United Nations Human Rights Council Reform Act

Subjects: International Affairs

Summary:  <p><strong>United Nations Human Rights Council Reform Act</strong></p> <p>This bill prohibits the United States from making any contributions to the United Nations Commissions of Inquiries that relate to Israel as mandated by the United Nations Human Rights Council. The bill also requires U.S. representatives to the United Nations to seek to (1) eliminate the council's Agenda Item 7 (entitled <i>Human rights situation in Palestine and other occupied Arab territories</i>), (2) eliminate secret ballot elections for membership to the council, and (3) institute baseline criteria for council membership.</p>

<html><body><pre>[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 687 Introduced in House (IH)]

&lt;DOC&gt;






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.

    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 Nations Human Rights Council 
Reform Act''.

SEC. 2. PROHIBITION ON VOLUNTARY AND ASSESSED CONTRIBUTIONS TO UNITED 
              NATIONS COMMISSIONS OF INQUIRIES THAT RELATE TO ISRAEL.

    The United States may not make any voluntary or assessed 
contributions to United Nations Commissions of Inquiries that relate to 
Israel as mandated by the United Nations Human Rights Council.

SEC. 3. ACTIONS RELATING TO UNITED NATIONS HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary of State shall take such actions as 
may be necessary to use the voice, vote, and influence of the United 
States in the United Nations Human Rights Council and the United 
Nations General Assembly to seek to--
            (1) eliminate Agenda Item 7 of the Human Rights Council;
            (2) eliminate secret-ballot elections for membership to the 
        Human Rights Council; and
            (3) institute baseline criteria for membership in the Human 
        Rights Council.
    (b) Report.--Not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment 
of this Act, and annually thereafter, the President shall submit to the 
appropriate congressional committees a report on the implementation of 
the actions described in subsection (a).

SEC. 4. CONGRESSIONAL BRIEFING RELATING TO UNITED NATIONS HUMAN RIGHTS 
              COUNCIL.

    Not later than 30 days before the start of each session of the 
United Nations Human Rights Council, the Secretary of State shall 
provide to the appropriate congressional committees a briefing on--
            (1) the session agenda of the Human Rights Council; and
            (2) reports, appointments of mandate holders of special 
        procedures and expert mechanisms, and accreditation requests 
        relating to the Human Rights Council.

SEC. 5. REPORT.

    The Secretary of State shall submit to the appropriate 
congressional committees, on an annual basis, a report on--
            (1) each vote related to Israel and Palestinian territories 
        taken by the United Nations Human Rights Council in the 
        preceding calendar year, indicating--
                    (A) the agenda item under which the vote was taken; 
                and
                    (B) how each member state of the Human Rights 
                Council voted; and
            (2) the amount of bilateral United States foreign 
        assistance, by account and program area, provided under the 
        Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to each member state of the 
        United Nations Human Rights Council in the preceding calendar 
        year.

SEC. 6. APPROPRIATE CONGRESSIONAL COMMITTEES DEFINED.

    In this Act, the term ``appropriate congressional committees'' 
means--
            (1) the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Committee on 
        Appropriations of the House of Representatives; and
            (2) the Committee on Foreign Relations and the Committee on 
        Appropriations of the Senate.
                                 &lt;all&gt;
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