No official summary available for this bill.
[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 921 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. RES. 921
Recognizing the 30th anniversary of the Dayton Peace Accords.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
December 2, 2025
Mr. Turner of Ohio (for himself, Mrs. Wagner, Mr. Bell, and Mr.
Guthrie) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the
Committee on Foreign Affairs
_______________________________________________________________________
RESOLUTION
Recognizing the 30th anniversary of the Dayton Peace Accords.
Whereas, December 14, 2025, marks the General Framework Agreement for Peace in
Bosnia and Herzegovina (commonly referred to as the ``Dayton Peace
Accords''), which ended the Bosnian War and brought peace to Bosnia and
Herzegovina;
Whereas widespread and systematic ethnic cleansing and concentration camps were
used as a tool of war against Bosnian Muslim men, women, and children,
culminating in the July 1995 genocide at Srebrenica, where over 8,000
Muslim men and teenagers were detained and killed;
Whereas the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (referred to in this preamble as
``NATO''), led by the United States, initiated airstrikes against
Bosnian Serbs to stop grave human rights abuses, which led to ceasefire
negotiations and the peace accords;
Whereas negotiations began on November 1, 1995, in Dayton, Ohio, culminating in
a historic peace agreement which was signed on December 14, 1995, to
halt the conflict and bring peace to the region;
Whereas, despite seemingly insurmountable differences in opinions, the
negotiations succeeded due to dedicated foreign service professionals, a
common yearning for a peaceful resolution, and an outpouring of support
from the global community;
Whereas the General Framework Agreement for Peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina,
also known as the Dayton Peace Accords, laid the groundwork for NATO and
European Union (referred to in this preamble as ``EU'') stabilization
missions over the past 30 years, which have allowed the citizens of
Bosnia and Herzegovina to live peacefully and prosper;
Whereas the Dayton Literary Peace Prize, established in 2006, remains the only
literary peace prize awarded in the United States and recognizes the
power of the written word to promote peace, and after the death of
Ambassador Holbrooke in 2011, the Lifetime Achievement Award was renamed
the Richard C. Holbrooke Distinguished Achievement Award;
Whereas the peace negotiations were strongly supported by the City of Dayton,
Ohio, its leaders, and the broader community, which created strong
relationships between all parties involved in the negotiations,
including a sister city relationship between Dayton and Sarajevo;
Whereas the United States Government reaffirms support for Bosnia and
Herzegovina's sovereignty and upholds the commitment to equality for all
ethnicities according to the General Framework Agreement for Peace in
Bosnia and Herzegovina;
Whereas, since the signing of the Dayton Peace Accords, the Government and
people of Bosnia and Herzegovina have been working in partnership with
the international community towards building a peaceful and democratic
society based on the rule of law, respect for human rights, and a free-
market economy;
Whereas EU opened accession negotiations with Bosnia and Herzegovina in March
2024;
Whereas the NATO Parliament Assembly held its 2025 Spring Session in Dayton,
Ohio, to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the Dayton Peace Accords;
Whereas NATO and Bosnia and Herzegovina agreed to an Individual Tailored
Partnership Program in October 2025, strengthening NATO and Bosnia and
Herzegovina's strategic partnership and positioning Bosnia and
Herzegovina closer to NATO membership status; and
Whereas the United States hosts a diaspora of an estimated 350,000 individuals
of Bosnian descent, large numbers of whom reside in St. Louis, Missouri,
Chicago, Illinois, and Bowling Green, Kentucky: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
(1) reaffirms the joint United States and EU commitment to
promote and protect human rights, democracy, and the rule of
law in Bosnia and Herzegovina and around the world;
(2) commends the continued commitment of the people of
Bosnia and Herzegovina to peace and cooperation 30 years after
the Dayton Peace Accords;
(3) notes the efforts undertaken by the Government of
Bosnia and Herzegovina toward NATO and EU membership, including
measures to resolve its constitutional issues, strengthen its
governing structures, and undertake necessary economic, rule of
law, and judicial reforms;
(4) reiterates the continued importance of the Dayton Peace
Accords as the basis of constitutional reform in Bosnia and
Herzegovina and the promotion of political, economic, legal,
and religious equality, which are also key requirements for EU
accession;
(5) urges the Government of Bosnia and Herzegovina to
continue to pursue constitutional reforms needed to reconcile
the past and engage across ethnic and religious lines with
empathy and respect to build a common future;
(6) urges the Government of Bosnia and Herzegovina, through
its respective leaders, to uphold the integrity of the
tripartite presidency, strengthen its key institutions, and
work to achieve an independent democracy;
(7) urges the United States Government to maintain support
for the Office of the High Representative until members of the
Peace Implementation Council reach a unanimous agreement that
the presence of the Office of the High Representative is no
longer necessary;
(8) urges the United States Government to work closely with
Bosnia and Herzegovina and its bordering nations--especially
those who are signatories of the Dayton Peace Accords--to
support full implementation of the Stabilization and
Association Agreement between the EU and the Balkan States;
(9) encourages continued regional cooperation to combat the
malign influence of foreign actors, such as the Russian
Federation and the People's Republic of China;
(10) recognizes the State of Ohio and the greater Dayton
community for their role in fostering the Dayton Peace Accords,
and for continuing to support diplomacy, security, and peace
around the world; and
(11) acknowledges the important contributions of the
Bosnian-American diaspora in their communities throughout the
United States.
<all>
Submitted in House
Submitted in House
Referred to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs.
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