Education, research and culture

Executive Order 12956: Israel-United States Binational Industrial Research and Development Foundation

President: Bill Clinton

Designated the US-Israel BIRD Foundation as a public international organization entitled to statutory privileges, exemptions and immunities.

Status: In effect.

Is Executive Order 12956 still in effect? Yes. Continuing designation under the International Organizations Immunities Act.

What does Executive Order 12956 do?

EO 12956 designated the Israel-United States Binational Industrial Research and Development Foundation under the International Organizations Immunities Act. The designation gives the organization the Act’s privileges, exemptions and immunities while preserving any additional protections available by agreement or legislation. The current United States Code notes and State Department materials still list the designation.

Administration position: The order supplies institutional legal protections; it does not fund particular research grants or immunize every act by every participant.
SignedMarch 13, 1995
OrganizationBIRD Foundation
AuthorityInternational Organizations Immunities Act

Before and after

Before the order

The Foundation operated under the bilateral program without this presidential IOIA designation.

After the order

It received the statutory status accorded to designated public international organizations.

Who had to do what

Agency / officeActionTiming / position
Federal authoritiesRecognize the statutory privileges and immunitiesContinuing

What happened next

EO 12956 made the IOIA designation.

The designation remained listed in current official materials.