THE SENATE

S.C.R. NO.

33

TWENTY-SECOND LEGISLATURE, 2004

 

STATE OF HAWAII

 
   


SENATE CONCURRENT

RESOLUTION

 

requesting the governor to initiate state relations with the state of rabat-salÉ-zemmour-zaËr, kingdom of morocco.

 

 

WHEREAS, Hawaii maintains a heritage of international participation and cultural sensitivity unparalleled in other states due to its multicultural population in existence during 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 thirteen sister-state relationships; and

WHEREAS, the Legislature finds it to be 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 Kingdom of Morocco and the state of Rabat-Salé-Zemmour-Zaër, as both host to an international youth congress 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 International Youth Congress in August of 2003; and

WHEREAS, the Legislature notes a further connection between out states that includes 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 United States Department of State and the Moroccan-American Commission on Educational and Cultural Exchange; and

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

WHEREAS, Mr. Jan Rumi, who attended the Second World Youth Congress in 2003 as an adult observer, and is due to be confirmed as the Honorary Counsel to 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 east Atlantic coast, including the city of Rabat, the seat of the Kingdom of Morocco; and

WHEREAS, the Legislature notes the ongoing negotiations between the United States government and the Kingdom of Morocco in securing 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 strives for a higher degree of specificity in the framework of its sister-state relations; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Twenty-second Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2004, the House of Representatives concurring, that the Governor is requested to initiate state relations with the state of Rabat-Salé-Zemmour-Zaër, Kingdom of Morocco, to frame the context of state relations between our two states, to include but not be limited to economic, social, governmental, educational, and cultural exchange; 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 twenty days before the convening of the Regular Session of 2005; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the United States Secretary of State and the embassy in Rabat are requested to assist in the matters resolved by this Concurrent Resolution; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the business community of Hawaii is also requested to assist in the matters resolved 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, Secretary of State of the United States of America;

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

(3) The Honorable Robert Zoellick, the United States Trade Representative;

(4) The Honorable Thomas Riley, the United States Ambassador-designee to the Kingdom of Morocco;

(5) His Excellency Mr. Aziz Mekouar, the Moroccan Ambassador to the United States of America;

(6) The United States 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, Ph.D., Ed.D., 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.

 

 

 

OFFERED BY:

_____________________________

Report Title:

State Relations; State of Rabat-Salé-Zemmour-Zaër