[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 80 (Friday, April 24, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Page 23121]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-08784]


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DEPARTMENT OF STATE

[Public Notice: 11095]


Notice of Public Teleconference Concerning the Use of Digital 
Sequence Information of Genetic Resources

ACTION: Notice of meeting.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of State (DOS) invites submission of 
comments from the public, academia, industry, and other stakeholders on 
the topic of ``digital sequence information (DSI) on genetic 
resources,'' also known as genetic sequence data (GSD). The United 
States will use these comments to inform policy development and 
international messaging on GSD, particularly regarding the Convention 
on Biological Diversity (CBD) and the Nagoya Protocol. The Department 
will hold a public meeting and information session to discuss these 
issues, on May 14, 2020 at 10:00 a.m., by teleconference. This 
teleconference is in place of the postponed in-person public meeting on 
DSI originally scheduled for March 12, 2020 [Public Notice 11037].

DATES: A teleconference is planned on Thursday, May 14, 2020. The 
meeting will begin at 10:00 a.m. EDT and last for up to two hours. 
Dial-in details will be made available upon registration. Electronic 
comments are due on or before June 30, 2020.

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held by phone. You will receive dial-in 
details upon registration. One electronic submission per person by the 
June 30 deadline is welcome, with no more than 10 pages of single-
spaced text including relevant examples, with no more than one page per 
example. Submissions should be made via the internet at 
www.regulations.gov docket number [DOS-2020-2017]. Note that relevant 
comments submitted to regulations.gov will be posted without editing 
and will be available to the public; therefore, business-confidential 
information should be clearly identified as such and submitted by email 
instead to [email protected]. The public is required to file 
submissions electronically rather than by facsimile or mail. You do not 
need to resubmit comments if you submitted comments for the original 
Federal Register Notice [Public Notice 11037] announcing the now 
postponed, in-person public meeting on DSI originally scheduled for 
March 12, 2020.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Questions regarding the submission of 
comments should be directed to Patrick Reilly (202) 647-4827, 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Secretariat of the CBD released three 
studies on ``Digital Sequence Information on Genetic Resources'' 
(https://www.cbd.int/dsi-gr/2019-2020/studies/) that examine the scope, 
present use, traceability, access, and current benefit-sharing schemes 
relating to DSI/GSD. These studies were commissioned to inform 
decisions by the Parties to the CBD and the Nagoya Protocol at the 2020 
Conference of Parties (COP) to the CBD and the Conference of Parties 
serving as the Meeting of the Parties to the Nagoya Protocol. 
(Originally planned for October 15-18, 2020 in Kunming, China, the CBD 
COP and related meetings have been postponed due to COVID-19; new dates 
have not yet been announced.) During the teleconference, DOS will 
provide a brief overview of the ongoing discussions regarding DSI/GSD 
in the context of the CBD and the Nagoya Protocol and public 
participants will have the opportunity to share their comments, 
concerns, and questions about this issue. The information obtained from 
these meetings will help the U.S. Government prepare for U.S. 
participation in international meetings, in particular, U.S. 
participation in upcoming CBD and Nagoya Protocol meetings. Documents 
and other information related to the CBD and Nagoya Protocol can be 
found at this website: www.cbd.int.
    We welcome examples, information, and comment on:
    (1) The CBD studies cited above;
    (2) practices regarding the collection, management, and use of DSI/
GSD;
    (3) experiences with access and benefit-sharing (ABS) approaches or 
requirements related to DSI/GSD;
    (4) specific examples of actual and potential impacts that could 
occur if tracking and benefit sharing for the utilization of DSI/GSD 
were required by domestic legislation in other countries, or encouraged 
under the Nagoya Protocol or other international instruments, such as 
the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and 
Agriculture and the World Health Organization Pandemic Influenza 
Preparedness Framework;
    (5) specific examples of actual and potential impacts that could 
occur if tracking and benefit sharing for the utilization of DSI/GSD 
were required on research collaborations, international sample sharing, 
academic and commercial research, pandemic and epidemic preparedness 
and response, and food security;
    (6) monetary or non-monetary benefits that are facilitated by 
international sharing of DSI/GSD;
    (7) how organizations can still advance science if national-level 
ABS frameworks in other countries require tracking and benefit sharing 
for the utilization of DSI/GSD;
    (8) non-ABS challenges and barriers to sharing DSI/GSD that have 
significant implications for global research efforts that might merit 
additional attention or analysis; and
    (9) issues and/or examples related to the items described above or 
other items that could affect the scientific process.
    Representatives from DOS will review written submissions and share 
them, as appropriate, with other Federal Agencies to inform U.S. 
Government policy and our international engagements on these issues. 
U.S. officials may contact individuals making submissions for further 
information or clarification.
    Status: The meeting will be open to the public. Persons wishing to 
dial-in should submit their full name and organization to Patrick 
Reilly at [email protected] and copy [email protected] at least 
three days prior to the meeting. Requests made after that time will be 
considered but might not be accommodated.

Zachary A. Parker,
Director, Office of Directives Management, Department of State.
[FR Doc. 2020-08784 Filed 4-23-20; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4710-09-P