[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 69 (Monday, April 13, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Page 16908]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-8393]



[[Page 16908]]

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DEPARTMENT OF STATE

[Public Notice 6549]


U.S. Department of State Advisory Committee on Private 
International Law: Working Group I of the United Nations Commission on 
International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) Model Law on Procurement of Goods, 
Construction and Services

    A study group of the Advisory Committee reviews and provides 
comments on an initiative by the United Nations Commission for 
International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) to revise the 1994 UNCITRAL Model 
Law on Procurement of Goods, Construction and Services (``Model 
Procurement Law''), and its Guide to Enactment, available at http://www.uncitral.org/uncitral/en/uncitral_texts/procurement_infrastructure/1994Model.html. The UNCITRAL Model Procurement Law is 
not intended to be applied by the United States, but it is cited and 
relied upon in many other nations as a model procurement code.
    The UNCITRAL Working Group tasked with making recommendations for 
an updated model law has focused on new practices and technological 
developments, in particular those resulting from the use of electronic 
communications in public procurement. These topics have included the 
use of electronic means of communication in the procurement process, 
publication of procurement-related information, the procurement 
technique known as the electronic reverse auction, abnormally low 
tenders, and the method of contracting known as framework agreements. 
The Working Group also decided that the Model Law and the Guide should 
take into account the question of conflicts of interest. In this 
regard, the United Nations Convention Against Corruption, which entered 
into force in December 2005, specifically calls for anti-corruption 
measures in procurement to address conflicts of interest. See also 
Report of Working Group I (Procurement A/CN.9/668) on the work of its 
fifteenth session (New York, 2-6 February 2009) available at http://www.uncitral.org/uncitral/en/commission/working_groups/1Procurement.html.
    It is possible that a revised model procurement law will be 
presented for final review by UNCITRAL in 2009. The UNCITRAL Working 
Group has recommended that the Model Law be considered for adoption by 
UNCITRAL in advance of the completion of an updated Guide to Enactment. 
UNCITRAL has also recently scheduled a Working Group meeting from May 
25th through 29th, 2009, to work on the recommendations.
    In order to assist the U.S. Delegation at the Working Group 
session, a public meeting to review and discuss the current status of 
the proposed reforms will be held on April 22, 2009.
    Time and Place: The public meeting will take place at The George 
Washington University Law School Faculty Conference Center, 5th Floor, 
2000 H Street., Washington, DC on April 22, 2009 from 10 a.m. to 12 
noon EDT.
    Public Participation: Comments may be submitted prior to or after 
the meeting to the Office of Private International Law, U.S. Department 
of State, 2430 E Street, NW., Washington, DC 20037-2851, attn: Michael 
Dennis, or by facsimile to 202-776-8482, or by electronic e-mail to 
[email protected]. Persons wishing to attend the meeting should call 
Trisha Smeltzer at 202-776-8423 or contact by e-mail at 
[email protected].

    Dated: April 6, 2009.
Michael J. Dennis,
Attorney-Adviser, Office of Private International Law, Department of 
State.
[FR Doc. E9-8393 Filed 4-10-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7410-08-P