United States Commitment to Peacekeeping Act of 2021
Bill: H.R.4420 | Sponsor: Rep. Jacobs, Sara (D-CA)
Policy area: International Affairs

Summary:
United States Commitment to Peacekeeping Act of 2021
This bill repeals a limit on U.S. funding for, details U.S. policy objectives for, and revises reporting requirements related to United Nations (U.N.) peacekeeping operations.
Under current law, the United States may contribute no more than 25% of the assessed costs for a U.N. peacekeeping operation; the bill eliminates that funding restriction.
The Department of State must instruct the U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations to advance the U.S. policy objectives outlined in the bill for standardizing performance assessments of, diversifying the funding base for, and other aspects of U.N. peacekeeping operations.
The bill modifies annual reports about U.S. participation in U.N. activities by eliminating a requirement to report on costs of U.N. peacekeeping operations in the prior fiscal year and by adding a requirement to report on U.S. efforts to implement reforms of U.N. peacekeeping. Additionally, the State Department must report on (1) strengthening the role of conflict prevention in U.N. missions, and (2) transitioning U.N. peacekeeping operations to host-country security forces.

To repeal the 25 percent cap on United States contributions to United 
        Nations peacekeeping operations, 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 States Commitment to 
Peacekeeping Act of 2021''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds as follows:
            (1) United Nations (UN) peacekeeping operations are a 
        critical force-multiplier for the United States, and decades of 
        research has found peacekeeping to be highly effective in 
        reducing civilian deaths, shortening the duration of conflicts, 
        containing the geographic spread of war, and reducing the 
        likelihood of conflict reoccurrence and sexual and gender-based 
        violence.
            (2) The Government Accountability Office found in 2006 and 
        2018 reviews that it is eight times cheaper to financially 
        support a United Nations mission than to deploy United States 
        military forces.
            (3) Every UN member state is legally required to finance 
        the UN's peacekeeping budget in order to ensure that these 
        missions are properly resourced, and assessment rates are 
        renegotiated every three years by the UN General Assembly. In 
        2018 the United States voted in support of the current rate 
        structure, which sets United States peacekeeping contributions 
        at 27.89 percent.
            (4) Since fiscal year 2017, the United States has accrued 
        more than $1 billion in debt on its financial obligations to UN 
        peacekeeping, due to congressional enforcement of a 1994 law 
        that limits United States contributions to 25 percent of the 
        total UN peacekeeping budget in any fiscal year after 1995.
            (5) Since fiscal year 2000, Congress has, on a bipartisan 
        basis, lifted the 25 percent cap 15 times, including 
        retroactively for calendar years 2006-2008 during the Bush 
        Administration.
            (6) In 2019, the Department of State reported to Congress 
        the following impacts of growing United States arrears to the 
        UN: ``(1) Loss of vote or inability to be a member of governing 
        bodies; (2) Diminished U.S. standing and diminished ability to 
        pursue U.S. priorities; (3) Reduced U.S. ability to promote 
        increased oversight and accountability through reforms that 
        promote efficiency, cost savings, and improved management 
        practices; (4) Reduced standing needed to successfully promote 
        qualified U.S. citizens to assume senior management roles; and 
        (5) Impairments of peacekeeping missions to operate, including 
        addressing objectives that may directly impact the national 
        security of the United States''.
            (7) United States ongoing accrual of arrears is having a 
        negative impact on the financial health of UN peacekeeping with 
        low and middle-income countries, who voluntarily provide the 
        bulk of the troops, police, and equipment to these missions, 
        not being adequately reimbursed for their contributions and 
        shouldering an increasing financial burden.
            (8) The People's Republic of China is now the second 
        largest financial contributor to UN peacekeeping, having gone 
        from an assessment rate of just 3 percent in 2008 to more than 
        15 percent in 2021, and is the ninth largest troop-contributor 
        to UN missions, providing more personnel than the other four 
        permanent members of the Security Council combined.
            (9) The People's Republic of China has used this expanded 
        influence to argue against human rights, civilian protection, 
        and gender-based violence personnel within UN peacekeeping 
        operations, in part using United States funding shortfalls as a 
        pretext to downsize peacekeeping missions.
            (10) Prior to fiscal year 2017, when the United States was 
        paying its peacekeeping dues at the full assessed rate, the 
        United States and the UN worked together to institute a number 
        of cost-saving and efficiency reforms, including reducing the 
        cost per peacekeeper by 18 percent, reducing the number of 
        support staff, and shortening the timeline between when a 
        mission is mandated and when personnel, equipment, and services 
        are fully deployed.
            (11) Beginning in 2015 and with the support of the United 
        States, the UN strengthened measures to combat sexual abuse and 
        exploitation by peacekeepers, including strict timelines for 
        completing investigations; immediate response teams inside 
        peacekeeping missions to handle allegations; suspending 
        payments to countries whose troops face credible allegations of 
        misconduct; repatriation of units engaged in systematic abuse; 
        establishing an online database to track allegations and 
        investigations; appointing the first Special Coordinator on 
        Improving the United Nations Response to Sexual Exploitation 
        and Abuse and the first Victims' Rights Advocate; and 
        establishing a trust fund to support and assist victims.
            (12) Improving U.S. financial standing at the UN would 
        allow the U.S. to more effectively advocate for a range of 
        reform efforts, including supporting strategies that have been 
        particularly effective in reducing sexual and gender-based 
        violence where peacekeepers operate, while also continuing to 
        strengthen measures to end instances of sexual exploitation and 
        abuse in UN peacekeeping operations.
            (13) In 2021, the top positions at nine UN specialized 
        agencies, funds, and programs will be decided, and the United 
        States will be better positioned to argue for its own preferred 
        candidates at UN entities if it is in good financial standing 
        at the UN.
            (14) In 2018, during the triennial scales of assessment 
        rate negotiations, the United States was unable to deliver 
        significant changes in rates due in part to outstanding 
        arrears.
            (15) In 2021, the scale of assessments negotiations will 
        occur again and a demonstrated willingness to pay United States 
        assessments in full will play an important role in garnering 
        support from other UN member states.

SEC. 3. STATEMENT OF POLICY CONCERNING UNITED STATES ENGAGEMENT 
              REGARDING UNITED NATIONS PEACEKEEPING OPERATIONS.

    (a) In General.--It is the policy of the United States that the 
Permanent Representative of the United States to the United Nations--
            (1) support the development and implementation of standard 
        performance assessment systems and investigative measures to 
        identify exemplary performance and address mission-specific and 
        system-wide weaknesses;
            (2) support the full implementation of a management reform 
        agenda that decentralizes decision-making authority, simplifies 
        and streamlines policy and processes, and strengthens 
        accountability and transparency for managing United Nations 
        offices and functions;
            (3) advocate for the development of a common political 
        strategy in-country among relevant actors, including regional 
        organizations, Member States, international financial 
        institutions, and United Nations agencies, funds, and programs;
            (4) advocate for robust engagement with host countries and 
        local communities, including pushing for resources to be 
        directed to community-led peace initiatives;
            (5) support efforts to deploy more mobile, adaptable, and 
        agile forces for more effective peacekeeping operations;
            (6) support the development of a system-wide strategy on 
        sustainable peacekeeping transitions that ensure planning and 
        decision-making is based on measurable benchmarks, including 
        ensuring the protection of civilians;
            (7) lead and advocate for efforts to promote and protect 
        internationally recognized human rights standards regarding 
        United Nations peacekeeping operations, including the robust 
        funding and support of human rights positions;
            (8) advocate for efforts to develop a more comprehensive 
        plan for accountability and justice, particularly relating to 
        tracking misconduct and inclusion of survivors in decision-
        making, for peacekeepers and other United Nations staff 
        involved in sexual exploitation, abuse, or other violations of 
        human rights that contravene United Nations and United States 
        rules, regulations, or values; and
            (9) engage in dialogue with Member States to secure a more 
        favorable modification of United Nations scales of assessments 
        of the peacekeeping budget that works to diversify the funding 
        base and create a sustainable funding plan.
    (b) Advocacy of Peacekeeping Reforms at the United Nations.--The 
Secretary of State shall instruct the Permanent Representative of the 
United States to the United Nations to use the voice, vote, and 
influence of the United States at the United Nations to accomplish the 
policy specified in subsection (a), consistent with the national 
security interests of the United States.

SEC. 4. REPEAL OF THE 25 PERCENT CAP ON UNITED STATES CONTRIBUTIONS TO 
              UNITED NATIONS PEACEKEEPING OPERATIONS.

    (a) In General.--Subsection (b) of section 404 of the Foreign 
Relations Authorization Act, Fiscal Years 1994 and 1995 (Public Law 
103-236; 22 U.S.C. 287e note; relating to a limitation on United States 
contributions to United Nations peacekeeping operations) is repealed.
    (b) Technical and Conforming Amendment.--Section 404 of the Foreign 
Relations Authorization Act, Fiscal Years 1994 and 1995 is amended by 
striking ``(a) Reassessment of Contributions Percentages.--''.

SEC. 5. REPORTS ON UNITED STATES EFFORTS TO ACHIEVE UNITED NATIONS 
              PEACEKEEPING REFORM.

    Section 4 of the United Nations Participation Act of 1945 (22 
U.S.C. 287b) is amended--
            (1) in subsection (c)--
                    (A) in paragraph (3)--
                            (i) by striking subparagraph (B); and
                            (ii) redesignating subparagraph (C) as 
                        subparagraph (B);
                    (B) by redesignating paragraphs (4) and (5) as 
                paragraphs (5) and (6), respectively;
                    (C) by inserting after paragraph (3) the following 
                new paragraph:
            ``(4) United nations peacekeeping reform.--A description of 
        the status of United States efforts in the United Nations to 
        ensure the United Nations--
                    ``(A) develops and implements standard peacekeeping 
                operation performance assessment systems and 
                investigative measures to identify exemplary 
                performance and address operation-specific and system-
                wide weaknesses;
                    ``(B) fully implements a management reform agenda 
                that decentralizes decision-making authority, 
                simplifies and streamlines policy and processes, and 
                strengthens accountability and transparency for 
                managing United Nations offices and functions;
                    ``(C) develops for each peacekeeping operation a 
                common political strategy in-country among relevant 
                actors, including regional organizations, Member 
                States, international financial institutions, and 
                United Nations agencies, funds, and programs;
                    ``(D) fully engages with host countries and local 
                communities, including directing resources to 
                community-led peace initiatives;
                    ``(E) deploys more mobile, adaptable, and agile 
                forces for more effective peacekeeping operations;
                    ``(F) develops a system-wide strategy on 
                sustainable peacekeeping transitions that ensure 
                planning and decision-making is based on measurable 
                benchmarks, including ensuring the protection of 
                civilians;
                    ``(G) implements a system-wide strategy to protect 
                internationally recognized human rights standards 
                within United Nations peacekeeping operations, 
                including robust funding and support of human rights 
                positions within each peacekeeping operation;
                    ``(H) develops a more comprehensive plan for 
                accountability and justice, particularly relating to 
                tracking misconduct and inclusion of survivors in 
                decision-making, for peacekeepers and other United 
                Nations staff involved in sexual exploitation, abuse, 
                or other violations of human rights that contravene 
                United Nations and United States rules, regulations, or 
                values; and
                    ``(I) modifies the United Nations scales of 
                assessments of the peacekeeping budget to diversify the 
                funding base and create a sustainable funding plan.''; 
                and
            (2) in subsection (d)(5), by striking subparagraph (B).

SEC. 6. REPORTING REQUIREMENTS.

    (a) Strengthening Conflict Prevention in United Nations Missions.--
Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, 
the Secretary of State shall submit to the appropriate congressional 
committees a report analyzing the ways in which conflict prevention 
aspects of United Nations missions may be strengthened. Such report 
shall include--
            (1) an analysis of the performance of existing early 
        warning and rapid response systems and recommendations for the 
        improvement of such systems;
            (2) an analysis on the performance of the civilian 
        components of United Nations special political missions and 
        peacekeeping operations and recommendations for strengthening 
        such components;
            (3) recommendations on how other United Nations entities, 
        including the United Nations Peacebuilding Fund, special 
        political missions, and other agencies, funds, and programs 
        could be better coordinated in a joint strategy; and
            (4) an assessment of the costs and benefits of the 
        Department of State and the United States Agency for 
        International Development sharing risk analysis data with 
        select multilateral organizations, under specific 
        circumstances, to better promote conflict prevention before 
        peacekeeping engagement is needed.
    (b) Ensuring Considerations for Mission Transitions Are Based on 
Comprehensive Assessments of Conflict Dynamics and Risks to 
Civilians.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of 
this Act, the Secretary of State shall submit to the appropriate 
congressional committees a report that analyzes the observed 
challenges, costs, and benefits of transitioning United Nations 
peacekeeping operations to host-country security forces, including--
            (1) case studies of communities that maintained peace and 
        stabilization gains compared with communities that experienced 
        a resurgence in instability, violence, or conflict at least 
        five years after such a transition;
            (2) an analysis of the transition process and the 
        effectiveness of measures to maintain long-term peace; and
            (3) an assessment of any additional resources needed to 
        maintain peace and stabilization gains achieved after such a 
        transition.
    (c) Appropriate Congressional Committees Defined.--In this section, 
the term ``appropriate congressional committees'' means--
            (1) the Committee on Foreign Relations and the Committee on 
        Appropriations of the Senate; and
            (2) the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Committee on 
        Appropriations of the House of Representatives.
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