BY ORDER OF THE SECRETARY
OF THE AIR FORCE
AIR FORCE INSTRUCTION 51-403
8 FEBRUARY 2019
Law
INTERNATIONAL AGREEMENTS
COMPLIANCE WITH THIS PUBLICATION IS MANDATORY
ACCESSIBILITY: Publications and forms are available for downloading or ordering on the
ePublishing website at www.e-Publishing.af.mil
RELEASABILITY: There are no releasability restrictions on this publication
OPR: AF/JAO
Supersedes: AFI 51-701,
5 December 2017
Certified by: AF/JAO
(Col Paula M. Grant)
Pages: 20
This publication implements Air Force Policy Directive (AFPD) 51-4, Operations and
International Law. It describes the authority to negotiate and conclude certain categories of
international agreements and sets guidelines for processing these agreements. It also explains
how to gain the approval to negotiate and conclude international agreements that are beyond the
listed delegations as set out in the governing Department of Defense (DoD) issuance. It details
reporting and record-keeping requirements and is consistent with Department of Defense
Directive (DoDD) 5530.3, International Agreements, Title 1 United States Code Section 112b
(Case-Zablocki Act), AFPD 51-4 and Headquarters Air Force Mission Directive (HAFMD), 114
General Counsel and the Judge Advocate General. This publication applies to all Regular Air
Force, Air Force Reserve, and Air National Guard military and civilian personnel. This
publication may be supplemented at any level, but all supplements must be routed to the Office
of Primary Responsibility (OPR) listed above for coordination prior to certification and approval.
Refer recommended changes and questions about this publication to the OPR listed above using
the Air Force Form 847, Recommendation for Change of Publication; route Air Force Forms 847
from the field through the appropriate functional chain of command. The authorities to waive
wing/unit level requirements in this publication are identified with a Tier (“T-0, T-1, T-2, T-3”)
number following the compliance statement. See Air Force Instruction (AFI) 33-360,
Publications and Forms Management, for a description of the authorities associated with the Tier
numbers. Submit requests for waivers through the chain of command to the appropriate Tier
waiver approval authority, or alternately, to the requestor’s commander for non-tiered
compliance items. Ensure that all records created as a result of processes prescribed in this
publication are maintained in accordance with Air Force Manual (AFMAN) 33-363,
