Presidential Directives

Presidential Review Directives request specific reviews and analyses be undertaken by the departments and agencies concerning national security and U.S. foreign policy.

Presidential directives are signed or authorized by the President on issues of foreign policy and national security. The National Security Council gathers facts and views of appropriate government agencies, conducts analyses, determines alternatives, and presents policy choices to the President for decision. The President's decisions are announced by decision directives.

On the first day of the Clinton Administration, President Clinton abolished the use of National Security Review (NSR) and the National Security Directive (NSD), replacing them with the Presidential Review Directive (PRD) and the Presidential Decision Directive (PDD). PDD-1 established these two separate series.

Black and white photograph. Meeting participants sit around a table.
President Clinton participates in a briefing on Bosnia in the White House Situation Room. Participants include: Vice President Gore, Tony Lake, Sec. Warren Christopher, Gen. John Shalikashvili, Richard Holbrooke, Leon Fuerth, Sandy Berger, John Deutch, John P. White, and Gordan Adams. November 22, 1995, Photographer: Ralph Alswang.
President Clinton participates in a briefing on Bosnia in the White House Situation Room. Participants include: Vice President Gore, Tony Lake, Sec. Warren Christopher, Gen. John Shalikashvili, Richard Holbrooke, Leon Fuerth, Sandy Berger, John Deutch, John P. White, and Gordan Adams. November 22, 1995, Photographer: Ralph Alswang.

Presidential Decision Directives

Presidential Review Directives

PRD-1 - U.S. Policy Regarding the Situation in the Former Yugoslavia, 1/22/1993

PRD-2 - U.S. Policy Toward Cambodia, 02/04/1993

PRD-3 - U.S. Policy Toward Russia and Ukraine, 02/04/1993

PRD-4 - U.S. Strategic Offensive Arms Control Policy After
START II Signature, 02/06/1993

PRD-5 - Somalia, 02/08/1993

PRD-6 - U.S. Policy Toward Vietnam, 02/09/1993

PRD-7 - U.S. Policy Toward Japan, 02/10/1993

PRD-8 - U.S. Policy toward Nonproliferation
and Export Controls

PRD-9 - U.S. Policy Toward Angola, 2/11/1993

PRD-10 - U.S. Policy Toward Zaire, 2/11/1993

PRD-11 - U.S. Policy Toward China, 2/12/1993

PRD-12 - U.S. Policy toward Global Environmental
Affairs, 2/15/1993

PRD-13 - Multilateral Peacekeeping operation, 2/15/1993

PRD-14 - U.S. Policy Toward Sudan, 2/22/1993

PRD-15 - U.S. Policy Toward Nicaragua, 2/22/1993

PRD-16 - U.S. Policy Toward Iran

PRD-17 - U.S. Policy Toward Liberia, 2/16/1993

PRD-18 - U.S. Policy Toward International Narcotics
Trafficking, 3/1/1993

PRD-19 - U.S. Policy on Nuclear Testing and a Comprehensive
Test Ban, 3/3/1993

PRD-20 - International Programs and Resources, 3/8/1993

PRD-21 - U.S. Policy Toward Latin America and the Caribbean, 3/8/1993

PRD-22 - U.S. Policy Toward South Asia, 3/16/1993

PRD-23 - U.S. Policy on Extraterritorial Application of National Environment Policy 04/08/1993

PRD-24 - U.S. Policy Toward Turkey, 04/09/1993

PRD-25 - The Future of Arms Control and Disarmament, 4/9/1993

PRD-26 - Democracy Programs, 04/13/1993

PRD-27 - Advanced Telecommunications and Encryption, 4/16/1993

PRD-28 - War Powers Issues, 04/23/1993

PRD-29 - National Security Information, 4/26/1993

PRD-30 - U.S. Policy Toward the European Community, 4/26/1993

PRD-31 - U.S. Policy on Ballistic Missile Defenses and the Future of the ABM Treaty, 4/26/1993

PRD-32 - U.S. Policy Toward Peru, 4/29/1993

PRD-33 - U.S. Policy Toward South Africa, 5/1/1993

PRD-34 - U.S. Policy on Strategic Nuclear Arms Control
Beyond the START I and START II Treaties, 5/21/1993

PRD-35 - National Security Review - Strategy, 6/11/1993

PRD-36 - U.S. Policy Toward Central and Eastern Europe, 7/5/1993

PRD-37 - U.S. Policy Toward Taiwan, 8/18/1993

PRD-38 - U.S. Policy Toward Central Asia, 8/21/1993

PRD-39 - U.S. Policy Towards East Asia and the Pacific, 8/30/1993

PRD-40 - Expanding the Open Skies Treaty to Environmental
Monitoring, 11/19/1993

PRD-41 - Conventional Arms Transfer Policy, 12/15/1993

PRD-42 - US Policy Toward International Heroin Trafficking, 2/7/1994

PRD-43 - U.S. Environmental Policy in Latin America and Caribbean, 3/23/1995

PRD-44 - U.S. Counterintelligence Effectiveness, 3/24/1994

PRD-45 - Coordination of Arms Control and Nonproliferation
Research and Development, 5/25/1994

PRD-46 - U.S. Policy Toward International Migration and
Refugee Affairs, 5/31/1994

PRD-47 - International Organized Crime, 11/10/1994

PRD-48

PRD-49 - Issues Related to U.S. Military Presence and Canal
Reversion in Panama, 1/5/1995

PRD-50 - Emergency Humanitarian Relief, 1/10/1995

PRD-51 - Direct Communications Links Between Washington
and Moscow, 2/28/1995

PRD-52 - Multilateral Sanctions Use and Enforcement, 3/15/1995

PRD-53

PRD-54 - Nonlethal Weapons Policy Issues and Options, 11/21/1996

PRD-55

PRD-56 - Computer Network Operations, 10/23/2000