NATIONAL SECURITY PRESIDENTIAL DIRECTIVE-1
SUBJECT: Organization of the National Security Council SystemThis document
is the first in a series of National Security Presidential Directives.
National Security Presidential Directives shall replace both Presidential
Decision Directives and Presidential Review Directives as an instrument for
communicating presidential decisions about the national security policies
of the United States.National security includes the defense of the United
States of America, protection of our constitutional system of government,
and the advancement of United States interests around the globe. National
security also depends on America's opportunity to prosper in the world
economy. The National Security Act of 1947, as amended, established the
National Security Council to advise the President with respect to the
integration of domestic, foreign, and military policies relating to
national security. That remains its purpose. The NSC shall advise and
assist me in integrating all aspects of national security policy as it
affects the United States -- domestic, foreign, military, intelligence, and
economics (in conjunction with the National Economic Council (NEC)). The
National Security Council system is a process to coordinate executive
departments and agencies in the effective development and implementation of
those national security policies.The National Security Council (NSC) shall
have as its regular attendees (both statutory and non-statutory) the
President, the Vice President, the Secretary of State, the Secretary of the
Treasury, the Secretary of Defense, and the Assistant to the President for
National Security Affairs. The Director of Central Intelligence and the
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, as statutory advisors to the NSC,
shall also attend NSC meetings. The Chief of Staff to the President and the
Assistant to the President for Economic Policy are invited to attend any
NSC meeting. The Counsel to the President shall be consulted regarding the
agenda of NSC meetings, and shall attend any meeting when, in consultation
with the Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs, he deems
it appropriate. The Attorney General and the Director of the Office of
Management and Budget shall be invited to attend meetings pertaining to
their responsibilities. For the Attorney General, this includes both those
matters within the Justice Department's jurisdiction and those matters
implicating the Attorney General's responsibility under 28 U.S.C. 511 to
give his advice and opinion on questions of law when required by the
President. The heads of other executive departments and agencies, as well
as other senior officials, shall be invited to attend meetings of the NSC
when appropriate.The NSC shall meet at my direction. When I am absent from
a meeting of the NSC, at my direction the Vice President may preside. The
Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs shall be
responsible, at my direction and in consultation with the other regular
attendees of the NSC, for determining the agenda, ensuring that necessary
papers are prepared, and recording NSC actions and Presidential decisions.
When international economic issues are on the agenda of the NSC, the
Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs and the Assistant
to the President for Economic Policy shall perform these tasks in
concert.The NSC Principals Committee (NSC/PC) will continue to be the
senior interagency forum for consideration of policy issues affecting
national security, as it has since 1989. The NSC/PC shall have as its
regular attendees the Secretary of State, the Secretary of the Treasury,
the Secretary of Defense, the Chief of Staff to the President, and the
Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs (who shall serve
as chair). The Director of Central Intelligence and the Chairman of the
Joint Chiefs of Staff shall attend where issues pertaining to their
responsibilities and expertise are to be discussed. The Attorney General
and the Director of the Office of Management and Budget shall be invited to
attend meetings pertaining to their responsibilities. For the Attorney
General, this includes both those matters within the Justice Department's
jurisdiction and those matters implicating the Attorney General's
responsibility under 28 U.S.C. 511 to give his advice and opinion on
questions of law when required by the President. The Counsel to the
President shall be consulted regarding the agenda of NSC/PC meetings, and
shall attend any meeting when, in consultation with the Assistant to the
President for National Security Affairs, he deems it appropriate. When
international economic issues are on the agenda of the NSC/PC, the
Committee's regular attendees will include the Secretary of Commerce, the
United States Trade Representative, the Assistant to the President for
Economic Policy (who shall serve as chair for agenda items that principally
pertain to international economics), and, when the issues pertain to her
responsibilities, the Secretary of Agriculture. The Chief of Staff and
National Security Adviser to the Vice President shall attend all meetings
of the NSC/PC, as shall the Assistant to the President and Deputy National
Security Advisor (who shall serve as Executive Secretary of the NSC/PC).
Other heads of departments and agencies, along with additional senior
officials, shall be invited where appropriate.The NSC/PC shall meet at the
call of the Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs, in
consultation with the regular attendees of the NSC/PC. The Assistant to the
President for National Security Affairs shall determine the agenda in
consultation with the foregoing, and ensure that necessary papers are
prepared. When international economic issues are on the agenda of the
NSC/PC, the Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs and
the Assistant to the President for Economic Policy shall perform these
tasks in concert.The NSC Deputies Committee (NSC/DC) will also continue to
serve as the senior sub-Cabinet interagency forum for consideration of
policy issues affecting national security. The NSC/DC can prescribe and
review the work of the NSC interagency groups discussed later in this
directive. The NSC/DC shall also help ensure that issues being brought
before the NSC/PC or the NSC have been properly analyzed and prepared for
decision. The NSC/DC shall have as its regular members the Deputy Secretary
of State or Under Secretary of the Treasury or Under Secretary of the
Treasury for International Affairs, the Deputy Secretary of Defense or
Under Secretary of Defense for Policy, the Deputy Attorney General, the
Deputy Director of the Office of Management and Budget, the Deputy Director
of Central Intelligence, the Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff,
the Deputy Chief of Staff to the President for Policy, the Chief of Staff
and National Security Adviser to the Vice President, the Deputy Assistant
to the President for International Economic Affairs, and the Assistant to
the President and Deputy National Security Advisor (who shall serve as
chair). When international economic issues are on the agenda, the NSC/DC's
regular membership will include the Deputy Secretary of Commerce, a Deputy
United States Trade Representative, and, when the issues pertain to his
responsibilities, the Deputy Secretary of Agriculture, and the NSC/DC shall
be chaired by the Deputy Assistant to the President for International
Economic Affairs for agenda items that principally pertain to international
economics. Other senior officials shall be invited where appropriate.The
NSC/DC shall meet at the call of its chair, in consultation with the other
regular members of the NSC/DC. Any regular member of the NSC/DC may also
request a meeting of the Committee for prompt crisis management. For all
meetings the chair shall determine the agenda in consultation with the
foregoing, and ensure that necessary papers are prepared.The Vice President
and I may attend any and all meetings of any entity established by or under
this directive.Management of the development and implementation of national
security policies by multiple agencies of the United States Government
shall usually be accomplished by the NSC Policy Coordination Committees
(NSC/PCCs). The NSC/PCCs shall be the main day-to-day fora for interagency
coordination of national security policy. They shall provide policy
analysis for consideration by the more senior committees of the NSC system
and ensure timely responses to decisions made by the President. Each
NSC/PCC shall include representatives from the executive departments,
offices, and agencies represented in the NSC/DC.Six NSC/PCCs are hereby
established for the following regions: Europe and Eurasia, Western
Hemisphere, East Asia, South Asia, Near East and North Africa, and Africa.
Each of the NSC/PCCs shall be chaired by an official of Under Secretary or
Assistant Secretary rank to be designated by the Secretary of State.Eleven
NSC/PCCs are hereby also established for the following functional topics,
each to be chaired by a person of Under Secretary or Assistant Secretary
rank designated by the indicated authority:Democracy, Human Rights, and
International Operations (by the Assistant to the President for National
Security Affairs);International Development and Humanitarian Assistance (by
the Secretary of State);Global Environment (by the Assistant to the
President for National Security Affairs and the Assistant to the President
for Economic Policy in concert);International Finance (by the Secretary of
the Treasury);Transnational Economic Issues (by the Assistant to the
President for Economic Policy);Counter-Terrorism and National Preparedness
(by the Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs);Defense
Strategy, Force Structure, and Planning (by the Secretary of Defense);Arms
Control (by the Assistant to the President for National Security
Affairs);Proliferation, Counterproliferation, and Homeland Defense (by the
Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs);Intelligence and
Counterintelligence (by the Assistant to the President for National
Security Affairs); andRecords Access and Information Security (by the
Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs).
The Trade Policy Review Group (TPRG) will continue to function as an
interagency coordinator of trade policy. Issues considered within the TPRG,
as with the PCCs, will flow through the NSC and/or NEC process, as
appropriate.Each NSC/PCC shall also have an Executive Secretary from the
staff of the NSC, to be designated by the Assistant to the President for
National Security Affairs. The Executive Secretary shall assist the
Chairman in scheduling the meetings of the NSC/PCC, determining the agenda,
recording the actions taken and tasks assigned, and ensuring timely
responses to the central policymaking committees of the NSC system. The
Chairman of each NSC/PCC, in consultation with the Executive Secretary, may
invite representatives of other executive departments and agencies to
attend meetings of the NSC/PCC where appropriate.The Assistant to the
President for National Security Affairs, at my direction and in
consultation with the Vice President and the Secretaries of State,
Treasury, and Defense, may establish additional NSC/PCCs as appropriate.The
Chairman of each NSC/PCC, with the agreement of the Executive Secretary,
may establish subordinate working groups to assist the PCC in the
performance of its duties.The existing system of Interagency Working Groups
is abolished.
The oversight of ongoing operations assigned in PDD/NSC-56 to Executive
Committees of the Deputies Committee will be performed by the appropriate
regional NSC/PCCs, which may create subordinate working groups to provide
coordination for ongoing operations.
The Counter-Terrorism Security Group, Critical Infrastructure Coordination
Group, Weapons of Mass Destruction Preparedness, Consequences Management
and Protection Group, and the interagency working group on Enduring
Constitutional Government are reconstituted as various forms of the NSC/PCC
on Counter-Terrorism and National Preparedness.
The duties assigned in PDD/NSC-75 to the National Counterintelligence
Policy Group will be performed in the NSC/PCC on Intelligence and
Counterintelligence, meeting with appropriate attendees.
The duties assigned to the Security Policy Board and other entities
established in PDD/NSC-29 will be transferred to various NSC/PCCs,
depending on the particular security problem being addressed.
The duties assigned in PDD/NSC-41 to the Standing Committee on
Nonproliferation will be transferred to the PCC on Proliferation,
Counterproliferation, and Homeland Defense.
The duties assigned in PDD/NSC-35 to the Interagency Working Group for
Intelligence Priorities will be transferred to the PCC on Intelligence and
Counterintelligence.
The duties of the Human Rights Treaties Interagency Working Group
established in E.O. 13107 are transferred to the PCC on Democracy, Human
Rights, and International Operations.
The Nazi War Criminal Records Interagency Working Group established in E.O.
13110 shall be reconstituted, under the terms of that order and until its
work ends in January 2002, as a Working Group of the NSC/PCC for Records
Access and Information Security.
Except for those established by statute, other existing NSC interagency
groups, ad hoc bodies, and executive committees are also abolished as of
March 1, 2001, unless they are specifically reestablished as subordinate
working groups within the new NSC system as of that date. Cabinet officers,
the heads of other executive agencies, and the directors of offices within
the Executive Office of the President shall advise the Assistant to the
President for National Security Affairs of those specific NSC interagency
groups chaired by their respective departments or agencies that are either
mandated by statute or are otherwise of sufficient importance and vitality
as to warrant being reestablished. In each case the Cabinet officer, agency
head, or office director should describe the scope of the activities
proposed for or now carried out by the interagency group, the relevant
statutory mandate if any, and the particular NSC/PCC that should coordinate
this work. The Trade Promotion Coordinating Committee established in E.O.
12870 shall continue its work, however, in the manner specified in that
order. As to those committees expressly established in the National
Security Act, the NSC/PC and/or NSC/DC shall serve as those committees and
perform the functions assigned to those committees by the Act.To further
clarify responsibilities and effective accountability within the NSC
system, those positions relating to foreign policy that are designated as
special presidential emissaries, special envoys for the President, senior
advisors to the President and the Secretary of State, and special advisors
to the President and the Secretary of State are also abolished as of March
1, 2001, unless they are specifically redesignated or reestablished by the
Secretary of State as positions in that Department.This Directive shall
supersede all other existing presidential guidance on the organization of
the National Security Council system. With regard to application of this
document to economic matters, this document shall be interpreted in concert
with any Executive Order governing the National Economic Council and with
presidential decision documents signed hereafter that implement either this
directive or that Executive Order.cc: The Executive Clerk
Source Notes
Source: NSC hardcopy
In this unofficial release, neither the document date (approximately 15
February 2001) nor the President's signature was evident.
