[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4420 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
117th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 4420
To repeal the 25 percent cap on United States contributions to United
Nations peacekeeping operations, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
July 13, 2021
Ms. Jacobs of California (for herself, Mr. Castro of Texas, Ms. Bass,
Mr. Cicilline, Mr. Phillips, and Mr. Malinowski) introduced the
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To repeal the 25 percent cap on United States contributions to United
Nations peacekeeping operations, and for other purposes.
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 ``United States Commitment to
Peacekeeping Act of 2021''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress finds as follows:
(1) United Nations (UN) peacekeeping operations are a
critical force-multiplier for the United States, and decades of
research has found peacekeeping to be highly effective in
reducing civilian deaths, shortening the duration of conflicts,
containing the geographic spread of war, and reducing the
likelihood of conflict reoccurrence and sexual and gender-based
violence.
(2) The Government Accountability Office found in 2006 and
2018 reviews that it is eight times cheaper to financially
support a United Nations mission than to deploy United States
military forces.
(3) Every UN member state is legally required to finance
the UN's peacekeeping budget in order to ensure that these
missions are properly resourced, and assessment rates are
renegotiated every three years by the UN General Assembly. In
2018 the United States voted in support of the current rate
structure, which sets United States peacekeeping contributions
at 27.89 percent.
(4) Since fiscal year 2017, the United States has accrued
more than $1 billion in debt on its financial obligations to UN
peacekeeping, due to congressional enforcement of a 1994 law
that limits United States contributions to 25 percent of the
total UN peacekeeping budget in any fiscal year after 1995.
(5) Since fiscal year 2000, Congress has, on a bipartisan
basis, lifted the 25 percent cap 15 times, including
retroactively for calendar years 2006-2008 during the Bush
Administration.
(6) In 2019, the Department of State reported to Congress
the following impacts of growing United States arrears to the
UN: ``(1) Loss of vote or inability to be a member of governing
bodies; (2) Diminished U.S. standing and diminished ability to
pursue U.S. priorities; (3) Reduced U.S. ability to promote
increased oversight and accountability through reforms that
promote efficiency, cost savings, and improved management
practices; (4) Reduced standing needed to successfully promote
qualified U.S. citizens to assume senior management roles; and
(5) Impairments of peacekeeping missions to operate, including
addressing objectives that may directly impact the national
security of the United States''.
(7) United States ongoing accrual of arrears is having a
negative impact on the financial health of UN peacekeeping with
low and middle-income countries, who voluntarily provide the
bulk of the troops, police, and equipment to these missions,
not being adequately reimbursed for their contributions and
shouldering an increasing financial burden.
(8) The People's Republic of China is now the second
largest financial contributor to UN peacekeeping, having gone
from an assessment rate of just 3 percent in 2008 to more than
15 percent in 2021, and is the ninth largest troop-contributor
to UN missions, providing more personnel than the other four
permanent members of the Security Council combined.
(9) The People's Republic of China has used this expanded
influence to argue against human rights, civilian protection,
and gender-based violence personnel within UN peacekeeping
operations, in part using United States funding shortfalls as a
pretext to downsize peacekeeping missions.
(10) Prior to fiscal year 2017, when the United States was
paying its peacekeeping dues at the full assessed rate, the
United States and the UN worked together to institute a number
of cost-saving and efficiency reforms, including reducing the
cost per peacekeeper by 18 percent, reducing the number of
support staff, and shortening the timeline between when a
mission is mandated and when personnel, equipment, and services
are fully deployed.
(11) Beginning in 2015 and with the support of the United
States, the UN strengthened measures to combat sexual abuse and
exploitation by peacekeepers, including strict timelines for
completing investigations; immediate response teams inside
peacekeeping missions to handle allegations; suspending
payments to countries whose troops face credible allegations of
misconduct; repatriation of units engaged in systematic abuse;
establishing an online database to track allegations and
investigations; appointing the first Special Coordinator on
Improving the United Nations Response to Sexual Exploitation
and Abuse and the first Victims' Rights Advocate; and
establishing a trust fund to support and assist victims.
(12) Improving U.S. financial standing at the UN would
allow the U.S. to more effectively advocate for a range of
reform efforts, including supporting strategies that have been
particularly effective in reducing sexual and gender-based
violence where peacekeepers operate, while also continuing to
strengthen measures to end instances of sexual exploitation and
abuse in UN peacekeeping operations.
(13) In 2021, the top positions at nine UN specialized
agencies, funds, and programs will be decided, and the United
States will be better positioned to argue for its own preferred
candidates at UN entities if it is in good financial standing
at the UN.
(14) In 2018, during the triennial scales of assessment
rate negotiations, the United States was unable to deliver
significant changes in rates due in part to outstanding
arrears.
(15) In 2021, the scale of assessments negotiations will
occur again and a demonstrated willingness to pay United States
assessments in full will play an important role in garnering
support from other UN member states.
SEC. 3. STATEMENT OF POLICY CONCERNING UNITED STATES ENGAGEMENT
REGARDING UNITED NATIONS PEACEKEEPING OPERATIONS.
(a) In General.--It is the policy of the United States that the
Permanent Representative of the United States to the United Nations--
(1) support the development and implementation of standard
performance assessment systems and investigative measures to
identify exemplary performance and address mission-specific and
system-wide weaknesses;
(2) support the full implementation of a management reform
agenda that decentralizes decision-making authority, simplifies
and streamlines policy and processes, and strengthens
accountability and transparency for managing United Nations
offices and functions;
(3) advocate for the development of a common political
strategy in-country among relevant actors, including regional
organizations, Member States, international financial
institutions, and United Nations agencies, funds, and programs;
(4) advocate for robust engagement with host countries and
local communities, including pushing for resources to be
directed to community-led peace initiatives;
(5) support efforts to deploy more mobile, adaptable, and
agile forces for more effective peacekeeping operations;
(6) support the development of a system-wide strategy on
sustainable peacekeeping transitions that ensure planning and
decision-making is based on measurable benchmarks, including
ensuring the protection of civilians;
(7) lead and advocate for efforts to promote and protect
internationally recognized human rights standards regarding
United Nations peacekeeping operations, including the robust
funding and support of human rights positions;
(8) advocate for efforts to develop a more comprehensive
plan for accountability and justice, particularly relating to
tracking misconduct and inclusion of survivors in decision-
making, for peacekeepers and other United Nations staff
involved in sexual exploitation, abuse, or other violations of
human rights that contravene United Nations and United States
rules, regulations, or values; and
(9) engage in dialogue with Member States to secure a more
favorable modification of United Nations scales of assessments
of the peacekeeping budget that works to diversify the funding
base and create a sustainable funding plan.
(b) Advocacy of Peacekeeping Reforms at the United Nations.--The
Secretary of State shall instruct the Permanent Representative of the
United States to the United Nations to use the voice, vote, and
influence of the United States at the United Nations to accomplish the
policy specified in subsection (a), consistent with the national
security interests of the United States.
SEC. 4. REPEAL OF THE 25 PERCENT CAP ON UNITED STATES CONTRIBUTIONS TO
UNITED NATIONS PEACEKEEPING OPERATIONS.
(a) In General.--Subsection (b) of section 404 of the Foreign
Relations Authorization Act, Fiscal Years 1994 and 1995 (Public Law
103-236; 22 U.S.C. 287e note; relating to a limitation on United States
contributions to United Nations peacekeeping operations) is repealed.
(b) Technical and Conforming Amendment.--Section 404 of the Foreign
Relations Authorization Act, Fiscal Years 1994 and 1995 is amended by
striking ``(a) Reassessment of Contributions Percentages.--''.
SEC. 5. REPORTS ON UNITED STATES EFFORTS TO ACHIEVE UNITED NATIONS
PEACEKEEPING REFORM.
Section 4 of the United Nations Participation Act of 1945 (22
U.S.C. 287b) is amended--
(1) in subsection (c)--
(A) in paragraph (3)--
(i) by striking subparagraph (B); and
(ii) redesignating subparagraph (C) as
subparagraph (B);
(B) by redesignating paragraphs (4) and (5) as
paragraphs (5) and (6), respectively;
(C) by inserting after paragraph (3) the following
new paragraph:
``(4) United nations peacekeeping reform.--A description of
the status of United States efforts in the United Nations to
ensure the United Nations--
``(A) develops and implements standard peacekeeping
operation performance assessment systems and
investigative measures to identify exemplary
performance and address operation-specific and system-
wide weaknesses;
``(B) fully implements a management reform agenda
that decentralizes decision-making authority,
simplifies and streamlines policy and processes, and
strengthens accountability and transparency for
managing United Nations offices and functions;
``(C) develops for each peacekeeping operation a
common political strategy in-country among relevant
actors, including regional organizations, Member
States, international financial institutions, and
United Nations agencies, funds, and programs;
``(D) fully engages with host countries and local
communities, including directing resources to
community-led peace initiatives;
``(E) deploys more mobile, adaptable, and agile
forces for more effective peacekeeping operations;
``(F) develops a system-wide strategy on
sustainable peacekeeping transitions that ensure
planning and decision-making is based on measurable
benchmarks, including ensuring the protection of
civilians;
``(G) implements a system-wide strategy to protect
internationally recognized human rights standards
within United Nations peacekeeping operations,
including robust funding and support of human rights
positions within each peacekeeping operation;
``(H) develops a more comprehensive plan for
accountability and justice, particularly relating to
tracking misconduct and inclusion of survivors in
decision-making, for peacekeepers and other United
Nations staff involved in sexual exploitation, abuse,
or other violations of human rights that contravene
United Nations and United States rules, regulations, or
values; and
``(I) modifies the United Nations scales of
assessments of the peacekeeping budget to diversify the
funding base and create a sustainable funding plan.'';
and
(2) in subsection (d)(5), by striking subparagraph (B).
SEC. 6. REPORTING REQUIREMENTS.
(a) Strengthening Conflict Prevention in United Nations Missions.--
Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act,
the Secretary of State shall submit to the appropriate congressional
committees a report analyzing the ways in which conflict prevention
aspects of United Nations missions may be strengthened. Such report
shall include--
(1) an analysis of the performance of existing early
warning and rapid response systems and recommendations for the
improvement of such systems;
(2) an analysis on the performance of the civilian
components of United Nations special political missions and
peacekeeping operations and recommendations for strengthening
such components;
(3) recommendations on how other United Nations entities,
including the United Nations Peacebuilding Fund, special
political missions, and other agencies, funds, and programs
could be better coordinated in a joint strategy; and
(4) an assessment of the costs and benefits of the
Department of State and the United States Agency for
International Development sharing risk analysis data with
select multilateral organizations, under specific
circumstances, to better promote conflict prevention before
peacekeeping engagement is needed.
(b) Ensuring Considerations for Mission Transitions Are Based on
Comprehensive Assessments of Conflict Dynamics and Risks to
Civilians.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of
this Act, the Secretary of State shall submit to the appropriate
congressional committees a report that analyzes the observed
challenges, costs, and benefits of transitioning United Nations
peacekeeping operations to host-country security forces, including--
(1) case studies of communities that maintained peace and
stabilization gains compared with communities that experienced
a resurgence in instability, violence, or conflict at least
five years after such a transition;
(2) an analysis of the transition process and the
effectiveness of measures to maintain long-term peace; and
(3) an assessment of any additional resources needed to
maintain peace and stabilization gains achieved after such a
transition.
(c) Appropriate Congressional Committees Defined.--In this section,
the term ``appropriate congressional committees'' means--
(1) the Committee on Foreign Relations and the Committee on
Appropriations of the Senate; and
(2) the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Committee on
Appropriations of the House of Representatives.
<all>