International Justice and Peace Legislation
The USCCB is concerned with policy development and advocacy on questions of international justice and world peace. It supports public policies to promote international human rights and religious liberty, to encourage foreign assistance, peace and disarmament, and to reduce and resolve religious, ethnic and nationalist conflicts. It also strives to alleviate international poverty via international debt relief for the poorest debtor nations and to alleviate human suffering through such efforts as the eradication of anti-personnel land mines. We encourage you to visit the web site of the USCCB department of International Justice & Peace for more information.
Legislative Issues in the 110th Congress:
Colombia:
Support legislation that promotes human rights and the peace process.
Cuba Sanctions:
Support legislation to lift restrictions on travel and on the sale of food and medicines to Cuba as steps toward an eventual end of economic sanctions.
Food Security in Africa:
Support legislation to provide both humanitarian assistance to African nations facing severe food shortages and mid-term and long-term solutions for Africa’s food security.
Global Climate Change:
Support provisions in global climate change legislation that assist the poor in adapting or mitigating the impacts of climate change and support legislative provisions that would assist developing countries in adopting conservation programs and energy efficient and, renewable technologies that promote sustainable development while ameliorating the impact of global warming on the poor.
Global Poverty:
Seek measures to require the U.S. Government to research, analyze and report on the impact of aspects of U.S. policy, globalization and trade on poor people and communities, as well as on vulnerable workers.
Indiscriminate Weapons:
Support legislation to restrict the U.S. procurement of anti-personnel land mines and efforts to address the issue of cluster bombs.
International Debt Relief:
Support legislation on continuing multilateral debt cancellation for poor countries.
International Peace and Reconciliation Initiatives:
In the Middle East support legislation and related initiatives that contribute to a revival of the peace process between Israelis and Palestinians;
In the Sudan support legislation and related activities to enhance the peace process, promote respect for human rights, and ensure delivery of humanitarian assistance, particularly in Darfur;
In other areas of Africa especially in the Horn of Africa and the Great Lakes Region support legislation to promote peace, security and justice in areas of conflict.
Iraq:
Support legislative initiatives that provide for a “responsible transition” in Iraq, including enhancing U.S. support for U.N. and other multilateral efforts to stabilize and rebuild Iraq, funding humanitarian relief and reconstruction the generates Iraqi employment, congressional action to address torture, human rights and religious freedom for Christians and other religious minorities in Iraq and for an equitable distribution of aid to all groups.
Landmines:
Support ratification of the Ottawa Mine Ban Treaty.
Natural Resources of Developing Nations:
(Extractives Industries and Conflict Diamonds) Support legislation that would require a public accounting of revenues from extractive industries to ensure that resource-rich developing nations invest in sustainable economic development for their people, especially the poor and legislation designed to strengthen conditions for the sale and distribution of diamonds and to promote a more responsible use of revenues to reduce the likelihood of funding armed conflict.
Nuclear Weapons:
Oppose legislation that funds the development of new nuclear weapons systems.
Monitor congressional action related to weapons of mass destruction, e.g. Iran, North Korea.
Trade Policy:
Support provisions in legislation related to the reauthorization of the President’s Trade Promotion Authority consistent with the Bishops’ moral criteria for trade policy; support provisions in legislation relating to U.S. bi-lateral and regional trade agreements consistent with the Bishops’ criteria, including as developments warrant: Haiti, US-Colombia Free Trade Agreement (FTA), US-Peru FTA, and the Free Trade Area of the Americas; and support provisions in the Farm Bill that reform trade distorting farm supports that hurt poor farmers in developing countries. (See Domestic Social Development for provisions to support U.S. farmers, rural communities and conservation.)