22 USC 10003 - Support for democratic governance, rule of law, human rights, and fundamental freedoms

Collapse to view only § 10003. Support for democratic governance, rule of law, human rights, and fundamental freedoms

§ 10001. Definitions
§ 10002. Statement of policy
§ 10003. Support for democratic governance, rule of law, human rights, and fundamental freedoms
§ 10004. Support for development programs
§ 10005. Support for conflict mitigation
§ 10006. Support for accountability for war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide in Sudan
§ 10007. Suspension of assistance
§ 10008. Multilateral assistance
§ 10009. Coordinated support to recover assets stolen from the Sudanese people
§ 10010. Limitation on assistance to the Sudanese security and intelligence services
§ 10011. Reports
§ 10012. United States strategy for support to a civilian-led government in Sudan

§ 10001. Definitions

Except as otherwise provided, in this chapter:

(1) Appropriate congressional committees

The term “appropriate congressional committees” means—

(A) the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate;

(B) the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate;

(D) the Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives.

(2) International financial institutions

The term “international financial institutions” means—

(A) the International Monetary Fund;

(B) the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development;

(D) the International Finance Corporation;

(E) the Inter-American Development Bank;

(F) the Asian Development Bank;

(G) the Inter-American Investment Corporation;

(H) the African Development Bank;

(I) the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development;

(J) the Multilateral Investment Guaranty Agency; and

(K) any multilateral financial institution, established after January 1, 2021, that could provide financial assistance to the Government of Sudan.

(3) Sovereignty Council

The term “Sovereignty Council” means the governing body of Sudan during the transitional period that consists of—

(A) 5 civilians selected by the Forces of Freedom and Change;

(B) 5 members selected by the Transitional Military Council; and

(4) Sudanese security and intelligence services

The term “Sudanese security and intelligence services” means—

(A) the Sudan Armed Forces;

(B) the Rapid Support Forces,1

1 So in original. The comma probably should be a semicolon.

(D) Sudan’s police forces;

(E) the General Intelligence Service, previously known as the National Intelligence and Security Services; and

(F) related entities, such as Sudan’s Military Industry Corporation.

(5) Transitional period

The term “transitional period” means the 39-month period beginning on August 17, 2019 (the date of the signing of Sudan’s constitutional charter), during which—

(A) the members of the Sovereignty Council described in paragraph (3)(B) select a chair of the Council for the first 21 months of the period; and

(B) the members of the Sovereignty Council described in paragraph (3)(A) select a chair of the Council for the remaining 18 months of the period.

(Pub. L. 116–283, div. A, title XII, § 1262, Jan. 1, 2021, 134 Stat. 3967.)

§ 10002. Statement of policyIt is the policy of the United States—

(1) to support a civilian-led political transition in Sudan that results in a democratic government, which is accountable to its people, respects and promotes human rights, is at peace internally and with its neighbors, and can be a partner for regional stability;

(2) to support the implementation of Sudan’s constitutional charter for the transitional period; and

(3) to pursue a strategy of calibrated engagement with Sudan that includes—

(A) facilitating an environment for free, fair, and credible democratic elections and a pluralistic and representative political system;

(B) supporting reforms that improve transparency and accountability, remove restrictions on civil and political liberties, and strengthen the protection of human rights, including religious freedom;

(D) empowering civil society and independent media;

(E) promoting national reconciliation and enabling a just, comprehensive, and sustainable peace;

(F) promoting the role of women in government, the economy, and society, in recognition of the seminal role that women played in the social movement that ousted former president Omar al-Bashir;

(G) promoting accountability for genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity, and sexual and gender-based violence;

(H) encouraging the development of civilian oversight over and professionalization of the Sudanese security and intelligence services and strengthening accountability for human rights violations and abuses, corruption, or other abuses of power;

(I) promoting economic reform, private sector engagement, and inclusive economic development while combating corruption and illicit economic activity, including that which involves the Sudanese security and intelligence services;

(J) securing unfettered humanitarian access across all regions of Sudan;

(K) supporting improved development outcomes, domestic resource mobilization, and catalyzing market-based solutions to improve access to health, education, water and sanitation, and livelihoods; and

(L) promoting responsible international and regional engagement.

(Pub. L. 116–283, div. A, title XII, § 1263, Jan. 1, 2021, 134 Stat. 3968.)

§ 10003. Support for democratic governance, rule of law, human rights, and fundamental freedoms

(a) Sense of Congress

(b) In generalNotwithstanding any other provision of law (other than the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 [22 U.S.C. 7101 et seq.] and the Child Soldiers Prevention Act of 2008), the President is authorized to provide assistance under part I and chapter 4 of part II of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2151 et seq. and 2346 et seq.)—

(1) to provide for democracy and governance programs that strengthen and build the capacity of representative civilian government institutions, political parties, and civil society in Sudan;

(2) to support the organization of free, fair, and credible elections in Sudan;

(3) to provide technical support for legal and policy reforms that improve transparency and accountability and protect human rights, including religious freedom, and civil liberties in Sudan;

(4) to support human rights and fundamental freedoms in Sudan, including the freedoms of—

(A) religion or belief;

(B) expression, including for members of the press;

(D) association;

(5) to support measures to improve and increase women’s participation in the political, economic, and social sectors of Sudan; and

(6) to support other related democracy, good governance, rule of law, and fundamental freedom programs and activities.

(c)

(Pub. L. 116–283, div. A, title XII, § 1264, Jan. 1, 2021, 134 Stat. 3969.)

§ 10004. Support for development programs

(a) In general

Notwithstanding any other provision of law (other than the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 [22 U.S.C. 7101 et seq.] and the Child Soldiers Prevention Act of 2008), the President is authorized to provide assistance under part I and chapter 4 of part II of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2151 et seq. and 2346 et seq.) and under the Better Utilization of Investments Leading to Development Act of 2018 (22 U.S.C. 9601 et seq.) for programs in Sudan—

(1) to increase agricultural and livestock productivity;

(2) to promote economic growth, increase private sector productivity and advance market-based solutions to address development challenges;

(3) to support women’s economic empowerment and economic opportunities for youth and previously marginalized populations;

(4) to improve equal access to quality basic education;

(5) to support the capacity of universities to equip students to participate in a pluralistic and global society through virtual exchange and other programs;

(6) to improve access to water, sanitation, and hygiene projects;

(7) to build the capacity of national and subnational government officials to support the transparent management of public resources, promote good governance through combating corruption and improving accountability, increase economic productivity, and increase domestic resource mobilization; and

(8) to support other related economic assistance programs and activities.

(b) Authorization of appropriations

(Pub. L. 116–283, div. A, title XII, § 1265, Jan. 1, 2021, 134 Stat. 3970.)

§ 10005. Support for conflict mitigation

(a) In generalNotwithstanding any other provision of law (other than the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 [22 U.S.C. 7101 et seq.] and the Child Soldiers Prevention Act of 2008), the President is authorized to provide assistance under part I and chapters 4, 5, and 6 of part II of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2151 et seq., 2346 et seq., and 2348 et seq.)—

(1) to support long-term peace and stability in Sudan by promoting national reconciliation and enabling a just, comprehensive, and sustainable peace, especially in regions that have been underdeveloped or affected by war, such as the states of Darfur, South Kordofan, Blue Nile, Red Sea, and Kassala;

(2) to support civil society and other organizations working to address conflict prevention, mitigation, and resolution mechanisms and people-to-people reconciliation in Sudan, especially those addressing issues of marginalization and vulnerable groups, equal protection under the law, natural resource management, compensation and restoration of property, voluntary return, and sustainable solutions for displaced persons and refugees;

(3) to strengthen civilian oversight of the Sudanese security and intelligence services and ensure that such services are not contributing to the perpetuation of conflict in Sudan and to the limitation of the civil liberties of all people in Sudan;

(4) to assist in the human rights vetting and professional training of security force personnel due to be employed or deployed by the Sudanese security and intelligence services in regions that have been underdeveloped or affected by war, such as the states of Darfur, South Kordofan, Blue Nile, Red Sea, and Kassala, including members of any security forces being established pursuant to a peace agreement relating to such regions;

(5) to support provisions of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement of 2005 and Abyei protocol, as appropriate, unless otherwise superseded by a new agreement signed in good faith—

(A) between stakeholders in this region and the Governments of Sudan and South Sudan to hold a free, fair, and credible referendum on the status of Abyei; and

(B) between stakeholders in this region and the Government of Sudan to support popular consultations on the status of the states of South Kordofan and Blue Nile; and

(6) to support other related conflict mitigation programs and activities.

(b) Authorization of appropriations

(Pub. L. 116–283, div. A, title XII, § 1266, Jan. 1, 2021, 134 Stat. 3970.)

§ 10006. Support for accountability for war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide in Sudan

(a) Sense of Congress

(b) In general

(1) to build the capacity of civilian investigators within and outside of Sudan on how to document, investigate, develop findings of, identify, and locate those responsible for war crimes, crimes against humanity, or genocide in Sudan;

(2) to collect, document, and protect evidence of war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide in Sudan and preserve the chain of custody for such evidence, including by providing support for Sudanese, foreign, and international nongovernmental organizations, and other entities engaged in such investigative activities;

(3) to build Sudan’s judicial capacity to support prosecutions in domestic courts and support investigations by hybrid or international courts as appropriate;

(4) to protect witnesses who participate in court proceedings or other transitional justice mechanisms; and

(5) to support other related conflict mitigation programs and activities.

(Pub. L. 116–283, div. A, title XII, § 1267, Jan. 1, 2021, 134 Stat. 3971.)

§ 10007. Suspension of assistance

(a) In general

(b) Report

Not later than 30 days after making a determination under subsection (a), the President shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a report that describes—

(1) the political and security conditions in Sudan that led to such determination; and

(2) any planned diplomatic engagement to restart the provision of such assistance.

(Pub. L. 116–283, div. A, title XII, § 1268, Jan. 1, 2021, 134 Stat. 3972.)

§ 10008. Multilateral assistance

(a) Sense of the CongressIt is the sense of the Congress that—

(1) Sudan’s economic challenges are a legacy of decades of kleptocracy, economic mismanagement, and war;

(2) Sudan’s economic recovery will depend on—

(A) combating corruption and illicit economic activity;

(B) ending internal conflicts in the states of Darfur, South Kordofan, and Blue Nile; and

(3) the COVID–19 outbreak constitutes a grave danger to Sudan’s economic stability, public health, and food security and jeopardizes the transition to a civilian-led government that promotes the democratic aspirations of the Sudanese people.

(b) Responding to the COVID–19 outbreak

(d) Reporting requirementNot later than 3 months after January 1, 2021, and not less frequently than once every 6 months thereafter during the transitional period, the Secretary of the Treasury, in consultation with the Secretary of State, shall report to the appropriate congressional committees regarding the extent to which the transitional government of Sudan has taken demonstrable steps to strengthen governance and improve fiscal transparency, including—

(1) establishing civilian control over the finances and assets of the Sudanese security and intelligence services;

(2) developing a transparent budget that accounts for all expenditures related to the security and intelligence services;

(3) identifying the shareholdings in all public and private companies not exclusively dedicated to the national defense held or managed by the security and intelligence services, and publicly disclosing, evaluating, and transferring all such shareholdings to the Ministry of Finance of the Government of Sudan or to any specialized entity of the Government of Sudan established under law for this purpose, which is ultimately accountable to a civilian authority;

(4) ceasing the involvement of the security and intelligence services officials, and their immediate family members, in the illicit trade in mineral resources, including petroleum and gold;

(5) implementing a publicly transparent methodology for the Government of Sudan to recover, evaluate, hold, manage, or divest any state assets and the profits derived from the assets that may have been transferred to the National Congress Party, an affiliate of the National Congress Party, or an official of the National Congress Party in the individual capacity of such an official;

(6) identifying and monitoring the nature and purpose of offshore financial resources controlled by the security and intelligence services; and

(7) strengthening banking regulation and supervision and addressing anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing deficiencies.

(e) Appropriate congressional committees definedNotwithstanding section 10001 of this title, in this section, the term “appropriate congressional committees” means—

(1) the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate;

(2) the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate;

(3) Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives;

(4) the Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives; and

(5) the Committee on Financial Services of the House of Representatives.

(Pub. L. 116–283, div. A, title XII, § 1269, Jan. 1, 2021, 134 Stat. 3972.)

§ 10009. Coordinated support to recover assets stolen from the Sudanese peopleThe Secretary of State, in coordination with the Secretary of the Treasury and the Attorney General, shall seek to advance the efforts of the Government of Sudan to recover assets stolen from the Sudanese people, including with regard to international efforts—

(1) to identify and track assets taken from the people and institutions of Sudan through theft, corruption, money laundering, or other illicit means; and

(2) with respect to assets identified pursuant to paragraph (1), to work with foreign governments and international organizations—

(A) to share financial investigations intelligence, as appropriate;

(B) to oversee and manage the assets identified pursuant to paragraph (1);

(C) to advance civil forfeiture litigation, as appropriate, including providing technical assistance to help governments establish the necessary legal framework to carry out asset forfeitures; and

(D) to work with the Government of Sudan to ensure that a credible mechanism is established to ensure that any recovered assets are managed in a transparent and accountable fashion and ultimately used for the benefit of the Sudanese people, provided that—

(i) returned assets are not used for partisan political purposes; and

(ii) there are robust financial management and oversight measures to safeguard repatriated assets.

(Pub. L. 116–283, div. A, title XII, § 1270, Jan. 1, 2021, 134 Stat. 3974.)

§ 10010. Limitation on assistance to the Sudanese security and intelligence services

(a) In general

(b) Exception; waiver

(1) Exception

(2) Waiver

The President may waive the limitation on the provision of assistance under subsection (a) if, not later than 30 days before the assistance is to be provided, the President submits to the appropriate congressional committees—

(A) a list of the activities and participants to which such waiver would apply;

(B) a justification that the waiver is in the national security interest of the United States; and

(C) a certification that the participants have met the requirements of either section 2378d of this title for programs funded through Department of State appropriations or section 362 of title 10 for programs funded through Department of Defense appropriations.

(1) In general

The conditions described in this subsection are that the Sudanese security and intelligence services—

(A) have demonstrated progress in undertaking security sector reform, including reforms that professionalize such security and intelligence services, improve transparency, and reforms to the laws governing the Sudanese security forces, such as of the National Security Act, 2010 and the Armed Forces Act, 2007;

(B) support efforts to respect human rights, including religious freedom, and hold accountable any members of such security and intelligence services responsible for human rights violations and abuses, including by taking demonstrable steps to cooperate with local or international mechanisms of accountability, to ensure that those responsible for war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide committed in Sudan are brought to justice;

(C) are under civilian oversight, subject to the rule of law, and are not undertaking actions to undermine a civilian-led transitional government or an elected civilian government;

(D) have refrained from targeted attacks against religious or ethnic minority groups, have negotiated in good faith during the peace process and constructively participated in the implementation of any resulting peace agreements, and do not impede inclusive political participation;

(E) allow unfettered humanitarian access by United Nations organizations and specialized agencies and domestic and international humanitarian organizations to civilian populations in conflict-affected areas;

(F) cooperate with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and organizations affiliated with the United Nations to allow for the protection of displaced persons and the safe, voluntary, sustainable, and dignified return of refugees and internally displaced persons; and

(G) take constructive steps to investigate all reports of unlawful recruitment of children by Sudanese security forces and prosecute those found to be responsible.

(2) Form

(d) Sunset

This section shall terminate on the date that is the earlier of—

(1) the date that is 2 years after January 1, 2021; or

(2) the date on which the President determines that a successful rotation of military to civilian leadership in the Sovereignty Council has occurred.

(Pub. L. 116–283, div. A, title XII, § 1270A, Jan. 1, 2021, 134 Stat. 3974.)

§ 10011. Reports

(a) Report on accountability for human rights abusesNot later than 180 days after January 1, 2021, and annually thereafter for 2 years, the President shall submit a report to the appropriate congressional committees that—

(1) summarizes reports of gross violations of human rights, including sexual and gender-based violence, committed against civilians in Sudan, including members of the Sudanese security and intelligence services or any associated militias, between December 2018 and the date of the submission of the report;

(2) provides an update on any potential transitional justice mechanisms in Sudan to investigate, charge, and prosecute alleged perpetrators of gross violations of human rights in Sudan since June 30, 1989, including with respect to the June 3, 2019 massacre in Khartoum;

(3) provides an analysis of whether the gross violations of human rights summarized pursuant to paragraph (1) amount to war crimes, crimes against humanity, or genocide; and

(4) identifies specific cases since the beginning of the transitional period in which members of the Sudanese security and intelligence services have been charged and prosecuted for actions that constitute gross violations of human rights perpetrated since June 30, 1989.

(b) Report on certain activities and finances of senior officials of the government of SudanNot later than 180 days after January 1, 2021, and 1 year thereafter, the President shall submit a report to the appropriate congressional committees that—

(1) describes the actions and involvement of any previous or current senior officials of the Government of Sudan since the establishment of the transitional government in August 2019 in—

(A) directing, carrying out, or overseeing gross violations of human rights;

(B) directing, carrying out, or overseeing the unlawful use or recruitment of children by armed groups or armed forces in the context of conflicts in Sudan, Libya, Yemen, or other countries;

(D) directing, carrying out, or overseeing any efforts to circumvent the establishment of civilian control over the finances and assets of the Sudanese security and intelligence services; or

(E) facilitating, supporting, or financing terrorist activity in Sudan or other countries;

(2) identifies Sudanese and foreign financial institutions, including offshore financial institutions, in which senior officials of the Government of Sudan whose actions are described in paragraph (1) hold significant assets, and provides an estimate of the value of such assets;

(3) identifies any information United States Government agencies have obtained since August 2019 regarding persons, foreign governments, and Sudanese or foreign financial institutions that knowingly facilitate, finance, or otherwise benefit from corruption or illicit economic activity in Sudan, including the export of mineral resources, and, in particular, if that trade is violating any United States restrictions that remain in place by legislation or Executive order;

(4) identifies any information United States Government agencies have obtained since August 2019 regarding senior officials of the Government of Sudan who are personally involved in the illicit trade in mineral resources, including petroleum and gold; and

(5) identifies any information United States Government agencies have obtained since August 2019 regarding individuals or foreign governments that have provided funds to individual members of the Sovereignty Council or the Cabinet outside of the Central Bank of Sudan or the Ministry of Finance.

(d) Form

(Pub. L. 116–283, div. A, title XII, § 1270B, Jan. 1, 2021, 134 Stat. 3975.)

§ 10012. United States strategy for support to a civilian-led government in Sudan

(a) In generalNot later than 180 days after January 1, 2021, the Secretary of State, in coordination with the Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development and the Secretary of the Treasury, shall submit a strategy to the appropriate congressional committees that includes—

(1) a clear articulation of specific United States goals and objectives with respect to a successful completion of the transitional period and a plan to achieve such goals and objectives;

(2) a description of assistance and diplomatic engagement to support a civilian-led government in Sudan for the remainder of the transitional period, including any possible support for the organization of free, fair, and credible elections;

(3) an assessment of the legal and policy reforms that have been and need to be taken by the government in Sudan during the transitional period in order to promote—

(A) human rights;

(B) freedom of religion, speech, press, assembly, and association; and

(C) accountability for human rights abuses, including for sexual and gender-based violence perpetrated by members of the Sudanese security and intelligence services;

(4) a description of efforts to address the legal and policy reforms mentioned in paragraph (3);

(5) a description of humanitarian and development assistance to Sudan and a plan for coordinating such assistance with international donors, regional partners, and local partners;

(6) a description of monitoring and evaluation plans for all forms of assistance to be provided under the strategy in accordance with the monitoring and evaluation requirements of section 2394c of this title, including a detailed description of all associated goals and benchmarks for measuring impact; and

(7) an assessment of security sector reforms undertaken by the Government of Sudan, including efforts to demobilize or integrate militias and to foster civilian control of the armed services.

(b) ReportNot later than 1 year after January 1, 2021, the Secretary of State, in coordination with the Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development and the Secretary of the Treasury, shall submit a report to the appropriate congressional committees that includes—

(1) a detailed description of the efforts taken to implement this chapter; and

(2) recommendations for legislative or administrative measures to facilitate the implementation of this chapter.

(Pub. L. 116–283, div. A, title XII, § 1270C, Jan. 1, 2021, 134 Stat. 3977.)