•HCON 214 IH
Whereas governments have a particular responsibility to pro-
vide security for their citizens regardless of ethnic or re-
gional background;
Whereas the number of human rights violations has dimin-
ished and the government has made progress in this di-
rection;
Whereas the current violence in Afghanistan has the potential
to cause conflict along ethnic lines between Tajiks and
Uzbeks in Afghanistan, exacerbating the stressful situa-
tion in Tajikistan;
Whereas such a development could ignite existing tensions to
the north of Afghanistan;
Whereas a regional conflagration and the attending military
adventurism could encourage further Russian involve-
ment, hindering economic and political reform in Russia
and other parts of the former Soviet Union;
Whereas a stable Tajikistan provides an invaluable buffer
zone between instability in Afghanistan and Tajikistan’s
neighbors who still possess nuclear weapons;
Whereas the United Nations Security Council has called upon
all parties to reach a political solution and seek national
reconciliation;
Whereas the Rome ministerial meeting of the Conference on
Security and Cooperation in Europe in November 1993
reiterated concern over the situation in Tajikistan and
expressed determination to help stabilize the situation;
Whereas through the efforts of the Special Envoy of the Sec-
retary General of the United Nations to Tajikistan, nego-
tiations are being planned;
•HCON 214 IH
Whereas the success of a truly representative government will
assist with the development of a peaceful and stable
Central Asia and beyond;
Whereas the United States as the one remaining superpower
has a moral obligation to speak out in opposition to the
conflict and brutalities that have occurred in Tajikistan,
and to aid in the reconstruction of the country and en-
courage other nations to do so;
Whereas the United States has successfully responded to ur-
gent needs for food and other humanitarian assistance in
the past;
Whereas food access rather than availability will be the criti-
cal problem facing Tajikistan during the remainder of
1994;
Whereas there remain large shortages of necessary building
materials, wheat, cooking oil, soap, and shoes;
Whereas the lack of fuel nationwide will delay food shipments
to Gorno Badakshan, creating severe food shortages in
that region, and has the potential to cripple the economy;
Whereas economic assistance can sometimes be given through
nongovernmental 
organizations, 
in 
the 
form 
of
microdevelopment projects, thus supporting the economy
from the bottom up;
Whereas continued support for the presence of the United
Nations and other international organizations and for
microdevelopment projects could encourage the peaceful
return and reintegration of refugees and displaced
Tajiks;
Whereas any unconditional economic assistance for the
central government in Dushanbe, by any party, amounts
•HCON 214 IH
to a failure to take advantage of political leverage to sup-
port national reconciliation and human rights; and
Whereas the economy of Tajikistan is in transition and could
move forward or may collapse: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate
concurring), That it is the sense of the Congress that the
President—
(1) should support existing efforts at national
reconciliation in Tajikistan, including—
(A) those of the Conference on Security
and Cooperation in Europe, and
(B) the current diplomatic initiatives,
through the office of the Special Envoy of the
Secretary General of the United Nations to
Tajikistan, to convene negotiations leading to
an end to the fighting, democratic elections, the
creation of political parties, and the develop-
ment of a stable, pluralist government;
(2) should seek, through his good offices, to ob-
tain full respect by the Government of Tajikistan for
basic freedoms and internationally recognized human
rights, including full implementation of Conference
on Security and Cooperation in Europe commit-
ments;
(3) should maintain support for humanitarian
assistance to the people of Tajikistan, including as-
•HCON 214 IH
sistance for refugees, internally displaced persons,
and returnees, with an eye for encouraging self-suffi-
ciency in as many sectors as possible;
(4) should urge the international community to
make similar commitments;
(5) should seek to ensure that a substantial
portion of assistance provided to Tajikistan is chan-
neled through nongovernmental organizations; and
(6) should seek to ensure that economic assist-
ance is provided directly to the Government of
Tajikistan only if it is making significant progress
in—
(A) protecting and facilitating the activi-
ties of human rights groups, including their
monitoring of human rights abuses by or upon
any party and the training of local human
rights organizations;
(B) participating in and otherwise facilitat-
ing conflict resolution efforts;
(C) terminating interference in the non-
violent activities of the political opposition;
(D) allowing the International Committee
of the Red Cross to visit prisoners in accord-
ance with its mandate, which includes private
interviews with prisoners;
•HCON 214 IH
(E) participating in and otherwise facilitat-
ing the compilation of a list of all those who
have been extrajudicially executed or have dis-
appeared; and
(F) 
facilitating 
the 
protection 
and
reintegration of returnees.
Æ