I 

118TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 687 

To require certain actions relating to the United Nations Human Rights 

Council, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JANUARY 31, 2023 

Mr. STEUBE (for himself and Mr. TIFFANY) introduced the following bill; 

which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs 

A BILL 

To require certain actions relating to the United Nations 

Human Rights Council, and for other purposes. 

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 ‘‘United Nations 

5 Human Rights Council Reform Act’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. PROHIBITION ON VOLUNTARY AND ASSESSED CON2 TRIBUTIONS TO UNITED NATIONS COMMIS3 SIONS OF INQUIRIES THAT RELATE TO 

4 ISRAEL. 

5 The United States may not make any voluntary or 

6 assessed contributions to United Nations Commissions of 

7 Inquiries that relate to Israel as mandated by the United 

8 Nations Human Rights Council. 

9 SEC. 3. ACTIONS RELATING TO UNITED NATIONS HUMAN 

10 RIGHTS COUNCIL. 

11 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of State shall take 

12 such actions as may be necessary to use the voice, vote, 

13 and influence of the United States in the United Nations 

14 Human Rights Council and the United Nations General 

15 Assembly to seek to— 

16 (1) eliminate Agenda Item 7 of the Human 

17 Rights Council; 

18 (2) eliminate secret-ballot elections for member19 ship to the Human Rights Council; and 

20 (3) institute baseline criteria for membership in 

21 the Human Rights Council. 

22 (b) REPORT.—Not later than 90 days after the date 

23 of the enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter, the 

24 President shall submit to the appropriate congressional 

25 committees a report on the implementation of the actions 

26 described in subsection (a). 


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1 SEC. 4. CONGRESSIONAL BRIEFING RELATING TO UNITED 

2 NATIONS HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL. 

3 Not later than 30 days before the start of each ses4 sion of the United Nations Human Rights Council, the 

5 Secretary of State shall provide to the appropriate con6 gressional committees a briefing on— 

7 (1) the session agenda of the Human Rights 

8 Council; and 

9 (2) reports, appointments of mandate holders of 

10 special procedures and expert mechanisms, and ac11 creditation requests relating to the Human Rights 

12 Council. 

13 SEC. 5. REPORT. 

14 The Secretary of State shall submit to the appro15 priate congressional committees, on an annual basis, a re16 port on— 

17 (1) each vote related to Israel and Palestinian 

18 territories taken by the United Nations Human 

19 Rights Council in the preceding calendar year, indi20 cating— 

21 (A) the agenda item under which the vote 

22 was taken; and 

23 (B) how each member state of the Human 

24 Rights Council voted; and 

25 (2) the amount of bilateral United States for26 eign assistance, by account and program area, proVerDate Sep 11 2014 05:34 Feb 16, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H687.IH H687

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1 vided under the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to 

2 each member state of the United Nations Human 

3 Rights Council in the preceding calendar year. 

4 SEC. 6. APPROPRIATE CONGRESSIONAL COMMITTEES DE5 FINED. 

6 In this Act, the term ‘‘appropriate congressional com7 mittees’’ means— 

8 (1) the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the 

9 Committee on Appropriations of the House of Rep10 resentatives; and 

11 (2) the Committee on Foreign Relations and 

12 the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate. 

Æ 


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