PRIA, Government Policy, Made Personal

Summary

The President may let the United Nations use U.S. military people and Defense Department resources to help settle disputes peacefully, as long as the mission does not involve armed combat under Chapter VII of the U.N. Charter and he thinks it is in the national interest. Up to 1,000 U.S. military members can be assigned at one time as observers, guards, or other non-combat roles. While assigned, they stay on U.S. duty for pay, allowances, retirement credit, and other benefits. With the President’s approval, they may accept the same allowances or extra expenses directly from the U.N. The Department of Defense can also provide facilities, services, and its agreed share of supplies and equipment, and may buy or replace items as needed. The President must ask the U.N. to repay U.S. costs, but may waive repayment in whole or part for exceptional cases or national interest. Reimbursements go back to the accounts used or to another proper account. Congress can provide money to the Defense Department if repayment is waived. Nothing here allows sharing information that other U.S. law forbids.

Title 22, §287d–1

Foreign Relations and Intercourse, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Armed forces details; supplies and equipment; obligation of funds; procurement and replacement of requested items

Notwithstanding the provisions of any other law, the President, upon the request by the United Nations for cooperative action, and to the extent that he finds that it is consistent with the national interest to comply with such request, may authorize, in support of such activities of the United Nations as are specifically directed to the peaceful settlement of disputes and not involving the employment of armed forces contemplated by chapter VII of the United Nations Charter—

(1)the detail to the United Nations, under such terms and conditions as the President shall determine, of personnel of the armed forces of the United States to serve as observers, guards, or in any non-combatant capacity, but in no event shall more than a total of one thousand of such personnel be so detailed at any one time: Provided, That while so detailed, such personnel shall be considered for all purposes as acting in the line of duty, including the receipt of pay and allowances as personnel of the armed forces of the United States, credit for longevity and retirement, and all other perquisites appertaining to such duty: Provided further, That upon authorization or approval by the President, such personnel may accept directly from the United Nations (a) any or all of the allowances or perquisites to which they are entitled under the first proviso hereof, and (b) extraordinary expenses and perquisites incident to such detail;

(2)the furnishing of facilities, services, or other assistance and the loan of the agreed fair share of the United States of any supplies and equipment to the United Nations by the Department of Defense, under such terms and conditions as the President shall determine;

(3)the obligation, insofar as necessary to carry out the purposes of clauses (1) and (2) of this subsection, of any funds appropriated to the Department of Defense or any department therein, the procurement of such personnel, supplies, equipment, facilities, services, or other assistance as may be made available in accordance with the request of the United Nations, and the replacement of such items, when necessary, where they are furnished from stocks.

(b)Reimbursement from United Nations; waiver of reimbursement

Whenever personnel or assistance is made available pursuant to the authority contained in subsection (a)(1) and (2) of this section, the President shall require reimbursement from the United Nations for the expense thereby incurred by the United States: Provided, That in exceptional circumstances, or when the President finds it to be in the national interest, he may waive, in whole or in part, the requirement of such reimbursement: Provided further, That when any such reimbursement is made, it shall be credited, at the option of the appropriate department of the Department of Defense, either to the appropriation, fund, or account utilized in incurring the obligation, or to an appropriate appropriation, fund, or account currently available for the purposes for which expenditures were made.

(c)Additional appropriation authorizations

In addition to the authorization of appropriations to the Department of State contained in section 287e of this title, there is hereby authorized to be appropriated to the Department of Defense, or any department therein, such sums as may be necessary to reimburse such departments in the event that reimbursement from the United Nations is waived in whole or in part pursuant to authority contained in subsection (b) of this section.

(d)Disclosure of information

Nothing in this subchapter shall authorize the disclosure of any information or knowledge in any case in which such disclosure is prohibited by any other law of the United States.

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Change of Name

National Military Establishment changed to Department of Defense by act Aug. 10, 1049.

Executive Documents

Ex. Ord. No. 10206. Support of Peaceful Settlement of Disputes Ex. Ord. No. 10206, Jan. 19, 1951, 16 F.R. 529, provided: By virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the statutes, including the United Nations Participation Act of 1945 (59 Stat. 619), as amended [this subchapter], hereinafter referred to as the Act, and the act of August 8, 1950 (Public Law 673, 81st Congress) [sections 301 to 303 of Title 3, The President], and as President of the United States, it is hereby ordered as follows: 1. The Secretary of State, upon the request by the United Nations for cooperative action, and to the extent that he finds that it is consistent with the national interest to comply with such request, is authorized, in support of such activities of the United Nations as are specifically directed to the peaceful settlement of disputes and not involving the employment of armed forces contemplated by Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter, to request the Secretary of Defense to detail personnel of the armed forces to the United Nations, and to furnish facilities, services, or other assistance and to loan supplies and equipment to the United Nations in an agreed fair share of the United States under such terms and conditions as the Secretary of State and the Secretary of Defense shall jointly determine and in accordance with and subject to the provisions of paragraphs (1), (2), and (3) of section 7(a) of the Act [subsection (a)(1), (2) and (3) of this section], and the Secretary of Defense is authorized to comply with the request of the Secretary of State, giving due regard to the requirements of the national defense. 2. The Secretary of State, in accordance with and subject to the provisions of section 7(b) of the Act [subsection (b) of this section], shall require reimbursement from the United Nations for the expense thereby incurred by the United States whenever personnel or assistance is made available to the United Nations, except that in exceptional circumstances, or when the Secretary of State finds it to be in the national interest, he may, after consultation with the Secretary of Defense, waive, in whole or in part, the requirement of such reimbursement. 3. The Secretary of Defense, in accordance with and subject to the provisions of section 7(a)(1) of the Act [subsection (a)(1) of this section], may authorize personnel of the armed forces detailed to the United Nations to accept directly from the United Nations (a) any or all of the allowances or perquisites to which they are entitled under the first proviso of section 7(a)(1) of the Act [subsection (a)(1) of this section], and (b) extraordinary expenses and perquisites incident to such detail. Harry S Truman.

§287d–1 Noncombatant Assistance to United Nations