Statement on Signing the Sudan Peace Act

Statement on Signing the Sudan Peace Act

October 21, 2002

I have today signed into law H.R. 5531, the ``Sudan Peace Act.''
This Act demonstrates the clear resolve of the United States to promote
a lasting, just peace; human rights; and freedom from persecution for
the people of Sudan. The Act is designed to help address the evils
inflicted on the people of Sudan by their government--including
senseless suffering, use of emergency food relief as a weapon of war,
and the practice of slavery--and to press the parties, and in particular
the Sudanese Government, to complete in good faith the negotiations to
end the war.
Section 6(b) of the Act purports to direct or burden the conduct of
negotiations by the executive branch with foreign governments,
international financial institutions, and the United Nations Security
Council and purports to establish U.S. foreign policy objectives. The
executive branch shall construe these provisions as advisory because
such provisions, if construed as mandatory, would impermissibly
interfere with the President's exercise of his constitutional
authorities to conduct the Nation's foreign affairs, participate in
international negotiations, and supervise the unitary executive branch.
Several provisions of the Act purport to require executive branch
reports to congressional committees concerning the contents of U.S.
diplomatic advocacy, plans for U.S. diplomatic activities to achieve
particular foreign policy objectives, and information on particular
activities abroad. The executive branch shall construe these provisions
in a

manner consistent with the President's constitutional authority to
withhold information, the disclosure of which could impair the foreign
relations, the national security, the deliberative processes of the
Executive, or the performance of the Executive's constitutional duties.
The Secretary of State will, of course, continue as a matter of comity
to keep the Congress appropriately informed of the Nation's foreign
affairs activities.
A provision of the Act defines a particular entity as the
``Government of Sudan'' for purposes of implementing the Act. The
executive branch shall construe the Act in a manner consistent with the
President's constitutional authority for the United States to recognize
foreign states and to determine what constitutes the governments of such
foreign states.
George W. Bush
The White House,
October 21, 2002.