[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 40 (Tuesday, February 29, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 10847-10848]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-4805]


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OFFICE OF THE UNITED STATES TRADE REPRESENTATIVE


Free Trade Area of the Americas: Request for Identification of 
Private Sector Experts Related to Electronic Commerce

AGENCY: Office of the United States Trade Representative

ACTION: 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 Committee).

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SUMMARY: The Joint Committee was established by the 34 countries in the 
Western Hemisphere participating in the Free Trade Area of the Americas 
to make recommendations on how to increase and broaden the benefits to 
be derived from the electronic marketplace. The Trade Policy Staff 
Committee (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 Joint 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 March 24, 2000.

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 Committee may 
be directed to Regina Vargo, Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Western 
Hemisphere, U.S. Department of Commerce (202) 482-5324, 
[email protected]

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 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 initial negotiating groups, a 
consultative group, and two committees, one of which is the Joint 
Committee, which began its work in August 1998. The trade ministers 
mandated that both government and private sector experts meet as the 
Joint Committee to make recommendations on how to increase and broaden 
the benefits of electronic commerce; the Joint Committee is not a 
negotiating group. Inclusion of the private sector on the committee is 
consistent with President Clinton's principle that the private sector 
should take the lead in global electronic commerce.
    The Joint Committee was chaired by the Government of Barbados 
during the initial 18-month period and will be chaired by an Uruguayan 
private sector representative and vice chaired by a Canadian government 
representative through April 2001. Ms. Regina Vargo, Deputy Assistant 
Secretary for the Western Hemisphere, U.S. Department of Commerce, 
leads the joint U.S. government-pride sector delegation to the Joint 
Committee.
    Status of Work in the Joint Committee: At the FTAA Ministerial 
meeting in Toronto in November 1999, trade minister received, and 
released to the public, a report prepared by the Joint Committee 
reflecting the culmination of its discussions over the preceding 18 
months on a broad range of electronic commerce issues; its 
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 
requested that the Joint Committee continue its work as a non-
negotiating group and produce further recommendations over the next 18-
month period. The full report ( Report with Recommendations to 
Ministers,'' FTAA.ecom/01) is available in English and Spanish on the 
official FTAA website (http://www.ftaa-alca.org) and the U.S. 
Government Electronic Commerce website (http://www.ecommerce.gov).
    The Joint Committee met most recently on January 25-26, 2000 in 
Miami. At this meeting, the Joint Committee's private sector and 
government representatives identified issues to be discussed during the 
next phase of its work. The Joint Committee will focus on issues 
related to access and infrastructure, small and medium-sized 
enterprises, authentication, and online payments, and consider 
developments in other areas such as intellectual property, taxation and 
consumer protection. The Joint Committee will make further 
recommendations to trade ministers for their consideration at the next 
FTAA Ministerial meeting in April 2001.
    Private Sector Participation: During the first 18-month period, 13 
U.S. private sector representatives, reflecting a balance of interests 
and electronic commerce issue expertise, participated

[[Page 10848]]

in the work of the Joint Committee. All had responded to notices in the 
Federal Register (63 FR 42090 August 6, 1998 and 64 FR 26811, May 17, 
1999) or to request to official trade advisors inviting expressions of 
interest and qualifications to participate in the work of the Joint 
Committee.

Public Comments

    As the Joint Committee enters the second phases in the FTAA 
process, the TPSC is seeking to solicit anew U.S. private sector 
interest in participation on the Joint Committee, taking into 
consideration its current work plan. In order to assist the TPSC in 
identifying U.S. private sector experts on issues related to electronic 
commerce, 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; 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.
    Those persons wishing to make written submissions should provide 
twenty (20) typed copies (in English) no later than noon, Friday, March 
24, 2000 to Gloria Blue, Executive Secretary, Trade Policy Staff 
Committee, Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, Room 122, 600 17th 
Street, NW, Washington, D.C., 20508.
    Written submissions in connection with this request will be 
available for public inspection in the USTR Reading Room, Room 101, 
Office of the United States Trade Representative, 600 17th St., N.W., 
Washington, D.C. 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 9:30 a.m. to 12 noon, and from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Monday 
through Friday.

Carmen Suro-Bredie,
Acting Chairman, Trade Policy Staff Committee.
[FR Doc. 00-4805 Filed 2-28-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3901-01-M