[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4169 Introduced in House (IH)]
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118th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 4169
To repeal the 25 percent cap on United States contributions to United
Nations peacekeeping operations, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
June 15, 2023
Ms. Jacobs (for herself, Ms. Kamlager-Dove, Mr. Jackson of Illinois,
Mr. Phillips, and Mr. Castro of Texas) 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 2023''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress finds as follows:
(1) United Nations 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 8 times cheaper to financially support
a United Nations mission than to deploy United States military
forces.
(3) Every member state of the United Nations is legally
required to finance the peacekeeping budget of the United
Nations in order to ensure that these missions are properly
resourced, and assessment rates are renegotiated every 3 years
by the United Nations General Assembly. The United States has
consistently voted in favor of these rate structure changes,
including during the most recent round of negotiations in 2021,
when United States peacekeeping contributions were set at 26.94
percent.
(4) Since fiscal year 2017, the United States has accrued
more than $1.28 billion in debt on its financial obligations to
United Nations peacekeeping, due to congressional enforcement
of a 1994 law that limits United States contributions to 25
percent of the total United Nations 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
United Nations: ``(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) The ongoing accrual of arrears by the United States is
having a negative impact on the financial health of United
Nations 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) Budgetary shortfalls created by United States arrears
make it difficult to address shortages of critical equipment
needed by United Nations peacekeeping operations to be
effective in the field.
(9) Prior to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Ukraine provided
nearly 17 percent of all air assets on United Nations
peacekeeping missions. Since the start of the war, Ukraine has
been forced to withdraw most of these to defend its own
territory, causing shortages for missions that already lacked
sufficient quantities of aircraft. United States budgetary
shortfalls make it harder for other countries to step in, as
they cannot be certain when or if they will receive full
reimbursement for their contributions.
(10) The People's Republic of China is now the second
largest financial contributor to United Nations peacekeeping,
having gone from an assessment rate of just 3 percent in 2008
to more than 18 percent in 2023, and is the tenth largest
troop-contributor to United Nations missions, providing more
personnel than the other four permanent members of the Security
Council combined.
(11) The People's Republic of China has used this expanded
influence to argue against human rights, civilian protection,
and gender-based violence personnel within United Nations
peacekeeping operations, in part using United States funding
shortfalls as a pretext to downsize peacekeeping missions.
(12) United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 called
for women to take on a greater role in preventing and resolving
conflicts, including by serving in United Nations peacekeeping
missions. Studies conducted by the United Nations in support of
the resolution based on the organization's past experiences in
Cambodia, Kosovo, Timor-Leste, Afghanistan, Liberia, and
Democratic Republic of the Congo show that female peacekeepers
can be better positioned to gain the trust of women within the
local population, something that is critical to the success of
any peacekeeping effort.
(13) Nevertheless, in 2020, women constituted only 4.8
percent of military contingents and 10.9 percent of formed
police units deployed on United Nations peacekeeping missions.
While the United Nations continues to call for member states to
contribute more women peacekeepers, resource and budget
constraints have made troop-contributors less willing to
provide women peacekeepers, and missions themselves lack
adequate resources to retrofit bases to accommodate women.
(14) Prior to fiscal year 2017, when the United States was
paying its peacekeeping dues at the full assessed rate, the
United States and the United Nations 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.
(15) Beginning in 2015 and with the support of the United
States, the United Nations 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.
(16) Improving the United States financial standing at the
United Nations would allow the United States 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 United Nations
peacekeeping operations.
(17) Improving the United States financial standing at the
United Nations would also support efforts to increase
representation of Americans in key roles at the United Nations
Secretariat.
(18) In 2024, 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 United Nations 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, United Nation member states, international
financial institutions, and United Nations agencies, funds, and
programs;
(4) advocate for robust engagement with host countries and
local communities, including by advocating for resources to be
directed to community-led peace initiatives;
(5) support efforts to deploy more mobile, adaptable, and
agile forces for more effective United Nations 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;
(9) engage in dialogue with United Nations 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; and
(10) support implementation of United Nations Security
Council Resolution 1325 by working with the United Nations and
United Nations member states to increase the meaningful
participation of women in United Nations peacekeeping
operations.
(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) by 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, United
Nations 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;
``(I) modifies the United Nations scales of
assessments of the peacekeeping budget to diversify the
funding base and create a sustainable funding plan; and
``(J) implements United Nations Security Council
Resolution 1325 by increasing the meaningful
participation of women in United Nations peacekeeping
operations.''.
(2) in subsection (d)(5)--
(A) in the heading, by striking ``and quarterly
reports''; and
(B) 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 5
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.
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