Title: Organization of American States Legislative Engagement Act of 2020
Policy area: International Affairs

Summary:
Organization of American States Legislative Engagement Act of 2019
This bill directs the Department of State to take all necessary steps to strengthen participation in the Organization of American States (OAS) by legislators of OAS member states, including establishing formal procedures to (1) create an annual forum for the presidents of national legislatures to discuss issues of hemispheric importance, (2) permit elected national legislators to make presentations and provide expert advice, and (3) create a formalized body or mechanism to permanently facilitate the participation of national legislators in OAS activities. The State Department shall report to Congress on progress toward achieving such goals.
The State Department shall report to Congress a strategy for supporting OAS anti-corruption and human rights promotion efforts, including (1) an assessment of U.S. activities with the OAS to address such matters and to strengthen the role of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, (2) an assessment of necessary reforms and initiatives to prioritize and reinforce OAS efforts on such matters, and (3) a detailed plan for implementing the reported strategy. The State Department shall report annually to Congress on actions taken to implement this strategy.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1310 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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116th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 1310

To strengthen the participation of elected national legislators in the 
 activities of the Organization of American States and reaffirm United 
  States support for Organization of American States human rights and 
          anti-corruption initiatives, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                              May 2, 2019

  Mr. Cardin (for himself, Mr. Wicker, and Mr. Kaine) introduced the 
 following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on 
                           Foreign Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To strengthen the participation of elected national legislators in the 
 activities of the Organization of American States and reaffirm United 
  States support for Organization of American States human rights and 
          anti-corruption initiatives, 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 ``Organization of American States 
Legislative Engagement Act of 2019''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress makes the following findings:
            (1) The Charter of the Organization of American States 
        establishes that ``representative democracy is an indispensable 
        condition for the stability, peace and development of the 
        region''.
            (2) Article 2 of the Inter-American Democratic Charter of 
        the Organization of American States affirms that ``the 
        effective exercise of representative democracy is the basis for 
        the rule of law and of the constitutional regimes of the member 
        states of the Organization of American States''.
            (3) Article 26 of the Inter-American Democratic Charter 
        states that ``the OAS will continue to carry out programs and 
        activities designed to promote democratic principles and 
        practices and strengthen a democratic culture in the 
        Hemisphere''.
            (4) In accordance with the OAS Charter and the Inter-
        American Democratic Charter, the OAS General Assembly, OAS 
        Permanent Council, and OAS Secretariat have established a wide 
        range of cooperative agreements with domestic and international 
        organizations, including national legislative institutions.
            (5) In 2004, OAS General Assembly Resolution 2044 (XXXIV-O/
        04) appealed for the ``strengthening of legislatures, as well 
        as inter-parliamentary cooperation on key items of the inter-
        American agenda, with a view, in particular, to generating 
        initiatives to fight corruption, poverty, inequality, and 
        social exclusion''.
            (6) In 2005, OAS General Assembly Resolution 2095 (XXXV-O/
        05) called on the OAS Secretariat to ``invite [. . .] the 
        presidents or speakers of the national legislative institutions 
        of the Americas, i.e., congresses, parliaments, or national 
        assemblies, [. . .] to attend a special meeting of the 
        Permanent Council [. . .] for the initiation of a dialogue on 
        topics on the hemispheric agenda''.
            (7) In 2014 and 2015, the OAS Secretariat expanded its 
        engagement with elected national legislators from OAS member 
        states by convening two meetings of presidents of national 
        legislatures, first in Lima, Peru and subsequently in Santiago, 
        Chile.
            (8) However, no formal, permanent procedures exist to 
        facilitate the participation of elected national legislators 
        from OAS member states in OAS activities.
            (9) The Organization for Security and Co-operation in 
        Europe (OSCE) Parliamentary Assembly has proven successful at 
        strengthening inter-parliamentary cooperation among its member 
        states.

SEC. 3. SENSE OF CONGRESS.

    It is that sense of Congress that--
            (1) elected national legislators play an essential role in 
        the exercise of representative democracy in the Americas, 
        including--
                    (A) promoting the rule of law and combating 
                corruption;
                    (B) defending human rights and fundamental 
                freedoms; and
                    (C) advancing the principles and practices 
                expressed in the Charter of the Organization of 
                American States, the American Declaration on the Rights 
                and Duties of Man, and the Inter-American Democratic 
                Charter;
            (2) establishing procedures and formal mechanisms to 
        facilitate and formalize the participation of elected national 
        legislators from OAS member states in OAS activities would 
        contribute to the promotion of democratic principles and 
        practices and strengthen a democratic culture in the Western 
        Hemisphere;
            (3) increasing and strengthening the participation of 
        elected national legislators from OAS member states in OAS 
        activities would advance the principles and proposals expressed 
        in section 4 of the Organization of American States 
        Revitalization and Reform Act of 2013 (Public Law 113-41; 127 
        Stat. 549);
            (4) the OAS General Assembly, OAS Permanent Council, and 
        OAS Secretariat should take all necessary steps to ensure 
        greater participation of elected national legislators from OAS 
        member states in OAS activities;
            (5) the OAS Permanent Council resolutions titled 
        ``Guidelines for the Participation of Civil Society in OAS 
        Activities'' and ``Strategies for Increasing and Strengthening 
        Participation by Civil Society Organizations in OAS 
        Activities'' should serve as important references for efforts 
        to bolster the participation of elected national legislators 
        from OAS member states in OAS activities; and
            (6) the successful experience of the Organization for 
        Security and Co-operation in Europe Parliamentary Assembly 
        should serve as a model to the OAS in creating a similar 
        mechanism.

SEC. 4. STRENGTHENING PARTICIPATION OF LEGISLATORS AT THE OAS.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary of State, acting through the United 
States Mission to the Organization of American States, shall take all 
necessary steps to establish formal procedures for the Organization of 
American States that--
            (1) increase the participation of elected national 
        legislators from OAS member state countries in OAS activities, 
        specifically including activities that advance the principles 
        of the Inter-American Democratic Charter;
            (2) create an annual forum for the presidents of national 
        legislatures from OAS member states to discuss issues of 
        hemispheric importance, including regional efforts to combat 
        corruption and defend human rights;
            (3) permit elected national legislators from OAS member 
        states to make presentations, contribute information, and 
        provide expert advice, as appropriate, to the OAS Secretariat, 
        OAS Permanent Council, and OAS General Assembly;
            (4) leads to the creation of a formalized body or mechanism 
        to permanently facilitate the participation of national 
        legislators in OAS activities; and
            (5) strengthen OAS Secretariat programs that provide 
        technical assistance for the modernization and institutional 
        consolidation of national legislatures from OAS member states.
    (b) Diplomatic Engagement and Coordination.--The Secretary of 
State, as appropriate, shall carry out diplomatic engagement to secure 
political and financial support for the establishment of the procedures 
set forth in subsection (a).
    (c) Progress Report.--Not later than one year after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall submit to the 
Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate and the Committee on 
Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives a report on OAS 
processes, initiatives, and reforms undertaken to implement this 
section.

SEC. 5. SUPPORT FOR OAS HUMAN RIGHTS AND ANTI-CORRUPTION INITIATIVES.

    (a) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that--
            (1) the Organization of American States' Inter-American 
        Commission on Human Rights is the preeminent institution for 
        defending human rights in the Americas;
            (2) the United States should take all necessary steps to 
        support and strengthen the role of the Inter-American 
        Commission on Human Rights and its work in the Americas;
            (3) the efforts of the OAS Secretary General and 
        Secretariat to combat corruption and impunity in the Americas 
        represent important contributions to strengthening the rule of 
        law and democratic governance in the Americas; and
            (4) the United States should support efforts to ensure the 
        effectiveness and independence of OAS initiatives to combat 
        corruption and impunity in the Americas.
    (b) Anti-Corruption and Human Rights Promotion Strategy.--Not later 
than 180 days after the date of the enactment of the Act, the Secretary 
of State shall submit to the Committee on Foreign Relations of the 
Senate and the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of 
Representatives a strategy for supporting OAS anti-corruption and human 
rights promotion efforts, including--
            (1) an assessment of United States programs, activities, 
        and initiatives with the OAS to support anti-corruption and 
        human rights promotion in the Americas;
            (2) a summary of steps taken by the United States Mission 
        to the OAS to strengthen the role of the Inter-American 
        Commission on Human Rights, and to support anti-corruption and 
        anti-impunity efforts in the Americas;
            (3) an assessment of necessary reforms and initiatives to 
        prioritize and reinforce the OAS Secretary General and 
        Secretariat's efforts to advance human rights and combat 
        corruption and impunity in the Americas;
            (4) a detailed strategy to facilitate increased OAS 
        collaboration, as appropriate, with relevant stakeholders, 
        including legislators and civil society, in support of a multi-
        sectoral approach to anti-corruption, anti-impunity, and human 
        rights promotion efforts in the Americas; and
            (5) a detailed plan for implementing the strategy set forth 
        in this section of the Act.
    (c) Annual Report.--General.--Not later than one year after the 
date of the enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter, the 
Secretary of State shall submit to the Committee on Foreign Relations 
of the Senate and the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of 
Representatives a report on actions taken to implement the strategy 
mandated under subsection (b). The report shall include--
            (1) an analysis of the progress made by the OAS to adopt 
        and effectively implement reforms and initiatives to advance 
        human rights and combat corruption and impunity in the 
        Americas; and
            (2) a detailed assessment of OAS efforts to increase multi-
        sectoral stakeholder engagement to advance human rights and 
        combat corruption and impunity in the Americas.
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