22 U.S. Code § 2735a - Presidential Envoy for the Abraham Accords, Negev Forum, and Related Integration and Normalization Fora and Agreements

(a) Office

There is established within the Department of State the Office of the Special Presidential Envoy for the Abraham Accords, Negev Forum, and Related Integration and Normalization Fora and Agreements (referred to in this section as the “Regional Integration Office”).

(b) Leadership

(1)¹ Special Envoy

The Regional Integration Office shall be headed by the Special Presidential Envoy for the Abraham Accords, Negev Forum, and Related Normalization Agreements, who shall—

(A) be appointed by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate; and

(B) report directly to the Secretary of State.

(c) Rank and status of ambassador

The Special Envoy shall have the rank and status of ambassador.

(d) Duties

The Special Envoy shall—

(1) lead diplomatic engagement—

(A) to strengthen and expand the Negev Forum, the Abraham Accords, and related normalization agreements with Israel, including promoting initiatives that benefit the people of key partners in regional integration or other regional actors in order to encourage such expansion; and

(B) to support the work of regional integration;

(2) implement the policy of the United States to expand normalization and support greater regional integration—

(A) within the Middle East and North Africa; and

(B) between the Middle East and North Africa and other key regions, including sub-Saharan Africa, the Indo-Pacific region, and beyond;

(3) work to deliver tangible economic and security benefits for the citizens of Abraham Accords countries, Negev Forum countries, and countries that are members of other related normalization agreements;

(4) serve as the ministerial liaison for the United States to the Negev Forum and other emerging normalization and integration fora, as necessary, and provide senior representation at events, steering committee meetings, and other relevant diplomatic engagements relating to the Negev Forum or other regional integration bodies;

(5) coordinate all cross-agency engagements and strategies in support of normalization efforts with other relevant officials and agencies;

(6) ensure that the appropriate congressional committees are regularly informed about the work of the Regional Integration Office;

(7) initiate and advance negotiations on a framework for an economic and security partnership with the Negev Forum countries, other key partners in regional integration, and other regional actors;

(8) oppose efforts to delegitimize Israel and legal barriers to normalization with Israel;

(9) initiate negotiations with Abraham Accords countries and Negev Forum countries, observers, and key partners in regional integration on an economic framework that includes—

(A) improving supply chain security and resiliency;

(B) aligning common regulatory and financial standards;

(C) attracting foreign investment;

(D) diversification of energy resources, including renewable sources of energy, and the development and deployment of emerging and advanced technologies that promote energy security; and

(E) digital economy, cybersecurity, and cross-border data flow;

(10) lead interagency efforts to reach an international agreement on the comprehensive economic framework described in paragraph (9);

(11) endeavor to embed already established standards on countering money laundering and terrorist financing into the regional economic framework described in paragraph (9); and

(12) promote regional integration and broader interconnectivity among the Abraham Accords countries, Negev Forum countries, observers, key partners in regional integration, and other regional actors by promoting and supporting targeted investment in regional infrastructure and other critical sectors that broaden and deepen interconnectivity, increase economic growth and resilience, create benefits for citizens of Abraham Accords countries and Negev Forum countries, and advance the national security, economic, and development interests of the United States.

(e) Limitation

The Special Envoy shall not be a dual-hatted official with other responsibilities within the Department of State or the executive branch.

(f) Sense of Congress

It is the sense of Congress that whole-of-government resources should be harnessed to ensure the successful performance by the Special Envoy of the duties described in subsection (d).

(g) Report

(1) In general

Not later than 180 days after December 22, 2023, and annually thereafter, the Special Envoy shall submit to the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate and the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives a report on actions taken by all relevant Federal agencies—

(A) to strengthen and expand the Abraham Accords and the work of the Negev Forum and future structures and organizations; and

(B) towards the objectives of regional integration.

(2) Form of report

The report required by paragraph (1) shall be submitted in unclassified form but may contain a separate, classified annex.

(h) Strategy

Not later than 180 days after December 22, 2023, the Secretary of State, in consultation with the heads of other relevant Federal agencies, shall submit to the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate and the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives an interagency strategy to use the economic tools of the Federal Government to promote regional integration through targeted investment as described in subsection (d)(12).

(i) Termination

This section shall terminate on the date that is 6 years after December 22, 2023.

(j) Rule of construction

If, on December 22, 2023, an individual has already been designated, consistent with the requirements and responsibilities described in subsections (b), (c), and (d) and section 2651a of this title, the requirements under subsection (b) shall be considered to be satisfied with respect to such individual until the date on which such individual no longer serves as the Special Envoy.

(k) Definitions

In this section:

(1) Abraham Accords

The term “Abraham Accords” means—

(A) the Abraham Accords Declaration, done at Washington September 15, 2020;

(B) the Abraham Accords Peace Agreement: Treaty of Peace, Diplomatic Relations and Full Normalization Between the United Arab Emirates and Israel, done at Washington September 15, 2020;

(C) the Abraham Accords: Declaration of Peace, Cooperation, and Constructive Diplomatic and Friendly Relations, done at Washington September 15, 2020, between Israel and the Kingdom of Bahrain; and

(D) the Joint Declaration of the Kingdom of Morocco, the United States, and Israel, done at Rabat December 22, 2020.

(2) Expand

The term “expand”, with respect to the Abraham Accords, means to increase the number of regional, Arab, or Muslim-majority countries that seek to normalize relations with the State of Israel.

(3) Key partners in regional integration

The term “key partners in regional integration” means—

(A) any Abraham Accords country;

(B) Egypt;

(C) Jordan;

(D) the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia; and

(E) any other active and constructive country that supports cooperation—

(i) to normalize relations between countries in the Middle East and North Africa and Israel; and

(ii) to advance regional integration.

(4) Negev Forum

The term “Negev Forum” means the regional grouping known as the Negev Forum Regional Cooperation Framework that was adopted on November 10, 2022, or any successor group.

(5) Observer

The term “observer”—

(A) means any country, particularly inside the Middle East and North Africa region, or political entity that—

(i) directly supports the objectives and processes of the Negev Forum;

(ii) expresses serious interest in participating in certain projects determined by the Negev Forum that benefit normalization with Israel and greater regional integration; and

(iii) is not an official member of the Negev Forum Steering Committee or any working group of the Negev Forum; and

(B) includes 3+1 format members Cyprus and Greece.

(6) Other regional actors

The term “other regional actors” means the Palestinian Authority or a credible future political entity that serves as the interlocutor for the Palestinian people.

(7) Strengthen

The term “strengthen”, with respect to the Abraham Accords and the Negev Forum, means to engage in efforts that improve the diplomatic relations between Abraham Accords countries and broaden the breadth and scope of issues on which Abraham Accords countries cooperate.

(Aug. 1, 1956, ch. 841, title I, § 64, as added Pub. L. 118–31, div. F, title LXIV, § 6407, Dec. 22, 2023, 137 Stat. 1000.)