Title 22, Foreign Relations and IntercourseRelease 119-110

§8251 Cooperation with Democratic Countries

Title 22 › CHAPTER 89 — ADVANCING DEMOCRATIC VALUES › SUBCHAPTER V — COOPERATION WITH DEMOCRATIC COUNTRIES › § 8251

Last updated Sep 22, 2026|Official source

Summary

The United States should work with other democratic countries to protect and spread democratic ideas and freedoms. That includes support for free speech, a free press, religion, the right to own property, respect for the rule of law, and working together in international groups. The Community of Democracies should create a permanent secretariat with staff and a headquarters to keep working between meetings, and nondemocratic countries should not join it. The Secretary may assign Department employees without reimbursement to that secretariat or to a member country's government. The Secretary should also set up an office for multilateral democracy promotion to strengthen the Community, run interministerial projects, support the U.N. Democracy Caucus and Fund, and coordinate with other regional bodies. Congress says the International Center for Democratic Transition in Hungary should be supported for sharing practical democracy tools. Up to $1,000,000 is authorized for each of fiscal years 2008, 2009, and 2010 for a grant to that Center, and those funds may remain available until spent.

Full Legal Text

Title 22, §8251

Foreign Relations and Intercourse, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Sense of Congress

It is the sense of Congress that the United States should cooperate with other democratic countries to—

(1)promote and protect democratic principles, practices, and values;

(2)promote and protect shared political, social, and economic freedoms, including the freedoms of association, of expression, of the press, of religion, and to own private property;

(3)promote and protect respect for the rule of law;

(4)develop, adopt, and pursue strategies to advance common interests in international organizations and multilateral institutions to which members of cooperating democratic countries belong; and

(5)provide political, economic, and other necessary support to countries that are undergoing a transition to democracy.

(b)Community of Democracies

(1)Sense of Congress

It is the sense of Congress that—

(A)the Community of Democracies should develop a more formal mechanism for carrying out work between ministerial meetings, such as through the creation of a permanent secretariat with appropriate staff to carry out such work, and should establish a headquarters; and

(B)nondemocratic countries should not participate in any association or group of democratic countries aimed at working together to promote democracy.

(2)Detail of personnel

The Secretary is authorized to detail on a nonreimbursable basis any employee of the Department to any permanent secretariat of the Community of Democracies or to the government of any country that is a member of the Convening Group of the Community of Democracies.

(c)Establishment of an office for multilateral democracy promotion

The Secretary should establish an office of multilateral democracy promotion with the mission to further develop and strengthen the institutional structure of the Community of Democracies, develop interministerial projects, enhance the United Nations Democracy Caucus, manage policy development of the United Nations Democracy Fund, and enhance coordination with other regional and multilateral bodies with jurisdiction over democracy issues.

(d)International Center for Democratic Transition

(1)Sense of Congress

It is the sense of Congress that the International Center for Democratic Transition, an initiative of the Government of Hungary, serves to promote practical projects and the sharing of best practices in the area of democracy promotion and should be supported by, in particular, the United States, other European countries with experiences in democratic transitions, and private individuals.

(2)Authorization of appropriations

There is authorized to be appropriated $1,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2008, 2009, and 2010 to the Secretary for a grant to the International Center for Democratic Transition. Amounts appropriated under this paragraph are authorized to remain available until expended.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

22 U.S.C. § 8251

Title 22, Foreign Relations and Intercourse

Last Updated

Sep 22, 2026

Release point: 119-110