Reaffirming bilateral and multilateral relations between the United States and African countries and recognizing the importance of diplomatic, security, and trade relations.

IV 117TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION H. RES. 251 Reaffirming bilateral and multilateral relations between the United States and African countries and recognizing the importance of diplomatic, security, and trade relations. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES MARCH 18, 2021 Ms. BASS (for herself, Ms. NORTON, Mr. BISHOP of Georgia, Mr. RUSH, Ms. JACKSON LEE, Mr. GREEN of Texas, Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia, Mr. CAR- SON, Mr. PAYNE, Mr. CICILLINE, Ms. TITUS, Mr. VARGAS, Mr. VEASEY, Mr. TAKANO, Mr. CASTRO of Texas, Mr. BERA, Mrs. LAWRENCE, Mr. GALLEGO, Mr. EVANS, Mr. PANETTA, Mr. KHANNA, Ms. PRESSLEY, Mr. NEGUSE, Ms. OMAR, and Ms. JACOBS of California) submitted the fol- lowing resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Af- fairs RESOLUTION Reaffirming bilateral and multilateral relations between the United States and African countries and recognizing the importance of diplomatic, security, and trade relations. Whereas the United States and countries across the African Continent have enjoyed long standing and mutually bene- ficial bilateral and multilateral relations and share strong political, economic, and cultural ties including involuntary and other migrations of Africans to the Americas and the economic and social development of that population into a highly contributing citizenry with lasting ties to the Af- rican Continent; VerDate Sep 11 2014 02:32 Mar 19, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\HR251.IH HR251 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS 2 •HRES 251 IH Whereas the United States looks to reset its relationship with the continent of Africa by enhancing its partnership through supporting the African Union, mutual trade and investment, continuity, and highlighting climate change; Whereas the pillars for partnership between the United States and the continent of Africa are peace and security, economic growth, trade, investment, democracy and gov- ernance, and promoting investment opportunities and de- velopment including through the African Continental Free Trade Area agreement (AfCFTA); Whereas the United States, through Presidential initiatives, targeted legislation, and special programs have collabo- rated with African countries to improve health, build crit- ical infrastructure, advance trade, increase stability, sup- port future leaders, and leverage capital to further socio- economic opportunities across the continent; Whereas initiatives such as the African Growth and Oppor- tunity Act (AGOA), the President’s Malaria Initiative, Feed the Future, the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, the Millennium Challenge Corporation, and United States trade and investment hubs have generated opportunities for millions of Africans and Americans, now will require a reset, new ideas, and a new approach to Af- rica’s opportunities and challenges; Whereas after decades of conflict, Sudan is starting to make progress toward peace and build democratic institutions, and this is the time for the United States to pave the way and help strengthen economic development and pro- mote democracy; Whereas the Sahel region is very volatile, and the United States must use a multidimensional peacekeeping ap- VerDate Sep 11 2014 02:32 Mar 19, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\HR251.IH HR251 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS 3 •HRES 251 IH proach to help to resolve the fragility, climate change, de- mographic growth, and economic hardship in the region; Whereas the United States could help encourage good finan- cial governance through the IMF and World Bank by en- gaging in more proactive regulation and oversight of fi- nancial sectors in debt-laden countries to help improve debt management and transparency, helping to create sustainable borrowing and lending practices; Whereas Africa is important to United States national secu- rity and trade interests, and the AfCFTA, which will bring together nearly all 55 African Union member states and create a more integrated market with a total GDP of $2.2 trillion, gives the United States an opportunity to accelerate its multilateral partners; Whereas trade in goods and services between the United States and sub-Saharan Africa reached more than $38 billion in 2019, during the same period, sub-Saharan Af- rica imported $238 billion, only of which $15 billion from the United States, underlining an opportunity for growth in American market share; Whereas it is vital that the United States and the African Union cooperate on objectives of mutual interest, espe- cially achieving democracy and sustainable economic de- velopment, and consider negotiating a continental trade partnership after AGOA ends in 2025; Whereas African countries are increasingly integrated into the international system through communications tech- nology and are often the origin of transnational issues such as the 2009 Horn of Africa piracy crisis and the 2013 Ebola outbreak, which prodded adoption of new VerDate Sep 11 2014 02:32 Mar 19, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\HR251.IH HR251 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS 4 •HRES 251 IH shipping protocols and stimulated thought on creating a global health security architecture; and Whereas African countries are committed to multilateralism, hold three nonpermanent seats on the United Nations Se- curity Council, represent the largest and most unified block at the United Nations General Assembly, and are integral to finding solutions to global challenges, such as climate change, violent extremism, and the COVID–19 pandemic: Now, therefore, be it Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 1 (1) reaffirms the mutually beneficial ties be- 2 tween the United States and African countries, 3 based on a strong desire for accountable governance, 4 regional security, inclusive development, and strong- 5 er trade relations; 6 (2) recognizes the importance of the bilateral 7 and multilateral partnerships between the United 8 States and African countries and remains committed 9 to advancing these strategic partnerships through 10 greater interaction between government leaders, 11 agencies and departments, civil society, private in- 12 dustry, and youth; 13 (3) acknowledges the dynamic changes on the 14 African continent require a proactive African policy 15 that broadens diplomatic, economic, and academic 16 engagement to harness the ideas and expertise of 17 VerDate Sep 11 2014 02:32 Mar 19, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\HR251.IH HR251 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS 5 •HRES 251 IH African countries at the national, regional, and mu- 1 nicipal levels to address key issues; 2 (4) encourages greater and more strategic col- 3 laboration with the African countries and the Afri- 4 can Union, and the support of the African Conti- 5 nental Free Trade Area, by providing technical, fi- 6 nancial, and professional assistance to accelerate 7 and expand capacity to achieve and sustain goals of 8 socioeconomic transformation over the next 50 years, 9 as articulated in the African Union’s Agenda 2063; 10 and 11 (5) encourages the United States to advance in- 12 terests in Africa to— 13 (A) strengthen some of the world’s fastest 14 growing economies by educating the youth, hav- 15 ing strong democratic institutions, and having 16 mutual trade and partnerships at all levels; 17 (B) support United States businesses gain 18 access to investment opportunities, as estimated 19 by the United States Government, of— 20 (i) $125 billion in energy; 21 (ii) $60 billion in infrastructure; 22 (iii) $42 billion in health care (pre- 23 COVID–19 projections); and 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 02:32 Mar 19, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\HR251.IH HR251 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS 6 •HRES 251 IH (iv) $15 billion in information and 1 communications technology (ICT); 2 (C) support science and collaborate with 3 the biodiversity community to decrease the neg- 4 ative effects of climate change; and 5 (D) invest in the continent’s 60-percent 6 share of the world’s total amount of 7 uncultivated, arable land to help eradicate food 8 insecurity; and integrate processes that will 9 help cultivate raw minerals into finished goods 10 to export globally. 11 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 02:32 Mar 19, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\HR251.IH HR251 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS