A resolution expressing the sense of the Senate on religious minorities in Iraq.

Bill: 111-sres-322
Sponsor: Sen. Levin, Carl [D-MI]
Introduced: 2009-10-26 in the Senate
Policy area: International Affairs
Subjects: Foreign aid and international relief
Government studies and investigations
Human rights
International organizations and cooperation
Iraq
Middle East
Property rights
Refugees, asylum, displaced persons
Religion
Sovereignty, recognition, national governance and status

Summary:
action_date: 2009-10-26
text: 
Expresses the sense of the Senate that: (1) the United States remains deeply concerned about the plight of specified vulnerable Iraqi religious and ethnic minorities; (2) the U.S. government and the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) should urge the Iraqi government to enhance security at Iraqi places of worship.
 
Urges the U.S. government to continue to work with the Iraqi government to: (1) train and deploy minority members into the Iraqi police and security forces; and (2) ensure that members of such communities suffer no discrimination and be assigned to their locations of origin.
 
Urges the Iraqi government, with U.S. government assistance, to: (1) ensure that the upcoming national elections in Iraq are safe, fair, and free of intimidation and violence; and (2) permit and facilitate election monitoring by experts from local and international nongovernmental organizations, the international community, and the United Nations.
 
Encourages the Iraqi government and the Kurdistan regional government to work towards a peaceful and timely resolution of territorial disputes.
 
Encourages the U.S. government and UNAMI to urge the Iraqi government to work with minority communities to develop measures to implement article 125 of the Iraq Constitution.
 
Urges the Iraqi government to take affirmative measures to reverse the marginalization of religious minorities in Iraq.
 
Urges the U.S. government to: (1) direct assistance to projects that develop the ability of minorities in Iraq to organize themselves to effectively convey their concerns; and (2) continue to fund capacity-building programs for the Iraqi Ministry of Human Rights (IMHR), the independent national Human Rights Commission, and a new independent minorities committee.
 
Urges the Iraqi government to: (1) direct the IMHR to investigate and report on abuses against minority communities in Iraq; and (2) help ensure that displaced Iraqis considering return to Iraq have proper information.
 
Urges the U.S. government and international organizations to continue to work with the Iraqi government to develop the legal framework to address property disputes of returning Iraqis.

action_date: 2010-08-05
text: 
Expresses the sense of the Senate that: (1) the United States remains deeply concerned about the plight of vulnerable religious and ethnic minorities of Iraq; (2) the U.S. government and the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) should urge the government of Iraq to enhance security at places of worship in Iraq; (3) the U.S. government should work with the government of Iraq to ensure that members of minorities suffer no employment discrimination in the Iraqi police and security forces; (4) the government of Iraq and the Kurdistan regional government should work towards a peaceful resolution of territorial disputes; (5) the U.S. government and UNAMI should urge the government of Iraq to implement provisions of the Constitution of Iraq that protect rights to freedom of thought and religion; (6) the government of Iraq should act to reverse the marginalization of religious minorities; (7) the U.S. government should fund capacity-building programs for the Iraqi Ministry of Human Rights and the independent national Human Rights Commission and should continue to help reconstitute the minorities committee; (8) the government of Iraq should direct the Iraqi Ministry of Human Rights to issue a public report on abuses against, and the marginalization of, minorities; and (9) the U.S. government should encourage the government of Iraq and the Kurdistan regional government to protect minorities, particularly those in the Nineveh Plain.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2010-08-05
text: Resolution agreed to in Senate with an amendment and an amended preamble by Unanimous Consent.
action_date: 2010-08-05
text: Passed/agreed to in Senate: Resolution agreed to in Senate with an amendment and an amended preamble by Unanimous Consent.
action_date: 2010-08-05
text: Measure laid before Senate by unanimous consent. (consideration: CR S6989-6990)
action_date: 2010-08-05
text: Senate Committee on Foreign Relations discharged by Unanimous Consent.
action_date: 2010-08-05
text: Senate Committee on Foreign Relations discharged by Unanimous Consent.
action_date: 2009-10-26
text: Referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations. (text of measure as introduced: CR S10738-10739)
action_date: 2009-10-26
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S10739-10740)
action_date: 2009-10-26
text: Introduced in Senate