December 2, 2025
Mrs. Shaheen (for herself, Mr. Welch, Mr. Schiff, Mr. Durbin, Mr. Grassley, and Mr. Van Hollen) submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations
Recognizing the 30th anniversary of the Dayton Peace Accords.
Whereas December 14, 2025, marks the 30th anniversary of 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 air strikes 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, at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio, culminating in a historic peace agreement on December 14, 1995, to halt the conflict in Bosnia and Herzegovina 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 NATO and European Union (referred to in this preamble as EU
) stabilization missions over the past 30 years have allowed the citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina to live peacefully and to prosper;
Whereas the Dayton Literary Peace Prize, which was established in 2006—
(1)
remains the only literary peace prize awarded in the United States;
(2)
recognizes the power of the written word to promote peace; and
(3)
was renamed the Ambassador Richard C. Holbrooke Award for Distinguished Achievement after the death of Ambassador Holbrooke in 2011;
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—
(1)
reaffirms support for Bosnia and Herzegovina’s sovereignty and territorial integrity; and
(2)
upholds the commitment to equality for all ethnicities according to the Dayton Peace Accords;
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 the 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 Individually Tailored Partnership Programme in October 2025, which—
(1)
strengthens NATO and Bosnia and Herzegovina’s strategic partnership; and
(2)
positions 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
That the Senate—
(1)
reaffirms the joint United States and European Union (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 signing of the Dayton Peace Accords;
(3)
notes the efforts undertaken by the Government of Bosnia and Herzegovina toward North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and EU membership, including measures to resolve its constitutional issues, strengthen its governance 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—
(A)
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; and
(B)
through its respective leaders, to uphold the integrity of the tripartite presidency, strengthen its key institutions, and work to achieve an independent democracy;
(6)
urges the United States Government—
(A)
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; and
(B)
to work closely with Bosnia and Herzegovina and its neighboring countries, especially countries who are signatories of the Dayton Peace Accords, to support full implementation of Stabilisation and Association Agreements between the EU and the Balkan States;
(7)
encourages continued regional cooperation to combat the malign influence of foreign actors, such as the Russian Federation and the People's Republic of China;
(8)
recognizes the State of Ohio and the greater Dayton community for—
(A)
their roles in fostering the Dayton Peace Accords; and
(B)
their continued support for diplomacy, security, and peace around the world; and
(9)
acknowledges the important contributions of the Bosnian-American diaspora in their communities throughout the United States.