[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 158 (Wednesday, August 17, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Page 50685]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-17653]


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DEPARTMENT OF STATE

[Public Notice: 11824 ]


Notification of the Fifteenth Meeting of the CAFTA-DR 
Environmental Affairs Council

ACTION: Notice of the fifteenth meeting of the Dominican Republic-
Central America-United States Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA-DR) 
Environmental Affairs Council and request for comments; invitation to 
public session.

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SUMMARY: The Department of State and the Office of the United States 
Trade Representative (USTR) are providing notice that the parties to 
CAFTA-DR intend to hold the fifteenth meeting of the Environmental 
Affairs Council (the Council) established under Chapter 17 (Environment 
Chapter) of that agreement on October 6-7, 2022, in Washington, DC. The 
Department of State and USTR also invite written comments or questions 
regarding implementation of Chapter 17 and any topics that should be 
discussed at the Council meeting consistent with its purpose. When 
preparing comments, we encourage submitters to refer to Chapter 17 of 
the CAFTA-DR and to the CAFTA-DR Environmental Cooperation Agreement 
(ECA) (documents available at https://www.state.gov/key-topics-office-of-environmental-quality-and-transboundary-issues/current-trade-agreements-with-environmental-chapters/#cafta-dr and https://ustr.gov/issue-areas/environment/bilateral-and-regional-trade-agreements). 
Instructions on how to submit comments are under the heading ADDRESSES.

DATES: The public session of the Council will be held on October 7, 
2022, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. EDT in Washington, DC. Please contact 
Bradley Blecker and Sigrid Simpson for the location of this meeting in 
Washington, DC or to request a link to join virtually. Addresses and 
confirmations of attendance and comments and suggestions are requested 
in writing no later than October 2, 2022.

ADDRESSES: Written comments or suggestions should be submitted to both:
    (1) Bradley Blecker, U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Oceans and 
International Environmental and Scientific Affairs, Office of 
Environmental Quality, by email to [email protected] with the subject 
line ``CAFTA-DR EAC Meeting''; and
    (2) Sigrid Simpson, Director for Environment and Natural Resources, 
Office of the United States Trade Representative, by email to 
[email protected] with the subject line ``CAFTA-DR EAC 
Meeting''.
    If you have access to the internet, you can view and comment on 
this notice by going to: http://www.regulations.gov/#!home and 
searching for docket number DOS-2022-0024.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:  Bradley Blecker, (202) 394-3316, or 
Sigrid Simpson, (202) 881-6592.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Article 17.5 of the CAFTA-DR establishes an 
Environmental Affairs Council (the Council) and provides that, unless 
the CAFTA-DR parties otherwise agree, the Council will meet annually to 
oversee the implementation of, and review progress under, Chapter 17, 
and to consider the status of cooperation activities developed under 
the ECA. Article 17.5 further requires that, unless the parties 
otherwise agree, each meeting of the Council include a session in which 
members of the Council have an opportunity to meet with the public to 
discuss matters relating to the implementation of Chapter 17.
    On October 6, the Council will meet in a closed government-to-
government session to (1) review implementation of the Environment 
Chapter, including by highlighting increased levels of environmental 
protection, environmental enforcement, and related achievements in the 
past year, with a focus on wildlife trafficking, illegal logging and 
deforestation, and climate change and clean technologies; (2) discuss 
efforts to tackle the climate crisis, combat illegal, unreported, and 
unregulated (IUU) fishing, and end plastic pollution; (3) receive a 
report from the CAFTA-DR Secretariat for Environmental Matters on the 
status of public submissions; and (4) review activities under the 
CAFTA-DR Environmental Cooperation Program and possible cooperation for 
the future.
    The Council invites all interested persons to attend a public 
session on Chapter 17 implementation, beginning at 9:00 a.m. EDT on 
October 7. At the session, the Council will welcome questions, input, 
and information about challenges and achievements in implementation of 
the Environment Chapter obligations and the related ECA. If you would 
like to attend in Washington, DC or connect virtually to the public 
session, please notify Bradley Blecker and Sigrid Simpson at the email 
addresses listed under the heading ADDRESSES. Please include your full 
name and identify any organization or group you represent.
    Visit the State website at www.state.gov and the USTR website at 
www.ustr.gov for more information.

Sherry Zalika Sykes,
Director, Office of Environmental Quality, U.S. Department of State.
[FR Doc. 2022-17653 Filed 8-16-22; 8:45 am]
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