Advisory Committee on Private International Law, 5898-5899 [E6-1483]

Download as PDF 5898 Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 23 / Friday, February 3, 2006 / Notices Type of Request: Revision of an OMBapproved information collection. Number of Respondents: 30,000. Frequency of Response: 1. Average Burden per Response: 2 minutes. Estimated Annual Burden: 1,000 hours. 4. Voluntary Customer Satisfaction Surveys in Accordance With E.O. 12862 for the Social Security Administration— 0960–0526. Under the auspices of E.O. 12862, Setting Customer Service Standards, SSA conducts multiple customer satisfaction surveys each year. Estimated Annual Burden: 197,500 hours. 3. Certificate of Election for Reduced Spouse’s Benefits—20 CFR 404.421— 0960–0398. SSA uses the information collected on Form SSA–25 to pay a qualified spouse who elects to receive a reduced benefit. Reduced benefits are not payable to an already entitled spouse, at least age 62 but under full retirement age, who no longer has a child in care unless the spouse elects to receive reduced benefits. Respondents are entitled spouses seeking reduced benefits. These voluntary customer satisfaction assessments include paper, Internet, and telephone surveys; mailed questionnaires; focus groups; and customer comment cards. The purpose of these surveys is to assess customer satisfaction with the timeliness, appropriateness, access, and overall quality of the services SSA provides. The respondents are direct recipients of SSA services and professionals and other individuals who work on behalf of SSA beneficiaries. Type of Request: Extension of an OMB-approved information collection. Fiscal year 2006 Number of Respondents ................ Frequency of Response ................ Range of Response Times ............ Estimated Annual Burden .............. Fiscal year 2007 1,352,180 ...................................... 1 .................................................... Varies (5 minutes to 11⁄2 hours) ... 119,645 hours ............................... 1,356,100 ...................................... 1 .................................................... Varies (5 minutes to 11⁄2 hours) ... 121,009 hours ............................... Dated: January 27, 2006. Elizabeth A. Davidson, Reports Clearance Officer, Social Security Administration. [FR Doc. E6–1424 Filed 2–2–06; 8:45 am] is in the national interest. Public Notice of these Determinations is ordered to be published in the Federal Register. BILLING CODE 4191–02–P DEPARTMENT OF STATE [Public Notice 5294] hsrobinson on PROD1PC70 with NOTICES Culturally Significant Objects Imported for Exhibition Determinations: ‘‘Britannia & Muscovy: English Silver at the Court of the Tsars’’ SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given of the following determinations: Pursuant to the authority vested in me by the Act of October 19, 1965 (79 Stat. 985; 22 U.S.C. 2459), Executive Order 12047 of March 27, 1978, the Foreign Affairs Reform and Restructuring Act of 1998 (112 Stat. 2681, et seq.; 22 U.S.C. 6501 note, et seq.), Delegation of Authority No. 234 of October 1, 1999, Delegation of Authority No. 236 of October 19, 1999, as amended, and Delegation of Authority No. 257 of April 15, 2003 [68 FR 19875], I hereby determine that the objects to be included in the exhibition ‘‘Britannia & Muscovy: English Silver at the Court of the Tsars,’’ imported from abroad for temporary exhibition within the United States, are of cultural significance. The objects are imported pursuant to loan agreements with the foreign owners or custodians. I also determine that the exhibition or display of the exhibit objects at the Yale Center for British Art, New Haven, Connecticut, from on or about May 19, 2006, until on or about September 10, 2006, and at possible additional venues yet to be determined, VerDate Aug<31>2005 15:00 Feb 02, 2006 Jkt 208001 For further information, including a list of the exhibit objects, contact Wolodymyr Sulzynsky, Attorney-Adviser, Office of the Legal Adviser, U.S. Department of State (telephone: 202/453–8050). The address is U.S. Department of State, SA– 44, 301 4th Street, SW., Room 700, Washington, DC 20547–0001. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: C. Miller Crouch, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Educational and Cultural Affairs, Department of State. [FR Doc. E6–1482 Filed 2–2–06; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4710–05–P DEPARTMENT OF STATE [Public Notice 5295] Advisory Committee on Private International Law SUMMARY: The Advisory Committee’s study group on secured finance will hold a meeting in New York City on February 27 from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. EST to review proposed recommendations for legislative reform on secured finance law under consideration by the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL). The meeting will examine in particular proposals concerning security interests in independent undertakings, such as letters of credit; bank accounts; and, time permitting, negotiable instruments. PO 00000 Frm 00098 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 Fiscal year 2008 1,357,850 1 Varies (5 minutes to 11⁄2 hours). 121,190 hours. Background UNCITRAL is preparing draft recommendations for countries that wish to upgrade their secured finance laws. This effort has been in progress since 2002, and has examined various approaches to secured finance law, including Uniform Commercial Code Article 9 (secured interests). The Commission will seek to balance the various proposals, and its Working Group on Secured Finance will meet to continue that process at the UN in New York during the first week of February 2006. The Department of State’s Advisory Committee on Private International Law (ACPIL) will examine documents discussed at or revised during or after that meeting. The Advisory Committee offers an opportunity for interested members of the public or entities, associations, etc., to comment both on these developments and to make recommendations for future proposals. Agenda The Advisory Committee’s Study group agenda tentatively will cover current developments in international secured finance, and in particular proposals concerning the intersection of secured financing law and law covering independent undertakings such as letters of credit; bank accounts; and, time permitting, negotiable instruments. Public Participation Advisory Committee Study group meetings are open to the public. The meeting will be held at the offices of Bingham McCutchenn LLP at 399 Park Avenue, New York City, conference room 21C. Persons wishing to attend need to provide in advance their name, E:\FR\FM\03FEN1.SGM 03FEN1 Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 23 / Friday, February 3, 2006 / Notices address, contact numbers, including email addresses if available, and affiliation(s) if any to Jake Sullivan at 617–951–8613 or at jake.sullivan@bingham.com, not later than February 20. Persons who cannot attend but who wish to comment on any of the topics referred to are welcome to do so in writing. DOCUMENTS on this project are obtainable at https://www.Uncitral.org/ Working Groups/Working Group VI on secured finance. Additional documents may be available following the UN Working Group’s meeting in early February, which may be obtained from Mr. Sullivan. For further information on UNCITRAL or the project generally please contact Hal Burman at the State Department at BurmanHS@State.gov. or 202–776–8421, fax 776–8482. Dated: January 26, 2006. Harold S. Burman, Advisory Committee Executive Director, Department of State. [FR Doc. E6–1483 Filed 2–2–06; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4710–08–P OFFICE OF THE UNITED STATES TRADE REPRESENTATIVE History of the 301 Investigation [Docket No. 301–121] Results of Out-Of-Cycle Review Under Section 182 and Termination of Action Under Section 301(b): Intellectual Property Laws and Practices of the Government of Ukraine Office of the United States Trade Representative. ACTION: Revocation of identification of Ukraine as a Priority Foreign Country under section 182 and termination of action under section 301(b). hsrobinson on PROD1PC70 with NOTICES AGENCY: SUMMARY: The Out-of-Cycle Review (‘‘OCR’’) under section 182 (commonly referred to as the ‘‘Special 301’’ provision) of the Trade Act of 1974, as amended (‘‘Trade Act’’), has concluded with a finding that the Government of Ukraine substantially has improved its intellectual property right (‘‘IPR’’) enforcement efforts. As a result, the United States Trade Representative (‘‘Trade Representative’’) is revoking the identification of Ukraine as a Priority Foreign Country (‘‘PFC’’) under section 182 and instead is placing Ukraine on the Priority Watch List, and is restoring the tariff-free treatment under the Generalized System of Preferences (‘‘GSP’’) accorded to products of Ukraine. Pursuant to section 306 of the Trade Act, the Office of the United States Trade Representative (‘‘USTR’’) will continue to monitor closely the VerDate Aug<31>2005 15:00 Feb 02, 2006 Government of Ukraine’s IPR enforcement efforts. DATES: The restoration of tariff-free GSP treatment accorded to products of Ukraine is effective with respect to articles entered, or withdrawn from warehouse, for consumption on or after January 23, 2006. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For questions concerning the results of the Special 301 Out-of-Cycle Review: Jennifer Choe Groves, Director for Intellectual Property and Chair of the Special 301 Committee, USTR, (202) 395–4510, Laurie Molnar, Director for European and Mediterranean Trade Affairs, USTR, (202) 395–4620, or Stephen Kho, Associate General Counsel, USTR, (202) 395–3150; for questions concerning procedures under Section 301: William Busis, Associate General Counsel and Chairman of the Section 301 Committee, USTR, (202) 395–3150; and for questions concerning entries: Teiko Campbell, Program Officer, Office of Trade Compliance and Facilitation, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Department of Homeland Security, (202) 344–2698. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Jkt 208001 On March 12, 2001, the Trade Representative identified Ukraine as a PFC under Special 301. The PFC identification was based on deficiencies in Ukraine’s acts, policies and practices regarding IPR protection, including weak enforcement, as evidenced by high levels of piracy of optical media products (such as CDs and DVDs), and the failure of the Government of Ukraine to enact adequate and effective IPR legislation to address optical media piracy. The Trade Representative simultaneously initiated an investigation (Docket 301–121) under Section 301(b) of the Trade Act in order to investigate these IPR protection issues. See 66 FR 18,346 (April 6, 2001). In August 2001, the Trade Representative determined that the acts, policies, and practices of Ukraine with respect to IPR protection were unreasonable and burdened or restricted United States commerce, and were thus actionable under section 301(b) of the Trade Act. As an initial action in response, the Trade Representative suspended GSP treatment accorded to products of Ukraine, effective August 24, 2001. See 66 FR 42,246 (Aug. 10, 2001). In December 2001, the Trade Representative took the additional action of imposing 100% ad valorem tariffs on certain Ukrainian exports with an annual trade value of approximately PO 00000 Frm 00099 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 5899 $75 million, effective January 23, 2002. See 67 FR 120 (Jan. 2, 2002). In August 2005, the Government of Ukraine adopted important amendments to its Laser-readable Disc Law that strengthen Ukraine’s licensing regime and enforcement capabilities to stem the illegal production and trade of optical media products. In response, the Trade Representative terminated the 100% ad valorem duties. The Trade Representative also announced that at the conclusion of an OCR focused on whether Ukraine had implemented fully the legislative improvements and had otherwise strengthened IPR enforcement, he would determine whether to revoke the identification of Ukraine as a PFC and whether to restore Ukraine’s GSP benefits. USTR requested written comments from the public concerning these matters. See 70 FR 53,410 (Sep. 8, 2005). Results of OCR In the OCR, the interagency Special 301 Committee has concluded that enforcement against optical media piracy in Ukraine has improved since the initiation of the investigation in 2001, and that the Government of Ukraine has made substantial progress on IPR enforcement actions suggested in an August 2005 OCR Action Plan. The Government of Ukraine has presented statistical and other data to show that it has conducted raids against entities involved in commercial distribution of IPR-infringing products and has conducted numerous and continuing inspections of Ukraine’s licensed optical disc plants. The Government of Ukraine has established a specialized IPR unit within the Economic Crime Division under the Ministry of the Interior and a specialized unit in Customs to deal with IP crimes. The Government of Ukraine has agreed to establish an Enforcement Coordination Group that will provide Ukrainian IPR enforcement officials, U.S. Government officials, and copyright industry representatives with a forum to meet and share information on Ukraine’s enforcement efforts. In sum, in contrast to 2001 when the Trade Representative designated Ukraine as a PFC, Ukraine is no longer a major producer of pirated optical media sold elsewhere in Europe. IPR enforcement concerns do remain, however, including with respect to the transshipment through Ukraine of pirated optical media produced in neighboring countries. Under section 182(c)(1)(A) of the Trade Act, the Trade Representative is authorized to revoke the identification of any foreign country as a PFC at any time. In light of the positive results of E:\FR\FM\03FEN1.SGM 03FEN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 23 (Friday, February 3, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 5898-5899]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-1483]


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DEPARTMENT OF STATE

[Public Notice 5295]


Advisory Committee on Private International Law

SUMMARY: The Advisory Committee's study group on secured finance will 
hold a meeting in New York City on February 27 from 10 a.m. until 2 
p.m. EST to review proposed recommendations for legislative reform on 
secured finance law under consideration by the United Nations 
Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL). The meeting will 
examine in particular proposals concerning security interests in 
independent undertakings, such as letters of credit; bank accounts; 
and, time permitting, negotiable instruments.

Background

    UNCITRAL is preparing draft recommendations for countries that wish 
to upgrade their secured finance laws. This effort has been in progress 
since 2002, and has examined various approaches to secured finance law, 
including Uniform Commercial Code Article 9 (secured interests). The 
Commission will seek to balance the various proposals, and its Working 
Group on Secured Finance will meet to continue that process at the UN 
in New York during the first week of February 2006. The Department of 
State's Advisory Committee on Private International Law (ACPIL) will 
examine documents discussed at or revised during or after that meeting. 
The Advisory Committee offers an opportunity for interested members of 
the public or entities, associations, etc., to comment both on these 
developments and to make recommendations for future proposals.

Agenda

    The Advisory Committee's Study group agenda tentatively will cover 
current developments in international secured finance, and in 
particular proposals concerning the intersection of secured financing 
law and law covering independent undertakings such as letters of 
credit; bank accounts; and, time permitting, negotiable instruments.

Public Participation

    Advisory Committee Study group meetings are open to the public. The 
meeting will be held at the offices of Bingham McCutchenn LLP at 399 
Park Avenue, New York City, conference room 21C. Persons wishing to 
attend need to provide in advance their name,

[[Page 5899]]

address, contact numbers, including email addresses if available, and 
affiliation(s) if any to Jake Sullivan at 617-951-8613 or at 
jake.sullivan@bingham.com, not later than February 20. Persons who 
cannot attend but who wish to comment on any of the topics referred to 
are welcome to do so in writing.
    DOCUMENTS on this project are obtainable at https://
www.Uncitral.org/Working Groups/Working Group VI on secured finance. 
Additional documents may be available following the UN Working Group's 
meeting in early February, which may be obtained from Mr. Sullivan. For 
further information on UNCITRAL or the project generally please contact 
Hal Burman at the State Department at BurmanHS@State.gov. or 202-776-
8421, fax 776-8482.

    Dated: January 26, 2006.
Harold S. Burman,
Advisory Committee Executive Director, Department of State.
[FR Doc. E6-1483 Filed 2-2-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4710-08-P
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