DAO 201-43

SECTION 1. PURPOSE.

This order prescribes the Department's policy governing the selection of its employees to serve on United States delegations to multilateral, intergovernmental, international conferences and meetings.

SECTION 2. BASIC POLICY AND IMPLEMENTATION.

.01 In a memorandum of November 15, 1975 addressed to Under Secretaries of Departments and Deputy Heads of Agencies, Deputy Secretary of State Ingersoll provided copies of State Department policies with respect to the selection of United States delegations to multilateral international conferences and meetings. These policies are adopted as the official policy of the Department of Commerce and are attached as Appendix A.

.02 Part 660, Chapter 11 of the Department of State's Foreign Affairs Manual on the subject International Conferences is attached as Appendix B.

.03 Heads of primary operating units are responsible for assuring that this statement of the Department's policy is us adequately disseminated within their organizations and that officers and employees under their jurisdiction observe the governing policy wherever relevant to their operations. Signed by: Assistant Secretary for Administration

APPENDIX A DAO 201-43

STATEMENT OF POLICIES GOVERNING SELECTION OF UNITED STATES DELEGATIONS TO MULTILATERAL INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCES AND MEETINGS

1. Many United States delegations to international conferences and meetings have become too large and unwieldy to accomplish their mission efficiently. Secretaries of State in at least the last four Administrations have expressed their strong opposition to the inordinate size of United States delegations. The Government intends to reduce the size of these delegations.

2. This statement reaffirms the concept of indispensability with respect to selection and accreditation of United States delegations to international conferences and meetings; i.e., regardless of the type of conference or meeting, the operative criterion is that each delegate must be indispensable to the negotiating process, pre-negotiation, formulation of recommendations, exchange of information, or whatever other process is involved in the particular meeting. Any proposed member of a delegation will nearly always have to demonstrate his qualifications to cover several facets of the subject matter.

3. Each delegation represents the United States Government as a whole. No accredited delegate "represents" his agency or organization. He represents the United States. Without regard to the type of conference, there is no necessity for or intention that every element of the Department of State, any other government agency, or any private entity which has or claims an interest in the subject matter should place its personnel on a delegation. Neither the importance of the agenda, considerations of institutional interests or prestige, the rank of the proposed participant, nor high level intervention without strong supporting rationale provide tenable reasons for an individual's accreditation to the United States delegation.

4. All interested Government agencies have an opportunity to contribute to, comment on, or clear position papers and instructions to conference delegations before they leave Washington. This participation, rather than membership on delegations, will constitute the contribution of most Government agencies and offices to the conference process. Nearly all the participation of U.S. companies, associations, organizations and other private entities will occur in the United States in the form of contributions prior to the official delegation's departure. Participation by an individual or government or private entity in the preparation of instructions, studies, or other papers is not a valid reason for delegation membership.

5. The willingness of offices of the Department of State or of other agencies to pay the way of their personnel from funds other than the regular conference appropriation of the Department of State is not a justification for including on delegations any individual whose presence would not otherwise be warranted.

6. The Government will increase the accreditation of United States officials at or near conference sites when their inclusion on delegations will reduce or eliminate the need to send delegates from Washington. However, inclusion on a delegation is not justified solely because an individual happens to be a the site.

7. Although attendance at a conference may provide valuable training, lean delegations require each member to perform his share of the work. Prospective training benefits will not justify inclusion on a delegation.

8 U.S. government officials, on their own initiative or at the instigation of their units or agencies, have occasionally appeared at international conferences without accreditation or authorized connection with out delegations; they have sought to leave the impression that they are duly accredited representatives of the United States. No official of this Government should attend a multilateral international conference at which accreditation is required without the prior knowledge and approval of the Office of International Conferences (OIC) of the Department of State. Chairmen of delegations are instructed to notify the Department of State if unaccredited or unauthorized personnel of the Government or private American individuals attempt to insert themselves as part of the U.S. delegation. Any question whether a particular meeting requires accreditation can be answered by the Office of International Conferences.

9. Arrangements for hosting a meeting in the United States require as long a lead time as possible. Without prior approval of the Office of International Conferences, no organization or subgroup of an organization should be invited to attend a meeting of any kind in the United States or be left with the impression that the United States would be willing to host a specific meeting.

10. The responsibility and authority of the Department of State for final selection and accreditation of delegations to international conferences and meetings derives from statute and delegation by the President. The Department of State exercises this responsibility and authority on behalf of the whole United States Government. The Secretary of State delegates his authority for final selection and accreditation of members of U.S. delegates to multilateral meetings (i.e., those in which three or more parties participate) to the Assistant Secretary for International Organization Affairs. The Assistant Secretary for International Organization Affairs with respect to those delegations with over 10 member.

11. Accreditation constitutes the operative and formal crux of control by the Department of State over delegations to international conferences in which the United States participates. Authority for accreditation is not shared by the Assistant Secretary of State for International Organization Affairs with any other department, agency, bureau, or office of the Government, except the Office of International Conferences of the Department of State.

APPENDIX B IS NOT ATTACHED For a copy of Appendix B, please call (202) 482-7873