3 H.L.C. Whereas the United States has long supported fostering the reunification of Cyprus within a bi-zonal, bi-communal federation, and within a process that is led by the United Nations, thereby consistent with the intended aim of the July 8, 2006, agreement, and as set out in the relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions; Whereas several meetings have been held between the Greek and Turkish Cypriot members of the coordination committee, consulting on the implementation of the July 8, 2006, agreement, but no technical committees or working groups have been set up; Whereas on June 15, 2007, the United Nations Security Council adopted Resolution 1758 which "expresses full support for the July 8, 2006 process, notes with concern the lack of progress, and calls upon all parties to immediately engage constructively with the United Nations efforts, as described in Under Secretary General Gambari's letter of 15 November 2006, to demonstrate measurable progress in order to allow fully fledged negotiations to begin"; and Whereas on September 5, 2007, President Papadopoulos and Mr. Talat "agreed on the need for the earliest start of the [Gambari] process" and to "continue their contact through the UN and to meet again when appropriate": Now, therefore, be it Strike all after the resolving clause and insert the following: That the House of Representatives— 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 4 H.L.C. (1) expresses its support for the immediate implementation of the July 8, 2006, agreement as the way forward to prepare for new comprehensive nego tiations leading to the reunification of Cyprus within a bi-zonal, bi-communal federation as set out in the relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions; and (2) calls upon the United States Government to fully support the immediate implementation of the July 8, 2006, agreement in its entirety and without deviation from that process. 110TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION H. RES. 624 Congratulating the State of Israel on chairing a United Nations committee for the first time in history. IV IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES AUGUST 4, 2007 Mr. HASTINGS of Florida (for himself and Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs RESOLUTION Congratulating the State of Israel on chairing a United Nations committee for the first time in history. Whereas the State of Israel is the only member of the Western and Others Group in a conditional status limiting its ability to caucus with its fellow members of this regional grouping, compete for open seats, or to run for positions in major bodies of the United Nations, such as the Security Council, or United Nations-affiliated agencies, such as the United Nations Human Rights Council; Whereas Israel is excluded from discussions and consultations of the Western and Others Group at the United Nations offices in Geneva, Nairobi, Rome, and Vienna; Whereas Israel has been refused admission to the Asian Group of the United Nations, thereby being denied the 2 rights and privileges of full membership in the United Nations; Whereas Israel has submitted its candidacy for membership on the Security Council for 2019 and hopes to gain full participation rights in the United Nations; Whereas, in 2004, at the first United Nations Department of Public Information Seminar on Anti-Semitism, former United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan acknowledged that "the United Nations' record on anti-Semitism has at times fallen short of our ideals"; Whereas, in 2005, the United Nations held an unprecedented session to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz concentration camp; Whereas at the opening of the 61st General Assembly in 2006, former United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan stated that "on one side, supporters of Israel feel that it is harshly judged by standards that are not applied to its enemies . . . and too often this is true, particularly in some UN bodies"; Whereas, in January 2007, the United Nations General Assembly adopted by consensus a resolution condemning any denial of the Holocaust; Whereas, on June 19, 2007, for the first time ever since Israel joined the United Nations, an Israeli diplomat, Mr. Ron Adam, director of the Israel Foreign Ministry's United Nations Political Affairs Department, has been chosen to chair a United Nations committee, the Committee on Program and Coordination (CPC); Whereas this 33 member body (composed of Argentina, Armenia, Belarus, Benin, Brazil, Bulgaria, the Republic of Central Africa, China, Comoros, Cuba, France, Ghana, 3 Haiti, India, Indonesia, Iran, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Whereas since Israel was accepted as part of the Western Europe and Others Group (WEOG) in 2000, it has had the right to apply for positions on United Nations committees; Whereas Israel has played an active role in the international community and within the United Nations; Whereas Israel already sits on several important committees, and representatives from Israel have served as deputy chairs in the United Nations numerous times; Whereas Israelis were first elected to notable United Nations positions in 1994, including the high administrative tribunal at the Hague, Vice Chair of the World Health Organization's Executive Committee and the Human Rights Committee, in June 2005 Israel's Ambassador to the United Nations, Dan Gillerman, was appointed one of the 21 new vice presidents of the General Assembly, and in July 2005, Israel was elected to deputy chairmanship of the United Nations Disarmament Commission (UNDC); and Whereas Israel's first unique appointment to chair a United Nations committee will hopefully encourage the normalization of Israel's bilateral and multilateral relations and challenge future disproportionate United Nations condemnation of Israel: Now, therefore, be it 1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives •HRES 624 IH |