I 

108TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 1414

To facilitate the establishment of a United Nations civilian police corps 

for international peace operations to maintain the rule of law and promote peace and stability in post-conflict situations. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MARCH 25, 2003

Mr. MCGOVERN (for himself and Mr. HOUGHTON) introduced the following 

bill; which was referred to the Committee on International Relations 

A BILL

To facilitate the establishment of a United Nations civilian 

police corps for international peace operations to maintain the rule of law and promote peace and stability 

in post-conflict situations.

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘International Rule of 

5 Law and Antiterrorism Act of 2003’’. 

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

7 Congress finds the following: 
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1 (1) It is in the national security interest of the 

2 United States to support efforts to restore the rule 

3 of law in post-conflict and failed countries in order 

4 to prevent such countries from becoming safe havens 

5 for terrorist organizations and organized crime net6 works that threaten the security of United States in7 terests, citizens, and its allies. 

8 (2) The responsibility of a civilian police force 

9 within a United Nations international peace oper10 ation is to help establish and maintain the rule of 

11 law and provide for the security necessary for post12 conflict reconstruction to take place. 

13 (3) The restoration of the rule of law, despite 

14 its importance, remains a significant weakness of 

15 current United Nations international peace oper16 ations. 

17 SEC. 3. SUPPORT FOR THE CREATION OF A PROFESSIONAL 

18 UN CIVILIAN POLICE CORPS (UNCPC). 

19 (a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds the following: 

20 (1) The creation of a professional United Na21 tions civilian police corps (UNCPC) would—

22 (A) greatly reduce the current need for 

23 combat soldiers to engage in civilian policing ac24 tivities; 
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1 (B) allow combat soldiers who are deployed 

2 to be withdrawn earlier from a post-conflict sit3 uation without compromising security; 

4 (C) allow the United Nations to more rap5 idly and effectively take responsibility for main6 taining a secure environment that allows aid 

7 providers to move forward with relief, develop8 ment, and democracy-building tasks; 

9 (D) permit the United Nations to recruit 

10 civilian police personnel with the appropriate 

11 levels of expertise and training in police proce12 dures and United Nations international peace 

13 operations, as determined by international 

14 standards to be established by the United Na15 tions member states through negotiations; and 

16 (E) institute a system of accountability for 

17 civilian police in United Nations international 

18 peace operations, augmenting present civil dis19 ciplinary procedures with a standard code of 

20 conduct and an enforcement mechanism imple21 mented in collaboration with United Nations 

22 member states. 

23 (2) The right of the United States to exercise 

24 its veto within the United Nations Security Council 

25 ensures that no action taken by the United Nations 
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1 would be detrimental to the interests of the United 

2 States. 

3 (b) NEGOTIATIONS TO ESTABLISH A UN CIVILIAN

4 POLICE CORPS.—The President shall—

5 (1) direct the United States Permanent Rep6 resentative to the United Nations to use the voice, 

7 vote, and influence of the United States to establish 

8 negotiations with the United Nations and United 

9 Nations member states to establish a professional 

10 United Nations civilian police corps (UNCPC); 

11 (2) direct the Secretary of State to request that 

12 the United Nations Secretariat prepare a report con13 cerning the establishment of a professional United 

14 Nations civilian police corps; and 

15 (3) direct the Secretary of State to work with 

16 the United Nations Secretariat and other United 

17 Nations member states to establish standards and 

18 training programs for international civilian police. 

19 (c) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of Con20 gress that a professional United Nations civilian police 

21 corps established in accordance with subsection (b)—

22 (1) should be composed of the appropriate num23 ber of law enforcement professionals recruited and 

24 employed by the United Nations who are appro25 priately trained and equipped for civilian policing 
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1 functions in United Nations international peace op2 erations and available for rapid deployment to such 

3 international peace operations as needed; 

4 (2) should be able to deploy not later than 15 

5 days after the date on which a deployment is author6 ized pursuant to a United Nations Security Council 

7 resolution; 

8 (3) should be managed by the United Nations 

9 Civilian Police Division, established in October 2000 

10 and mandated to plan and support the work of 

11 United Nations civilian police officers in United Na12 tions peacekeeping operations; and 

13 (4) should be given the appropriate resources to 

14 do its job properly, including funding, equipment, 

15 training, logistical support, and staffing, including 

16 support personnel as well as corrections and judicial 

17 law enforcement professionals. 

18 SEC. 4. REPORT ON STATUS OF NEGOTIATIONS. 

19 Not later than 6 months after the date of the enact20 ment of this Act, and annually thereafter, the President 

21 shall transmit to the Committee on International Rela22 tions of the House of Representatives and the Committee 

23 on Foreign Relations of the Senate a report that contains 

24 a detailed description of the progress of negotiations to 
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1 establish a professional United Nations civilian police 

2 corps in accordance with section 3(b). 

3 SEC. 5. DEFINITIONS. 

4 In this Act: 

5 (1) RULE OF LAW.—The term ‘‘rule of law’’ 

6 means the ability of a country, through institutions 

7 and other means, to ensure the security and well 

8 being of its citizens through the enforcement of pub9 lic laws. 

10 (2) UNITED NATIONS INTERNATIONAL PEACE

11 OPERATION.—The term ‘‘United Nations inter12 national peace operation’’ means a field operation 

13 conducted by the United Nations, or under the au14 thority of the United Nations Security Council, for 

15 the purpose of implementing a peace agreement, the 

16 mandate of which may include establishing a secure 

17 post-conflict environment and restoring the rule of 

18 law, to enable reconstruction and development ef19 forts to be established and carried out.

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