[Federal Register: August 25, 2008 (Volume 73, Number 165)]
[Notices]
[Page 50057-50058]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr25au08-80]
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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:
FRFTACAFTA@dol.gov. 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: FRFTACAFTA@dol.gov. 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