Whereas, on September 22, 2021, Presidents Luis Abinader of the Dominican Republic, Laurentino Cortizo of the Republic of Panama, and Carlos Alvarado of the Republic of Costa Rica met in New York during the opening of the 76th session of the United Nations General Assembly to form the Alliance for Development in Democracy (referred to in this preamble as the ADD ); Whereas the member countries of the ADD have committed to work through the ADD to advance institutions that protect the rule of law and individual freedoms; Whereas the ADD promotes regional integration by strengthening cultural, commercial, and demographic ties in the context of free, peaceful, and democratic societies; Whereas the Department of Defense and the Department of State have repeatedly emphasized that the economic encroachment of the Government of the People’s Republic of China into the Western Hemisphere is coercive and represents an acute threat to the national security of the United States and of allies of the United States in the Western Hemisphere; Whereas, during the years preceding the date of adoption of this resolution, United States trade has doubled with the Republic of Costa Rica and the Republic of Panama, and tripled with the Dominican Republic; Whereas, combined, the three founding members of the ADD represent the third-largest trading partner of the United States in the Western Hemisphere; Whereas, on December 10, 2021, the ADD formed a business council to promote the development of trade, investment, and commerce between the ADD and the United States; Whereas, on June 10, 2022, Canada, a critical ally and strategic partner of the United States, and the members of the ADD issued a joint statement committing to working together to address democratic challenges and to prevent the erosion of democracy in the Western Hemisphere; Whereas, on June 16, 2022, the Republic of Ecuador formally joined the ADD as the fourth member of the ADD