[Federal Register: August 29, 2001 (Volume 66, Number 168)]
[Notices]
[Page 45723-45724]
>From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr29au01-129]
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OFFICE OF THE UNITED STATES TRADE REPRESENTATIVE
Trade Policy Staff Committee (TPSC): Request for Identification
of Private Sector Experts In Electronic Commerce Who May Wish To
Participate in the Work of the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA)
Joint Government-Private Sector Committee of Experts on Electronic
Commerce (Joint E-Commerce Committee)
AGENCY: Office of the United States Trade Representative.
ACTION: Request for identification of private sector experts on
electronic commerce.
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SUMMARY: The TPSC seeks to identify U.S. private sector experts on
issues related to electronic commerce who may be interested in
participating in the work of the FTAA Joint E-Commerce Committee.
Interested members of the public are invited to submit written notice
of their interest and their qualifications.
DATES: Written expressions of interest in participating in the work of
the Joint Committee should be submitted no later than noon on September
13, 2001.
ADDRESSES: Expressions of interest (original plus 20 copies) should be
submitted to Gloria Blue, Executive Secretary, Trade Policy Staff
Committee, Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, 1724 F St., Fifth
Floor, NW, Washington, D.C., 20508. Attn: FTAA Joint E-Commerce
Committee-Private Sector Participation.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For procedural questions concerning
public comments, contact Gloria Blue, Executive Secretary, Trade Policy
Staff Committee, Office of the United States Trade Representative,
(202) 395-3475. All other questions concerning the Joint E-Commerce
Committee may be directed to Walter Bastian, Acting Deputy Assistant
Secretary for the Western Hemisphere, U.S. Department of Commerce (202)
482-4325, Walter_Bastian@ita.doc.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
1. Background
At the Second Summit of the Americas in April 1998, in Santiago,
Chile, the 34 democratically-elected Western Hemisphere leaders
initiated negotiations to create the FTAA no later than the year 2005.
They established nine negotiating groups, a consultative group, and two
non-negotiating committees, one of which is the Joint E-Commerce
Committee, which began its work in August 1998. The trade ministers
mandated that both government and private sector experts meet as the
Joint E-Commerce Committee to make recommendations on how to increase
and broaden the benefits of electronic commerce; the Joint E-Commerce
Committee is not a negotiating group.
During 1998-1999, the Government of Barbados chaired the Joint E-
Commerce Committee. During 2000-2001, a Uruguayan private sector
representative chaired. The Government of Canada is currently chairing
the Committee through October 2002 with a Peruvian private sector
representative serving as Vice Chair. Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary
of Commerce for the Western Hemisphere, Walter Bastian, is leading the
U.S. Government-private sector delegation to the Joint E-Commerce
Committee.
Status of Work in the Joint Committee: At each of the past two FTAA
Ministerial meetings, in Toronto, Canada in November 1999 and Buenos
Aires, Argentina in April 2001, trade ministers received, and released
to the public, reports prepared by the Joint E-Commerce Committee
reflecting the culmination of its discussions over the preceding 18
months on a broad range of electronic commerce issues. The Joint E-
Commerce Committee's recommendations on increasing and broadening the
benefits of electronic commerce were drafted with the full
participation of government and private sector experts from every
region in the Hemisphere. FTAA trade ministers committed to share the
report and its recommendations with other relevant authorities within
their governments. They also instructed the Joint E-Commerce Committee
to continue its work as a non-negotiating group and produce further
recommendations over the next 18-month period. The ``Second Report with
Recommendations to Ministers April 9, 2001,'' is available in English
and Spanish on the USTR website (http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/leaving.cgi?from=leavingFR.html&log=linklog&to=http://www.ustr.gov), the official FTAA
website (http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/leaving.cgi?from=leavingFR.html&log=linklog&to=http://www.ftaa-alca.org) and the U.S. Government Electronic
Commerce website (http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/leaving.cgi?from=leavingFR.html&log=linklog&to=http://www.ecommerce.gov).
The Joint E-Commerce Committee met most recently on July 23-24,
2001 in Panama City, Panama. At this meeting, the Joint E-Commerce
Committee's government and private sector representatives identified
issues to be discussed during the next phase of its work. Over the next
year, the Joint E-Commerce Committee will focus on the digital divide
(including issues related to access and infrastructure, small and
medium sized enterprises, education
[[Page 45724]]
and training); consumer protection; and e-government. The Joint E-
Commerce Committee will make further recommendations to trade ministers
for their consideration at the next FTAA Ministerial meeting in October
2002.
2. Private Sector Participation
During 1998-1999, 13 U.S. private sector representatives,
reflecting a balance of interests and electronic commerce issue
expertise, participated in the work of the Joint E-Commerce Committee.
Nineteen (19) U.S. private sector representatives participated during
2000-2001. All had responded to notices in the Federal Register (63 FR
42090, August 6, 1998, 64 FR 26811, May 17, 1999, 65 FR 40, February
29, 2000 and 65 FR 150, August 3, 2000) or to requests to official
trade advisors inviting expressions of interest and qualifications to
participate in the work of the Joint E-Commerce Committee.
As the Joint E-Commerce Committee focuses on its work for 2001-
2002, the TPSC is seeking to solicit interest in new U.S. private
sector participation on the Joint E-Commerce Committee. In order to
assist the TPSC in identifying U.S. private sector experts on issues
related to the Joint E-Commerce Committee's upcoming work, members of
the public are invited to submit written notice of their interest and
describe their qualifications. Qualifications of interest include:
demonstrated expertise in one or more aspects of electronic commerce,
such as the digital divide, consumer protection, e-government;
knowledge of the Western Hemisphere, including established contacts
with foreign private sector interests in the region; an ability and
willingness to broadly solicit views from and disseminate information
to private sector interests; and familiarity with U.S. and foreign
trade and investment policies and obligations and developments in
electronic commerce fora.
Written Expression of Interest
Persons wishing to make written expressions of interest should
provide the original plus twenty (20) typed copies, to Gloria Blue,
Executive Secretary, Trade Policy Staff Committee, Office of the U.S.
Trade Representative, 1724 F St., NW, Washington, D.C., 20508, (202)
395-3475, no later than noon, September 6, 2001. If possible,
expressions of interest should be submitted before this date.
Business confidential information will be subject to the
requirements of 15 CFR 2003.6. Any business confidential material must
be clearly marked as such on the cover letter or page and each
succeeding page, and must be accompanied by a nonconfidential summary
thereof. If the submission contains business confidential information,
twenty copies of a public version that does not contain confidential
information must be submitted. A justification as to why the
information contained in the submission should be treated
confidentially must be included in the submission. In addition, any
submissions containing business confidential information must be
clearly marked ``Confidential'' at the top and bottom of the cover page
(or letter) and each succeeding page of the submission. The version
that does not contain confidential information should also be clearly
marked, at the top and bottom of each page, ``public version'' or
``non-confidential.''
Nonconfidential submissions will be available for public inspection
in the USTR Reading Room in the Annex of the Office of the USTR, 1724 F
Street, N.W., Room Three, Washington, DC. An appointment to review the
file may be made by calling Brenda Webb (202) 395-6186. The Reading
Room is open to the public from 10:00 a.m. to 12 noon, and from 1 p.m.
to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday.
To be assured of consideration for participation in this round of
discussions, expressions of interest should be submitted no later than
12 noon on September 13, 2001.
Carmen Suro-Bredie,
Chair, Trade Policy Staff Committee.
[FR Doc. 01-21735 Filed 8-28-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3190-01-P