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International Agreements: DOD Has Opportunities to Improve Internal Communication and Oversight
GAO-26-108249
Aug 06, 2026
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2 Open Recommendations
Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Department of Defense The Secretary of Defense should require the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment and the Department of Defense Office of General Counsel to establish a mechanism to ensure timely communication with the military departments and other stakeholders of key policy and procedure changes for acquisition-related international arrangements. (Recommendation 1)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Department of Defense The Secretary of Defense should require the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment to implement a systematic, proactive approach—that considers the six essential elements of GAO's tailored framework—for managing its challenges with acquisition-related international arrangements. (Recommendation 2)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.

International Commitments: State Should Improve Timeliness and Completeness of Reporting to Congress
GAO-26-108186
Jun 23, 2026
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7 Open Recommendations
Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Department of State The Secretary of State should ensure that the Office of the Assistant Legal Adviser for Treaty Affairs takes steps to track timeliness of submissions by U.S. government agencies as well as State bureaus and offices of information on international agreements and qualifying nonbinding instruments. (Recommendation 1)
Open
State concurred with this recommendation. In commenting on the report, State said it would take steps to track timeliness of submissions by U.S. government agencies as well as State bureaus and offices of information on international agreements and qualifying nonbinding instruments. When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Department of State The Secretary of State should ensure that the Office of the Assistant Legal Adviser for Treaty Affairs periodically assesses the timeliness of submissions by U.S. government agencies as well as State bureaus and offices of information on international agreements and qualifying nonbinding instruments, and takes steps to improve timeliness, as needed, based on the assessment. (Recommendation 2)
Open
State concurred with this recommendation. In commenting on the report, State said it would take steps to assess and improve, as needed, the timeliness of submissions by U.S. government agencies as well as State bureaus and offices of information on international agreements and qualifying nonbinding instruments. When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Department of State The Secretary of State should ensure that the Office of the Assistant Legal Adviser for Treaty Affairs updates its template for submitting qualifying nonbinding instruments to include legal authority information. (Recommendation 3)
Open
State concurred with this recommendation. In commenting on the report, State said it would update its template for submitting qualifying nonbinding instruments to include legal authority information. When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Department of State The Secretary of State should ensure that the Office of the Assistant Legal Adviser for Treaty Affairs establishes and communicates the availability of a mechanism for State personnel to report potential instances of noncompliance with the Case-Zablocki Act's transparency provisions. (Recommendation 4)
Open
State concurred with this recommendation. In commenting on the report, State said it would take steps to establish and communicate the availability of a mechanism for State personnel to report potential instances of noncompliance with the Case-Zablocki Act's transparency provisions. When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Department of State The Secretary of State should ensure that the Office of the Assistant Legal Adviser for Treaty Affairs updates its guidance to request U.S. government agencies as well as State bureaus and offices periodically confirm that they have either submitted all applicable international agreements and qualifying nonbinding instruments or do not have any agreements and instruments to submit for a given reporting period. (Recommendation 5)
Open
In commenting on the report, State did not concur with this recommendation. GAO continues to believe the recommendation is warranted, as discussed in the report. By periodically asking agencies to confirm that they have either submitted all applicable international agreements and qualifying nonbinding instruments or do not have any to submit, State would have greater assurance that it is identifying all agreements and instruments and reporting complete information to Congress.
Department of State The Secretary of State should ensure that the Office of the Assistant Legal Adviser for Treaty Affairs establishes written, standard operating procedures for its publishing process to help ensure international agreements and qualifying nonbinding instruments and their legal authorities are published within the 120-day deadline. (Recommendation 6)
Open
In commenting on the report, State did not concur with this recommendation. GAO continues to believe the recommendation is warranted, as discussed in the report. By establishing written, standard operating procedures that lay out the process needed to ensure information is published within the 120-day deadline, State could minimize the risk of limiting the public's timely access to international agreements and qualifying nonbinding instruments and their legal authorities.

Countering China: Agencies Provided Over $1 Billion but Have Not Assessed Overall Results of Projects
GAO-26-107822
Jun 17, 2026
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5 Open Recommendations
Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Department of State The Secretary of State should ensure that the Office of China Coordination, in coordination with the Office of Foreign Assistance Oversight, releases the Countering PRC Influence Fund annual guidance earlier in the proposal process to provide agency units more time to develop proposals and subsequently obligate funds. (Recommendation 1)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Department of State The Secretary of State should ensure that the Office of China Coordination, in coordination with the Office of Foreign Assistance Oversight, updates the annual guidance for the proposal process for the Countering PRC Influence Fund to require regional and functional bureaus to obtain and document input from relevant regional and issue area experts on all proposals related to their respective regions or areas. (Recommendation 2)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Department of State The Secretary of State should ensure that the Office of China Coordination, in coordination with the Office of Foreign Assistance Oversight, updates the annual guidance for the proposal process for the Countering PRC Influence Fund to require Regional China Officers to review and document input on all proposals submitted by operating units within their region, including projects originating with or managed by functional bureaus. (Recommendation 3)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Department of State The Secretary of State should ensure that the Office of China Coordination, in coordination with the Office of Foreign Assistance Oversight, consistently collects and periodically updates complete data on projects funded from the Countering PRC Influence Fund at a sufficient level of detail, such as the award number; the bureau, office, or post that has managed the project; targeted region and country; start and end dates; obligated funding; and the line of effort the project has supported. (Recommendation 4)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Department of State The Secretary of State should ensure that the Office of China Coordination, in coordination with the Office of Foreign Assistance Oversight, develops a process for assessing the results of the portfolio of Countering PRC Influence Fund projects across lines of effort, appropriation accounts, and regions in countering Chinese influence. (Recommendation 5)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.

Democracy Assistance: State Should Require Plans to Mitigate Effects of Reported Antidemocratic Actions Overseas
GAO-26-108754
Mar 09, 2026
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2 Open Recommendations
Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Department of State The Secretary of State should ensure that the head of any entity responsible for democracy assistance programs requires implementing partners to develop, during award design, a plan for mitigating the risk of having to shift, pause, or cease democracy assistance award activities that involve interacting with host-country government entities and to adjust this plan as needed throughout award implementation. (Recommendation 1)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Department of State The Secretary of State should ensure that the head of any entity responsible for democracy assistance programs requires award managers to review, during award design, plans for mitigating the risk of having to shift, pause, or cease democracy assistance award activities that involve interacting with host-country government entities and to monitor adherence to these plans throughout award implementation. (Recommendation 2)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
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