Federal Register Notices
[Federal
Register: March 11, 2010 (Volume 75, Number 47)]
[Notices]
[Page 11512-11513]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access
[wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr11mr10-28]
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Foreign Agricultural Service
Consultative Group to Eliminate the Use of Child
Labor and Forced Labor in Imported Agricultural
Products.
AGENCY: Foreign Agricultural Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice of public meeting.
SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that the U.S.
Department of Agriculture (USDA) will be holding
a public meeting of the Consultative Group to
Eliminate the Use of Child Labor and Forced
Labor in Imported Agricultural Products
(Consultative Group) on March 29, 2010. The sole
purpose of the meeting is to solicit input from
the public regarding the Consultative Group's
statutory mandate to develop recommendations
relating to a standard set of practices for
independent, third-party
monitoring and verification for the production,
processing, and distribution of agricultural
products or commodities to reduce the likelihood
that agricultural products or commodities
imported into the
United States are produced with the use of
forced labor or child labor. The notice sets
forth the process for requesting to appear at
the meeting, and for submitting written
statements. On June 18, 2008, the President
signed into law the Food, Conservation, and
Energy Act of 2008 (the Act), also known as the
2008 Farm Bill. The Act provides for the
creation of the Consultative Group.
DATES: March 18, 2010--Due date for submission
of requests to make an oral statement at the
public meeting. (See Requirement for Submissions
and Meeting Procedures below.)
March 22, 2010--Due date to notify intention to attend the
public meeting without making a statement or to
request special accommodations.
March 29, 2010--Public meeting for the Consultative Group to
Eliminate the Use of Child Labor and Forced
Labor in Imported Agricultural Products, Room
104-A, Jamie L. Whitten Building, 12th and
Jefferson Drive, SW., Washington, DC 20250,
beginning at 9:30 a.m.
April 30, 2010--Final date for submission of written
statements.
ADDRESSES: You may make written submissions by
any of the following methods: by mail to the
Office of Negotiations and Agreements, Foreign
Agricultural Service, U.S. Department of
Agriculture, Stop 1040, 1400 Independence Ave.,
SW., Washington, DC 20250; or by hand (including
DHL, FedEx, UPS, etc.) to the Office of
Negotiations and Agreements, Foreign
Agricultural Service, U.S. Department of
Agriculture, Room 4133-S, 1400 Independence
Ave., SW., Washington, DC 20250; or by e-mail
to:
Steffon.Brown@fas.usda.gov; or by fax to
(202) 720-0340.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: The Office of
Negotiations and Agreements by phone on (202)
720-6219; by e-mail addressed to
Steffon.Brown@fas.usda.gov; or by mail
addressed to the Office of Negotiations and
Agreements, Foreign Agricultural Service, U.S.
Department of Agriculture, Stop 1040, 1400
Independence Ave., SW., Washington, DC 20250.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In written
submissions and statements to the Consultative
Group as part of this public meeting, parties
are asked to provide information or comment on
the following issues:
(a) Examples of identification, monitoring, verification,
and/or certification systems, or other models,
that have been successful in reducing child
labor and/or forced labor in the global supply
chains within the agricultural sector or other
industries;
(b) The roles and responsibilities that may be appropriate
for the business sector and other stakeholders
(governments, unions, non-governmental
organizations, and others) in establishing
independent, third-party monitoring and
verification systems for the production,
processing, and distribution of agricultural
products or commodities;
(c) Other information that would be useful to the
Consultative Group in meeting its mandate to
develop recommendations relating to a standard
set of practices for independent, third-party
monitoring and verification for the production,
processing, and distribution of agricultural
products or commodities to reduce the likelihood
that agricultural products or commodities
imported into the United States are produced
with the use of forced labor or child labor.
Section 3205 of the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of
2008 (Farm Bill, Pub. L. 110-246) created the
Consultative Group to Eliminate the Use of Child
Labor and Forced Labor in Imported
Agricultural Products to develop recommendations
relating to a standard set of practices for
independent, third-party monitoring and
verification for the production, processing, and
distribution of agricultural products or
commodities to reduce the likelihood that
agricultural products or commodities imported
into the United States are produced with the use
of forced labor or child labor. Recommendations
developed by the Consultative Group are to be
submitted to the Secretary of Agriculture by
June 18, 2010. By June 18, 2011, the Secretary
is required to release guidelines for a
voluntary initiative to enable entities to
address issues raised by the Trafficking Victims
Protection Act of 2000 (22 U.S.C. 7101 et seq.).
The guidelines must be published in the Federal
Register and made available for public comment
for a period of 90 days. The Consultative Group
will terminate on December 31, 2012.
On September 23, 2009, Secretary of Agriculture Thomas J.
Vilsack appointed 13 members to the Consultative
Group. The group consists of both government and
non-government members, including members from
USDA; the U.S. Department of Labor; and the U.S.
Department of State. Non-government members
include three members from the
agriculture-related private sector; two members
from institutions of higher education and
research; one member from an organization
providing independent, third-party certification
services for labor standards; and three members
from non-profit organizations with expertise on
international child labor and forced labor
issues.
Requirements for Submissions and Meeting
Procedures
Submissions in response to this notice must be made in
English with any written submission not to
exceed 30 single-spaced standard letter-size
pages in 12-point type, including attachments.
By March 18, 2010, all interested parties
wishing to make an oral statement at the meeting
must submit the name, address, telephone number,
facsimile number, and e-mail address of the
attendee(s) representing their organization by
e-mail to
Steffon.Brown@fas.usda.gov. Requests to
present oral statements must be accompanied by a
written statement which, at a minimum,
identifies key issues to be addressed in the
oral statement. Depending on the number of
identified participants, oral statements before
the Consultative Group may be subject to time
limits in order to accommodate all participants.
The meeting will be open to the public, and a
transcript will be made available for public
inspection or can be purchased from the
reporting company. USDA is a controlled access
facility. Therefore, individuals who wish to
attend the meeting without making a statement
must also register with the Consultative Group
so that arrangements can be made for them to be
allowed to enter the facility. Persons who wish
to register or to request special
accommodations for a disability or other reasons
must submit a notification by e-mail to
Steffon.Brown@fas.usda.gov. by March 22,
2010. No electronic media coverage will be
allowed. Press inquiries should be directed to
the USDA, Office of Communications at (202)
720-4623.
Signed at Washington, DC on March 4, 2010.
John D. Brewer,
Administrator, Foreign Agricultural Service.
[FR Doc. 2010-5227 Filed 3-8-10; 4:15 pm]
BILLING CODE 3410-10-P
