[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 251 (Tuesday, December 31, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 79953-79954]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-33004]


=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

OFFICE OF THE UNITED STATES TRADE REPRESENTATIVE


Opportunity To Apply for Membership on the U.S.-Japan Private 
Sector/Government Commission

AGENCY: Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR).

ACTION: Notice of membership opportunity.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The U.S. Government is seeking letters of interest for private 
sector membership on the U.S. side of the U.S.-Japan Private Sector/
Government Commission (Commission) for 2003. President Bush and 
Japanese Prime Minister Koizumi launched the Commission in June 2001 as 
part of the U.S.-Japan Economic Partnership for Growth (Partnership). 
The Commission held its inaugural annual meeting in Japan in May 2002. 
It is expected that the next meeting will be held in Washington, DC in 
the spring of 2003 on the topic of ``Successfully Meeting Economic 
Challenges in the 21st Century.''

DATES: In order to receive full consideration, requests must be 
received by the Government Secretariat no later than February 12, 2003.

ADDRESSES: Please send requests for consideration on company letterhead 
by facsimile or letter to the Government Secretariat for the U.S.-Japan 
Private Sector/Government Commission in care of Harrison Cook, Office 
of Japan, U.S. Department of Commerce, Room 2320, 14th Street and 
Constitution Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20230, facsimile (202) 482-
0469. Requests sent by e-mail will not be considered. Candidates chosen 
for membership will be notified in writing.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Harrison Cook or Karin Ryerson, Office 
of Japan, U.S. Department of Commerce, Room 2320, 14th Street and 
Constitution Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20230, facsimile (202) 482-
0469; or John Neuffer, Office of North Asian Affairs, Office of the 
United States Trade Representative, 600 17th Street, NW., Washington, 
DC 20508, facsimile (202) 395-3597.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Introduction

    The U.S. Government seeks letters of interest for private sector 
membership on the U.S. side of the Commission. President Bush and 
Japanese Prime Minister Koizumi launched the Commission in June 2001 as 
part of the Partnership. The Commission is made up of U.S. and Japanese 
government and private sector representatives. It aims to integrate the 
U.S. and Japanese private sectors more fully into the economic work of 
the two governments. The Commission will enable U.S. and Japanese 
private sector representatives to present input--including expertise, 
observations, and recommendations--on agenda topics agreed to in 
advance by the two governments. For a description of the goals and 
structure of the Commission and the Partnership, see the Annex to the 
Joint Statement by President Bush and Prime Minister Koizumi on June 
30, 2001, on the Department of Commerce Web site at: http://www.mac.doc.gov/japan/source/menu/partnership/partnership2.html.

Topic

    The Commission topic is selected annually. The topic in 2003 is 
``Successfully Meeting Economic Challenges in the 21st Century,'' and 
would include discussions on the aging of our societies, technological 
advances, new business development, expanding globalization, and the 
rapid integration of key economies into the regional and global 
economy. The Commission members will likely wish to focus on policies 
and measures needed to successfully meet these challenges so that our 
two nations can grow and prosper, including steps to:
    [sbull] Increase productivity by facilitating corporate 
revitalization and optimal allocation of human, capital, and other 
resources;
    [sbull] Enhance competitiveness of our respective economies;
    [sbull] Promote growth and improve standards of living in economies 
with shifting demographics;
    [sbull] Identify and implement best practices and principles of 
corporate governance, based on practical experiences in the two 
countries; and
    [sbull] Address the changes in the trade and investment environment 
in the era of globalization.

Duties and Responsibilities of Private Sector Members

    Private sector members will serve at the discretion of USTR. 
Private sector individuals chosen for the Commission will be expected 
to be fully involved in all necessary preparatory meetings and attend 
the Commission's annual 2003 meeting, which, as currently envisioned, 
will be held in Washington, DC in the spring of 2003 in conjunction 
with a Subcabinet meeting of U.S. and Japanese government officials at 
the Deputy/Vice-Ministerial level from key economic agencies and 
ministries and other agencies and ministries appropriate to the 
Commission's topic. The number of private sector Commission members 
will be limited and will be determined in coordination with the 
Government of Japan. Members of the private sector delegation will 
serve for one term. Members who wish to serve additional terms must 
apply under the same rules as other future prospective members.
    Private sector members are fully responsible for travel, lodging 
and personal expenses associated with their participation in the 
Commission. They will receive no compensation. The private sector 
members will serve in a representative capacity, presenting the views 
and interests of the particular business sector in which they operate; 
private sector members are not special government employees. Candidates 
will be vetted for pending business before USTR and the Department of 
Commerce. Members from the private sector will be chosen based on 
criteria set forth in this Notice.

Candidate Eligibility and Selection Procedures

    The process for recruiting and selecting Commission members from 
the U.S. private sector is based on objective, written criteria 
developed in accordance with the Annex to the Joint Statement by 
President Bush and Prime Minister Koizumi. A candidate's partisan 
political activities (including political contributions) are not 
relevant to and will not be considered part of the selection process.
    To be eligible for consideration, each candidate must be a U.S. 
citizen and not a registered foreign agent under the Foreign Agents 
Registration Act of 1938.
    All requests for consideration will be reviewed by the Government 
Secretariat for the Commission, which is composed of officials from 
USTR and the Department of Commerce. Members of

[[Page 79954]]

the Government Secretariat will evaluate each submission based on the 
evaluation criteria and provide a ranking of Excellent, Good, or Poor. 
Each ranked request for consideration will be sent to the Assistant 
USTR for North Asian Affairs and the Commerce Department's Assistant 
Secretary for Market Access and Compliance (Selecting Officials) for 
final selection. The Selecting Officials will review the rankings and 
comments of the review team and will determine the candidates who will 
be selected for the Commission.

Evaluation Criteria

    In reviewing prospective members, the Government Secretariat will 
consider the following evaluation criteria:
    [sbull] Experience in executive level positions, such as CEO of 
U.S. companies; \1\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \1\ A U.S. company is defined in the Procedures and Rules for 
Industry Sector Advisory Committees as a firm incorporated in the 
United States (or an unincorporated U.S. firm with its principal 
places of business in the United States) that is controlled by U.S. 
citizens or by another U.S. entity. An entity is not a U.S. company 
if 50 percent plus one share of its stock (if a corporation, or a 
similar ownership interest of an unincorporated entity) is 
controlled, directly or indirectly, by non-U.S. citizens or non-U.S. 
entities. If the matter is to represent an entity or corporation 
with 10 percent or greater non-U.S. ownership, the nominee must 
demonstrate at the time of nomination that this ownership interest 
does not constitute control and will not adversely affect his or her 
ability to serve on the Commission.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    [sbull] Experience doing business with or in Japan;
    [sbull] Expertise in the topic to be considered by the Commission 
in 2003;
    [sbull] Commitment to undertake any necessary preparatory work and 
to participate in any preparatory meetings and the Commission meeting 
itself;
    [sbull] Commitment to assume the costs of travel, lodging and other 
personal expenses related to Commission participation;
    [sbull] Contributions to membership diversity based on company 
size, type, and location; and
    [sbull] Other considerations relevant to the Commission as 
described in the Annex to the U.S.-Japan Joint Statement by President 
Bush and Prime Minister Koizumi.

Submission Procedures and Requirements

    To be considered for membership, please provide a personal resume 
and materials that would identify the following: (1) Name and title of 
the individual requesting consideration; (2) name and address of the 
company where the candidate is employed; (3) company's product or 
service line; (4) company size (market capitalization, annual revenues, 
number of employees); (5) company's experience in Japan (exports, 
sales, employees, years in Japan); (6) why candidate wishes to be 
considered for the Commission; and (7) the particular sector of the 
business community the candidate would represent. In addition, 
candidates should specifically address the evaluation criteria as 
described above.
    Third parties, such as trade associations and government officials, 
may nominate or endorse potential candidates, but candidates must 
submit their own letters to be considered for Commission membership. 
Referrals from political organizations and any references to political 
contributions or other partisan political activities will not be 
considered in the selection process.

    Dated: December 20, 2002.
Wendy S. Cutler,
Assistant United States Trade Representative for North Asian Affairs.
[FR Doc. 02-33004 Filed 12-30-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3190-01-P