WASHINGTON, DC – Congressman Frank Pallone (D-NJ), the Co-Chairman of the Congressional Armenian Caucus, has expressed his support for legislation (S.Res.307) before the U.S. Senate that would mark the 15th anniversary of the United States becoming a full party to the International Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of Genocide, reported the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA).

Speaking at an August 15th news conference in Yerevan, Rep. Pallone said that he supports the legislation and noted that the bill “was the best approach at this time.” His comments were reported in the August 16th edition of Radio Free Europe’s Newsline.
http://www.rferl.org/newsline/2-tca.asp

The Senate legislation specifically mentions the Armenian Genocide, the Holocaust, and the Rwandan and Cambodian genocides as the types of atrocities that the international community, through the Convention and other means, seeks to prevent. The text of the legislation stresses that, “the enactment of the Genocide Convention Implementation Act marked a principled stand by the United States against the crime of genocide and an important step toward ensuring that the lessons of the Holocaust, the Armenian Genocide, the genocides in Cambodia and Rwanda, among others, will be used to help prevent future genocides.”

Among the Armenian American organizations that have already expressed their support for S.Res.307 are the Apostolic Exarchate for Armenian Catholics; Armenia Fund USA; Armenian American Democratic Leadership Council; Armenian Bar Association; Armenian Council of America – East; Armenian Council of America – West; Armenian National Committee of America; Armenian Relief Society – East; Armenian Relief Society – West; Armenian Youth Federation – East; Armenian Youth Federation – West; Hamazkayn – East; Hamazkayn – West; Homenetmen Armenian General Athletic Union – East; Homenetmen Armenian General Athletic Union – West; Land and Culture Organization; National Organization of Republican Armenians; Prelacy of the Armenian Apostolic Church – East; Prelacy of the Armenian Apostolic Church – West, and; Tekeyan Cultural Association.

Congressman Pallone traveled to Nagorno Karabagh last week with Representative Lloyd Doggett to act as official observers of the Republic of Nagorno Karabagh’s presidential elections.