Title: Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the people of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq have the right to determine their status as a sovereign country.
Policy area: International Affairs

Summary:
Recognizes: (1) the sacrifices, commitment to human rights, and legal and moral case for self-determination of the residents of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq; and (2) that such residents have the freedom to decide without outside coercion. Calls on the international community and domestic institutions to recognize such right.

[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 534 Introduced in House (IH)]

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115th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 534

Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the people of 
 the Kurdistan Region of Iraq have the right to determine their status 
                        as a sovereign country.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           September 25, 2017

  Mr. Franks of Arizona submitted the following resolution; which was 
              referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the people of 
 the Kurdistan Region of Iraq have the right to determine their status 
                        as a sovereign country.

Whereas the United Nations International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights 
        and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights 
        states that, ``All peoples have the right of self-determination. By 
        virtue of that right they freely determine their political status and 
        freely pursue their economic, social and cultural development'';
Whereas the United Nations Charter's stated purpose, in Chapter 1, Article 2, 
        part 2, is ``To develop friendly relations among nations based on 
        respect for the principle of equal rights and self-determination of 
        peoples, and to take other appropriate measures to strengthen universal 
        peace'';
Whereas the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI) meets the criteria for post-Cold War 
        state recognition set forth in the Charter of Paris and the Vienna 
        Declaration;
Whereas the KRI meets the four criteria in article 1 of the Montevideo 
        Convention on the Rights and Duties of States, featuring a permanent 
        population, a defined territory, a government, and the capacity to enter 
        into relations with other states;
Whereas the Kurdish people meet the objective requirements for the right of 
        self-determination, which include a common language, religion, ethnic 
        background, cultural heritage, and history;
Whereas the KRI has proven as America's most effective partner against the so-
        called Islamic State, providing the United States and coalition partners 
        with ground forces sufficient as to not require substantial American 
        ground forces;
Whereas the KRI armed forces, known as ``Peshmerga'', have sacrificed almost 
        2,000 fighters, with 9,000 wounded and more than 60 missing during 
        operations against the so-called Islamic State;
Whereas the KRI has provided refuge and aid to nearly two million refugees and 
        internally displaced persons during the course of the Iraqi and Syrian 
        civil wars;
Whereas the KRI has demonstrated commendable commitment and progress for 
        religious and ethnic pluralism, including for their Assyrian/Chaldean 
        Christian, Baha'i, Jewish, Kaka'i, Mandean, Shabak, Shia, Turkmen, 
        Yazidi, and Zoroastrian minorities, in addition to demonstrated 
        commitment and progress for gender equality;
Whereas the Kurds are a historically proven ally against tyranny and terror, 
        including against Saddam Hussein's regime, and terror groups such as al 
        Qaeda and Ansar al-Islam;
Whereas Saddam Hussein, as dictator of Iraq, pursued a campaign of ethnic 
        cleansing and displacement of the Kurds, resulting in as many as 182,000 
        civilian deaths, with the aim of territorial expansion at Kurdish 
        expense;
Whereas according to United Nations General Assembly Resolution 2625, the right 
        to self-determination of a people supersedes territorial integrity when 
        a country has violated the ``economic, social, and cultural 
        development'' of a people, and when that people have a valid territorial 
        claim to the area;
Whereas despite intractable disputes between the KRI and the Iraqi central 
        government, the KRI has demonstrated commitment to non-violent pursuit 
        of their statehood ambitions; and
Whereas the Kurdistan Region Parliament of Iraq enacted a legislative mandate 
        for Iraqi Kurdistan's 25 September independence referendum on September 
        15, 2017, following formal calls from a majority of political parties in 
        the Kurdistan Regional Government: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That it is the sense of the House of Representatives 
that--
            (1) the United States recognizes the sacrifices, commitment 
        to human rights, and legal and moral case for self-
        determination of the residents of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq 
        (KRI), and that the residents of the KRI have the freedom to 
        decide without outside coercion; and
            (2) the United States calls on the international community 
        and domestic institutions to likewise recognize the right of 
        self-determination of the people of the KRI.
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