Cooperative Threat Reduction: DOD's 1997-98 Reports on Accounting for Assistance Were Late and Incomplete

Highlights

Pursuant to a legislative requirement, GAO reviewed the Department of Defense's (DOD) calendar years 1997 and 1998 accounting reports for the Cooperative Threat Reduction (CTR) program, which provides assistance to the former Soviet Union, focusing on each report's: (1) compliance with its respective deadline for submission to Congress; and (2) accuracy and completeness.

Recommendations

Recommendations for Executive Action

Agency Affected	Recommendation	Status
Department of Defense	In order to ensure that Congress receives timely and accurate information on assistance provided to former Soviet states through the CTR program, the Secretary of Defense should establish procedures to facilitate the collection of information required in section 1206 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1996 so that this information is submitted to Congress by January 31 of each year, as specified in the legislation.	Closed – Implemented DOD has fully implemented the recommendation.
Department of Defense	In order to ensure that Congress receives timely and accurate information on assistance provided to former Soviet states through the CTR program, the Secretary of Defense should establish quality controls and processes to improve the report's information on the location, condition, and value of all assistance provided.	Closed – Implemented DOD has fully implemented the recommendation.
Department of Defense	In order to ensure that Congress receives timely and accurate information on assistance provided to former Soviet states through the CTR program, the Secretary of Defense should provide clear guidance to State and DOE on the nature and timing of information that DOD requires of them for future accounting reports.	Closed – Implemented DOD has fully implemented the recommendation.

Full Report

Full Report (43 pages)

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Topics

Information Management

Arms control agreementsFederal aid to foreign countriesForeign aid programsInternational cooperationInternational relationsNoncomplianceNuclear proliferationNuclear weaponsReporting requirementsWeapons of mass destruction