[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 30, Number 19 (Monday, May 16, 1994)]
[Pages 1016-1017]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Message to the Congress on Haiti

May 7, 1994

To the Congress of the United States:

    On October 4, 1991, pursuant to the International Emergency Economic 
Powers Act (``IEEPA'') (50 U.S.C. 1703 et seq.) and section 301 of the 
National Emergencies Act (``NEA'') (50 U.S.C. 1601 et seq.), President 
Bush exercised his statutory authority to issue Executive Order No. 
12775 on October 4, 1991, declaring a national emergency and blocking 
Haitian government property.
    On October 28, 1991, pursuant to the above authorities, President 
Bush exercised his statutory authority to issue Executive Order No. 
12779 on October 28, 1991, blocking property of and prohibiting 
transactions with Haiti.
    On June 30, 1993, pursuant to the above authorities, as well as the 
United Nations Participation Act of 1945, as amended (``UNPA'') (22 
U.S.C. 287c) I exercised my statutory authority to issue Executive Order 
No. 12853 on June 30, 1993, to impose additional economic measures with 
respect to Haiti. This latter action was taken, in part, to ensure that 
the economic measures taken by the United States with respect to Haiti 
would conform to United Nations Security Council Resolution 841 (June 
16, 1993).
    On October 18, 1993, pursuant to the IEEPA and the NEA, I again 
exercised my statutory authority to issue Executive Order No. 12872 on 
October 18, 1993, blocking property of various persons with respect to 
Haiti.
    On May 6, 1994, the United Nations Security Council adopted 
Resolution 917, calling on Member States to take additional measures to 
tighten the embargo against Haiti. These include, inter alia, a 
requirement that Member States deny permission for take off, landing or 
overflight to any aircraft flying to or from Haiti, other than aircraft 
on regularly scheduled commercial passenger flights. In addition, the 
Resolution strongly urges, but does not mandate, the freezing of funds 
and financial resources of officers of the military in Haiti, including 
police, major participants in the coup d'etat of 1991, and in illegal 
governments since the coup d'etat, those employed by, or acting on 
behalf of, the military, and immediate family members of the foregoing. 
Effective at 11:59 p.m. e.d.t., May 8, 1994, I have taken additional 
steps pursuant to the above statutory authorities to enhance the 
implementation of this international embargo and to conform to United 
Nations Security Council Resolution 917.
    This new Executive order:
    --bans arriving and departing flights and overflights stopping or 
      originating in Haiti, except regularly scheduled commercial 
      passenger flights;
    --blocks the funds and financial resources, subject to the 
      jurisdiction of the United States, of the individuals specified in 
      Resolution 917, identified above;
    --prohibits any transaction that evades or avoids or has the purpose 
      of evading or avoiding, or attempts to violate, any of the 
      prohibitions of this order; and
    --authorizes the Secretary of the Treasury, in consultation with the 
      Secretary of State, to issue regulations implementing the 
      provisions of the Executive order.
    The new Executive order is necessary to implement certain provisions 
of United Nations Security Council Resolution 917 of May 6, 1994, that 
are to take effect without delay. Further measures, including a 
comprehen- 

[[Page 1017]]

sive trade embargo with certain humanitarian exceptions, are required no 
later than May 21, 1994. I am considering additional measures to give 
full effect to these and other provisions of that Resolution. The 
measures we are imposing and the United Nations Security Council 
Resolution adopted on May 6, 1994, reflect the determination of the 
United States, acting in concert with the international community, to 
end the assault on democracy and human dignity in Haiti.
    I am providing this notice to the Congress pursuant to section 
204(b) of the IEEPA (50 U.S.C. 1703(b)) and section 301 of the NEA (50 
U.S.C. 1631). I am enclosing a copy of the Executive order that I have 
issued.
                                            William J. Clinton
The White House,
May 7, 1994.

Note: This message was released by the Office of the Press Secretary on 
May 9.