ASSOCIATION OF DEMOCRATIC NATIONS.

SEC. 1005. ASSOCIATION OF DEMOCRATIC NATIONS. (a) Findings.— The Congress makes the following findings: (1) It is the policy of the United States to support and promote democratic values and institutions around the world. (2) Over the last decade, the United States, in concert with other nations, has provided support to those working for democracy in many nations throughout the world. (3) Such support has advanced the cause of freedom and democracy in those nations by providing international technical expertise on holding free and fair elections, providing international observers to document the conduct of the elections, and in offering economic and humanitarian support to newly established democracies. (4) On June 8, 1989, at the commencement ceremonies at Harvard University, the newest leader of a democratic nation, Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto of Pakistan, called for the establishment of an Association of Democratic Nations to support the right of peoples everywhere to choose freely their own government. (5) The goals of the Association would be to promote— (A) the holding of elections at regular intervals which are open to the participation of all significant political parties, which are fairly administered, and in which the franchise is broad or universal; (B) respect for fundamental human rights, including freedom of expression, freedom of conscience, and freedom of association; (C) international recognition of legitimate elections through international election observer missions at all stages of the election, including the campaign, the voting, and the ballot counting; (D) the mobilization of international opinion and economic measures against the military overthrow of democratic governments; and 104 STAT. 88 (E) the provision of economic assistance to strengthen and support democratic nations. (b) Policy.— It is the sense of the Congress that— (1) the proposal offered by Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto of Pakistan would further the cause of democracy, freedom, and justice and is in the interest of the United States; and (2) the President of the United States should give serious consideration to the implementation of the proposal, and should provide by December 31, 1989, a report to the Congress assessing the merits of, and estimated annual costs of, establishing such an Association of Democratic Nations.