Executive Order 12599—Coordination of Economic Policies for Sub-Saharan Africa

By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and statutes of the United States of America, including the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, as amended, and in order to establish procedures for development of a common long-term goal for all United States economic programs and policies in Sub-Saharan Africa, it is hereby ordered as follows: Section 1. Establishment of the Coordinating Committee for Sub-Saharan Africa. (a) There is hereby established a Coordinating Committee for Sub-Saharan Africa ("the Committee"). (b) The Committee shall consist of the Administrator of the Agency for International Development, who shall be Chairman; the Assistant Secretary of the Treasury for International Affairs, who shall be Co-Chairman; representatives designated by the Secretaries of State, Defense, Agriculture, and Commerce; and representatives of the Office of Management and Budget, the Central Intelligence Agency, the United States Information Agency, the Peace Corps, the Overseas Private Investment Corporation, the United States Trade Representative, the African Development Foundation, the Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs, and the Assistant to the President for Policy Development. (c) Whenever matters being considered by the Committee may be of interest to Federal agencies not represented on the Committee, the Chairman may invite the head of such agencies to designate representatives to participate in meetings and deliberations of the Committee. (d) The Committee shall operate under the policy direction of the Secretaries of State and the Treasury. (e) All Executive departments and agencies shall keep the Committee informed in necessary detail as to the policies, programs, and activities relating to the functions of the Committee described in section 2. (f) Nothing herein shall be deemed to derogate from the responsibilities of the head of any agency in exercising the responsibilities vested in that person by law. Sec. 2. Functions of the Committee. (a) The Committee shall operate in a manner best deemed appropriate by its Chairman in order to ensure the following: (1) that all United States economic programs and policies for Sub-Saharan Africa are consistent with the goal of ending hunger in the region through economic growth, policy reform, and private sector development; (2) United States economic programs and policies for each country of Sub-Saharan Africa are tailored to the specific needs of that country, consistent with the goal presented in subsection (a)(1) of this section; (3) United States economic programs and policies for Sub-Saharan Africa are fully coordinated within the United States Government prior to implementation with other donors and potential recipients; and, (4) the overall level of aid the United States offers a country of Sub-Saharan Africa is related to continued performance of that country toward the goal presented in subsection (a)(1) of this section or willingness to undertake economic reform. (b) The Committee shall support the Secretaries of State and the Treasury in preparing the annual report to the President required in section 3 of this Order. (c) The Committee shall coordinate the preparation annually of a unified budget justification for transmittal to the Congress. This justification shall encompass all United States economic activities, strategies, and policies for Sub-Saharan Africa. Nothing in this subsection shall be deemed to affect the statutory authorities of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget. (d) The Committee shall encourage and coordinate the alignment of United States food assistance programs in accordance with the goals presented in subsection 2(a) of this Order. (e) The Committee shall encourage and coordinate efforts to mobilize expanded humanitarian and business involvement in Africa, both United States and international, through an outreach effort with appropriate Federal agencies. (f) The Committee shall encourage and coordinate efforts of Federal agencies to expand United States business involvement in Sub-Saharan Africa by targeting trade and investment missions, prefeasibility and feasibility studies, sector and regional analyses, access to credit, and information on trade and investment opportunities in countries undertaking economic reform. Sec. 3. Annual Report to the President. (a) The Secretary of State and the Secretary of the Treasury shall make a joint report to the President annually on Sub-Saharan Africa. (b) The annual report shall discuss the economic condition of Sub-Saharan Africa and highlight progress being made in the region toward achieving the goal presented in section 2(a)(1). The annual report shall also affirm that all United States economic programs and policies conform with and support the goal of ending hunger in Sub-Saharan Africa through economic growth and private enterprise development. RONALD REAGAN The White House, June 23, 1987. [Filed with the Office of the Federal Register, 4:37 p.m., June 23, 1987]