[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1414 Introduced in House (IH)]






108th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 1414

  To facilitate the establishment of a United Nations civilian police 
 corps for international peace operations to maintain the rule of law 
      and promote peace and stability in post-conflict situations.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             March 25, 2003

 Mr. McGovern (for himself and Mr. Houghton) introduced the following 
  bill; which was referred to the Committee on International Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To facilitate the establishment of a United Nations civilian police 
 corps for international peace operations to maintain the rule of law 
      and promote peace and stability in post-conflict situations.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``International Rule of Law and 
Antiterrorism Act of 2003''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds the following:
            (1) It is in the national security interest of the United 
        States to support efforts to restore the rule of law in post-
        conflict and failed countries in order to prevent such 
        countries from becoming safe havens for terrorist organizations 
        and organized crime networks that threaten the security of 
        United States interests, citizens, and its allies.
            (2) The responsibility of a civilian police force within a 
        United Nations international peace operation is to help 
        establish and maintain the rule of law and provide for the 
        security necessary for post-conflict reconstruction to take 
        place.
            (3) The restoration of the rule of law, despite its 
        importance, remains a significant weakness of current United 
        Nations international peace operations.

SEC. 3. SUPPORT FOR THE CREATION OF A PROFESSIONAL UN CIVILIAN POLICE 
              CORPS (UNCPC).

    (a) Findings.--Congress finds the following:
            (1) The creation of a professional United Nations civilian 
        police corps (UNCPC) would--
                    (A) greatly reduce the current need for combat 
                soldiers to engage in civilian policing activities;
                    (B) allow combat soldiers who are deployed to be 
                withdrawn earlier from a post-conflict situation 
                without compromising security;
                    (C) allow the United Nations to more rapidly and 
                effectively take responsibility for maintaining a 
                secure environment that allows aid providers to move 
                forward with relief, development, and democracy-
                building tasks;
                    (D) permit the United Nations to recruit civilian 
                police personnel with the appropriate levels of 
                expertise and training in police procedures and United 
                Nations international peace operations, as determined 
                by international standards to be established by the 
                United Nations member states through negotiations; and
                    (E) institute a system of accountability for 
                civilian police in United Nations international peace 
                operations, augmenting present civil disciplinary 
                procedures with a standard code of conduct and an 
                enforcement mechanism implemented in collaboration with 
                United Nations member states.
            (2) The right of the United States to exercise its veto 
        within the United Nations Security Council ensures that no 
        action taken by the United Nations would be detrimental to the 
        interests of the United States.
    (b) Negotiations to Establish a UN Civilian Police Corps.--The 
President shall--
            (1) direct the United States Permanent Representative to 
        the United Nations to use the voice, vote, and influence of the 
        United States to establish negotiations with the United Nations 
        and United Nations member states to establish a professional 
        United Nations civilian police corps (UNCPC);
            (2) direct the Secretary of State to request that the 
        United Nations Secretariat prepare a report concerning the 
        establishment of a professional United Nations civilian police 
        corps; and
            (3) direct the Secretary of State to work with the United 
        Nations Secretariat and other United Nations member states to 
        establish standards and training programs for international 
        civilian police.
    (c) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that a 
professional United Nations civilian police corps established in 
accordance with subsection (b)--
            (1) should be composed of the appropriate number of law 
        enforcement professionals recruited and employed by the United 
        Nations who are appropriately trained and equipped for civilian 
        policing functions in United Nations international peace 
        operations and available for rapid deployment to such 
        international peace operations as needed;
            (2) should be able to deploy not later than 15 days after 
        the date on which a deployment is authorized pursuant to a 
        United Nations Security Council resolution;
            (3) should be managed by the United Nations Civilian Police 
        Division, established in October 2000 and mandated to plan and 
        support the work of United Nations civilian police officers in 
        United Nations peacekeeping operations; and
            (4) should be given the appropriate resources to do its job 
        properly, including funding, equipment, training, logistical 
        support, and staffing, including support personnel as well as 
        corrections and judicial law enforcement professionals.

SEC. 4. REPORT ON STATUS OF NEGOTIATIONS.

    Not later than 6 months after the date of the enactment of this 
Act, and annually thereafter, the President shall transmit to the 
Committee on International Relations of the House of Representatives 
and the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate a report that 
contains a detailed description of the progress of negotiations to 
establish a professional United Nations civilian police corps in 
accordance with section 3(b).

SEC. 5. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Rule of law.--The term ``rule of law'' means the 
        ability of a country, through institutions and other means, to 
        ensure the security and well being of its citizens through the 
        enforcement of public laws.
            (2) United nations international peace operation.--The term 
        ``United Nations international peace operation'' means a field 
        operation conducted by the United Nations, or under the 
        authority of the United Nations Security Council, for the 
        purpose of implementing a peace agreement, the mandate of which 
        may include establishing a secure post-conflict environment and 
        restoring the rule of law, to enable reconstruction and 
        development efforts to be established and carried out.
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