United Nations Transparency, Accountability, and Reform Act of 2011

Bill: 112-hr-2829
Sponsor: Rep. Ros-Lehtinen, Ileana [R-FL-18]
Introduced: 2011-08-30 in the House
Policy area: International Affairs
Subjects: Accounting and auditing
Arab-Israeli relations
Arms control and nonproliferation
Asia
Australia
Canada
Congressional oversight
Congressional tributes
Crime victims
Crimes against women
Criminal investigation, prosecution, interrogation
Czech Republic
Diplomacy, foreign officials, Americans abroad
Europe
Foreign aid and international relief
Gaza Strip
Germany
Government ethics and transparency, public corruption
Government information and archives
Government liability
Government studies and investigations
Human rights
International law and treaties
International organizations and cooperation
Iran
Israel
Italy
Middle East
Military operations and strategy
Netherlands
New Zealand
North Korea
Nuclear weapons
Oceania
Palestinians
Poland
Racial and ethnic relations
Reconstruction and stabilization
Refugees, asylum, displaced persons
Religion
Sex offenses
Sovereignty, recognition, national governance and status
Terrorism
United Nations

Summary:
action_date: 2011-08-30
text: 
United Nations Transparency, Accountability, and Reform Act of 2011 - Directs the President to use U.S. influence at the United Nations (U.N.) on a wide variety of issues, including to shift the funding mechanism for the regular budget of the U.N. from an assessed to a voluntary basis.
 
Withholds up to 50% of nonvoluntary U.S. contributions to the regular budget of the U.N. unless the Secretary of State certifies to Congress that 80% of the total regular budget of the U.N. is apportioned on a voluntary basis.
 
Requires the annual congressional budget justification to include a detailed itemized request in support of the U.S. contribution of the regular budget of the U.N. 
 
Sets forth requirements for the Comptroller General with respect to audits and investigations of U.S. contributions to the U.N. and such contributions' use by U.N. entities.
 
Prohibits the obligation or expenditure of a U.S. contribution to any U.N. entity unless the entity has provided the Comptroller General with a transparency certification and is in compliance with such certification.
 
Prohibits making funds available: (1) to international organizations for any purpose other than an assessed U.S. contribution to a U.N. entity or other international organization; (2) to international organizations and programs for any purpose other than a voluntary U.S. contribution to a U.N. entity or other international organization; and (3) for international peacekeeping activities for any purpose other than a U.S. contribution to U.N. peacekeeping activities, to the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY), or to the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR).
 
Directs the Secretary to withhold from the regular budget of the U.N. an amount equal to the amount of U.S. overpayments to the U.N.
 
States that is U.S. policy to oppose any proposals on expansion of the Security Council that would: (1) diminish U.S. influence on the Security Council, or (2) include veto rights for new Security Council members.
 
Directs the Secretary to withhold U.S. contributions from any U.N. entity that recognizes a Palestinian state or upgrades the status of the Palestinian observer mission at the U.N., the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), the Palestinian Authority (PA), or any other Palestinian administrative organization or governing entity prior to the achievement of a final peace agreement with Israel.
 
Provides that until the Secretary makes a specified certification to Congress: (1) the Secretary shall withhold from a U.S. contribution to a regular budget of the U.N. an amount equal to the amount that would be allocated for the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC), (2) the Secretary shall not make a voluntary contribution to UNHRC, and (3) the United States shall not run for a UNHRC seat.
 
Directs the Secretary to withhold from a U.S. contribution to a regular budget of the U.N. an amount equal to the amount that would be allocated for: (1) the U.N. Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Palestinian territories occupied since 1967; and (2) any other U.N. Special Procedures used to display bias against the United States or Israel or to provide support for any member state which is subject to Security Council sanctions, under a Security Council-mandated human rights investigation, has repeatedly supported acts of international terrorism, or is a country of particular concern for religious freedom.
 
States that it is U.S. policy to oppose any legitimization of the Goldstone Report and to lead a diplomatic campaign supporting its revocation.
 
Prohibits funds from being used for U.S. participation in the Durban III meeting or any part of the Durban process.
 
 Withholds U.S. contributions to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) or to any successor or related entity unless the Secretary makes specified certifications to Congress. 
Prohibits any U.S. contribution to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) from being used to support Technical Cooperation program assistance to any country, including North Korea, that: (1) has repeatedly supported acts of international terrorism; or (2) is in breach of, or under investigation for breach of, obligations regarding its safeguards agreement with the IAEA, the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, or any relevant Security Council resolution. 
Directs the Secretary to withhold from the U.S. voluntary contribution to the IAEA an amount proportional to that spent by the IAEA in 2007-2008 on Technical Cooperation program assistance to such countries.
Sets forth U.S. policy regarding reform of U.N. peacekeeping operations. 
Directs the President to use U.S. influence at the U.N. to oppose the creation of new, or expansion of existing, U.N. peacekeeping operations until the Secretary certifies to Congress that specified peacekeeping reforms have been adopted by the U.N. Department of Peacekeeping Operations or the General Assembly.
action_date: 2011-12-08
text: 
United Nations Transparency, Accountability, and Reform Act of 2011 - 
Title I: Funding of the United Nations
 - (Sec. 102) Directs the President to use U.S. influence at the United Nations (U.N.) to shift the funding mechanism for the regular budget of the U.N. from an assessed to a voluntary basis.
 
Withholds up to 50% of nonvoluntary U.S. contributions to the regular budget of the U.N. unless the Secretary of State certifies to Congress that at least 80% of the total regular budget of the U.N. is apportioned on a voluntary basis.
 
(Sec. 103) Requires the annual congressional budget justification to include a detailed itemized request in support of the U.S. contribution of the regular budget of the U.N. 
 
(Sec. 104) Directs the Secretary to report annually to Congress on U.N. reform.
 

Title II: Transparency and Accountability for United States Contributions to the United Nations
 - (Sec. 203) Sets forth Department of State requirements with respect to audits and investigations of U.S. contributions to the U.N. and such contributions' use by U.N. entities.
 
(Sec. 204) Prohibits the obligation or expenditure of a U.S. contribution to any U.N. entity unless the entity has provided the Secretary with a transparency certification and is in compliance with such certification.
 
(Sec. 205) Prohibits making funds available: (1) to international organizations for any purpose other than an assessed U.S. contribution to a U.N. entity or other international organization; (2) to international organizations and programs for any purpose other than a voluntary U.S. contribution to a U.N. entity or other international organization; and (3) for international peacekeeping activities for any purpose other than a U.S. contribution to U.N. peacekeeping activities, to the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY), or to the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR).
 
(Sec. 206) States that it is U.S. policy to: (1) annually instruct the U.N. to return to the United States any surplus assessed contributions or other U.S. overpayments to any U.N. entity, and (2) use U.S. influence to press the U.N. to reform its United Nations Tax Equalization Fund assessment procedures to reduce repeated income and expenditure discrepancies.
 
(Sec. 207) Requires the Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to submit three annual reports to Congress listing all U.S. contributions to the U.N. and U.N. affiliated agencies for the preceding fiscal year.
 

Title III: United States Policy at the United Nations -
 (Sec. 301) Directs the President to use U.S. influence at the U.N. to: (1) ensure the annual publication of all U.N. subsidiary bodies, their functions, budgets, staff, and contributions, sorted by donor; (2) implement a system for filing individual financial disclosure forms by certain U.N. employees which will be available to the Office of Internal Oversight Services, to member states, and to the public; (3) ensure member state access to Board of External Auditors reports and audits; and (4) ensure the waiver of immunity of U.N. officials in cases where immunity would impede the course of justice. 
 
(Sec. 303) States that is U.S. policy to oppose any proposals on expansion of the U.N. Security Council that would: (1) diminish U.S. influence on the Security Council, or (2) include veto rights for new Security Council members.
 
(Sec. 306) Directs the President to use U.S. influence at the U.N. to work toward U.N. General Assembly adoption of a definition of terrorism that: (1) builds upon recommendations of the December 2004 report of the High-Level Panel on Threats, Challenges, and Change; (2) includes actions intended to do harm to civilians for purposes of government intimidation; and (3) does not propose legal or moral equivalency between such actions and government self-defense actions.
 
(Sec. 307) Directs the Secretary to report to Congress on U.N. human resources practices and reforms. 
 
(Sec. 308) Withholds from U.S. contributions to the U.N. regular budget amounts that are proportional to the percentage of such budget that are expended for a U.N. human rights treaty monitoring body or committee that was established by a convention or an international covenant to which the United States is not party. 
 
(Sec. 309) Directs the Secretary, to avoid duplicative efforts and funding regarding Palestinian interests and to ensure balance in the approach to Israeli-Palestinian issues, to audit the functions of certain entities and report to Congress.
 
Withholds from U.S. contributions to the U.N. regular budget amounts that are proportional to the percentage of such budget that are expended for such entities until the U.N. implements any recommendations in such report.
 
(Sec. 310) Directs the President to use U.S. influence at the U.N. to ensure that anti-Semitic behavior at the U.N. is condemned and that the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights develops measures that address anti-Semitism.
 
(Sec. 311) Directs the President to use U.S. influence at the U.N. to expand the Western European and Others Group to include Israel as a permanent member with full rights and privileges. 
 
(Sec. 312) Directs the Secretary to use U.S. influence at the U.N. to ensure meaningful participation for Taiwan in U.N. entities in which Taiwan has expressed an interest in participating. 
 
(Sec. 313) Directs the Secretary to use U.S. influence at the U.N. to ensure that no representative of a country designated by the Department as a Tier 3 country under the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 shall preside as Chair or President of any U.N. entity. 
 

Title IV: Status of Palestinian Entities at the United Nations -
 (Sec. 402) States that it is U.S. policy to oppose the recognition of a Palestinian state by any U.N entity or any upgrade in the status of the Palestinian observer mission at the U.N, the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), the Palestinian Authority (PA), or any other Palestinian administrative or governing entity prior to the achievement of a final peace agreement negotiated between Israel and the Palestinians.
 
(Sec. 403) Directs the Secretary to withhold U.S. contributions from any U.N. entity that recognizes a Palestinian state or upgrades the status of the Palestinian observer mission at the U.N., the PLO, the PA, or any other Palestinian administrative or governing entity prior to the achievement of a final peace agreement negotiated between and Israel and the Palestinians.
 

Title V: United Nations Human Rights Council -
 (Sec. 502) Provides that until the Secretary makes a specified certification to Congress: (1) the Secretary shall withhold from a U.S. contribution to a U.N. regular budget an amount equal to the amount that would be allocated for the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC), (2) the Secretary shall not make a voluntary contribution to UNHRC, and (3) the United States shall not run for a UNHRC seat.
 
Directs the Secretary to withhold from a U.S. contribution to a U.N. regular budget an amount equal to the amount that would be allocated for: (1) the U.N. Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Palestinian territories occupied since 1967; and (2) any other U.N. Special Procedures used to display bias against the United States or Israel or to provide support for any member state which is subject to Security Council sanctions, under a Security Council-mandated human rights investigation, has repeatedly supported acts of international terrorism, or is a country of particular concern for religious freedom.
 

Title VI: The Goldstone Report -
 (Sec. 602) States that it is U.S. policy to oppose any legitimization of the Goldstone Report and to lead a diplomatic campaign supporting its revocation.
 
(Sec. 603) Directs the Secretary to withhold from the U.S. contribution to the U.N. regular budget an amount that is equal to the percentage of such contribution that would be or has been expended by the U.N. for any part of the Goldstone Report. 
 

Title VII: Durban Process - 
(Sec. 703) Prohibits funds from being used for U.S. participation in any part of the Durban process.
 
(Sec. 704) Directs the Secretary to withhold from the U.S. contribution to the U.N. regular budget an amount equal to the percentage of that contribution that would be or has been spent on the Durban process.
 

Title VIII: UNRWA -
 (Sec. 802) Amends the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to withhold U.S. contributions to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) or to any successor or related entity unless the Secretary makes specified certifications to Congress. 
 

Title IX: International Atomic Energy Agency -
 (Sec. 901) Prohibits any U.S. contribution to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) from being used to support Technical Cooperation program assistance to any country, including North Korea, that: (1) has repeatedly supported acts of international terrorism; or (2) is in breach of, or under investigation for breach of, obligations regarding its safeguards agreement with the IAEA, the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, or any relevant Security Council resolution. 
Directs the Secretary to withhold from the U.S. voluntary contribution to the IAEA an amount proportional to that spent by the IAEA in 2007-2008 on Technical Cooperation program assistance to such countries. 
(Sec. 902) Directs the President to use U.S. influence at the IAEA to: (1) establish an Office of Compliance to ensure that all member states fulfill their obligations under IAEA Board resolutions; (2) ensure that a member state that is under investigation for a breach of its IAEA obligations has its privileges suspended; (3) ensure that a member state that is in breach of or has withdrawn from the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty shall return all nuclear materials and technology received from the IAEA, any member state of the IAEA, or any member state of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty; (4) block the membership on the IAEA Board of Governors for certain member states that have not signed and ratified the Additional Protocol; and (5) make Iran and Syria ineligible to receive any nuclear material, technology, equipment, or assistance from any member state. 
 
States that U.S. contributions to the IAEA should be used primarily to support nuclear safety, security, or verification. States that the U.S. will use its influence to ensure the adoption of resolutions making Iran and Syria ineligible to receive IAEA assistance. 
 
(Sec. 903) Expresses the sense of Congress that the IAEA General Conference should adopt a resolution incorporating the Nuclear Security Action Plan into the IAEA's regular budget. 
 

Title X: Peacekeeping
 - (Sec. 1002) Sets forth U.S. policy regarding reform of U.N. peacekeeping operations. 
(Sec. 1003) Directs the President to use U.S. influence at the U.N. to oppose the creation of new, or expansion of existing, U.N. peacekeeping operations until the Secretary certifies to Congress that specified peacekeeping reforms have been adopted by the U.N. Department of Peacekeeping Operations or the General Assembly.

Legislative actions:
action_date: 2011-12-08
text: Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 221.
action_date: 2011-12-08
text: Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Foreign Affairs. H. Rept. 112-323.
action_date: 2011-12-08
text: Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Foreign Affairs. H. Rept. 112-323.
action_date: 2011-10-13
text: Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by the Yeas and Nays: 23 - 15.
action_date: 2011-10-13
text: Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
action_date: 2011-08-30
text: Referred to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs.
action_date: 2011-08-30
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2011-08-30
text: Introduced in House