Senator Inouye: What is the nature of support that the United Nations Volunteers program receives from Peace Corps? What is the Special Voluntary Fund of the United Nations Volunteers? What is the present U.S. contribution? During the past twelve years, how many Americans have served as United Nations Volunteers? Please describe the U.S. Government's programs for refugee assistance which utilize UN volunteers in Southeast Asia and Africa. Include the number of U.S. nationals serving as UN volunteers under this special program. Describe the application process by which a U.S. national applies and is selected as a UN volunteer.

Loret Ruppe: The Peace Corps supports the United Nations Volunteers (UNV) program in two distinct ways: by recruiting, screening and sponsoring U.S. citizen to become UNVS, and by contributing to the Special Voluntary Fund, a fund maintained by the program to provide sponsorship for volunteers from developing countries. Sponsorship of American UNVs involves Peace Corps' providing the volunteers "external costs:" travel and related expenses to and from the Volunteer's country-of-service, and a readjustment allowance on completion of service. The Special Voluntary Fund, which pays the external costs for developing country volunteers, consists of contributions from UN member governments and, occasionally, private citizens. the United States, through the Peace Corps, has been the largest contributor to the Fund; Peace Corps' contribution in FY 83 will be $150,000.

In the twelve years since the first American UN Volunteer arrived in Yemen, Peace Corps has sponsored 225 American Volunteers, 126 of them, or 56%, since 1980. American UNVs have in the past three years represented about 8% of the total numbers of UNVS in service at a given time, and approximately 30% of the volunteers from industrialized countries.

Since 1980, when Peace Corps entered into an agreement with UNV and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to provide American UN Volunteers to UNHCR refugee assistance programs, Peace Corps has sponsored approximately 60 Americans for special one-year assignments to these programs. Both external and internal costs for most American UNVS working in refugee assistance are paid by the U.S. Government, through reimbursement to Peace Corps and UNV by the Department of State, Bureau of Refugee Programs. The programs in Southeast Asia (Malaysia and the Philippines) in which UNVS provide English language and teacher training and cultural orientation to refugees bound for settlement in the United States, are presently being phased out; at present there remain only three American Volunteers in the program in Malaysia and four in the Philippines. UNV refugee assistance assignments in Somalia include commodity monitors and UNHCR field program assistants; UNV is still recruiting for a few positions. There are six American UNVs working in the UNHCR program in Somalia at the present time, and two or three additional candidates expected to join them shortly.

UNV/Geneva and Peace Corps/Washington have developed the following procedures for American UNV applicants: U.S. citizens applying to the United Nations Volunteer Programs complete both an UNV application form and an application to the Peace Corps, noting their interest in UNV. Peace Corps' local recruiting offices and regional service centers complete the usual Peace Corps selection process, including an interview, collection of references, etc., to determine whether the applicant meets Peace Corps' and UNV's basic assignment criteria. Once approved by Peace Corps, the candidate's UNV application and supporting documents are forwarded to UNV Headquarters in Geneva, with notification that Peace Corps will sponsor him or her if an invitation to UNV is forthcoming.

The UNV Headquarters is responsible for all placement of UNVs; applicants considered suitable for UNV postings are placed on a roster of available candidates in Geneva. Candidates for specific volunteer assignments are selected from the roster for submission to the field. Only after approval from host government and project officials is an applicant invited to become a UN Volunteer.

INTER-AMERICAN FOUNDATION

STATEMENT OF PETER D. BELL, PRESIDENT, INTER-AMERICAN FOUNDATION

ACCOMPANIED BY:

LEON M. PARKER, EXECUTIVE OFFICER, INTER-AMERICAN FOUNDATION

DOROTHY B. BURRUSS, BUDGET AND MANAGEMENT INFORMATION OFFICER, INTER-AMERICAN FOUNDATION

PREPARED STATEMENT

Senator KASTEN. Our next witness is Peter Bell, president of the Inter-American Foundation. As I am sure you heard me say to Ms. Ruppe, we would appreciate it if you could summarize your statement. As you know, your full written statement will be inserted in the hearing record.

[The statement follows:]

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