Presidential Documents

28829

Federal Register

Vol. 66, No. 101

Thursday, May 24, 2001

Title 3—

The President

Executive Order 13213 of May 22, 2001

Additional Measures With Respect To Prohibiting the Importation of Rough Diamonds From Sierra Leone

By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the

laws of the United States of America, including the International Emergency

Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.) (IEEPA), the National Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. 1601 et seq.), section 5 of the United Nations Participation Act of 1945, as amended (22 U.S.C. 287c) (UNPA), and section 301

of title 3, United States Code, and in view of the national emergency described

and declared in Executive Order 13194 of January 18, 2001, and United

Nations Security Council Resolutions 1306 of July 5, 2000, and 1343 of

March 7, 2001,

I, GEORGE W. BUSH, President of the United States of America, take note

that in Executive Order 13194, the President responded to, among other

things, the insurgent Revolutionary United Front’s (RUF) illicit trade in

diamonds to fund its operations in the civil war in Sierra Leone by declaring

a national emergency and, consistent with United Nations Security Council

Resolution 1306, by prohibiting the importation into the United States of

all rough diamonds from Sierra Leone except for those importations controlled through the Certificate of Origin regime of the Government of Sierra

Leone. United Nations Security Council Resolution 1343 takes note that

the bulk of RUF diamonds leaves Sierra Leone through Liberia and that

such illicit trade cannot be conducted without the permission and involvement of Liberian government officials at the highest levels; determines that

the active support provided by the Government of Liberia for the RUF

and other armed rebel groups in neighboring countries constitutes a threat

to international peace and security in the region; and decides that all states

shall take the necessary measures to prevent the importation of all rough

diamonds from Liberia, whether or not such diamonds originated in Liberia.

The Government of Liberia’s complicity in the RUF’s illicit trade in diamonds

and its other forms of support for the RUF are direct challenges to United

States foreign policy objectives in the region as well as to the rule-based

international order that is crucial to the peace and prosperity of the United

States. Therefore, I find these actions by the Government of Liberia contribute

to the unusual and extraordinary threat to the foreign policy of the United

States described in Executive Order 13194 with respect to which the President declared a national emergency. In order to deal with that threat and

to ensure further that the direct or indirect importation into the United

States of rough diamonds from Sierra Leone will not contribute financial

support to further aggressive actions by the RUF or to the RUF’s procurement

of weapons; to implement United Nations Security Council Resolution 1343;

and to counteract, among other things, the Government of Liberia’s facilitation

of and participation in the RUF’s illicit trade in diamonds through Liberia,

I hereby order the following additional measures be taken with respect

to prohibiting the importation of rough diamonds from Sierra Leone:

Section 1. Except to the extent provided in regulations, orders, directives,

or licenses issued pursuant to this order, and notwithstanding the existence

of any rights or obligations conferred or imposed by any international agreement or any contract entered into or any license or permit granted prior

to the effective date of this order, the direct or indirect importation into

the United States of all rough diamonds from Liberia, whether or not such

28830 Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 101 / Thursday, May 24, 2001 / Presidential Documents

diamonds originated in Liberia, on or after the effective date of this order

is prohibited.

Sec. 2. Any transaction by a United States person or within the United

States that evades or avoids, or has the purpose of evading or avoiding,

or attempts to violate, any of the prohibitions set forth in this order is

prohibited. Any conspiracy formed to violate any of the prohibitions set

forth in this order is prohibited.

Sec. 3. The definitions contained in section 4 of Executive Order 13194

apply to the terms used in this order.

Sec. 4. The Secretary of the Treasury, in consultation with the Secretary

of State, is hereby authorized to take such actions, including the promulgation

of rules and regulations, and to employ all powers granted to the President

by IEEPA and UNPA, as may be necessary to carry out the purposes of

this order. The Secretary of the Treasury may redelegate any of these functions to other officers and agencies of the United States Government. All

agencies of the United States Government are hereby directed to take all

appropriate measures within their authority to carry out the provisions of

this order, including modification, suspension, or termination of licenses

or authorizations in effect as of the date of this order.

Sec. 5. This order is not intended to create, nor does it create, any right,

benefit, or privilege, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law by a

party against the United States, its agencies, officers, or any other person.

Sec. 6. (a) This order is effective at 12:01 a.m. eastern daylight time on

May 23, 2001.

(b) This order shall be transmitted to the Congress and published in

the Federal Register.

Filed 05

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13381

THE WHITE HOUSE,

May 22, 2001.

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Billing code 3195–01–P