[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2484 Introduced in House (IH)]

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115th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 2484

To ensure that the United States promotes the meaningful participation 
  of women in mediation and negotiation processes seeking to prevent, 
                 mitigate, or resolve violent conflict.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 17, 2017

 Mrs. Noem (for herself, Ms. Schakowsky, Mr. Royce of California, and 
  Mr. Engel) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the Committee on Armed 
Services, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in 
   each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the 
                jurisdiction of the committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To ensure that the United States promotes the meaningful participation 
  of women in mediation and negotiation processes seeking to prevent, 
                 mitigate, or resolve violent conflict.

    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 ``Women, Peace, and Security Act of 
2017''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress makes the following findings:
            (1) Around the world, women remain underrepresented in 
        conflict prevention, conflict resolution, and post-conflict 
        peace building efforts.
            (2) Women in conflict-affected regions have achieved 
        significant success in--
                    (A) moderating violent extremism;
                    (B) countering terrorism;
                    (C) resolving disputes through nonviolent mediation 
                and negotiation; and
                    (D) stabilizing societies by enhancing the 
                effectiveness of security services, peacekeeping 
                efforts, institutions, and decision-making processes.
            (3) Research suggests that peace negotiations are more 
        likely to succeed and to result in durable peace agreements 
        when women participate in the peace process.

SEC. 3. SENSE OF CONGRESS.

    It is the sense of Congress that--
            (1) the meaningful participation of women in conflict 
        prevention and conflict resolution processes helps to promote 
        more inclusive and democratic societies and is critical to the 
        long-term stability of countries and regions;
            (2) the political participation, and leadership of women in 
        fragile environments, particularly during democratic 
        transitions, is critical to sustaining lasting democratic 
        institutions; and
            (3) the United States should be a global leader in 
        promoting the meaningful participation of women in conflict 
        prevention, management, and resolution, and post-conflict 
        relief and recovery efforts.

SEC. 4. STATEMENT OF POLICY.

    It shall be the policy of the United States to promote the 
meaningful participation of women in all aspects of overseas conflict 
prevention, management, and resolution, and post-conflict relief and 
recovery efforts, reinforced through diplomatic efforts and programs 
that--
            (1) integrate the perspectives and interests of affected 
        women into conflict-prevention activities and strategies;
            (2) encourage partner governments to adopt plans to improve 
        the meaningful participation of women in peace and security 
        processes and decision-making institutions;
            (3) promote the physical safety, economic security, and 
        dignity of women and girls;
            (4) support the equal access of women to aid distribution 
        mechanisms and services;
            (5) collect and analyze gender data for the purpose of 
        developing and enhancing early warning systems of conflict and 
        violence;
            (6) adjust policies and programs to improve outcomes in 
        gender equality and the empowerment of women; and
            (7) monitor, analyze, and evaluate the efforts related to 
        each strategy submitted under section 5 and the impact of such 
        efforts.

SEC. 5. UNITED STATES STRATEGY TO PROMOTE THE PARTICIPATION OF WOMEN IN 
              CONFLICT PREVENTION AND PEACE BUILDING.

    (a) Requirement.--Not later than one year after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, and again four years thereafter, the President, 
in consultation with the heads of the relevant Federal departments and 
agencies, shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees and 
make publicly available a single government-wide strategy, to be known 
as the Women, Peace, and Security Strategy, that provides a detailed 
description of how the United States intends to fulfill the policy 
objectives in section 4. The strategy shall--
            (1) support and be aligned with plans developed by other 
        countries to improve the meaningful participation of women in 
        peace and security processes, conflict prevention, peace 
        building, transitional processes, and decision-making 
        institutions; and
            (2) include specific and measurable goals, benchmarks, 
        performance metrics, timetables, and monitoring and evaluation 
        plans to ensure the accountability and effectiveness of all 
        policies and initiatives carried out under the strategy.
    (b) Specific Plans for Departments and Agencies.--Each strategy 
under subsection (a) shall include a specific implementation plan from 
each of the relevant Federal departments and agencies that describes--
            (1) the anticipated contributions of the department or 
        agency, including technical, financial, and in-kind 
        contributions, to implement the strategy; and
            (2) the efforts of the department or agency to ensure that 
        the policies and initiatives carried out pursuant to the 
        strategy are designed to achieve maximum impact and long-term 
        sustainability.
    (c) Coordination.--The President should promote the meaningful 
participation of women in conflict prevention, in coordination and 
consultation with international partners, including, as appropriate, 
multilateral organizations, stakeholders, and other relevant 
international organizations, particularly in situations in which the 
direct engagement of the United States Government is not appropriate or 
advisable.
    (d) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that the 
President, in implementing each strategy submitted under subsection 
(a), should--
            (1) provide technical assistance, training, and logistical 
        support to female negotiators, mediators, peace builders, and 
        stakeholders;
            (2) address security-related barriers to the meaningful 
        participation of women;
            (3) encourage increased participation of women in existing 
        programs funded by the United States Government that provide 
        training to foreign nationals regarding law enforcement, the 
        rule of law, or professional military education;
            (4) support appropriate local organizations, especially 
        women's peace building organizations;
            (5) support the training, education, and mobilization of 
        men and boys as partners in support of the meaningful 
        participation of women;
            (6) encourage the development of transitional justice and 
        accountability mechanisms that are inclusive of the experiences 
        and perspectives of women and girls;
            (7) expand and apply gender analysis, as appropriate, to 
        improve program design and targeting; and
            (8) conduct assessments that include the perspectives of 
        women regarding new initiatives in support of peace 
        negotiations, transitional justice and accountability, efforts 
        to counter violent extremism, or security sector reform.

SEC. 6. TRAINING REQUIREMENTS REGARDING THE PARTICIPATION OF WOMEN IN 
              CONFLICT PREVENTION AND PEACE BUILDING.

    (a) Foreign Service.--The Secretary of State, in conjunction with 
the Administrator of the United States Agency for International 
Development, shall ensure that all appropriate personnel (including 
special envoys, members of mediation or negotiation teams, relevant 
members of the civil service or Foreign Service, and contractors) 
responsible for or deploying to countries or regions considered to be 
at risk of, undergoing, or emerging from violent conflict obtain 
training, as appropriate, in the following areas, each of which shall 
include a focus on women and ensuring meaningful participation by 
women:
            (1) Conflict prevention, mitigation, and resolution.
            (2) Protecting civilians from violence, exploitation, and 
        trafficking in persons.
            (3) International human rights law and international 
        humanitarian law.
    (b) Department of Defense.--The Secretary of Defense shall ensure 
that relevant personnel receive training, as appropriate, in the 
following areas:
            (1) Training in conflict prevention, peace processes, 
        mitigation, resolution, and security initiatives that 
        specifically addresses the importance of meaningful 
        participation by women.
            (2) Gender considerations and meaningful participation by 
        women, including training regarding--
                    (A) international human rights law and 
                international humanitarian law, as relevant; and
                    (B) protecting civilians from violence, 
                exploitation, and trafficking in persons.
            (3) Effective strategies and best practices for ensuring 
        meaningful participation by women.

SEC. 7. CONSULTATION AND COLLABORATION.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary of State and the Administrator of 
the United States Agency for International Development may establish 
guidelines or take other steps to ensure overseas United States 
personnel of the Department of State or the United States Agency for 
International Development, as the case may be, consult with appropriate 
stakeholders, including local women, youth, ethnic and religious 
minorities, and other politically underrepresented or marginalized 
populations, regarding United States efforts to--
            (1) prevent, mitigate, or resolve violent conflict; and
            (2) enhance the success of mediation and negotiation 
        processes by ensuring the meaningful participation of women.
    (b) Collaboration and Coordination.--The Secretary of State should 
work with international, regional, national, and local organizations to 
increase the meaningful participation of women in international 
peacekeeping operations, and should promote training that provides 
international peacekeeping personnel with the substantive knowledge and 
skills needed to ensure effective physical security and meaningful 
participation of women in conflict prevention and peace building.

SEC. 8. REPORTS TO CONGRESS.

    (a) Briefing.--Not later than 1 year after the date of the first 
submission of a strategy required under section 5, the Secretary of 
State, in conjunction with the Administrator of the United States 
Agency for International Development and the Secretary of Defense, 
shall brief the appropriate congressional committees on existing, 
enhanced, or newly established training carried out pursuant to section 
6.
    (b) Report on Women, Peace, and Security Strategy.--Not later than 
2 years after the date of the submission of each strategy required 
under section 5, the President shall submit to the appropriate 
congressional committees a report that--
            (1) summarizes and evaluates the implementation of such 
        strategy and the impact of United States diplomatic efforts and 
        foreign assistance programs, projects, and activities to 
        promote the meaningful participation of women;
            (2) describes the nature and extent of the coordination 
        among the relevant Federal departments and agencies on the 
        implementation of such strategy;
            (3) outlines the monitoring and evaluation tools, 
        mechanisms, and common indicators to assess progress made on 
        the policy objectives set forth in section 4; and
            (4) describes the existing, enhanced, or newly established 
        training carried out pursuant to section 6.

SEC. 9. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Appropriate congressional committees.--The term 
        ``appropriate congressional committees'' means--
                    (A) the Committee on Appropriations, the Committee 
                on Armed Services, and the Committee on Foreign 
                Relations of the Senate; and
                    (B) the Committee on Appropriations, the Committee 
                on Armed Services, and the Committee on Foreign Affairs 
                of the House of Representatives.
            (2) Relevant federal departments and agencies.--The term 
        ``relevant Federal departments and agencies'' means--
                    (A) the United States Agency for International 
                Development;
                    (B) the Department of State;
                    (C) the Department of Defense;
                    (D) the Department of Homeland Security; and
                    (E) any other department or agency specified by the 
                President for purposes of this Act.
            (3) Stakeholders.--The term ``stakeholders'' means 
        nongovernmental and private sector entities engaged in or 
        affected by conflict prevention and stabilization, peace 
        building, protection, security, transition initiatives, 
        humanitarian response, or related efforts.
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