‘‘(3) DEMOCRATIZATION AND CONFLICT RESO-
LUTION CAPABILITIES.—Assistance under this sec-
tion may also include program assistance—
‘‘(A) to promote democratization, good
governance, and strong civil societies in sub-Sa-
haran Africa; and
‘‘(B) to strengthen conflict resolution capa-
bilities of governmental, intergovernmental, and
nongovernmental 
entities 
in 
sub-Saharan
Africa.’’.
(2) 
CONFORMING
AMENDMENT.—Section
496(h)(4) of such Act, as amended by paragraph
(1), is further amended by striking ‘‘paragraphs (1)
and (2)’’ in the first sentence and inserting ‘‘para-
graphs (1), (2), and (3)’’.
(d) WAIVER AUTHORITY.—Section 496 of the For-
eign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2293) is amended
by adding at the end the following:
‘‘(p) WAIVER AUTHORITY.—
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in para-
graph (2), the President may waive any provision of
law that earmarks, for a specified country, organiza-
tion, or purpose, funds made available to carry out
this chapter if the President determines that the
waiver of such provision of law would provide in-
creased flexibility in carrying out this chapter.
‘‘(2) EXCEPTIONS.—
‘‘(A) CHILD
SURVIVAL
ACTIVITIES.—The
authority contained in paragraph (1) may not
be used to waive a provision of law that ear-
marks funds made available to carry out this
chapter for the following purposes:
‘‘(i) Immunization programs.
‘‘(ii) Oral rehydration programs.
‘‘(iii) Health and nutrition programs,
and related education programs, which ad-
dress the needs of mothers and children.
‘‘(iv) Water and sanitation programs.
‘‘(v) Assistance for displaced and or-
phaned children.
‘‘(vi) Programs for the prevention,
treatment, and control of, and research on,
tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS, polio, malaria,
and other diseases.
‘‘(vii) Basic education programs for
children.
‘‘(viii) Contribution on a grant basis
to the United Nations Children’s Fund
(UNICEF) pursuant to section 301 of this
Act.
‘‘(B) REQUIREMENT TO SUPERSEDE WAIV-
ER
AUTHORITY.—The provisions of this sub-
section shall not be superseded except by a pro-
vision of law enacted after the date of the en-
actment of the African Growth and Opportunity
Act which specifically repeals, modifies, or su-
persedes such provisions.’’.
SEC. 6. UNITED STATES–SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA TRADE AND
ECONOMIC COOPERATION FORUM.
(a) DECLARATION OF POLICY.—The President shall
convene annual high-level meetings between appropriate
officials of the United States Government and officials of
the governments of sub-Saharan African countries in
order to foster close economic ties between the United
States and sub-Saharan Africa.
(b) ESTABLISHMENT.—Not later than 12 months
after the date of the enactment of this Act, the President,
after consulting with the governments concerned, shall es-
tablish a United States–Sub-Saharan Africa Trade and
Economic Cooperation Forum (hereafter in this section re-
ferred to as the ‘‘Forum’’).
(c) REQUIREMENTS.—In creating the Forum, the
President shall meet the following requirements:
(1) The President shall direct the Secretary of
Commerce, the Secretary of the Treasury, the Sec-
retary of State, and the United States Trade Rep-
resentative to host the first annual meeting with the
counterparts of such Secretaries from the govern-
ments of sub-Saharan African countries eligible
under section 4, the Secretary General of the Orga-
nization of African Unity, and government officials
from other appropriate countries in Africa, to dis-
cuss expanding trade and investment relations be-
tween the United States and sub-Saharan Africa
and the implementation of this Act.
(2)(A) The President, in consultation with the
Congress, shall encourage United States nongovern-
mental organizations to host annual meetings with
nongovernmental organizations from sub-Saharan
Africa in conjunction with the annual meetings of
the Forum for the purpose of discussing the issues
described in paragraph (1).
(B) The President, in consultation with the
Congress, shall encourage United States representa-
tives of the private sector to host annual meetings
with representatives of the private sector from sub-
Saharan Africa in conjunction with the annual meet-
ings of the Forum for the purpose of discussing the
issues described in paragraph (1).
(3) The President shall, to the extent prac-
ticable, meet with the heads of governments of sub-
Saharan African countries eligible under section 4
not less than once every two years for the purpose
of discussing the issues described in paragraph (1).
The first such meeting should take place not later
than twelve months after the date of the enactment
of this Act.
(d) AUTHORIZATION
OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There
are authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be
necessary to carry out this section.
SEC. 
7. 
UNITED 
STATES–SUB-SAHARAN 
AFRICA 
FREE
TRADE AREA.
(a) DECLARATION OF POLICY.—The Congress de-
clares that a United States–Sub-Saharan Africa Free
Trade Area should be established, or free trade agree-
ments should be entered into, in order to serve as the cata-
lyst for increasing trade between the United States and
sub-Saharan Africa and increasing private sector develop-
ment in sub-Saharan Africa.
(b) PLAN REQUIREMENT.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—The President, taking into
account the provisions of the treaty establishing the
African Economic Community and the willingness of
the governments of Sub-Saharan African countries
to engage in negotiations to enter into free trade
agreements, shall develop a plan for the purpose of
entering into one or more trade agreements with
sub-Saharan African countries eligible under section
4 in order to establish a United States–Sub-Saharan
Africa Free Trade Area (hereafter in this section re-
ferred to as the ‘‘Free Trade Area’’).
(2) ELEMENTS OF PLAN.—The plan shall in-
clude the following:
(A) The specific objectives of the United
States with respect to the establishment of the
Free Trade Area and a suggested timetable for
achieving those objectives.
(B) The benefits to both the United States
and sub-Saharan Africa with respect to the
Free Trade Area.
(C) A mutually agreed-upon timetable for
establishing the Free Trade Area.
(D) The implications for and the role of
regional and sub-regional organizations in sub-
Saharan Africa with respect to the Free Trade
Area.