; and (5) is vetted by an independent mechanism that reviews contract procurement in Syrian government-held areas. (b) Funding limitation and redirection If the Secretary of State makes a certification described in subsection (a) in the negative— (1) no Federal department or agency may provide any funding, directly or indirectly, to any United Nations agency programming, including any program or project, in Syria that fails to meet the criteria of the certification specified in subsection (a); and (2) amounts made available to the Secretary of State that are withheld from United Nations agency programming, including any program or project, in Syria in accordance with paragraph (1) shall be made available to the Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development’s Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance for providing assistance to populations in Syria in need. (c) Definitions In this section: (1) Appropriate congressional committees The term appropriate congressional committees means— (A) the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives; and (B) the Committee on Foreign Relations and the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate. (2) Associated forces The term associated forces includes forces of the Government of Russia, forces of the Government of Iran, Iranian-backed proxy militias, and Hezbollah. 209. Proclamation authority regarding free Syria economic zones (a) Sense of Congress It is the sense of the Congress that— (1) enhanced trade with areas of Syria that are not under the al-Assad regime’s control could help economically develop such areas, strengthen civil society, and ultimately help achieve a transition to a free and democratic Syria; (2) the President should work to— (A) economically integrate areas of Syria that are not under the al-Assad regime’s control, including in both northeast and northwest Syria, in order to promote trade among such areas and with United States allies in the region