Foreign Assistance: Rule of Law Funding Worldwide for Fiscal Years 1993-98

摘要

In the early 1980s, the United States began helping Latin American countries improve their judicial and law enforcement organizations as a way to support democratic principles and institutions. Until 1990, the United States provided this 'rule of law' assistance primarily to countries in Latin America and the Caribbean. With the breakup of the Soviet Union, the Congress directed that part of the U.S. assistance to Central and Eastern Europe target the development of democratic institutions, including an independent judiciary. Since then, the United States has provided rule of law and related assistance to these and other regions of the world. You expressed concern that comprehensive information was not readily available about the various U.S. rule of law assistance programs and activities. At your request, we examined U.S. rule of law assistance programs and placed particular emphasis on rule of law activities in Latin America and the Caribbean. Specifically, we identified (1) the amount of U.S. rule of law funding provided worldwide (by region and country) in fiscal years 1993-98 and (2) the U.S. departments and agencies involved in providing rule of law assistance. As agreed with your offices, we are also providing more detailed information about the use of rule of law assistance in Latin America and the Caribbean. We are reporting separately on coordination efforts among the cognizant agencies in Washington, D.C., and on the specific U.S. rule of law efforts in five Latin American countries.