Title: Calling on the United States Government to uphold the founding democratic principles of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and establish a Center for Democratic Resilience within the headquarters of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.
Policy area: International Affairs

Summary:
This resolution reaffirms unequivocal support for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) as an alliance founded on democratic principles.
The resolution also calls on the President to use the voice and vote of the United States to adopt a new Strategic Concept for NATO that is clear about its support for shared democratic values and committed to enhancing NATO's capacity to strengthen democratic institutions within NATO member, partner, and aspirant countries.
Finally, the resolution calls on the President to use the voice and vote of the United States to establish a Center for Democratic Resilience within NATO headquarters.

[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 831 Introduced in House (IH)]

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117th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 831

    Calling on the United States Government to uphold the founding 
  democratic principles of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and 
establish a Center for Democratic Resilience within the headquarters of 
                the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            December 2, 2021

   Mr. Connolly (for himself and Mr. Turner) submitted the following 
   resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
    Calling on the United States Government to uphold the founding 
  democratic principles of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and 
establish a Center for Democratic Resilience within the headquarters of 
                the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.

Whereas the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) is the world's preeminent 
        political and military alliance committed to democracy and the 
        collective defense of its members;
Whereas the preamble of NATO's founding North Atlantic Treaty, signed in 
        Washington, DC, on April 4, 1949, declares the alliance is ``founded on 
        the principles of democracy, individual liberty, and the rule of law'';
Whereas democracies across the alliance face external threats from authoritarian 
        regimes such as Russia and China and internal threats from proponents of 
        illiberalism;
Whereas there is a broad agreement within the alliance of the need to strengthen 
        the democracies of NATO members, partners, and aspirant countries;
Whereas, in April 2020, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg appointed an 
        independent Reflection Group tasked with supporting a forward-looking 
        reflection process meant to strengthen the political dimension of the 
        alliance;
Whereas the Reflection Group's report, ``NATO 2030: United for a New Era'', 
        included analyses and recommendations for the alliance to address 
        ```democratic recession,' the global erosion of democratic norms, and 
        the rise of authoritarianism'', including--

    (1) ``A shared democratic identity is what distinguishes the Alliance 
from the principal threats and challenges it faces.'';

    (2) ``NATO should reassert its core identity as an Alliance rooted in 
the principles of democracy.'';

    (3) ``Any commitment to strengthening NATO's political cohesion 
therefore has to be orientated toward those shared values and ideals, 
grounded in democracy, rule of law and individual liberty.''; and

    (4) recommending the establishment of a Center of Excellence for 
Democratic Resilience in order to strengthen NATO democracies against 
external threats;

Whereas the Brussels Summit Communique issued by the Heads of State and 
        Government participating in the meeting of the North Atlantic Council in 
        Brussels on June 14, 2021, stated--

    (1) ``NATO is the strongest and most successful Alliance in history. It 
guarantees the security of our territory and our one billion citizens, our 
freedom, and the values we share, including individual liberty, human 
rights, democracy, and the rule of law.'';

    (2) ``State and non-state actors challenge the rules-based 
international order and seek to undermine democracy across the globe.''; 
and

    (3) ``We reaffirm the Alliance's shared democratic principles as well 
as our commitment to the spirit and the letter of the North Atlantic 
Treaty.'';

Whereas in Brussels the Allies also committed to updating NATO's Strategic 
        Concept;
Whereas NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has reiterated that one of the 
        primary purposes of updating the Strategic Concept must be a 
        recommitment to the founding values of the alliance;
Whereas the NATO Parliamentary Assembly supports a new Strategic Concept that 
        reaffirms that the support and strengthening of democratic institutions 
        is foundational to the collective security of Allies; and
Whereas the NATO Parliamentary Assembly has endorsed and advanced a proposal to 
        establish a NATO Center for Democratic Resilience within NATO 
        headquarters for the purposes of monitoring and identifying challenges 
        to democracy, human rights, and the rule of law and facilitating 
        democracy and governance assistance to member, partner, and aspirant 
        states, when requested: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) reaffirms its unequivocal support for the North 
        Atlantic Treaty Organization as an alliance founded on 
        democratic principles;
            (2) calls on the President to use the voice and vote of the 
        United States to adopt a new Strategic Concept for NATO that is 
        clear about its support for shared democratic values and 
        committed to enhancing NATO's capacity to strengthen democratic 
        institutions within NATO member, partner, and aspirant 
        countries; and
            (3) calls on the President to use the voice and vote of the 
        United States to establish a Center for Democratic Resilience 
        within NATO headquarters.
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