Sec. 203. Reviving United States leadership in international organizations and regional institutions
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/bill/116/s/4629/is/section-203A research copy — for the controlling text, always check the official state or federal source. Not legal advice.
Congress makes the following findings: The Trump Administration has abdicated historic United States leadership at the United Nations and in other international and regional organizations, creating a vacuum that the Government of China is filling. The United States, through enforcement of a statutory cap on contributions to United Nations peacekeeping operations, has accrued $1,000,000,000 in arrears since fiscal year 2017, leading to funding disruptions to United Nations peacekeeping missions.
The Administration withdrew the United States from the United Nations Human Rights Council in 2018 and is currently withholding assessed funds for the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, which has authorized and led investigations uncovering grave human rights abuses in Syria, Venezuela, Iran, and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, among other places. The United States formally submitted a notice of withdrawal from the Paris Climate Agreement in 2019, a landmark international agreement to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and address the impacts of climate change.
In the midst of a deadly global pandemic, President Trump announced on May 29, 2020, that the United States would terminate its relationship with the World Health Organization, and on July 6, 2020, the Administration submitted its formal notice of withdrawal from the World Health Organization. The World Health Organization is playing a key role in the global pandemic response, including by developing technical guidance, providing personal protective equipment and testing kits to low-resource countries, and supporting efforts to identify effective treatments and a vaccine.
The Administration has taken these decisions at the same time the Government of China is increasing its activities at the United Nations and in international and regional organizations in order to pursue its national interests and exploit the United States leadership vacuum. Chinese nationals currently head four of the United Nations specialized agencies, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO).
A United States national holds the top leadership position in UNICEF and the World Bank. The Government of China has sought to use its growing influence to promote a view of international human rights contrary to universal values and elevates the power of the Chinese Communist Party and the state over the rights of the individual, gives primacy to economic and social matters over civil and political rights, and seeks to mute criticism of individual countries’ human rights records, particularly its own.
The Government of China, at every opportunity, will fill the leadership void left by the United States if the United States continues to decrease its engagement with and in regional institutions, international organizations, and with the United Nations, by withdrawing from key United Nations bodies, unilaterally cutting funding to core United Nations programs and agencies, or abrogating its obligations under multilateral treaties or agreements. It shall be the policy of the United States to take the following actions:
Fully engage with United Nations bodies and agencies to counter efforts by Chinese diplomats to push concepts, proposals, and programs that undermine United States national and allied interests and values. Pay United States peacekeeping assessments at the assessed rate negotiated by United States diplomats at the United Nations and pay back outstanding arrears. Reengage with the United Nations Human Rights Council, including by running for a seat on the Council in future elections held by the United Nations General Assembly.
Refrain from withholding budget funds from the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. Rescind the United States notice of withdrawal from the Paris Climate Agreement or if this Act is enacted after November 4, 2020, rejoin as a party to the Paris Climate Agreement. Rescind the United States notice of withdrawal from the World Health Organization, release assessed and voluntary funding withheld from the WHO, and engage with the WHO on efforts to combat COVID–19 and other public health threats.
Seek to support United States candidates for positions in United Nations bodies and to ensure that such efforts are resourced and staffed, as well as to encourage and support like-minded governments to put forth their own nominees for positions in United Nations bodies. Engage with regional organizations, including NATO, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), and the Organization of American States
(OAS)to counter efforts by Chinese diplomatic concepts, proposals, and programs that undermine United States national and allied interests and values.