[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 162 (2016), Part 2]
[Senate]
[Page 2833]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




   DEVELOPING A STRATEGY TO OBTAIN OBSERVER STATUS FOR TAIWAN IN THE 
               INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL POLICE ORGANIZATION

  Mr. McCONNELL. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the 
Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 358, S. 
2426.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the bill by title.
  The legislative clerk read as follows:

       A bill (S. 2426) to direct the Secretary of State to 
     develop a strategy to obtain observer status for Taiwan in 
     the International Criminal Police Organization, and for other 
     purposes.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the bill.
  Mr. McCONNELL. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the bill 
be read a third time and passed and the motion to reconsider be 
considered made and laid upon the table.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The bill (S. 2426) was ordered to be engrossed for a third reading, 
was read the third time, and passed, as follows:

                                S. 2426

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

     SECTION 1. PARTICIPATION OF TAIWAN IN THE INTERNATIONAL 
                   CRIMINAL POLICE ORGANIZATION.

       (a) Findings.--Congress makes the following findings:
       (1) Safety, security and peace is important to every 
     citizen of the world, and shared information ensuring wide 
     assistance among police authorities of nations for 
     expeditious dissemination of information regarding criminal 
     activities greatly assists in these efforts.
       (2) Direct and unobstructed participation in the 
     International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL) is 
     beneficial for all nations and their police authorities. 
     Internationally shared information with authorized police 
     authorities is vital to peacekeeping efforts.
       (3) With a history dating back to 1914, the role of 
     INTERPOL is defined in its constitution: ``To ensure and 
     promote the widest possible mutual assistance between all 
     criminal police authorities within the limits of the laws 
     existing in the different countries and in the spirit of the 
     Universal Declaration of Human Rights.''.
       (4) Ongoing international threats, including international 
     networks of terrorism, show the ongoing necessity to be ever 
     inclusive of nations willing to work together to combat 
     criminal activity. The ability of police authorities to 
     coordinate, preempt, and act swiftly and in unison is an 
     essential element of crisis prevention and response.
       (5) Taiwan maintained full membership in INTERPOL starting 
     in 1964 through its National Police Administration but was 
     ejected in 1984 when the People's Republic of China (PRC) 
     applied for membership.
       (6) Nonmembership prevents Taiwan from gaining access to 
     INTERPOL's I-24/7 global police communications system, which 
     provides real-time information on criminals and global 
     criminal activities. Taiwan is relegated to second-hand 
     information from friendly nations, including the United 
     States.
       (7) Taiwan is unable to swiftly share information on 
     criminals and suspicious activity with the international 
     community, leaving a huge void in the global crime-fighting 
     efforts and leaving the entire world at risk.
       (8) The United States, in the 1994 Taiwan Policy Review, 
     declared its intention to support Taiwan's participation in 
     appropriate international organizations and has consistently 
     reiterated that support.
       (9) Following the enactment of Public Law 108-235, a law 
     authorizing the Secretary of State to initiate and implement 
     a plan to endorse and obtain observer status for Taiwan at 
     the annual summit of the World Health Assembly and subsequent 
     advocacy by the United States, Taiwan was granted observer 
     status to the World Health Assembly for six consecutive years 
     since 2009. Both prior to and in its capacity as an observer, 
     Taiwan has contributed significantly to the international 
     community's collective efforts in pandemic control, 
     monitoring, early warning, and other related matters.
       (10) INTERPOL's constitution allows for observers at its 
     meetings by ``police bodies which are not members of the 
     Organization''.
       (b) Taiwan's Participation in INTERPOL.--The Secretary of 
     State shall--
       (1) develop a strategy to obtain observer status for Taiwan 
     in INTERPOL and at other related meetings, activities, and 
     mechanisms thereafter; and
       (2) instruct INTERPOL Washington to officially request 
     observer status for Taiwan in INTERPOL and to actively urge 
     INTERPOL member states to support such observer status and 
     participation for Taiwan.
       (c) Report Concerning Observer Status for Taiwan in 
     INTERPOL.--Not later than 90 days after the date of the 
     enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall transmit to 
     Congress a report, in unclassified form, describing the 
     United States strategy to endorse and obtain observer status 
     for Taiwan in appropriate international organizations, 
     including INTERPOL, and at other related meetings, 
     activities, and mechanisms thereafter. The report shall 
     include the following:
       (1) A description of the efforts the Secretary has made to 
     encourage member states to promote Taiwan's bid to obtain 
     observer status in appropriate international organizations, 
     including INTERPOL.
       (2) A description of the actions the Secretary will take to 
     endorse and obtain observer status for Taiwan in appropriate 
     international organizations, including INTERPOL, and at other 
     related meetings, activities, and mechanisms thereafter.

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