Legislation Relating to Human Rights Issues

There are numerous statutory provisions relating to human rights issues and the conduct of foreign affairs. They concern, inter alia, the provision of foreign assistance, United States actions in relation to the international financial institutions (IFIs), and foreign country eligibility for benefits, such as trade benefits or exports. An illustrative list of such legislation follows.

Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, as amended

• Section 116 (22 USC 2151n)
• Section 231A (22 USC 2191a)
• Section 502B (22 USC 2304)
• Section 498A (22 USC 2295a)

Millenium Challenge Act of 2003 (Section 607) (22 USC 7706)

Export-Import Bank Act of 1945 (Sections 2(b)(1)(B), 14) (12 USC 635(b)(1)(B), 635i-8)

Afghan Freedom Support Act (Section 102, 103) (22 USC 7512, 7513)

Trafficking Victims Protection Act (Section 113) (22 USC 7110)

Cooperative Threat Reduction Act (Section 1203) (22 USC 5952)

International Religious Freedom Act (Sections 402, 405) (22 USC 6442, 6445)

International Financial Institutions Act (Section 701) (22 USC 262d)

African Growth and Opportunity Act ("AGOA") (Section 104) (19 USC 3703)

Caribbean Basin Economic Recovery Act ("CBERA") (Section 212) (19 USC 2702)

The Andean Trade Preference Act (19 USC 3202)

The Generalized System of Preferences (19 USC 2462)

Title IV of the Trade Act of 1974 ("Jackson-Vanik Amendment") (Section 402) (19 USC 2431)

In addition to such statutes, annual appropriations legislation may also contain provisions relating to assistance and human rights. See, for example, the Foreign Operations, Export Financing, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 2005 (Div. D, P.L. 108-447), Section 553 (the Leahy Amendment), Section 565 (debt relief for the poorest), and country specific certifications.