[113th Congress Public Law 41]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[[Page 547]]
ORGANIZATION OF AMERICAN STATES REVITALIZATION AND REFORM ACT OF 2013
[[Page 127 STAT. 548]]
Public Law 113-41
113th Congress
An Act
To support revitalization and reform of the Organization of American
States, and for other purposes. <<NOTE: Oct. 2, 2013 - [S. 793]>>
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled, <<NOTE: Organization of
American States Revitalization and Reform Act of 2013. 22 USC 290q
note. 22 USC 290q note.>>
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Organization of American States
Revitalization and Reform Act of 2013''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress makes the following findings:
(1) The Charter of the Organization of American States
recognizes that--
(A) representative democracy is indispensable for
the stability, peace, and development of the Western
Hemisphere; and
(B) a purpose of the Organization of American States
is to promote and consolidate representative democracy,
with due respect for the principle of nonintervention.
(2) The United States supports the purposes and principles
enshrined in--
(A) the Charter of the Organization of American
States;
(B) the Inter-American Democratic Charter; and
(C) the American Declaration on the Rights and
Duties of Man.
(3) The United States supports the Organization of American
States in its efforts with all member states to meet our
commitments under the instruments set forth in paragraph (2).
(4) Congress supports the Organization of American States as
it operates in a manner consistent with the Inter-American
Democratic Charter.
SEC. 3. <<NOTE: 22 USC 290q note.>> STATEMENT OF POLICY.
It is the policy of the United States--
(1) to promote democracy and the rule of law throughout the
Western Hemisphere;
(2) to promote and protect human rights and fundamental
freedoms in the Western Hemisphere; and
(3) to support the practices, purposes, and principles
expressed in the Charter of the Organization of American States,
the American Declaration on the Rights and Duties of Man, the
Inter-American Democratic Charter, and other fundamental
instruments of democracy.
[[Page 127 STAT. 549]]
SEC. 4. SENSE OF CONGRESS.
It is the sense of Congress that--
(1) the Organization of American States (OAS) should be the
primary multi-lateral diplomatic entity for regional dispute
resolution and promotion of democratic governance and
institutions;
(2) the OAS is a valuable platform from which to launch
initiatives aimed to benefit the countries of the Western
Hemisphere;
(3) the Summit of the Americas institution and process
embodies a valuable complement to regional dialogue and
cooperation;
(4) the Summit of the Americas process should be formally
and more effectively integrated into the work of the OAS, the
Inter-American Development Bank, and other Members of the Joint
Summit Working Group, and the OAS should play a central role in
overseeing and managing the Summit process;
(5) the OAS General Assembly and the Summit of the Americas
events should be combined geographically and chronologically in
the years in which they coincide;
(6) the OAS has historically accepted too many mandates from
its member states, resulting in both lack of clarity on
priorities and loss of institutional focus, which in turn has
reduced the effectiveness of the organization;
(7) to ensure an appropriate balance of priorities, the OAS
should review its core functions no less than annually and seek
opportunities to reduce the number of mandates not directly
related to its core functions;
(8) key OAS strengths lie in strengthening peace and
security, promoting and consolidating representative democracy,
regional dispute resolution, election assistance and monitoring,
fostering economic growth and development cooperation,
facilitating trade, combating illicit drug trafficking and
transnational crime, and support for the Inter-American Human
Rights System;
(9) the core competencies referred to in paragraph (8)
should remain central to the strategic planning process of the
OAS and the consideration of future mandates;
(10) any new OAS mandates should be accepted by the member
states only after an analysis is conducted and formally
presented consisting of a calculation of the financial costs
associated with the mandate, an assessment of the comparative
advantage of the OAS in the implementation of the mandate, and a
description of the ways in which the mandate advances the
organization's core mission;
(11) any new mandates should include, in addition to the
analysis described in paragraph (10), an identification of the
source of funding to be used to implement the mandate;
(12) the OAS would benefit from enhanced coordination
between the OAS and the Inter-American Development Bank on
issues that relate to economic development;
(13) the OAS would benefit from standard reporting
requirements for each project and grant agreement;
(14) the OAS would benefit from effective implementation
of--
[[Page 127 STAT. 550]]
(A) transparent and merit-based human resource
standards and processes; and
(B) transparent hiring, firing, and promotion
standards and processes, including with respect to
factors such as gender and national origin; and
(15) it is in the interest of the United States, OAS member
states, and a modernized OAS to move toward an assessed fee
structure that assures the financial sustainability of the
organization and establishes, not later than five years after
the date of the enactment of this Act, that no member state pays
more than 50 percent of the organization's assessed fees.
SEC. 5. <<NOTE: 22 USC 290q.>> ORGANIZATION OF AMERICAN STATES
REVITALIZATION AND REFORM STRATEGY.
(a) Strategy.--
(1) <<NOTE: Deadline.>> In general.--Not later than 180
days 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 multiyear strategy that--
(A) identifies a path toward the adoption of
necessary reforms that prioritize and reinforce the
OAS's core competencies described in section 4(8);
(B) outlines an approach to secure from the OAS
effective adoption of--
(i) a results-based budgeting process in order
to strategically prioritize, and where
appropriate, reduce current and future mandates;
and
(ii) transparent hiring, firing, and promotion
practices;
(C) reflects the inputs and coordination from other
Executive Branch agencies, as appropriate; and
(D) identifies a path toward the adoption of
necessary reforms that would--
(i) lead to an assessed fee structure in which
no member state would pay more than 50 percent of
the OAS's assessed yearly fees; and
(ii) seek to minimize the negative financial
impact on the OAS and its operations.
(2) Policy priorities and coordination.--The Secretary of
State shall--
(A) carry out diplomatic engagement to build support
for reforms and budgetary burden sharing among OAS
member states and observers; and
(B) promote donor coordination among OAS member
states.
(b) Briefings.--The Secretary of State shall offer to the committees
referred to in subsection (a)(1) a quarterly briefing that--
(1) reviews assessed and voluntary contributions;
(2) analyzes the progress made by the OAS to adopt and
effectively implement a results-based budgeting process in order
to strategically prioritize, and where appropriate, reduce
current and future mandates;
(3) analyzes the progress made by the OAS to adopt and
effectively implement transparent and merit-based human resource
standards and practices and transparent hiring, firing,
[[Page 127 STAT. 551]]
and promotion standards and processes, including with respect to
factors such as gender and national origin;
(4) analyzes the progress made by the OAS to adopt and
effectively implement a practice of soliciting member quotas to
be paid on a schedule that will improve the consistency of its
operating budget; and
(5) analyzes the progress made by the OAS to review,
streamline, and prioritize mandates to focus on core missions
and make efficient and effective use of available funding.
Approved October 2, 2013.
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY--S. 793:
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HOUSE REPORTS: No. 113-43 (Comm. on Foreign Relations).
CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, Vol. 159 (2013):
July 8, considered and passed Senate.
Sept. 17, considered and passed House, amended.
Sept. 24, Senate concurred in House amendment.
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