32 5 1 2 3 4 5 6 to increase the number of United Nations human rights monitors in Cambodia; and (7) states its unwillingness to accept as legiti mate or as worthy of United States assistance any Cambodian government that arises from a fraudu lent electoral process. IV 105TH CONGRESS 2D SESSION H. CON. RES. 218 Concerning the urgent need to establish a cease fire in Afghanistan and begin the transition toward a broad-based multiethnic government that observes international norms of behavior. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES FEBRUARY 12, 1998 Mr. BEREUTER submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was referred to the Committee on International Relations CONCURRENT RESOLUTION Concerning the urgent need to establish a cease fire in Afghanistan and begin the transition toward a broad-based multiethnic government that observes international norms of behavior. Whereas peace and stability has not returned to Afghanistan despite the February 1989 Soviet withdrawal from Afghanistan; Whereas the Department of State's Country Reports on Human Rights for 1997 states: "The overall human rights situation [in Afghanistan] is poor . . . political killings, torture, rape, arbitrary detention, looting, abductions and kidnappings for ransom were committed by armed units, local commanders, and rogue individuals"; 34 2 Whereas the continuing civil conflict in Afghanistan has had a grievous impact upon the Afghan people, where within its borders occurs the highest rate of infant, child, and maternal mortality in the region; Whereas neighboring countries have provided support in the form of financial assistance and arms to the different groups warring in Afghanistan thereby extending the length and expanding the destruction of this internal conflict; Whereas due to the chaos and destruction brought about by the extended conflict, Afghanistan is now one of the world's leading producers of opium, and over the past year alone, the production of opiates in Afghanistan has jumped 25 percent and resulted in an increase in drug trade not only in the Central Asian region, but in Russia and the West as well; Whereas another byproduct of this conflict is the harboring of terrorist leaders in Afghanistan including Usama bin Laden whose group members have been identified as supporting acts of terrorism within their countries of origin; Whereas continuing instability serves as an obstacle to international investment and the establishment of developmental projects inside Afghanistan, so necessary to Afghanistan's rejuvenation from years of conflict, and central to promoting political cooperation among Afghan factions; Whereas the continuing conflict in Afghanistan serves as an impediment toward securing economic and political wellbeing throughout all of South Asia and the newly independent Central Asian nations as well; and BCON 218 IH 3 Whereas despite repeated efforts by the United Nations to broker an end to continuing warfare among the country's warring factions, the absence of peace has prevented Afghanistan from addressing the numerous problems facing its citizenry: Now, therefore, be it 1 Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate 2 concurring), That the Congress— (1) acknowledges that through determination, tenacity, and courage, the Afghan people successfully waged a war against Soviet expansionism and greatly assisted in bringing an end to the cold war; (2) welcomes the appointment of Ambassador Lakhbar Brahimi as special envoy of the United Nations Secretary General for Afghanistan and sup ports his efforts toward attaining a peaceful nego tiated settlement with the assistance of the six nations bordering Afghanistan as well as representa tives from the United States and Russia; (3)(A) deplores continuing human rights violations occurring within Afghanistan, such as the continuing discrimination against women of all ages as well as the discovery of mass graves which contained an alleged 2,000 corpses of prisoners of war and civilians in Afghanistan; and (B) supports the intention of the United Nations and the International Committee of the Red 4 1 2 Cross to continue their investigation into these re ported killings; (4) calls upon all warring factions and national powers to participate in intra-Afghan dialogue and in the peace process and to actively cooperate in the acceleration of endeavors for peace; (5) urges the nations of the region to cooperate in the peace process and to end immediately the supply of arms, ammunition, military equipment, train ing or any other military support to all parties to the conflict; (6) urges appropriate parties in the United Nations and Afghanistan to work toward the eradi cation of the production of opium linking such ef forts to realistic income alternatives; (7) calls upon all parties within Afghanistan to prevent the reoccurrence of actions which impede the ability of humanitarian and international organizations to move food shipments and other forms of humanitarian assistance into Afghanistan; (8) recognizes the continuing requirement to address the needs of more than 2,000,000 Afghan refugees, three-quarters of whom are women and children; •HCON 218 IH |