107th Congress

Report

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

1st Session

107 142

FOREIGN OPERATIONS, EXPORT FINANCING, AND RELATED PROGRAMS

APPROPRIATIONS BILL, 2002

July 17, 2001 - Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union and ordered to be printed

Mr. Kolbe, from the Committee on Appropriations, submitted the following REPORT together with ADDITIONAL VIEWS

[To accompany H.R. 2506]

The Committee on Appropriations submits the following report in explanation of the accompanying bill making appropriations for Foreign Operations, Export Financing, and Related Programs, and for sundry independent agencies and corporations for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2002, and for other purposes.

(Excerpt)

Latin America and the Caribbean: parks in peril

The Committee notes its strong support for the existing AID Parks in Peril program, a partnership with the private sector to promote biodiversity conservation in imperiled ecosystems throughout Latin America and the Caribbean. The Committee believes that protection of rare ecosystems is important from an environmental standpoint and also serves the long-term economic interests of these nations and the interests of the United States. AID/Parks in Peril has worked at 37 sites in 15 different countries, comprising more than 28 million acres.

It has made significant progress at turning "paper parks'' -- those created by governments, but not adequately maintained -- into genuine protected areas. Since its inception, Parks in Peril has received $37,500,000 from central and mission AID funds, formally matched by more than $14,300,000 from The Nature Conservancy, foreign partners, and foreign governments, and has indirectly leveraged more than $268,000,000 from non-AID sources. The Committee welcomes the prospect of "PiP 2000," a renewed program that seeks to extend the influence of Parks in Peril more broadly.

Latin America and the Caribbean: Corps of Engineers

The Committee is pleased that the State Department and AID have begun to utilize the planning, engineering and design, environmental, and technical capabilities of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, particularly in Latin America where the Corps has existing field offices in Honduras, El Salvador, Panama, Colombia, Bolivia, and Peru. A partnership between the Corps and AID that takes advantage of these capabilities can significantly contribute to the strategic interests of the United States. The Committee intends that the State Department and AID use the Corps to a greater extent to support such activities as child survival (water and sanitation); development assistance; disaster assistance; and transition initiatives.

Further, the Committee expects that the Department of State and AID will not establish additional engineering capabilities for activities that can be accomplished by the Corps. The Committee again requests that AID and the Department of State report separately within 60 days of enactment into law of this Act regarding plans to develop programs with the Corps during fiscal year 2002, including steps to develop a Memorandum of Agreement with the Corps.

(Excerpt)

CONFLICT RESOLUTION

The Committee recognizes the importance of youth training in conflict resolution as a tool for creating a climate of peace in regions of conflict. Organizations such as Interns for Peace can play an important role in this regard, and the Committee urges support for its programs.

The Committee also commends Seeds of Peace for its commitment to helping future leaders of the Middle East and other regions (such as Cyprus, the Balkans, and South Asia) to overcome prejudice, fear, and other obstacles to peace, and urges AID and the Department of State to provide $1,000,000 in fiscal year 2002 to support the important work of this organization.

The Committee recognizes that through the Economic Support Fund the United States has funds available that focus on environmental security alerts, threat assessments, and preventive solutions. In that regard, the Administration has an excellent opportunity to access the information and expertise of the Foundation for Security and Sustainability and its academic and industry partners. The Foundation's data and assessments, and collaboration with interdisciplinary experts and the academic community, reduce the burden on federal agencies and provide invaluable insight to United States policy makers in evaluating the security implications of emerging environmental issues and developing strategies for engaging on these issues in time to make a difference. The Committee supports the efforts of the Foundation for Security and Sustainability and strongly encourages the Agency for International Development and the Department of State to provide funds to support its mission.

In addition, the International Crisis Group (ICG) provides high-quality analysis and policy recommendations to prevent or reduce the level of deadly violence resulting from complex crises. ICG's analysts worldwide have been well positioned to identify potential problems, produce objective assessments, and support policy responses.

The Committee urges the Department of State and the Agency for International Development to provide funding for the ICG to continue its research in areas of U.S. foreign policy interest, such as Colombia, Sierra Leone, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Indonesia, and the Balkans. The Committee recognizes that ethnic and sectarian tensions underlie many of the world's most intractable conflicts. NGOs in conflict regions can play an important role in resolving tensions and building peaceful societies. The Committee recognizes the important work of the School for International Training's Conflict Transformation Across Cultures Program (CONTACT), an international professional development program for NGO personnel. The CONTACT program has trained NGO professionals from the former Yugoslavia, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Indonesia, Peru, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, the Middle East, and other regions in the core skills and practical tools for responding to conflict in their communities, and has developed a global network of dedicated professionals in the field of conflict resolution. The Committee recommends that USAID make available up to $1,000,000 for the CONTACT program.

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(Excerpt)

The Committee has recommended $196,000,000 for International Organizations and Programs. This is $10,000,000 more than the fiscal year 2001 level and $10,000,000 more than the President's request. As in fiscal year 2001, funding for a grant to UNICEF is provided in the "Child Survival and Disease Programs Fund'' under title II.

The Committee recommendation also continues prior year bill language prohibiting the use of funds for the Korean Peninsula Energy Development Organization (KEDO) or the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

Both organizations are funded under "Nonproliferation, Anti-Terrorism, Demining and Related Programs."

The Committee requires the Department of State to report back to the Committee within 90 days and submit all United Nations Fund For Population Activities (UNFPA) agreements that have been signed with local, provincial and national governments of China relating to administration of UNFPA programs in China.

UNITED NATIONS DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM

The Committee appreciates recent efforts of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to streamline its mission and to focus primarily on enhancing governance, seeking out innovative pilot programs, and forming strategic partnerships. The Committee urges the UNDP to continue on this productive path, and recommends a level not less than $97,100,000 in International Organizations and Programs funding be set aside to support the UNDP.

http://www.fas.org/asmp/resources/govern/H-Rpt-107-142.txt