[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 226 (Friday, November 25, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page 0]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-29001]


[[Page Unknown]]

[Federal Register: November 25, 1994]


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INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT COOPERATION AGENCY

Overseas Private Investment Corporation

 

Public Hearing

AGENCY: Overseas Private Investment Corporation, IDCA.

ACTION: Notice of public hearing.

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SUMMARY: This notice sets forth the schedule and requirements for 
participation in an annual public hearing to be conducted by the Board 
of Directors of the Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) on 
Department 19, 1994. This hearing is required by the OPIC Amendments 
Act of 1985, and this notice is being published to facilitate public 
participation. The notice also describes OPIC and the subject matter of 
the hearing.

DATES: The hearing will be held on December 19, 1994 and will begin 
promptly at 2 p.m. Prospective participants must submit to OPIC before 
close of business December 7, 1994, notice of their intent to 
participate.

ADDRESSES: The location of the hearing will be: Overseas Private 
Investment Corporation, 1100 New York Avenue, NW., Washington, DC.
    Notices and prepared statements should be sent to Harvey Himberg, 
Investment Development Department, Overseas Private Investment 
Corporation, 1100 New York Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20527.

Procedure

    (a) Attendance; Participation. The hearing will be open to the 
public. However, a person wishing to present views at the hearing must 
provide OPIC will advance notice on or before December 7, 1994. The 
notice must include the name, address and telephone number of the 
person who will make the presentation, the name and address of the 
organization which the person represents (if any) and a concise summary 
of the subject matter of the presentation.
    (b) Prepared Statements. Any participant wishing to submit a 
prepared statement for the record must submit it to OPIC with the 
notice or, in any event, not later than 5 p.m. on December 16, 1994. 
Prepared statements must be typewritten, double spaced and may not 
exceed twenty-five (25) pages.
    (c) Duration of Presentations. Oral presentations will in no even 
exceed ten (10) minutes, and the time for individual presentations may 
be reduced proportionately, if necessary, to afford all prospective 
participants on a particular subject an opportunity to be heard or to 
permit all subjects to be covered.
    (d) Agenda. Upon receipt of the required notices, OPIC will draw up 
an agenda for the hearing setting forth the subject or subjects on 
which each participant will speak and the time allotted for each 
presentation. OPIC will provide each prospective participant with a 
copy of the agenda.
    (e) Publication of Proceedings. A verbatim transcript of the 
hearing will be compiled and published. The transcript will be 
available to members of the public at the cost of reproduction.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: OPIC is a U.S. Government agency which 
provides, on a commercial basis, political risk insurance and financing 
in friendly developing countries and emerging democracies for projects 
which confer positive developmental benefits upon the project country 
while avoiding negative effects on the U.S. economy and the environment 
of the project country. OPIC's Board of Directors is required by 
section 231A(b) of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, as amended ``the 
Act'') to hold at lest one public hearing each year.
    Among other issues, OPIC's annual public hearing has, in previous 
years, provided a forum for testimony concerning section 231A(a) of the 
Act. This section provides that OPIC may operate its programs only in 
those countries that are determined to be ``taking steps to adopt and 
implement laws that extend internationally recognized worker rights to 
workers in that country (including any designated zone in that 
country).''
    Based on consultations with Congress, OPIC complies with annual 
determinations made by the Executive Branch with respect to worker 
rights for countries that are eligible for the Generalized System of 
Preferences (GSP). Any country for which GSP eligibility is revoked on 
account of its failure to take steps to adopt and implement 
internationally recognized worker rights is subject concurrently to the 
suspension of OPIC programs until such time as a favorable worker 
rights determination can be made.
    For non-GSP countries in which OPIC operates its programs, OPIC has 
agreed to provide a worker rights report to the Congress for any 
country which is the subject of a formal challenge at its annual public 
hearing. To qualify as a formal challenge, testimony must pertain 
directly to the worker rights requirements of the law as defined in 
OPIC's 1985 reauthorizing legislation (Pub. L. 99-204) with reference 
to the Trade Act of 1974, as amended, and be supported by factual 
information.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION ABOUT THE PUBLIC HEARING CONTACT: Harvey A. 
Himberg, Investment Development Department, Overseas Private Investment 
Corporation, 1100 New York Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20527 (202) 336-
8614 or by facsimile at (202) 408-5145.

    Dated: November 17, 1994.
James R. Offutt,
Assistant General Counsel, Department of Legal Affairs.
[FR Doc. 94-29001 Filed 11-23-94; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3210-01-M