Assistant secretary of state, michelle j season, the subcommittee hearing will cover at the bureau for International Organizations, budget requests for fiscal year 2023. This is the first hearing in many years and we wish to investigate goals in the United Nations and multilateral organizations. I look forward to the discussions this faces, the United States contributes millions of dollars each year to the United Nations efforts to manage conflicts through keep peacekeeping operations and addressing Food Insecurity, supporting refugees and so much more. This funding is in our National Interests and this hearing as an opportunity to discuss these priorities. Organizations are deeply engaged in responding to the russian invasion of ukraine, including efforts by the World Food Program and other bodies to address regional and global Food Insecurity that has been made worse by the war. The u. N. High commissioner for refugees and the International Organization for migration are playing roles for refugees. The International Criminal court has taken on key roles in documenting war crimes in ukraine and will be crucial when it used for pursuing accountability. I look forward to hearing how the administrations budget request will address these priorities and the testimony and how the United Nations can continue to adapt to a changing world and what the Biden Administration will be doing to make sure it remains effective. The world has never been more interconnected. The crises we are facing are truly global in nature. There is no way for us to face them alone. The strong relationships with International Institutions are our best hope for finding cooperative solutions to these problems. I will return it to the Ranking Member for her opening remarks. Thank you for the support and your efforts to support International Organizations. Making sure that the United Nations and other groups are funded and also meet their mission. The United Nations are comprised of 193 nations, the United States pays 4. 2 of the regular budget, 26. 94 percent and the peacekeeping budget. What does the United States receive in return for this investment of the tax dollars . As a member of this body, we must ensure that the funds that the u. S. Grants to the u. N. Are used in a way that benefits the american taxpayer. This was not the case when the World Health Organization echoed the Statement Given to them by the Chinese Communist party at the start of the pandemic. It was noted that from the beginning stages of the covid19 outbreak the who repeated the upheld ccp statements as truth. An examination of public statements including praise of the handling of the pandemic reveals a willingness to ignore signs and other credible sources. We do not know everything that happened when the threat of covid19 first appeared, the director general acted in an effort to defend the ccps leadership from criticism. This bowing negatively impacted the world, disturb the worlds understanding and hamper the Global Response hampered the Global Response. We would have some input into the operations of the agency. The who refuses to include taiwan in held assembly. Taiwan held a reserve status at meetings but this changed after taiwan elected a government that was far less accommodating to the ccp. Additionally, we wish to see reforms made to other entities such as the United NationsHuman Rights Council which has some of the most greatest violations of its members including china, cuba and venezuela who cover up Human Rights Violations in many Different Countries including the horrors conducted upon Chinas Muslim population. Since 1945 the u. N. Has accomplished incredible things and i look forward to ensuring that their good work does continue in the future, but we must also ensure that the funding we provide will be used in the most effective way possible to benefit the lives of american taxpayers. That they go back to their original mission, the United States must use his voice and vote its voice and vote to advocate for transparency, and stand up against the maligned influence of actors like russia and ccp. I want to thank our witnesses for being here today and i look forward to hearing your testimony. Thank you. We have with us the honorable michelle, the assistant secretary for state for the bureau of International Organization affairs with the u. S. Department of state. She was confirmed by the senate in december to lead this critical bureau and briefly previously served as an u. S. Ambassador to haiti and uae. Thank you for having me here today with you to discuss the fiscal year 23 budget request for the you and for the u. N. And other organizations. Prioritizes our engagement with the you and and with the multilateral systems to advance u. S. And National Interests and strengthen the International System to address today global challenges todays global challenges. Late defend the values of the system and especially against efforts by our competitors do reshape them. We continue to push for reforms to ensure that International Organizations deliver results with good governance, efficiency, and accountability. I appreciate the strong interest of the subcommittee in this important work. I last appeared before you on february 15 and it has been an eventful last five months to say the least. Il mobilized to bring our partners on board to win overwhelming Un General Assembly condonation of russias aggression days after russias unprovoked invasion of ukraine. As well as a Swift International affirmation of the principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity. The isolated and blocked russia from leadership in numerous u. N. Bodies including suspension from the Human Rights Council, the hrc. We galvanized partners to hold russia accountable by helping establish an independent commission of inquiry to investigate russias violations and abuses of human rights in ukraine. We recognized early on that strategic targeted actions across the u. N. s specialized agencies would be crucial in cementing International Consensus calling out russias Human Rights Violations and war crimes. We had resolutions calling russia out for violations included in the food and agriculture organization, the world health assembly, to name just a few. We also worked successfully with likeminded governance to block the election of russia to the World Food Program executive board. As we remain focused on the urgent ukraine crisis, we are also committed to attracting and strengthening the rulesbased International Order. The system of law, instruments, and institutions to promote the rights of all people. Secretary blinken made these points in his may speech about the administrations approach to the communist party of china. There was a highlight that the president s budget makes it a case to assert multilateral leadership. Our failure to live up to our financial obligations at the you and gives our adversaries an easy talking point with which to criticize us and with which to undermine our positions. We need to be able to pay our assessments in full and on time. It helps us rally other countries to our cause. Paying our arrears is essential to maximizing u. S. Credibility and influence at the you and. We need to be at the table when International Consensus is being built so that we can advance u. S. Values and interests. The president s budget requests the authority of funny to enable u. S. Leadership in organizations such as unesco. In the absence of u. S. Leadership, the prc and others have been more assertive there, sticking to shape the debate on issues like Artificial Intelligence in ways that are hostile to democratic norms. We see the p. R. C. And russia attempting to chip away at human rights. Our bureau is working hard to counter this trend. We advance our u. S. Priorities at our sessions. We succeeded in passing appropriate resolutions to renew mandates on syria, belarus, iran, and north korea growing the most recent u. N. Hrc session, we led a robust joint statement criticizing the open ended mandate up antiisrael commission of inquiry. We cap the space up on could kept the pressure on china, and expanded the inclusion of vulnerable groups, we supported the urgent focus on women and girls in afghanistan. Turning to Food Security, it is estimated that russias unprovoked war on ukraine may drive 40 million or more additional people worldwide into extreme poverty and Food Insecurity this year. You may have noted that secretary blinken made the presidency to the find the link between poverty and insecurity. Every driver of Food Insecurity has been made worse by president putins war of choice. 98 countries have signed onto the roadmap we launched in may to tackle this growing global Food Security crisis. We are working around the world with countries to urge them to increase their resources we are providing to the World Food Program and the food and agriculture organization. Challenges d on a rangef thank you. Thank you for your testimony. I will recognize members for five minutes each pursuant to house rules. All time yielded for questioning our witnesses. I will recognize by seniority, altering between majority and the minority. I can only call on you if you are present with your video on. Please turn your function to gallery view so that you can see everyone. If you miss your turn, let our staff know. Address the chair for help. I will be strict with the five minute limit for questions so that we can get every member of the every member the chance to participate. There has been bipartisan support for the International Criminal courts investigation into the atrocities being committed in ukraine. According to existing u. S. Law, what types of assistance are we able to provide for the ukraine investigation . What types of assistance are prohibited . Thank you for that important question. The u. S. Is pushing across the u. N. System for accountability on russias unjustified illegal invasion of ukraine, in ukraine. Our turn to the icc in a moment. I want to underscore the commission of inquiry which was launched by the u. N. Human Rights Council in geneva. It is focused on violations and abuses of human rights and of International Humanitarian law in the context of russias aggression. This is the most robust type of investigative mechanism that the hrc can establish. It is the first time in its history it has established a commission of inquiry related to russia. On the icc, we, the u. S. , support the documentation and investigative capacities of the icc. It was in washington, and met with us, the Affairs Bureau was meeting with our folks on the criminal justice team. Accountability using all of these mechanisms is absolutely essential. There are more displaced people on earth now than any time in human history. Climate change and conflict continues to force millions of people in their homes each year. The wars in ukraine and ethiopia and the end of the u. S. War in afghanistan have caused contributed to this largely. With a famine moving in the horn of africa and a Food Security crisis looming, it will get get worse before it gets better. What is the administrations plan for supporting this through the budget . Thank you for raising these matters. The bureau with our colleagues in the bureau of population refugees and migration, it focuses on supporting the International Committee of the red cross and others as well. Our bureau also works in global Food Security issues with the World Food Program and the front of Agricultural Development and the food and agriculture fund. The funding for iom is focused on providing protection and direct assistance to refugees, asylumseekers, and other vulnerable migrants and all of in all of the geographic areas you noticed. It focuses on Capacity Building for the host countries immigration authorities, it focuses on civil society, supporting these vulnerable populations. Thank you. The law signed into law by President Biden includes 5 million to address Global Security challenges resulting from these crises we have talked about. Is this finding sufficient to meet the challenges we currently face . How is the Administration Working with the World Food Program and other stakeholders to get the a out as soon as possible aid out as soon as possible . I was just talking with the food and agricultural organization, i had found out 10 days ago on the global food crisis that russias were on ukraine has exacerbated. Of course, the supplemental is focusing on not only on the population of ukraine and the needs in the surrounding countries by the displaced populations, but as you know, the impact of the russian blockade of the black sea port has strangled ukraines economy and has an impact on the horn of africa, the middle east. We are working closely with the u. N. Food agencies, but also with humanitarian affairs parts of the u. N. , looking for solutions to reopen the black sea ports to facilitate those grain and other food exports. I will circle back on that question later on if we have more time. I will recognize the representative from new york. [indiscernible] can you hear me . Let me move this up. Hello, can you hear me . Thank you. Thank you acting chair and thank you to our witness today. I wanted to ask a question about israel. The u. N. Human Rights Council is undertaking an unprecedented inquiry against israel, what is the state department doing to respond to this latest biased effort by the u. N. And to delegitimize israel . By the u. N. To delegitimize israel . We wish to end the open ended and vaguely defined commission of inquiry concerning israel. In partnership with israel, the u. S. Led and lobbied in support of a joint statement that criticized the open ended nature of the commission of inquiry mandate. This garnered over 20 signatures. Working with our partners we drew the attention of the international community. We also issued by a secretary of state, released a statement on june 7 after the release of the first report by the coi opposing the inquiry and its onesided, biased approach. We will continue to push for a reduction of resources to this, we were successful last december in the fifth committee. 25 reduction in staffing positions. The issue of working with our partners i think is critical here. We will continue to do so. When it comes to russia, i know that there is a lot of criticism of the u. N. , its effectiveness and russia repeatedly uses its role, through china and Russia Holding such veto powers, other crises around the world, the genocide against muslims in china has continued to go unchecked by the United Nations. How would you ss the effectiveness of the u. N. To respond to these emerging how would you assess the effectiveness of the u. N. To respond to these emerging crises . I have a couple of quick questions after that. I agree that russia has done a greatest reference to the core mandate of the u. N. Security council. Many violations of human principles, it commits theoretically to defend as a member of the security council. We are successful in isolating russia in a number of the agencies in rome, geneva, in vienna, new york, we had three historic votes in new york condemning russias behavior in which 141 Member States condemned russias aggression. I know that you are not allpowerful, with due respect, we have a war that is still raging, lives are being murdered. The u. N. Does not seem to be able to resolve the issue. I wanted to get into taiwan, obviously, china is trying to rewrite the rules of the International Order and direct their own agenda when it comes to the World Intellectual Property Organization excluding taiwan from the representation at who and the Civil Aviation organization. What is the u. N. Doing to combat these efforts . Tell m