United States Reform Act of 1997

Summary: United Nations Reform Act of 1997 - Authorizes the President to make available for obligation to the United Nations (UN) no more than 20 percent of U.S. assessed contributions that are more than one year in arrears, provided that on January 31 of each of FY 1998 through 2002 the President certifies to relevant congressional committees that the UN has a zero nominal growth budget and met other applicable reform criteria during the preceding fiscal year.  Sets forth a schedule for the UN to meet specified requirements for auditing, staff reduction, program elimination, restoration of U.S. representation on the UN Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions, and establishment of procedures to reimburse U.S. contributions to peacekeeping activities.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``United Nations Reform Act of 1997''.

SEC. 2. PAYMENT OF UNITED STATES ARREARAGES IN ASSESSED CONTRIBUTIONS 
              TO THE UNITED NATIONS.

    (a) Limitation.--Notwithstanding any other provision of law, for 
each of the fiscal years 1998 through 2002, no funds shall be available 
for obligation or expenditure to the United Nations for the payment 
except under procedures of United States assessed contributions to the 
United Nations more than one year in arrears at the time of passage of 
this Act under United States Government accounting except under 
procedures under subsection (b);
    (b) Procedures for the Release of United States Arrearages to the 
United Nations.--In accordance with procedures applicable to 
reprogramming notifications under section 34 of the State Department 
Basic Authorities Act of 1956, for each fiscal year 1998 through 2002, 
the President may make available for obligation or expenditure to the 
United Nations an amount not to exceed 20% of United States assessed 
contributions to the United Nations more than one year in arrears at 
the time of passage of this Act under United States Government 
accounting if on January 31 of each fiscal year 1998 through 2002 the 
President determines and certifies to the relevant committees of the 
Congress that the applicable reform criteria for each fiscal year has 
been met.
    (c) Definitions.--As used in this section:
            (1) Relevant committees of the congress.--The term 
        ``relevant committees of the Congress'' means the Committee on 
        Foreign Relations and the Committee on Appropriations of the 
        Senate and the Committee on International Relations and the 
        Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives.
            (2) Applicable reform criteria.--The term ``applicable 
        reform criteria'' means--
                    (A) for fiscal year 1998 that the United Nations 
                has maintained a zero nominal growth budget in United 
                States dollar terms and has made all of its programs, 
                offices and activities open to auditing by the national 
                auditing and inspecting agencies of its member states 
                to include, but not be limited to the United States 
                General Accounting Office and the State Department 
                Office of Inspector General, that the United Nations 
                Office of Internal Oversight Services has been fully 
                funded at its request level, and that all products of 
                the Office of Internal Oversight Services relevant to 
                United Nations budgetary and administrative matters are 
                available to all United Nations member states;
                    (B) for fiscal year 1999 that all criteria for 
                fiscal year 1998 continue to be met and that United 
                States representation on the United Nations Advisory 
                Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions has 
                been restored;
                    (C) for fiscal year 2000 that all criteria for 
                fiscal years 1998 and 1999 continue to be met and that 
                procedures for assessing contributions for United 
                Nations peacekeeping activities have been reformed to 
                ensure that for all logistical, in-kind, and non-cash 
                aid provided by the United States to support United 
                Nations assessed peacekeeping activities that the 
                United States either receives from the United Nations 
                cash reimbursement for the full value of such aid or 
                credit toward the payment of assessed contributions for 
                peacekeeping operations;
                    (D) for fiscal year 2001 that all criteria for 
                fiscal years 1998 through 2000 continue to be met and 
                that the United Nations has divided its regular budget 
                into a small ``core'' assessed budget representing only 
                those activities determined by the General Accounting 
                Office to be necessary for the United Nations to 
                maintain its existence under the terms of the United 
                Nations Charter and a voluntary ``program'' budget that 
                would include all United Nations programs, 
                developmental activities, regional activities, economic 
                and social activities, and related staff; and
                    (E) for fiscal year 2002 that all criteria for 
                fiscal years 1998 through 2001 continue to be met and 
                that the United Nations has approved and implemented 
                systemwide structural reform, entailing a significant 
                reduction in staff, that would eliminate all outdated 
                activities and program duplication and would encompass 
                all relevant United Nations specialized agencies.