[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 165 (Monday, August 25, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 50057-50058]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-19608]


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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Office of the Secretary


Bureau of International Labor Affairs; Office of Trade and Labor 
Affairs; Request for Comments on Labor Capacity-Building Efforts Under 
the Dominican Republic--Central America--United States Free Trade 
Agreement

AGENCIES: Office of the Secretary, Labor, and Office of the United 
States Trade Representative.

ACTION: Request for comments from the public.

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SUMMARY: This notice is a request for comments from the public to 
assist the Secretary of Labor and the United States Trade 
Representative in preparing a report on labor capacity-building efforts 
under Chapter 16 (``the Labor Chapter'') and Annex 16.5 of the 
Dominican Republic--Central America-United States Free Trade Agreement 
(``the CAFTA-DR''), as well as efforts made by the CAFTA-DR countries 
to implement the recommendations contained in the report entitled ``The 
Labor Dimension in Central America and the Dominican Republic--Building 
on Progress: Strengthening Compliance and Enhancing Capacity'' (``the 
White Paper''). This report is required under the Dominican Republic--
Central America--United States Free Trade Agreement Implementation Act 
[bs](``the CAFTA-DR Implementation Act''). The 
reporting function and the responsibility for soliciting public 
comments required under this Act were assigned to the Secretary of 
Labor, in consultation with the United States Trade Representative.

DATES: Written comments are due no later than 5 p.m. September 22, 
2008.

ADDRESSES: Persons submitting comments are strongly advised to make 
such submissions by electronic mail to the following address: 
[email protected]. Submissions by facsimile may be sent to: Gregory K. 
Schoepfle, Director, Office of Trade and Labor Affairs, U.S. Department 
of Labor at (202) 693-4851 (this is not a toll-free number).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Gregory K. Schoepfle, Director, Office 
of Trade and Labor Affairs, U.S. Department of Labor, 200 Constitution 
Avenue, NW., Room S-5303, Washington, DC 20210. Telephone (202) 693-
4900 (this is not a toll-free number).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

1. Background

    During the legislative approval process for the CAFTA-DR, the 
Administration and the Congress reached an understanding on the need to 
support labor capacity-building efforts linked to recommendations 
identified in the White Paper of the Working Group of the Vice 
Ministers Responsible for Trade and Labor in the countries of Central 
America and the Dominican Republic. A total of $130 million was 
appropriated in support of labor and environment capacity-building in 
FY 2005 through FY 2008, with an additional $40 million anticipated for 
FY 2009.
    Areas of focus were identified through a cooperative process and 
dialogue between the United States and its CAFTA-DR partners (Costa 
Rica, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and 
Nicaragua) as envisaged by the Labor Chapter and Annex 16.5 of the 
CAFTA-DR. The multi-year assistance effort focuses on building the 
capacity of the ministries of labor to more effectively enforce labor 
laws, training labor inspectors, developing and distributing public 
awareness materials, assessing the information technology needs of the 
ministries of labor, and providing technical assistance to the labor 
justice system in Central America and the Dominican Republic.
    For more information on these initiatives, see the full text of the 
CAFTA-DR and the White Paper as well as other relevant fact sheets and 
reports posted on the respective Web sites of the Office of the United 
States Trade Representative, http://www.ustr.gov/Trade_Agreements/Regional/CAFTA/Section_Index.html, and the ILO Subregional Office for 
Central America, Haiti, Panama and the Dominican Republic, http://web.oit.or.cr/ (follow the link to: Sector IV, Dialogo Social, and then 
link to: Verification of the White Paper, Central America and the 
Dominican Republic).
    Under section 403(a) of the CAFTA-DR Implementation Act, 19 U.S.C. 
4111(a), the President must report biennially to the Congress on the 
progress made by the CAFTA-DR countries in implementing the labor 
obligations and the labor capacity-building provisions found in the 
Labor Chapter and Annex 16.5 and implementing the recommendations 
contained in the White Paper. Section 403(a)(4) requires the President 
to establish a mechanism to solicit public comments on the matters 
described in section 403(a)(3)(D) of the CAFTA-DR Implementation Act, 
19 U.S.C. 4111(a)(4).
    By Proclamation, the President delegated the reporting function and 
the responsibility for soliciting public comments under section 403(a) 
of the CAFTA-DR Implementation Act, 19 U.S.C. 4111(a), to the Secretary 
of Labor, in consultation with the United States Trade Representative. 
Proclamation No. 8272, 73 FR 38,297 (June 30, 2008). This notice serves 
to request public comments as required by this section.

2. Information Sought

    The Department of Labor is seeking comments on the following topics 
as required under Section 404(a)(3)(D) of the CAFTA-DR Implementation 
Act:
    1. Capacity-building efforts by the United States government 
envisaged by Article 16.5 of the CAFTA-DR Labor Chapter and Annex 16.5;
    2. Efforts by the United States government to facilitate full 
implementation of the White Paper recommendations; and
    3. Efforts made by the CAFTA-DR countries to comply with Article 
16.5 of the Labor Chapter and Annex 16.5 and to fully implement the 
White Paper recommendations, including progress made by the CAFTA-DR 
countries in affording to workers internationally-recognized worker 
rights through improved capacity.

3. Requirements for Comments

    This notice requests comments in response to a general solicitation 
to the public. Written comments may be submitted by 5 p.m. September 
22, 2008. To ensure prompt and full consideration of comments, it is 
strongly recommended that comments be submitted by electronic mail to 
the following e-mail address: [email protected]. Persons making 
comments by e-mail should use the following subject line: Comments on 
CAFTA-DR Labor Capacity Building Efforts. Documents should be submitted

[[Page 50058]]

in MSWord format. Supporting documentation submitted as spreadsheets is 
acceptable in Excel format. Persons who make comments by e-mail should 
not provide separate cover letters; information that might appear in a 
cover letter should be included in the comments themselves. Similarly, 
to the extent possible, any attachments to the comments should be 
included in the same file as the comments themselves, not as separate 
files. In the event that e-mail comments are not possible, comments 
should be sent by facsimile to (202) 693-4851 (this is not a toll-free 
number). Written comments will be placed in a file open to public 
inspection at the Department of Labor, Room S-5303, 200 Constitution 
Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20210. An appointment to review the file 
must be scheduled at least 48 hours in advance and may be made by 
calling (202) 693-4900 (this is not a toll-free number).

    Signed at Washington, DC on this 19th day of August 2008.
Lawrence W. Casey,
Associate Deputy Under Secretary for International Affairs, Bureau of 
International Labor Affairs.
[FR Doc. E8-19608 Filed 8-22-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4510-28-P