United Nations Transparency, Accountability, and Reform Act of 2011

Bill: 112-s-1848
Sponsor: Sen. Rubio, Marco [R-FL]
Introduced: 2011-11-10 in the Senate
Policy area: International Affairs
Subjects: Accounting and auditing
Appropriations
Arab-Israeli relations
Arms control and nonproliferation
Asia
Australia
Canada
Conflicts and wars
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
Germany
Government ethics and transparency, public corruption
Government liability
Government studies and investigations
Human rights
Human trafficking
International law and treaties
International organizations and cooperation
Iran
Israel
Italy
Middle East
Military command and structure
Military law
Military personnel and dependents
Netherlands
New Zealand
North Korea
Nuclear power
Nuclear weapons
Oceania
Palestinians
Poland
Racial and ethnic relations
Refugees, asylum, displaced persons
Religion
Sanctions
Sex offenses
Terrorism
United Nations

Summary:
action_date: 2011-11-10
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 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 (GAO) 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.
 
Withholds from U.S. contributions to the regular budget of the United Nations 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.
 
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.

Legislative actions:
action_date: 2011-11-10
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations.
action_date: 2011-11-10
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S7373)
action_date: 2011-11-10
text: Introduced in Senate