Since the end of the Cold War, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) has shifted its purpose and now provides a critical forum for international parliamentary dialogue on an array of security, political and economic matters. Its principal objective is to foster mutual understanding among Alliance parliamentarians of the key security challenges facing the transatlantic partnership.

I am honored to say that I represent the United States as a member of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, a group of bipartisan lawmakers representing all NATO countries who regularly meet to discuss matters of mutual importance. I believe that it is crucial to U.S. interests at home and abroad to maintain a solid line of communication with our neighbors in the global community.

Since February 2003, the combined effects of drought, desertification and dwindling resources have catalyzed a conflict that is destroying the Darfur region in Sudan. The conflict has been complicated by the large number of militia and rebel groups that are fighting in the region. The U.N. estimates that 450,000 have died and millions have been displaced.

Although this crisis is happening thousands of miles away in Africa, we still must offer whatever assistance we can to stop the violence and force the Sudanese government to take a more humanitarian stance on the conflict. That is why I have cosponsored the following legislation: H.R. 180, the Darfur Accountability and Divestment Act of 2007, which requires the identification of companies that conduct business operations in Sudan and prohibits the U.S. government from contracting with identified businesses; and, H.Con.Res. 7, which is a call for member states of the League of Arab Nations to recognize the atrocities occurring in the Darfur region and asks them to do their part to end the violence there.

Sudan has been the site of one of the greatest tragedies of our day, yet there still has not been enough of a concerted effort to stop this conflict. I believe that we have an obligation to do something about this genocide, and I am pleased to see such widespread support for these resolutions.

Children all over the globe are being forced to leave their families and join military groups to fight in deadly wars they don’t understand. The Coalition to Stop the Use of Child Soldiers believes that there are over 100,000 child soldiers in Africa alone.

It is important for us to now speak out against this devastating problem, which is why I have joined many of my colleagues in supporting H.Con.Res. 75, a resolution denouncing the use of child soldiers for any purpose.

For too long, HIV and AIDS has been pushed under the rug and considered a problem only for the people who are suffering from its effects. In addition, the medical community has only been able to develop medicines to stem the effects of this terrible disease, not cure it.

The World Health Organization estimates that 45 million people have been killed by AIDS since its discovery in 1981. It may seem like an overwhelming task, but I believe that with a continued investment in medical research and a strong commitment to prevention, education and outreach, in the United States and globally, we can teach people how to protect themselves and prevent the spread of this terrible disease. In fact, I am a cosponsor of H.R. 1713, a bill that calls on the President and the Office of the Global AIDS Coordinator to create a strategy to combat the spread of HIV.