[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 172 (Friday, September 5, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 53093-53094]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-21126]


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OFFICE OF THE UNITED STATES TRADE REPRESENTATIVE


Request for Nominations Based on Updated Membership Criteria for 
the Trade Advisory Committee on Africa

AGENCY: Office of the United States Trade Representative.

ACTION: Request for Nominations; Amendment of Membership Criteria.

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SUMMARY: This notice amends the Trade Advisory Committee on Africa 
(TACA)--Charter Renewal and Nominations for Membership Notice of March 
18, 2014 (79 FR 15201) to revise the membership eligibility criteria 
pursuant to the Revised Guidance on the Appointment of Lobbyists to 
Federal Advisory Committees, Boards and Commissions, published by the 
Office of Management and Budget (OMB) on August 13, 2014. Federally-
registered lobbyists are no longer prohibited from serving on the TACA 
in a representative capacity in light of OMB's recent policy 
clarification that the eligibility restriction does not apply to 
advisory committee members who are specifically appointed to represent 
the interests of a nongovernmental entity, a recognizable group of 
persons or nongovernmental entities (an industry sector, labor unions, 
environmental groups, etc.), or state or local governments. The 
lobbyist prohibition continues to apply to persons serving on advisory 
committees in their individual capacity. The United States Trade 
Representative now will consider nominations of federally-registered 
lobbyists for appointment to the TACA as members who serve in a 
representative capacity. All other eligibility criteria continue to 
apply.

DATES: These revised membership criteria are effective immediately. 
Nominations for membership to the TACA (including self-nominations) 
will be accepted on a rolling basis.

ADDRESSES: Submit nominations to Julia Friedman, Attorney-Advisor for 
the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative's Office of 
Intergovernmental Affairs and Public Engagement, at [email protected]. 
For alternatives to email submission, please contact Julia Friedman at 
(202) 395-6120.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Julia Friedman, Attorney-Advisor for 
the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative's Office of 
Intergovernmental Affairs and Public Engagement, at (202) 395-6120.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background

    Section 135 of the Trade Act of 1974, as amended (19 U.S.C. 2155), 
established a trade advisory system to ensure that U.S. trade policy 
and trade negotiation objectives adequately reflect U.S. commercial and 
economic interests. Section 135(a)(1) directs the President to: Seek 
information and advice from representative elements of the private 
sector and the non-Federal governmental sector with respect to:
    (A) Negotiating objectives and bargaining positions before entering 
into a trade agreement under [title I of the Trade Act of 1974 and 
section 2103 of the Bipartisan Trade Promotion Authority Act of 2002];
    (B) The operation of any trade agreement once entered into, 
including preparation for dispute settlement panel proceedings to which 
the United States is a party; and
    (C) Other matters arising in connection with the development, 
implementation, and administration of the trade policy of the United 
States.
    Section 135(c)(1) of the 1974 Trade Act provides that: [t]he 
President may establish individual general policy advisory committees 
for industry, labor, agriculture, services, investment, defense, and 
other interests, as appropriate, to provide general policy advice on 
matters referred to in [Section 135(a)]. Such committees shall, insofar 
as is practicable, be representative of all industry, labor, 
agricultural, service, investment, defense, and other interests, 
respectively, including small business interests, and shall be 
organized by the United States Trade Representative and the Secretaries 
of Commerce, Defense, Labor, Agriculture, the Treasury, or other 
executive departments, as appropriate. The members of such committees 
shall be appointed by the United States Trade Representative in 
consultation with such Secretaries. Section 14 of the AGOA Acceleration 
Act of 2004 directs the President to convene the TACA ``in order to 
facilitate the goals and objectives of the African Growth and 
Opportunity Act and this Act, and to maintain ongoing discussions with 
African trade and agricultural ministries and private sector 
organizations on issues of mutual concern, including regional and 
international trade concerns and World Trade Organization issues.'' 
Pursuant to these provisions, the Office of the U.S. Trade 
Representative established the TACA.

Functions

    The duties of the TACA are to provide the President, through the 
United States Trade Representative, policy advice on issues involving 
trade and development in sub-Saharan Africa. The TACA will meet as 
needed at the call of the United States Trade Representative or his 
designee depending on various factors such as the level of activity of 
trade negotiations and the needs of the United States Trade 
Representative, or at the call of two-thirds of the TACA members.

Membership

    Members serve without compensation and are responsible for all 
expenses incurred to attend the meetings. TACA members are appointed by 
the United States Trade Representative. Appointments are made at the 
chartering of the TACA and periodically throughout the four-year 
charter term, which ends on March 17, 2018, unless otherwise extended. 
Members serve at the discretion of the United States Trade 
Representative. Members are selected to represent their sponsoring U.S. 
entity's interests on sub-Saharan African trade matters, and thus 
nominees are considered foremost based upon their ability to carry out 
the goals of section 135(c) of the Trade Act of 1974, as amended. Other 
criteria are the nominee's knowledge of and expertise in international 
trade issues as relevant to the work of the TACA. While all or almost 
all TACA members will represent their sponsoring U.S. entities' 
interests, it is possible that the United States Trade Representative 
may appoint members who serve in an individual capacity as subject 
matter experts. Appointments to the TACA are made without regard to 
political affiliation with an interest in ensuring

[[Page 53094]]

balance in terms of sectors, demographics, and other factors relevant 
to the TACA's needs.

Request for Nominations

    The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative is soliciting 
nominations for membership on the TACA. To be appointed to the TACA, 
the following eligibility criteria must be met:
    1. The applicant must be a U.S. citizen.
    2. The applicant must not be a full-time employee of a U.S. 
governmental entity.
    3. If serving in an individual capacity, the applicant must not be 
a federally-registered lobbyist.
    4. The applicant must not be registered with the U.S. Department of 
Justice under the Foreign Agents Registration Act;
    5. The applicant must be able to obtain and maintain a security 
clearance.
    6. For representative members, who will comprise the overwhelming 
majority of the TACA, the applicant must represent a U.S. organization 
whose members (or funders) have a demonstrated interest in issues 
relevant to trade and development in sub-Saharan Africa or that (a) is 
directly engaged in the import or export of goods or sells its services 
in sub-Saharan Africa, or (b) is an association of such entities.
    For eligibility purposes, a ``U.S. organization'' is an 
organization, established under the laws of the United States, that is 
controlled by U.S. citizens, by another U.S. organization (or 
organizations), or by a U.S. entity (or entities), as determined based 
on its board of directors (or comparable governing body), membership, 
and funding sources, as applicable. To qualify as a U.S. organization, 
more than 50 percent of the board of directors (or comparable governing 
body) and more than 50 percent of the membership of the organization to 
be represented must be U.S. citizens, U.S. organizations, or U.S. 
entities. Additionally, at least 50 percent of the organization's 
annual revenue must be attributable to nongovernmental U.S. sources.
    7. For members who will serve in an individual capacity, the 
applicant must possess subject matter expertise regarding international 
trade and development issues relevant to sub-Saharan Africa.
    To be considered for TACA membership, interested persons should 
submit the following to Julia Friedman at [email protected]:
    1. Applicant's name, title, affiliation, and contact information.
    2. If applicable, a sponsor letter on the U.S. organization's 
letterhead that contains a brief description of the manner in which 
international trade affects the U.S. organization and why the applicant 
should be considered for membership.
    3. Applicant's personal resume.
    4. An affirmative statement that the applicant and, if applicable, 
the U.S. organization the applicant represents meet all eligibility 
requirements.

Applicants who meet the eligibility criteria will be considered for 
membership based on the following factors: Ability to represent the 
sponsoring U.S. entity's or U.S. organization's and its subsector's 
interests on trade and development matters; knowledge of and experience 
in trade and development matters relevant to the work of the TACA; and 
ensuring that the TACA is balanced in terms of points of view, 
demographics, geography, and entity or organization size.

    Dated: August 29, 2014.
Jewel James,
Assistant U.S. Trade Representative, Intergovernmental Affairs and 
Public Engagement.
[FR Doc. 2014-21126 Filed 9-4-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3290-F4-P