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“REMOVAL OF INJUNCTION OF SECRECY--TREATY DOCUMENT NOS. 116-2, 116-3, AND 116-4” mentioning the U.S. Dept of State was published in the Senate section on pages S3109-S3110 on June 18, 2020.
The State Department is responsibly for international relations with a budget of more than $50 billion. Tenure at the State Dept. is increasingly tenuous and it's seen as an extension of the President's will, ambitions and flaws.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
REMOVAL OF INJUNCTION OF SECRECY--TREATY DOCUMENT NOS. 116-2, 116-3,
AND 116-4
Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the injunction of secrecy be removed from the following treaties transmitted to the Senate on June 18, 2020, by the President of the United States: Extradition Treaty with the Republic of Croatia, Treaty Document No. 116-2; Convention on the Suppression of Unlawful Acts Relating to International Civil Aviation, Treaty Document No. 116-3; Protocol Supplementary to the Convention for the Suppression of Unlawful Seizure of Aircraft, Treaty Document No. 116-4; I further ask that the treaties be considered as having been read the first time; that they be referred, with accompanying papers, to the Committee on Foreign Relations and ordered to be printed; and that the President's message be printed in the Record.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
The messages of the President are as follows
To the Senate of the United States:
With a view to receiving advice and consent of the Senate to ratification, I transmit herewith the Agreement between the Government of the United States of America and the Government of the Republic of Croatia comprising the instrument as contemplated by Article 3(2) of the Agreement on Extradition between the United States of America and the European Union, signed June 25, 2003, as to the Application of the Treaty on Extradition signed on October 25, 1901 (the ``U.S.-Croatia Extradition Agreement''), and the Agreement between the Government of the United States and the Government of the Republic of Croatia comprising the Instrument as contemplated by Article 3(3) of the Agreement on Mutual Legal Assistance between the United States of America and the European Union signed at Washington on June 25, 2003
(the ``U.S.-Croatia Mutual Legal Assistance Agreement''), both signed at Washington on December 10, 2019. I also transmit, for the information of the Senate, the report of the Department of State with respect to the U.S.-Croatia Extradition and Mutual Legal Assistance Agreements. Following Croatia's accession to the European Union on July 1, 2013, these two agreements fulfill the requirements, in respect of Croatia, for implementing bilateral instruments between the United States and each member of the European Union contained in the Agreements on Extradition and Mutual Legal Assistance between the United States of America and the European Union, both of which entered into force on February 1, 2010.
The U.S.-Croatia Extradition Agreement modernizes in important respects the Treaty between the United States of America and the Kingdom of Serbia for the Extradition of Fugitives from Justice, signed October 25, 1901 (the ``1901 Extradition Treaty''), which is currently in force between the United States of America and the Republic of Croatia. Most significantly, it replaces the outdated list of extraditable offenses with the modern ``dual criminality'' approach, thereby enabling coverage of newer offenses, such as cyber-related crimes, environmental offenses, and money laundering. In addition, it includes several provisions updating and streamlining procedural requirements for preparing and transmitting extradition documents.
The U.S.-Croatia Mutual Legal Assistance Agreement formalizes and strengthens the institutional framework for legal assistance between the United States of America and the Republic of Croatia in criminal matters. Because the United States of America and the Republic of Croatia do not have a bilateral mutual legal assistance treaty in force, the U.S.-Croatia Mutual Legal Assistance Agreement is a partial treaty governing only those issues regulated by the U.S.-European Union Mutual Legal Assistance Agreement, specifically: identification of bank information, joint investigative teams, video-conferencing, expedited transmission of requests, assistance to administrative authorities, use limitations, confidentiality, and grounds for refusal. This approach is consistent with that taken with other European Union member states
(Bulgaria, Denmark, Finland, Malta, Portugal, Slovak Republic, and Slovenia) with which the United States does not have an existing mutual legal assistance treaty.
I recommend that the Senate give early and favorable consideration to the U.S.-Croatia Extradition Agreement and the U.S.-Croatia Mutual Legal Assistance Agreement.
Donald J. Trump. The White House, June 18, 2020.
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To the Senate of the United States:
With a view to receiving the advice and consent of the Senate to ratification, I transmit herewith the Protocol Supplementary to the Convention for the Suppression of Unlawful Seizure of Aircraft (the
``Beijing Protocol''), adopted by the International Civil Aviation Organization International Conference on Air Law (Diplomatic Conference on Aviation Security) in Beijing on September 10, 20l0, and signed by the United States on that same date. I also transmit, for the information of the Senate, the report of the Department of State with respect to the Beijing Protocol.
The Beijing Protocol is an important component of international efforts to prevent and punish terrorism targeting civil aviation. It supplements the Convention for the Suppression of Unlawful Seizure of Aircraft, done at The Hague on December l6, 1970 (the ``Hague Convention''), and fills several gaps in the existing international legal framework for combatting global terrorism. It will significantly advance cooperation between States Parties in the prevention of the full range of unlawful acts relating to civil aviation and in the prosecution and punishment of offenders.
The Beijing Protocol amends the existing hijacking offense in the Hague Convention to cover hijackings that occur pre- or post-flight and addresses situations in which the offender may attempt to control an aircraft from outside of the aircraft, such as by remotely interfering with flight operation or data transmission systems. The Beijing Protocol requires States Parties to criminalize these acts under their domestic laws and to cooperate to prevent and investigate suspected crimes under the Beijing Protocol. It includes an ``extradite or prosecute'' obligation with respect to persons accused of committing, attempting to commit, conspiring to commit, or aiding in the commission of such offenses.
Some changes to United States law will be needed for the United States to implement provisions of the Beijing Protocol, obligating the United States to criminalize certain offenses, make those offenses punishable by appropriate penalties, and authorize the assertion of jurisdiction over such offenses. Proposed legislation is being separately transmitted by my Administration to the Congress.
I recommend that the Senate give early and favorable consideration to the Beijing Protocol, subject to a reservation and certain understandings that are described in the accompanying report of the Department of State.
Donald J. Trump. The White House, June 18, 2020.
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To the Senate of the United States:
With a view to receiving the advice and consent of the Senate to ratification, I transmit herewith the Convention on the Suppression of Unlawful Acts Relating to International Civil Aviation (the ``Beijing Convention''), adopted by the International Civil Aviation Organization International Conference on Air Law (Diplomatic Conference on Aviation Security) in Beijing on September 10, 2010, and signed by the United States on that same date. I also transmit, for the information of the Senate, the report of the Department of State with respect to the Beijing Convention.
The Beijing Convention is an important component of international efforts to prevent and punish both terrorism targeting civil aviation and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. As between parties to the Beijing Convention, it replaces and supersedes the Convention for the Suppression of Unlawful Acts Against the Safety of Civil Aviation, done at Montreal, September 23, 1971, and its supplementary protocol, the Protocol for the Suppression of Unlawful Acts of Violence at Airports Serving International Civil Aviation, done at Montreal, February 24, 1988. It significantly strengthens the existing international counterterrorism legal framework and facilitates the prosecution and extradition of those who seek to commit acts of terror, including acts such as those committed on September 11, 2001.
The Beijing Convention establishes the first international treaty framework that criminalizes certain terrorist acts, including using an aircraft in a terrorist activity and certain acts relating to the transport of weapons of mass destruction or related materials by aircraft. The Beijing Convention requires States Parties to criminalize specified acts under their domestic laws and to cooperate to prevent and investigate suspected crimes under the Beijing Convention. It includes an ``extradite or prosecute'' obligation with respect to persons accused of committing, attempting to commit, conspiring to commit, or aiding in the commission of such offenses.
Some changes to United States law will be needed for the United States to implement provisions of the Beijing Convention obligating the United States to criminalize certain offenses, make those offenses punishable by appropriate penalties, and authorize the assertion of jurisdiction over such offenses. Proposed legislation is being separately transmitted by my Administration to the Congress.
I recommend that the Senate give early and favorable consideration to the Beijing Convention, subject to a reservation and certain understandings that are described in the accompanying report of the Department of State.
Donald J. Trump. The White House, June 18, 2020.
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