[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 132 (Thursday, August 3, 2017)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4889-S4891]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 WOMEN, PEACE, AND SECURITY ACT OF 2017

  Ms. MURKOWSKI. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate 
proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 123, S. 1141.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the bill by title.
  The senior assistant legislative clerk read as follows:

       A bill (S. 1141) 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.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the bill.
  Ms. MURKOWSKI. I ask unanimous consent that the bill be considered 
read a third time.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The bill was ordered to be engrossed for a third reading and was read 
the third time.
  Ms. MURKOWSKI. Mr. President, I know of no further debate on the 
bill.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. If there is no further debate, the bill having 
been read the third time, the question is, Shall the bill pass?
  The bill (S. 1141) was passed, as follows:

                                S. 1141

       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 under-represented 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 
     decisionmaking processes.

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       (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 decisionmaking 
     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 under-represented 
     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 Foreign Relations, the Committee on 
     Armed Services, and the Committee on Appropriations of the 
     Senate; and
       (B) the Committee on Foreign Affairs, the Committee on 
     Armed Services, and the Committee on Appropriations of the of 
     the House of Representatives.

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       (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 non-
     governmental and private sector entities engaged in or 
     affected by conflict prevention and stabilization, peace 
     building, protection, security, transition initiatives, 
     humanitarian response, or related efforts.
  Ms. MURKOWSKI. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the motion 
to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

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