Title 22Foreign Relations and IntercourseRelease 119-73

§287q General and special conferences; expenses; acceptance of services and gifts or bequests of money or materials

Title 22 › Chapter CHAPTER 7— - INTERNATIONAL BUREAUS, CONGRESSES, ETC. › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER XVII— - UNITED NATIONS EDUCATIONAL, SCIENTIFIC, AND CULTURAL ORGANIZATION › § 287q

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

The National Commission must hold general conferences to talk about the Organization’s work and invite organized groups that are interested to send representatives. Those representatives must not cost the Government travel or living expenses. The Commission can schedule these conferences every year or every two years, pick the locations, and try to have its members and the United States delegates attend. The Commission can also call special meetings of experts on specific topics. The Department of State may pay travel and related costs for those experts as allowed under section 5703 of title 5 for the time they actually attend and travel. The Commission may accept services, gifts, or bequests of money or materials to support its educational, scientific, or cultural work as described in this subchapter and the Organization’s constitution. Money accepted will be held by the Secretary of State and spent through Treasury Department disbursement channels according to the gift’s terms and will remain available until spent. Gifts that conflict with the Commission’s purposes cannot be accepted. For federal income, estate, and gift tax rules, such gifts count as gifts to or for the United States. The Commission and the Secretary of State must send Congress yearly reports listing funds and bequests received and spent.

Full Legal Text

Title 22, §287q

Foreign Relations and Intercourse — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

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.11 See Termination of Reporting Requirements note below.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

The constitution of the Organization, referred to in text, is the Constitution of the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization, which is set out as a note under section 287m of this title. Codification “Section 5703 of title 5” substituted in text for “section 5 of the Administrative Expenses Act of 1946, as amended (5 U.S.C. 73b–2)” on authority of Pub. L. 89–554, § 7(b), Sept. 6, 1966, 80 Stat. 631, the first section of which enacted Title 5, Government Organization and Employees.

Amendments

1983—Pub. L. 98–164 struck out provision prohibiting acceptance of gifts or bequests aggregating more than $200,000 in any year. 1961—Pub. L. 87–139 substituted provisions authorizing payment of transportation and other expenses of attending experts as authorized by section 5703 of title 5, for provisions which allowed the experts $10 per diem plus actual transportation expenses. 1958—Pub. L. 85–477 authorized the National Commission to receive and accept services and gifts or bequests of money or materials.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Termination of Reporting Requirements Pub. L. 89–348, § 1(21), Nov. 8, 1965, 79 Stat. 1311, repealed the following reporting requirement: “The annual report to Congress by the National Commission on Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Cooperation and the Secretary of State of the receipts and expenditures of funds and bequests received and disbursed in connection with the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (72 Stat. 273; 22 U.S.C. 287q).”

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

22 U.S.C. § 287q

Title 22Foreign Relations and Intercourse

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73