§8203 Definitions

Summary

Defines key words used later and who or what they refer to. Annual Report on Advancing Freedom and Democracy means the yearly State Department report sent to Congress under section 665(c) of the Foreign Relations Authorization Act, Fiscal Year 2003 (Public Law 107–228; 22 U.S.C. 2151n note) that explains U.S. actions to promote human rights and democracy. Appropriate congressional committees means the House Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations. Assistant Secretary means the Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor. Community of Democracies or Community means the group of democratic countries that work together to promote democracy and that held its first ministerial meeting in Warsaw in June 2000. Department means the Department of State. Nondemocratic country or democratic transition country means any country the Secretary decides is not fully democratic, based on major NGO assessments and on whether it has features like free and fair elections, more than one political party, basic civil and political freedoms, an independent judiciary and rule of law, a government that did not come to power illegally, respect for core U.N. and human-rights principles (including the UN Charter, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, UN Commission on Human Rights Resolution 1499/57, and UN General Assembly Resolution 55/96), and, when relevant, favorable Millennium Challenge Account indicators. Secretary means the Secretary of State.