamentary elections 
and two female representatives were elected to the Majlis 
al-Shura; 
Whereas, in September 1999, Sultan Qaboos appointed a fe-
male ambassador for the first time, and in March 2003, 
he named a woman to the rank of minister; 
Whereas, on July 7, 2004, the United States and Oman 
signed a Trade and Investment Framework Agreement; 
Whereas the Government of the Republic of Yemen, in eco-
nomic terms the least developed country on the Arabian 
peninsula and largely lacking natural resources, is mak-
ing an important effort to support political, educational, 
and economic reform; 
Whereas, in January 2004, in a speech to the Sana’a Inter-
Governmental Regional conference, His Excellency Ali 
Abdullah Saleh, President of the Republic of Yemen, 
stated ‘‘Democracy is the choice of the modern age for 
all peoples of the world . . . It is the way to achieve secu-
rity, stability, development and better future for our 
countries . . . Human rights are tightly connected to de-
mocracy and the state of law and order.’’; 
Whereas, in April 2003, elections described as ‘‘mostly free 
and fair’’ were held for Yemen’s House of Representa-
tives; 
Whereas President Saleh has aggressively recruited women 
into most areas of the government and supports the in-
•HRES 37 IH 
clusion of women in the public sphere, with women hav-
ing been elected to parliament positions and to the cabi-
net; 
Whereas the Government of Yemen has continued a long-
term program of judicial reform, with Yemen’s Minister 
of Justice and other jurists participating actively in the 
Arab Judicial Reform project of the Middle East Part-
nership Initiative; 
Whereas the Government of Yemen is working with the 
World Bank on the Basic Education Development Project 
to help improve the quality of education and ensure uni-
versal access to education; 
Whereas, in February 2004, the Government of Yemen and 
the United States signed a Trade and Investment Frame-
work Agreement; 
Whereas despite the need for further progress toward polit-
ical and economic openness in the Hashemite Kingdom of 
Jordan, the Kingdom of Morocco, the Kingdom of Bah-
rain, the State of Kuwait, the State of Qatar, the Sul-
tanate of Oman, and the Republic of Yemen, other coun-
tries in the region should take steps to follow their exam-
ple and initiate concrete reforms; 
Whereas the Department of State report entitled ‘‘Supporting 
Human Rights and Democracy: The United States 
Record 2003–2004’’ states: ‘‘Despite . . . promising steps 
toward greater political participation and respect for fun-
damental freedoms in some Middle Eastern countries, the 
overall trends in the region are cause for concern.’’; 
Whereas the Department of State report further states: ‘‘The 
United States continues in its private and public diplo-
macy efforts to support political reform, economic growth
•HRES 37 IH 
and respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms 
in the Middle East. To reinforce our diplomatic efforts, 
the United States has also begun to sponsor programs 
that strengthen the role of independent journalists and 
trade unions, increase respect and safeguards for the rule 
of law, strengthen public participation in the political 
process, improve the status of women and promote a re-
gional dialogue on democracy for members of NGOs and 
governments.’’; 
Whereas, in 2002, the Middle East Partnership Initiative was 
created to encourage reforms in Arab countries by 
strengthening Arab civil society, encouraging micro-enter-
prise, expanding political participation, and promoting 
the rights of women; 
Whereas, in 2003, President George W. Bush proposed the 
creation within a decade of a United States–Middle East 
Free Trade Area, by working with countries in the Mid-
dle East in graduated steps to increase trade and invest-
ment with the United States and the world economy and 
to assist those countries in implementing domestic re-
forms, instituting the rule of law, protecting private prop-
erty rights, and creating a foundation for economic 
growth and prosperity; 
Whereas, in June 2004, at the G–8 Summit meeting in Sea 
Island, Georgia, Western and Arab officials participated 
in the unveiling of the ‘‘Broader Middle East and North 
Africa Initiative’’, a multilateral development and reform 
plan aimed at fostering economic and political liberaliza-
tion; 
Whereas United States policy, as articulated by President 
Bush, is to pursue a ‘‘forward strategy of freedom’’ to 
promote democracy throughout the Middle East;
•HRES 37 IH 
Whereas the 9/11 Commission Report stated that the United 
States must engage in the struggle of ideas, that ‘‘a com-
prehensive U.S. strategy to counter terrorism should in-
clude economic policies that encourage development, more 
open societies, and opportunities for people to improve 
the lives of their families . . .’’, and that ‘‘It is among 
the large majority of Arabs and Muslims that we must 
encourage reform, freedom, democracy, and opportunity 
. . .’’; and 
Whereas congressional–parliamentary discussions can help 
promote understanding between the United States and 
Arab and Muslim countries engaged in genuine political 
and economic reforms and provide a mechanism for com-
munication and cooperation on issues of mutual interest 
and concern: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives—
(1) commends the peoples and the Governments 
of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, the Kingdom 
of Morocco, the Kingdom of Bahrain, the State of 
Kuwait, the State of Qatar, the Sultanate of Oman, 
and the Republic of Yemen for their progress toward 
political and economic liberalization; 
(2) expresses its hope that progress toward de-
mocratization in Jordan, Morocco, Bahrain, Kuwait, 
Qatar, Oman, and Yemen will continue to thrive and 
that the efforts of these countries will serve as a 
model for other Arab countries;
•HRES 37 IH 
(3) reaffirms the friendship that exists between 
the people of the United States and the peoples of 
Jordan, Morocco, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, 
and Yemen; 
(4) offers to assist these countries in their fu-
ture challenges of reform so that democracy and 
freedom are able to prosper and flourish; and 
(5) 
supports 
enhancing 
congressional–par-
liamentary exchanges with Arab and Muslim coun-
tries.
Æ