A resolution reaffirming the importance of the United States to promoting the safety, health, and well-being of refugees and displaced persons.

III 117TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION S. RES. 283 Reaffirming the importance of the United States to promoting the safety, health, and well-being of refugees and displaced persons. IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES JUNE 23, 2021 Mr. MENENDEZ (for himself, Mr. LEAHY, Mr. DURBIN, Mr. CARDIN, Mr. COONS, Mr. KAINE, Mr. MURPHY, Mr. BOOKER, Mr. MERKLEY, Mr. MARKEY, Mr. VAN HOLLEN, Mr. WARNOCK, Ms. CANTWELL, Mr. BLUMENTHAL, Ms. HIRONO, Ms. KLOBUCHAR, Ms. SMITH, Mr. BROWN, Mr. WHITEHOUSE, Mr. PADILLA, Mr. SCHATZ, and Mr. REED) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations RESOLUTION Reaffirming the importance of the United States to pro- moting the safety, health, and well-being of refugees and displaced persons. Whereas June 20 is observed as ‘‘World Refugee Day’’, a global event to acknowledge the courage, resilience, and determination of individuals and families who are forced to flee their homes due to persecution; Whereas December 14, 2020, signified 70 years since the founding of the Office of the United Nations High Com- missioner for Refugees; VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:34 Jun 24, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\SR283.IS SR283 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 2 •SRES 283 IS Whereas July 28, 2021, is the 70th anniversary of the Con- vention Relating to the Status of Refugees, signed in Ge- neva on July 28, 1951, which defines the term ‘‘refugee’’ and outlines the rights of refugees and the legal obliga- tions of states to protect them; Whereas, in 2020, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees— (1) there were more than 82,400,000 forcibly dis- placed people worldwide, the worst displacement crisis in recorded history, including 26,400,000 refugees, more than 48,000,000 internally displaced people, and 4,100,000 people seeking asylum; (2) on average, 1 out of every 95 people worldwide was a refugee, an internally displaced person, or a person seeking asylum; (3) 11,200,000 people were newly displaced due to recent conflict or persecution; (4) 68 percent of the world’s refugees came from Syria, Venezuela, Afghanistan, South Sudan, and Burma; (5) 2,600,000 Afghan refugees were displaced world- wide, making them one of the world’s largest and longest- running displaced populations; (6) more than 50 percent of the population of Syria, at least 13,500,000 people, were displaced, either across the international border or within Syria, which represents the largest displacement crisis in the world today; (7) children accounted for 30 percent of the world’s population but 42 percent of all forcibly displaced people, millions of whom were unable to access basic services, in- cluding education; and (8) 86 percent of all refugees were hosted by devel- oping nations, and less than 1 percent of vulnerable refu- VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:34 Jun 24, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\SR283.IS SR283 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 3 •SRES 283 IS gees in need of resettlement had the opportunity to reset- tle because sufficient numbers of places do not exist; Whereas refugees are major contributors to local economies and served as critical frontline health professionals and essential workers combating the COVID–19 pandemic worldwide; Whereas the United States has an obligation to provide hu- manitarian protection to refugees, as well as interpreters, translators, and others in Afghanistan who served along- side United States and NATO troops, diplomats, and de- velopment workers; Whereas the United States supports the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to increase protection for LGBTQI+ refugees overseas and to support global reset- tlement of LGBTQI+ refugees; and Whereas the United States Refugee Admissions Program, which was established over 40 years ago, is a lifesaving solution crucial to global humanitarian efforts, strength- ens global security, advances United States foreign policy goals, supports regional host countries, and assists indi- viduals and families in need: Now, therefore, be it Resolved, That the Senate— 1 (1) reaffirms the bipartisan commitment of the 2 United States to promote the safety, health, and 3 well-being of millions of refugees, including the edu- 4 cation of refugee children and displaced persons, 5 who flee war, persecution, or torture in search of 6 peace, hope, and freedom; 7 VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:34 Jun 24, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\SR283.IS SR283 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 4 •SRES 283 IS (2) recognizes those individuals who have risked 1 their lives working, either individually or for non- 2 governmental organizations and international agen- 3 cies, such as the United Nations High Commissioner 4 for Refugees, to provide lifesaving assistance and 5 protection for people displaced around the world; 6 (3) underscores the importance of the United 7 States Refugee Admissions Program as a critical 8 tool for the United States Government to strengthen 9 national and regional security and encourage inter- 10 national solidarity with host countries; 11 (4) calls upon the Secretary of State and 12 United States Ambassador to the United Nations 13 to— 14 (A) continue providing robust funding for 15 refugee protection overseas and resettlement in 16 the United States; 17 (B) uphold the United States international 18 leadership role in responding to displacement 19 crises with humanitarian assistance, and restore 20 its leadership role in the protection of vulner- 21 able refugee populations that endure sexual vio- 22 lence, human trafficking, persecution and vio- 23 lence against religious minorities, forced con- 24 scription, genocide, and exploitation; 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:34 Jun 24, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\SR283.IS SR283 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 5 •SRES 283 IS (C) work in partnership with the inter- 1 national community to find solutions to existing 2 conflicts and prevent new conflicts from begin- 3 ning; 4 (D) continue supporting the efforts of the 5 United Nations High Commissioner for Refu- 6 gees to advance the work of nongovernmental 7 organizations to protect refugees regardless of 8 their country of origin or religious beliefs; 9 (E) continue to alleviate pressures on 10 frontline refugee host countries that absorb the 11 majority of the world’s refugees through hu- 12 manitarian and development support; and 13 (F) respond to the global refugee crisis by 14 meeting robust refugee admissions goals; and 15 (5) reaffirms the goals of ‘‘World Refugee Day’’ 16 and reiterates the strong commitment of the United 17 States to protect the millions of refugees who live 18 without material, social, or legal protections. 19 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:34 Jun 24, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\SR283.IS SR283 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS