I 
108TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 2536
To make the protection of women and children who are affected by a complex 
humanitarian emergency a priority of the United States Government, 
and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JUNE 19, 2003
Mrs. LOWEY (for herself, Mr. BALLENGER, Mr. SHAYS, Mr. LANTOS, Mr. 
WEXLER, Mr. MCDERMOTT, Mr. BERRY, Ms. LEE, Mr. MEEKS of New 
York, Ms. SCHAKOWSKY, Mr. BERMAN, Ms. ESHOO, Ms. DELAURO, Ms. 
CORRINE BROWN of Florida, Mr. PAYNE, Ms. WOOLSEY, Ms. MCCOL-
LUM, and Mr. OWENS) introduced the following bill; which was referred 
to the Committee on International Relations 
A BILL 
To make the protection of women and children who are 
affected by a complex humanitarian emergency a priority 
of the United States Government, and for other pur-
poses.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Women and Children 
in Conflict Protection Act of 2003’’.
SEC. 2. TABLE OF CONTENTS. 
The table of contents for this Act is as follows:
Sec. 1. Short title. 
Sec. 2. Table of contents. 
Sec. 3. Definitions. 
TITLE I—PROGRAM AND POLICY COORDINATION 
Sec. 101. Findings. 
Sec. 102. Purposes. 
Sec. 103. Requirement to develop integrated strategy. 
Sec. 104. Designation of Coordinator. 
TITLE II—PREVENTION AND PREPAREDNESS 
Sec. 201. Findings. 
Sec. 202. Early warning and early action systems. 
TITLE III—SECURITY FOR REFUGEE AND INTERNALLY 
DISPLACED WOMEN AND CHILDREN 
Sec. 301. Findings. 
Sec. 302. Codes of conduct. 
Sec. 303. Sense of Congress regarding administration practices in camps for 
refugees and displaced persons. 
Sec. 304. Health services for refugees and displaced persons. 
Sec. 305. Whistleblower system. 
Sec. 306. Women’s economic self-sufficiency. 
Sec. 307. International military education and training. 
Sec. 308. Protection initiatives. 
Sec. 309. Accountability. 
TITLE IV—POSTCONFLICT RECONSTRUCTION AND 
REHABILITATION 
Sec. 401. Findings. 
Sec. 402. Support for communities and former combatants. 
Sec. 403. Police reform and accountability. 
Sec. 404. Sense of Congress regarding the improvement of United Nations 
peacekeeping operations. 
TITLE V—WOMEN AND CHILDREN’S PROTECTION ASSISTANCE 
Sec. 501. Women and children’s protection assistance.
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) APPROPRIATE
CONGRESSIONAL
COMMIT-
TEES.—The term ‘‘appropriate congressional com-
mittees’’ means—
(A) the Committee on Appropriations and 
the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Sen-
ate; and 
(B) the Committee on Appropriations and 
the Committee on International Relations of the 
House of Representatives. 
(2) CHILDREN.—The term ‘‘children’’ means 
persons under the age of 18 years. 
(3) COMPLEX
HUMANITARIAN
EMERGENCY.—
The term ‘‘complex humanitarian emergency’’ means 
a situation that—
(A) occurs outside the United States and 
results in a significant number of— 
(i) refugees; 
(ii) internally displaced persons; or 
(iii) other civilians requiring basic hu-
manitarian assistance on an urgent basis; 
and 
(B) is caused by one or more situations in-
cluding—
(i) armed conflict; 
(ii) natural disaster; 
(iii) significant food shortage; or 
(iv) state-sponsored harassment or 
persecution.
(4) COORDINATOR.—The term ‘‘coordinator’’ 
means an individual designated by the Secretary 
under section 104(a). 
(5) EXPLOITATION OF CHILDREN.—The term 
‘‘exploitation of children’’ means—
(A) adult sexual activity with children; 
(B) kidnapping or forcibly separating chil-
dren from their families; 
(C) subjecting children to the worst forms 
of child labor; 
(D) forcing children to commit or witness 
acts of violence, including compulsory recruit-
ment into armed forces or as combatants; and 
(E) withholding or obstructing access of 
children to food, shelter, medicine, and basic 
human services. 
(6) FORMER COMBATANT.—The term ‘‘former 
combatant’’ means a woman or child who was a 
member of or affiliated with an armed group, includ-
ing serving as a cook, a porter, or a messenger, or 
in a domestic or sexual capacity or in any other sup-
port role, whether or not the woman or child con-
sented to such participation.
promote the physical and psychological security of, 
provide equal access to basic services for, and safe-
guard the legal and human rights and dignity of, 
individuals, families, groups, and communities. 
(11) 
SECRETARY.—The 
term 
‘‘Secretary’’ 
means the Secretary of State. 
(12) SEX TRAFFICKING.—The term ‘‘sex traf-
ficking’’ has the meaning given the term in section 
103 of Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 
(22 U.S.C. 7102). 
(13) TRAFFICKING
IN
PERSONS.—The term 
‘‘trafficking in persons’’ has the meaning given the 
term ‘‘severe forms of trafficking in persons’’ in sec-
tion 103 of Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 
2000 (22 U.S.C. 7102). 
(14) WORST
FORMS
OF
CHILD
LABOR.—The 
term ‘‘worst forms of child labor’’ has the meaning 
given the term in article 3 of Convention Number 
182 of the International Labor Organization. 
TITLE I—PROGRAM AND POLICY 
COORDINATION 
SEC. 101. FINDINGS. 
Congress makes the following findings: 
(1) The nature of war has changed dramatically 
in recent decades, putting women and children at
greater risk of death, disease, displacement, and ex-
ploitation. 
(2) Civilians, particularly women and children, 
account for the vast majority of those adversely af-
fected by complex humanitarian emergencies, includ-
ing as refugees and internally displaced persons, and 
increasingly are targeted by combatants and armed 
elements for murder, abduction, forced military con-
scription, involuntary servitude, displacement, sexual 
abuse and slavery, mutilation, and loss of freedom. 
(3) Traditionally, humanitarian response has 
focused on providing food, medical care, and shelter 
needs, while placing less emphasis on the safety and 
security of those affected by a complex humanitarian 
emergency. 
(4) Few well-coordinated efforts exist to prevent 
and respond to violence against women and children 
when they are refugees or internally displaced per-
sons. 
(5) While the United Nations High Commis-
sioner for Refugees and the Department of State are 
charged with protecting refugees, there is no United 
States Government agency or international body 
with a clear mandate to protect internally displaced
persons and those at risk of displacement as a result 
of a complex humanitarian emergency. 
(6) There is a substantial need for the protec-
tion of women and children to be given a high pri-
ority during all complex humanitarian emergencies. 
SEC. 102. PURPOSES. 
The purposes of this Act are—
(1) to ensure that the United States Govern-
ment has adequate capabilities to support programs 
that provide for the protection of women and chil-
dren who are affected by a complex humanitarian 
emergency; 
(2) to build the capacities of United States 
Government agencies, multilateral institutions, inter-
national nongovernmental organizations, local non-
governmental organizations, and local communities 
to prevent and respond effectively to gender-based 
violence and exploitation of children that occur dur-
ing a complex humanitarian emergency; and 
(3) to provide increased funding for the protec-
tion of women and children affected by a complex 
humanitarian emergency.
SEC. 103. REQUIREMENT TO DEVELOP INTEGRATED STRAT-
EGY. 
(a) REQUIREMENT.—The Secretary shall, in con-
sultation with the Administrator of the United States 
Agency for International Development, develop an inte-
grated strategy for the protection of women and children 
who are internally displaced, made refugees, or otherwise 
affected by a complex humanitarian emergency. 
(b) REPORT.—Not later than 90 days after the date 
of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to 
the appropriate congressional committees a report out-
lining the strategy described in subsection (a). 
(c) CONTENT.—The report required by subsection (b) 
shall include—
(1) an assessment of the specific needs of, and 
particular threats to, women and children at the var-
ious stages of a complex humanitarian emergency, 
especially at the onset of such emergency; 
(2) a description of which agencies and offices 
of the United States Government are responsible for 
addressing each aspect of such needs and threats; 
(3) an evaluation of the needs and threats that 
are being adequately addressed and funded, and 
those which require additional attention or re-
sources;
(4) a set of guidelines and recommendations for 
improving United States and international systems 
for the protection of women and children during a 
complex humanitarian emergency; and 
(5) a mechanism for coordinating and over-
seeing United States efforts to prevent and respond 
to gender-based violence and exploitation of children 
that occurs during a complex humanitarian emer-
gency. 
SEC. 104. DESIGNATION OF COORDINATOR. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 60 days after the 
date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall des-
ignate one or more senior-level officials of the Department 
of State or the United States Agency for International De-
velopment as a coordinator or coordinators, as the case 
may be, to be responsible for the oversight and coordina-
tion of United States Government efforts to provide pro-
tection to women and children who are affected by a com-
plex humanitarian emergency. 
(b) DUTIES.—A coordinator designated under sub-
section (a) shall—
(1) coordinate the actions taken to carry out 
the purposes of this Act, as described in section 102; 
(2) be responsible for the oversight and coordi-
nation of United States Government efforts to pro-