The President is hereby authorized to accept membership for the United States in the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (hereinafter referred to as the “Organization”), the constitution of which was approved in London on November 16, 1945, by the United Nations Conference for the establishment of an Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization, and deposited in the Archives of the Government of the United Kingdom.

The President by and with the consent of the Senate shall designate from time to time to attend a specified session or specified sessions of the General Conference of the Organization not to exceed five representatives of the United States and such number of alternates not to exceed five as he may determine consistent with the rules of procedure of the General Conference: Provided, however, That each such representative and each such alternate must be an American citizen. One of the representatives shall be designated as the senior representative. Such representatives and alternates shall each be entitled to receive compensation at such rates provided for members of the Senior Foreign Service under section 3962 of this title, or provided for Foreign Service officers under section 3963 of this title, as the President may determine, for such periods as the President may specify, except that no Member of the Senate or House of Representatives or officer of the United States who is designated under this section as a representative of the United States or as an alternate to attend any specified session or specified sessions of the General Conference shall be entitled to receive such compensation. Whenever a representative of the United States is elected by the General Conference to serve on the Executive Board, or is elected President of the General Co

In fulfillment of article VII of the constitution of the Organization, the Secretary of State shall cause to be organized a National Commission on Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Corporation 1

Each such member of the National Commission must be an American citizen.

The National Commission shall call general conferences for the discussion of matters relating to the activities of the Organization, to which conferences organized bodies actively interested in such matters shall be invited to send representatives: Provided, however, That the travel and maintenance of such representation shall be without expense to the Government. Such general conferences shall be held annually or biennially, as the National Commission may determine, and in such places as it may designate. They shall be attended so far as possible by the members of the National Commission and by the delegates of the United States to the General Conference of the Organization. The National Commission is further authorized to call special conferences of experts for the consideration of specific matters relating to the Organization by persons of specialized competences. The Department of State may pay their transportation and other expenses as authorized by section 5703 of title 5, for the period of actual attendance and of necessary travel. The National Commission is further authorized to receive and accept services and gifts or bequests of money or materials to carry out any of the educational, scientific, or cultural purposes of the National Commission as set forth in this subchapter and in the constitution of the Organization. Any money so received shall be held by the Secretary of State and shall be subject to disbursement through the disbursement facilities of the Treasury Department as the terms of the gift or bequest may require and shall remain available for expenditure by grant or otherwise until expended: Provided, That no such gift or bequest may be accepted or disbursed if the terms thereof are inconsistent with the purposes of the National Commission as set forth in this subchapter and in the constitution of the Organization. Gifts or bequests provided for herein shall, for the purposes of Federal income, estate, and gift taxes, be deemed to be a gift to or for the United States. The National Commission and Secretary of State shall submit to Congress annual reports of receipts and expenditures of funds and bequests received and disbursed pursuant to the provisions of this section.1

There is hereby authorized to be appropriated annually to the Department of State, out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated such sums as may be necessary for the payment by the United States of its share of the expenses of the Organization as apportioned by the General Conference of the Organization in accordance with article IX of the constitution of the Organization, and such additional sums as may be necessary to pay the expenses of participation by the United States in the activities of the Organization, including: (a) salaries of the representatives provided for in section 287n of this title, of their appropriate staffs, and of members of the secretariat of the National Commission provided for in section 287o of this title, including personal services in the District of Columbia and elsewhere, without regard to the civil-service laws and chapter 51 and subchapter III of chapter 53 of title 5; (b) travel expenses without regard to the Standardized Government Travel Regulations, as amended, the Subsistence Expense Act of 1926, as amended, and section 5731 of title 5, and, under such rules and regulations as the Secretary of State may prescribe, travel expenses of families and transportation of effects of United States representatives and other personnel in going to and returning from their post of duty; (c) allowances for living quarters, including heat, fuel, and light, as authorized by section 5912 of title 5; (d) cost of living allowances under such rules and regulations as the Secretary of State may prescribe, including allowances to persons temporarily stationed abroad; (e) communication services; (f) stenographic reporting, translating, and other services, by contract, if deemed necessary, without regard to section 6101 of title 41; (g) local transportation; (h) equipment; (i) transportation of things; (j) rent of offices; (k) printing and binding without regard to section 501 of title 44 and section 6101 of title 41; (l) official entertainment; (m) stationery; (n) purchase of newspapers, periodicals, books, and documents; and (o) such other expenses as may be authorized by the Secretary of State.

Unless Congress by law authorizes such action, neither the President nor any person or agency shall on behalf of the United States approve any amendment under article XIII of the constitution of the Organization involving any new obligation for the United States.

In adopting this subchapter, it is the understanding of the Congress that the constitution of the Organization does not require, nor does this subchapter authorize, the disclosure of any information or knowledge in any case in which such disclosure is prohibited by any law of the United States.