Executive Order 12048—International Communication Agency

By virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and laws of the United States of America, including Section 11 of Reorganization Plan No. 2 of 1977 (42 FR 62461 (December 13, 1977)), Section 202 of the Budget and Accounting Procedures Act of 1950 (31 U.S.C. 581c), and Section 301 of Title 3 of the United States Code, and as President of the United States of America, in order to provide for the establishment of the International Communication Agency, it is hereby ordered as follows:

SECTION 1. (a) Reorganization Plan No. 2 of 1977 (42 FR 62461), which establishes the International Communication Agency, except for Section 7(a) (14) thereof, is hereby effective.

(b) Section 7(a)(14) of Reorganization Plan No. 2 of 1977, relating to the Woodrow Wilson Memorial Act of 1968, shall be effective on July 1, 1978.

SEC. 2. The functions vested in the Secretary of State by Executive Order No. 11312 are assigned and redelegated to the Director of the International Communication Agency. All authority vested in the United States Information Agency or its Director by Executive order is reassigned and redelegated to the International Communication Agency or its Director, respectively.

SEC. 3. In order to ensure appropriate coordination among the Executive agencies, the Director of the International Communication Agency shall exercise primary responsibility for Governmentwide policy guidance for international informational, educational, and cultural activities, including exchange programs. The Director shall take into account the statutory functions of the other concerned Executive agencies.

SEC. 4. The Director of the International Communication Agency, with the assistance of the Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare, shall prepare and submit to the President the reports which the President is to transmit to the Congress pursuant to Section 108(b) of the Mutual Educational and Cultural Exchange Act of 1961, as amended (22 U.S.C. 2458).

SEC. 5. The functions vested in the President by Sections 108(c) and 108(d) of the Mutual Educational and Cultural Exchange Act of 1961, as amended, are delegated to the Director of the International Communication Agency; because, (a) such a delegation is in the interest of the purposes expressed in that Act and the efficient administration of the programs undertaken pursuant thereto, (b) the Director is an appropriate official to perform those functions, and (c) those functions are not now delegated to any other officer of the Government.

SEC. 6. The Director of the International Communication Agency shall be the principal adviser to the President, the National Security Council, and the Secretary of State on international informational, educational, and cultural matters. As such, the Director shall provide advice within the policy formulation activities of the National Security Council when such matters are considered. The Director shall ensure that the senior official of the Agency at each diplomatic mission provides advice to the Chief of Mission on such matters. The scope of the Director's advice shall include assessments of the impact of actual and proposed United States foreign policy decisions on public opinion abroad.

SEC. 7. The records, property, personnel, and unexpended balances of appropriations, available or to be made available, which relate to the functions transferred or reassigned, or redelegated as provided in this Order, are hereby transferred to the Director of the International Communication Agency.

SEC. 8. The Director of the Office of Management and Budget shall make such determinations, issue such orders, and take all actions, necessary or appropriate to effectuate the transfers or reassignments provided in this Order, including the transfer of funds, records, property, and personnel.

SEC. 9. This Order shall be effective on April 1, 1978.

JIMMY CARTER

The White House,

March 27, 1978.

[Filed with the Office of the Federal Register, 1: 14 p.m., March 28, 1978]