HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.C.R. NO.

36

TWENTY-SECOND LEGISLATURE, 2004

H.D. 1

STATE OF HAWAII

 
   


HOUSE CONCURRENT

RESOLUTION

 

AUTHORIZING and requesting the governor to ESTABLISH A SISTER-state relationship BETWEEN the state of HAWAII of the UNITED STATES AND THE STATE OF rabat-salÉ-zemmour-zaËr of the kingdom of morocco.

 

 

WHEREAS, Hawaii maintains a heritage of international participation and cultural sensitivity unparalleled in other states due to its multicultural population since the reign of the Hawaiian monarchy in the early nineteenth century; and

WHEREAS, since 1981, the Legislature has instituted sister-state relationships as a means of asserting its active participation in international matters; and

WHEREAS, Hawaii currently maintains 13 sister-state relationships; and

WHEREAS, the Legislature finds it advantageous to continue to pursue sister-state relationships, for both cultural and economic development reasons, with attention focused on fostering the most productive ties; and

WHEREAS, Hawaii initiated informal relations with the Moroccan state of Rabat-Salé-Zemmour-Zaër, as both states hosted a World Youth Congress assembly administered by Peace Child International of the United Kingdom; and

WHEREAS, the Legislature extends its gratitude to His Majesty King Mohammed VI and his prime minister, His Excellency Mr. Driss Jettou, for graciously hosting Hawaii's designated representative to Morocco at the Moroccan-hosted Second World Youth Congress in August, 2003; and

WHEREAS, the Legislature notes many other connections between our states, including the semester-long visit of Mr. Driss Semlani, a teacher from El Malek Assaadi High School in Kenitra, Morocco, to Hawaii in the spring of 2002 as part of the New Initiative Teacher Exchange program, an initiative of the U.S. Department of State and the Moroccan-American Commission on Educational and Cultural Exchange; and

WHEREAS, the Legislature also notes that Ms. Atiqa Hachimi, a Moroccan citizen and doctoral candidate in linguistics at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, has been working diligently to expand the Arabic language program at the University; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Jan Rumi, who attended the Second World Youth Congress in 2003 as an adult observer, is due to be confirmed as the Honorary Counsel for the Kingdom of Morocco located in Honolulu; and

WHEREAS, the state of Rabat-Salé-Zemmour-Zaër maintains a population of about two million residents, three-fourths of whom live in urban areas on the eastern Atlantic coast, including the city of Rabat, the seat of the Kingdom of Morocco; and

WHEREAS, the Legislature finds that, pending Congressional ratification, negotiations have been completed between the United States government and the Kingdom of Morocco to secure a free trade agreement as part of the Middle East Free Trade Area Initiative of President George W. Bush; and

WHEREAS, His Excellency Mr. Hassan Amrani, the Governor of the state of Rabat-Salé-Zemmour-Zaër, has expressed his wish to pursue a sister-state relationship with Hawaii; and

WHEREAS, the Legislature believes this relationship would be mutually beneficial and sustainable, advancing its goals for international peace and brotherhood; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Twenty-second Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2004, the Senate concurring, that the Governor is authorized and requested to take all necessary actions to establish a sister-state relationship with the state of Rabat-Salé-Zemmour-Zaër, Kingdom of Morocco, to include economic, social, governmental, educational, and cultural exchange; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the state of Rabat-Salé-Zemmour-Zaër be offered the privileges and honors that Hawaii extends to its sister-states and provinces; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this sister-state relationship continue until July 1, 2009; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Governor is requested to report to the Legislature on the progress made with respect to this Concurrent Resolution no later than 20 days before the convening of the Regular Session of 2005; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the U.S. Secretary of State and the embassy in Rabat are requested to assist in the matters proposed by this Concurrent Resolution; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the business community of Hawaii is also requested to assist in the matters proposed by this Concurrent Resolution, as in all matters concerning sister-state relations; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the following persons:

(1) The Honorable Colin Powell, U.S. Secretary of State;

(2) His Excellency Mr. Mohamed Benaïssa, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Kingdom of Morocco;

(3) The Honorable Robert Zoellick, the U.S. Trade Representative;

(4) The Honorable Thomas Riley, the U.S. Ambassador-designee to the Kingdom of Morocco;

(5) His Excellency Mr. Aziz Mekouar, the Moroccan Ambassador to the U.S.;

(6) The Congressional delegation from Hawaii;

(7) The Honorable Linda Lingle, Governor of Hawaii;

(8) His Excellency Mr. Hassan Amrani, the Governor of the state of Rabat-Salé-Zemmour-Zaër;

(9) Mr. Evan Dobelle, President of the University of Hawaii;

(10) Mr. Jim Tollefson, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Chamber of Commerce of Hawaii; and

(11) Mr. Jan Rumi, Honorary Counsel for the Kingdom of Morocco.

Report Title:

Sister-state relationship with Rabat-Salé-Zemmour-Zaër, Morocco