[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 37, Number 1 (Monday, January 8, 2001)]
[Pages 5-6]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Message to the Senate Transmitting the Convention on the Safety of 
United Nations and Associated Personnel With Documentation

January 3, 2001

To the Senate of the United States:

    I transmit herewith, with a view to receiving the advice and consent 
of the Senate to ratification, subject to an understanding and a 
reservation, the Convention on the Safety of United Nations and 
Associated Personnel adopted by the United Nations General Assembly by 
consensus on December 9, 1994, and signed on behalf of the United States 
of America on December 19, 1994. The report of the Department of State 
with respect to the Convention is also transmitted for the information 
of the Senate.
    Military peacekeepers, civilian police, and others associated with 
United Nations operations are often subject to attack by persons who 
perceive political benefits from directing violence against United 
Nations operations. The world has witnessed a serious escalation of such 
attacks, resulting in numerous deaths and casualties. This Convention is 
designed to provide a measure of deterrence against these attacks, by 
creating a regime of universal criminal jurisdiction for offenses of 
this type. Specifically, the Convention creates a legal mechanism that 
requires submission for prosecution or extradition of persons alleged to 
have committed attacks and other offenses listed under the Convention 
against United Nations and associated personnel.
    This Convention provides a direct benefit to United States Armed 
Forces and to U.S. civilians participating in peacekeeping activities by 
including within its coverage a number of types of operations pursuant 
to United Nations mandates in which the United States and U.S. military 
and civilians have participated in the past. If the United States were 
to participate in operations under similar conditions in the future, its 
forces and civilians would receive the benefits created by this 
instrument. The Convention covers not only forces under U.N. command, 
but associated forces under national command or multinational forces 
present pursuant to a United Nations mandate. In situations such as we 
have seen in Somalia, the former Yugoslavia, and Haiti, certain attacks 
on these associated forces would now be recognized as criminal acts, 
subjecting the attackers to prosecution in or extradition by any State 
that is a party to the Convention. As a result, the international 
community has taken a significant practical step to redress these 
incidents. In doing so, we recognize the fact that attacks

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on peacekeepers who represent the international community are violations 
of law and cannot be condoned.
    By creating obligations and procedures that increase the likelihood 
of prosecution of those who attack peacekeeping personnel, this 
Convention fulfills an important objective under my Directive for 
Reforming Multilateral Peace Operations of May 1994, which directs that 
the United States seek additional legal protections for United States 
peacekeeping personnel.
    The recommended legislation, necessary to implement the Convention, 
will be submitted to the Congress separately.
    I recommend that the Senate give early and favorable consideration 
to this Convention subject to the understanding and reservation that are 
described in the accompanying report of the Department of State, and 
give its advice and consent to ratification.
                                            William J. Clinton
 The White House,
 January 3, 2001.

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