Executive Order 12569

by President of the United States

By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and laws of the United States, including the Compact of Free Association (the Compact) and Public Law 99-239, (the Act), it is ordered as follows:

Section 1. Responsibility of the Secretary of State. The Secretary of State shall conduct the government-to-government relations of the United States with the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, and the Republic of Palau (the "Freely Associated States"), including any subdivisions, officials or persons thereof, and may delegate or allocate such of his authority under this Order to such other United States officials as he may from time to time deem desirable. The authority of the Secretary of State shall include, consistent with Article V of Title One of the Compact and section 105(b)(1) of the Act, the establishment and maintenance of representative offices in the Freely Associated States and supervision of the United States representatives and their staff. The Secretary also shall provide, in accordance with applicable law, for appropriate privileges, immunities, and assistance to representatives to the United States designated by the Governments of the Freely Associated States, together with their officers and staff. In accordance with applicable law and the provisions of this Order, the Secretary also shall have the authority and responsibility to take such other actions as may be necessary and appropriate to ensure that the authorities and obligations of the United States set forth in the Compact and its related agreements and in the laws of the United States as they relate to the conduct of government-to-government relations with the Freely Associated States are carried out. The Secretary shall provide from appropriations made to the Department of State such funds as may be necessary to carry out the provisions of this Order in relation to the activities of the Department of State.

Sec. 2. Responsibility of the Secretary of the Interior. The Secretary of the Interior shall be responsible for seeking the appropriation of funds for and, in accordance with the laws of the United States, shall make available to the Freely Associated States the United States economic and financial assistance appropriated pursuant to Article I of Title Two of the Compact; the grant, service, and program assistance appropriated pursuant to Article II of Title Two of the Compact; and all other United States assistance appropriated pursuant to the Compact and its related agreements. The Secretary shall coordinate and monitor any program or any activity by any department or agency of the United States provided to the Freely Associated States and shall coordinate and monitor related economic development planning. This Section shall not apply to services provided by the Department of Defense to the Freely Associated States or to activities pursuant to Section 1 of this Order, including activities under the Peace Corps Act.

Sec. 3. Interagency Group on Freely Associated State Affairs and the Office of Freely Associated State Affairs.

(a) There is established an Interagency Group on Freely Associated State Affairs for the purpose of providing guidance and oversight with respect to the establishment and implementation of policy concerning the Compact and United States relations with the Freely Associated States.

(b) The Interagency Group shall consist of the Secretary of State or his designee, who shall chair the Group, and of the principal officers or their designees from the Departments of the Interior, Defense, Commerce, Energy, and Justice, the Organization of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the Office of Management and Budget, the National Security Council, and such other departments and agencies as may from time to time be appropriate.

(c) The Interagency Group shall make such recommendations as it shall deem appropriate to the President, through the Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs, concerning United States relations with the Freely Associated States. The Interagency Group also shall provide such guidance as it deems appropriate to departments and agencies delegated authority by this Order concerning administration of laws with respect to the Freely Associated States.

(d) If any department or agency charged by this Order with implementation of the Compact or other laws of the United States with respect to the Freely Associated States concludes that noncompliance sanctions pursuant to section 105(g) of the Act are appropriate, it shall make appropriate recommendations to the Interagency Group. The Interagency Group shall consider these recommendations and report its findings to the President for his review in making that determination.

(e)(1) There shall be in the Department of State an Office of Freely Associated State Affairs to conduct United States relations with the Freely Associated States and carry out related matters, as the Secretary of State shall direct or delegate, and provide appropriate support to the Interagency Group.

(2) The Office shall be headed by a Director designated by the Secretary of State, to whom the Secretaries of State, Defense, and the Interior may, to the extent permitted by law, delegate any or all of their respective authorities and responsibilities as described in this Order, including the authority to supervise the United States representatives referred to in Section 4 of this Order. The Director shall serve as Executive Secretary of the Interagency Group.

(3) Personnel additional to that provided by the Secretary of State may be detailed to the Office by the Executive departments and agencies that are members of the Interagency Group, and by other agencies as appropriate. Executive departments and agencies shall, to the extent permitted by law, provide such information, advice, and administrative services and facilities as may be necessary for the fulfillment of the functions of the Office.

Sec. 4. United States Representatives to the Freely Associated States. The United States Representative assigned to a Freely Associated State in accordance with Article V of Title One of the Compact shall represent the Government of the United States in an official capacity in that Freely Associated State, and shall supervise the actions of any Executive department or agency personnel assigned permanently or temporarily to that Freely Associated State.

Sec. 5. Cooperation among Executive Departments and Agencies. All Executive departments and agencies shall cooperate in the effectuation of the provisions of this Order. The Interagency Group and Office of Freely Associated State Affairs shall facilitate such cooperative measures. Nothing in this Order shall be construed to impair the authority and responsibility of the Secretary of Defense for security and defense matters in or relating to the Freely Associated States.

Sec. 6. Delegation to the Secretary of the Interior. The following authorities are delegated to the Secretary of the Interior:

(a) Reporting to the Congress on economic development plans prepared by the Government of the Federated States of Micronesia and the Government of the Marshall Islands, pursuant to sections 102(b) and 103(b) of the Act;

(b) The determination required by section 103(e) of the Act concerning the qualifications of the investment management firm selected by the Government of the Marshall Islands;
(c) Reporting to the Congress with respect to the impact of the Compact of Free Association on the United States territories and commonwealths and on the State of Hawaii, pursuant to section 104(e)(2) of the Act; and

(d) Causing an annual audit to be conducted of the annual financial statements of the Government of the Federated States of Micronesia and the Government of the Marshall Islands, pursuant to section 110
(b) of the Act.

Sec. 7. Delegation to the Secretary of State. The following authorities are delegated to the Secretary of State:

(a) Reporting to the Congress on crimes in the Federated States of Micronesia and the Marshall Islands which have an impact upon United States jurisdictions, pursuant to sections 102(a)(4) and 103(a)(4) of the Act;

(b) Submitting the certification and report to the Congress for purposes of section 5 of the Fishermen's Protective Act of 1967, pursuant to section 104(f)(3) of the Act; and

(c) Reporting, with the concurrence of the Secretary of Defense, to the Congress on determinations made regarding security and defense, pursuant to section 105(q) of the Act.

Sec. 8. Supersession and Saving Provisions.

(a) Subject to the provisions of Section 9 of this Order, prior Executive orders concerning the former Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands are hereby superseded and rendered inapplicable, except that the authority of the Secretary of the Interior as provided in applicable provisions of Executive Order No. 11021, as amended, shall remain in effect, in a manner consistent with this Order and pursuant to section 105(c)(2) of the Act, to terminate the trust territory government and discharge its responsibilities, at which time the entirety of Executive Order No. 11021 shall be superseded.

(b) Nothing in this Order shall be construed as modifying the rights or obligations of the United States under the provisions of the Compact or as affecting or modifying the responsibility of the Secretary of State and the Attorney General to interpret the rights and obligations of the United States arising out of or concerning the Compact.

Sec. 9, Effective Date. This Order shall become effective with respect to a Freely Associated State simultaneously with the entry into force of the Compact for that State.

RONALD REAGAN
The White House,
October 16, 1986.

[Filed with the Office of the Federal Register, 10:26 a.m., October 17, 1986]