Report on the Selection of Eligible Countries for Fiscal Year 2025 (Albania), 3966-3967 [2025-00899]
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3966
Federal Register / Vol. 90, No. 9 / Wednesday, January 15, 2025 / Notices
MILLENNIUM CHALLENGE
CORPORATION
[MCC FR 25–01]
Report on the Selection of Eligible
Countries for Fiscal Year 2025
(Albania)
Millennium Challenge
Corporation.
ACTION: Notice.
AGENCY:
This report is provided in
accordance with the Millennium
Challenge Act of 2003, as amended. The
report is set forth in full below.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Report on
the Selection of Eligible Countries for
Fiscal Year 2025 (Albania).
lotter on DSK11XQN23PROD with NOTICES1
SUMMARY:
Summary
This report is provided in accordance
with section 608(d)(1) of the
Millennium Challenge Act of 2003, as
amended (the Act) (22 U.S.C.
7707(d)(1)). This is the second such
report for fiscal year (FY) 2025 due to
the enactment of the Millennium
Challenge Corporation Candidate
Country Reform Act on December 23,
2024.
The Act authorizes the provision of
assistance under section 605 of the Act
(22 U.S.C. 7704) to countries that enter
into compacts with the United States to
support policies and programs that
advance the progress of such countries
in achieving lasting poverty reduction
through economic growth and are in
furtherance of the Act. The Act requires
the Millennium Challenge Corporation
(MCC) to determine the countries that
will be eligible to receive assistance for
the fiscal year, based on their
demonstrated commitment to just and
democratic governance, economic
freedom, and investing in their people,
as well as on the opportunity to reduce
poverty through economic growth in the
country. The Act also requires the
submission of reports to appropriate
congressional committees and the
publication of notices in the Federal
Register that identify, among other
things:
1. The countries that are ‘‘candidate
countries’’ for assistance for FY 2025
based on their per-capita income levels
and their eligibility to receive assistance
under U.S. law, and countries that
would be candidate countries, but for
specified legal prohibitions on
assistance (section 608(a) of the Act (22
U.S.C. 7707(a)));
2. The criteria and methodology that
the Board of Directors of MCC (the
Board) used to measure and evaluate the
policy performance of the ‘‘candidate
countries’’ consistent with the
VerDate Sep<11>2014
18:37 Jan 14, 2025
Jkt 265001
requirements of section 607 of the Act
in order to determine ‘‘eligible
countries’’ from among the ‘‘candidate
countries’’ (section 608(b) of the Act (22
U.S.C. 7707(b))); and
3. The list of countries determined by
the Board to be ‘‘eligible countries’’ for
FY 2025, with justification for eligibility
determination and selection for compact
negotiation, including with which of the
eligible countries the Board will seek to
enter into compacts (section 608(d) of
the Act (22 U.S.C. 7707(d))).
This is an additional report that
fulfills the requirements under the third
of the above-described reports by MCC
for FY 2025. A prior report was sent to
Congress on December 19, 2024. Both
the prior report and this report identify
countries determined by the Board to be
eligible under section 607 of the Act (22
U.S.C. 7706) for FY 2025 with which
MCC seeks to enter into compacts under
section 609 of the Act (22 U.S.C. 7708),
as well as the justification for such
decisions. The prior report also
identifies countries selected by the
Board to receive assistance under MCC’s
threshold program pursuant to section
616 of the Act (22 U.S.C. 7715).
Eligible Countries
The Board met on December 18, 2024,
to select those eligible countries with
which the United States, through MCC,
will seek to enter into a Millennium
Challenge Compact pursuant to section
607 of the Act (22 U.S.C. 7706). At the
time, the Board selected Liberia as
eligible to develop a compact, as noted
in MCC’s previous report.
Following the passage of the MCC
Candidate Country Reform Act, as part
of the National Defense Authorization
Act for Fiscal Year 2025, the Board
considered additional eligible countries
with which the United States, through
MCC, will seek to enter into a
Millennium Challenge Compact
pursuant to section 607 of the Act (22
U.S.C. 7706). On January 7, 2025, the
Board selected Albania for such
assistance for FY 2025 via a written
consent action in accordance with
section 9 of MCC’s bylaws. Albania is
invited by MCC to develop a compact.
Criteria
In accordance with the Act and with
the ‘‘Selection Criteria and Methodology
Report for Fiscal Year 2025’’ formally
submitted to Congress on September 20,
2024, selection was based primarily on
a country’s overall performance in three
broad policy categories: Ruling Justly,
Encouraging Economic Freedom, and
Investing in People. The Board relied, to
the fullest extent possible, upon
transparent and independent indicators
PO 00000
Frm 00180
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
to assess countries’ policy performance
and demonstrated commitment in these
three broad policy areas. The Board
compared countries’ performance on the
indicators relative to their income-level
peers, evaluating them in comparison to
either the group of countries with a GNI
per capita equal to or less than $2,165,
the group with a GNI per capita between
$2,166 and $4,515, or the group with a
GNI per capita between $4,516 and
$7,895.
The criteria and methodology used to
assess countries, including the
methodology for the annual scorecards,
are outlined in the ‘‘Selection Criteria
and Methodology Report for Fiscal Year
2025.’’ 1 Scorecards reflecting each
country’s performance on the indicators
are available on MCC’s website at
https://www.mcc.gov/who-we-select/
scorecards.
The Board also considered whether
any adjustments should be made for
data gaps, data lags, or recent events
since the indicators were published, as
well as strengths or weaknesses in
particular indicators. Where
appropriate, the Board considered
additional quantitative and qualitative
information, such as evidence of a
country’s commitment to fighting
corruption, investments in human
development outcomes, or poverty rates.
MCC published a Guide to
Supplemental Information 2 to increase
transparency about the type of
supplemental information the Board
uses to assess a country’s policy
performance. In keeping with statutory
requirements, the Board also considered
the opportunity to reduce poverty and
promote economic growth in a country,
in light of the overall information
available, as well as the availability of
appropriated funds.
The Board sees the selection decision
as an annual opportunity to determine
where MCC funds can be most
effectively used to support poverty
reduction through economic growth in
well-governed countries with
demonstrated development need. The
Board carefully considers the
appropriate nature of each country
partnership—on a case-by-case basis—
based on factors related to poverty
reduction through economic growth, the
sustainability of MCC’s investments,
and the country’s ability to attract and
leverage public and private resources in
support of development.
This is the first fiscal year in which
the Board used its new authority under
1 Available at https://www.mcc.gov/resources/
doc/report-selection-criteria-methodology-fy25.
2 Available at https://www.mcc.gov/resources/
doc/guide-to-supplemental-information.
E:\FR\FM\15JAN1.SGM
15JAN1
Federal Register / Vol. 90, No. 9 / Wednesday, January 15, 2025 / Notices
the MCC Candidate Country Reform Act
to select from the additional group of
countries newly included for
consideration for MCC assistance. The
new authority aligns the income
threshold for a country to be an MCC
candidate county with the World Bank
threshold for initiating the International
Bank for Reconstruction and
Development graduation process
($7,895 gross national income per capita
for fiscal year 2025). In considering any
such new countries in MCC’s candidate
pool, the Board will continue to apply
MCC’s long-standing statutorily
mandated eligibility criteria and
selectivity model to all selections and
will continue to prioritize the
opportunity to reduce poverty through
economic growth.
Country Newly Selected for Compact
Assistance
Using the criteria described above,
Albania, a candidate country under
section 606(a) of the Act (22 U.S.C.
7705(a)), was newly selected as eligible
for assistance under section 607 of the
Act (22 U.S.C. 7706). Albania is invited
by MCC to develop a compact.
Albania: A prior MCC threshold
program partner, Albania performs well
on the scorecard, passing 15 of 20
indicators overall. A stable democracy
with a record of competitive elections,
Albania is expected to hold
parliamentary elections on May 11,
2025. In recent years, Albania has
adopted critical anti-corruption and rule
of law reforms amid efforts to join the
European Union, which are reflected in
its performance on the scorecard.
Despite sound economic governance,
Albania continues to face headwinds in
its development path given its
vulnerabilities to geopolitical and
natural disaster-related shocks, which
have disproportionately affected the
poor in recent years; 14 percent of the
population lives on less than $6.85 per
day—the World Bank’s poverty line for
upper middle-income countries. MCC’s
Board selected Albania as eligible to
develop a compact in recognition of
Albania’s democratic history, progress
fighting corruption, and ongoing
development needs.
lotter on DSK11XQN23PROD with NOTICES1
(Authority: 22 U.S.C. 7707(d)(2))
Dated: January 10, 2025.
Peter E. Jaffe,
Vice President, General Counsel, and
Corporate Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2025–00899 Filed 1–13–25; 11:15 am]
BILLING CODE 9211–03–P
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18:37 Jan 14, 2025
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NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND
SPACE ADMINISTRATION
[Notice: 25–002]
Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel;
Meeting
National Aeronautics and
Space Administration (NASA).
ACTION: Notice of meeting.
AGENCY:
In accordance with the
Federal Advisory Committee Act, as
amended, the National Aeronautics and
Space Administration announces a
forthcoming meeting of the Aerospace
Safety Advisory Panel (ASAP). The
ASAP will hold its First Quarterly
Meeting for 2025. This discussion is
pursuant to carrying out its statutory
duties for which the Panel reviews,
identifies, evaluates, and advises on
those program activities, systems,
procedures, and management activities
that can contribute to program risk.
Priority is given to those programs that
involve the safety of human flight.
DATES: Thursday, January 30, 2025, 3:00
p.m. to 4:30 p.m., eastern time.
ADDRESSES: Public attendance will be
virtual only. See dial-in information
below under SUPPLEMENTARY
INFORMATION.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms.
Lisa M. Hackley, ASAP Administrative
Officer, NASA Headquarters,
Washington, DC 20546, (202) 358–1947
or lisa.m.hackley@nasa.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: As noted
above, this meeting is only available
telephonically. Any interested person
must use a touch-tone phone to
participate in this meeting. Any
interested person may call the USA toll
free conference call number 888–566–
6133; passcode 8343253 and then the #
sign. At the beginning of the meeting,
members of the public may make a
verbal presentation to the Panel limited
to the subject of safety in NASA, not to
exceed 5 minutes in length. To do so,
members of the public must contact Ms.
Lisa M. Hackley at lisa.m.hackley@
nasa.gov or at (202) 358–1947 at least 48
hours in advance. Any member of the
public is permitted to file a written
statement with the Panel via electronic
submission to Ms. Hackley at the email
address previously noted. Written
statements should be limited to the
subject of safety in NASA.
The agenda for the meeting includes
the following topics:
—Updates on the Space Station Program
—Updates on the Commercial Crew
Program
—Updates on the Moon to Mars
Program
3967
It is imperative that the meeting be
held on this date to accommodate the
scheduling priorities of the key
participants.
Jamie M. Krauk,
Advisory Committee Management Officer,
National Aeronautics and Space
Administration.
[FR Doc. 2025–00666 Filed 1–14–25; 8:45 am]
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SUMMARY:
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NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND
SPACE ADMINISTRATION
[NOTICE: 25–001]
Notice of Intent To Grant an Exclusive,
Co-Exclusive or Partially Exclusive
Patent License
National Aeronautics and
Space Administration (NASA).
ACTION: Notice of intent to grant
exclusive, co-exclusive or partially
exclusive patent license.
AGENCY:
NASA hereby gives notice of
its intent to grant an exclusive, coexclusive or partially exclusive patent
license to practice the inventions
described and claimed in the patents
and/or patent applications listed in
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION below.
DATES: The prospective exclusive, coexclusive or partially exclusive license
may be granted unless NASA receives
written objections including evidence
and argument, no later than January 30,
2025 that establish that the grant of the
license would not be consistent with the
requirements regarding the licensing of
federally owned inventions as set forth
in the Bayh-Dole Act and implementing
regulations. Competing applications
completed and received by NASA no
later than January 30, 2025 will also be
treated as objections to the grant of the
contemplated exclusive, co-exclusive or
partially exclusive license. Objections
submitted in response to this notice will
not be made available to the public for
inspection and, to the extent permitted
by law, will not be released under the
Freedom of Information Act.
Objections and Further Information:
Written objections relating to the
prospective license or requests for
further information may be submitted to
Agency Counsel for Intellectual
Property, NASA Headquarters at Email:
hq-patentoffice@mail.nasa.gov.
Questions may be directed to Phone:
(202) 358–0646.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: NASA
intends to grant an exclusive, coexclusive, or partially exclusive patent
license in the United States to practice
the inventions described and claimed in
SUMMARY:
E:\FR\FM\15JAN1.SGM
15JAN1
Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 9 (Wednesday, January 15, 2025)]
[Notices]
[Pages 3966-3967]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2025-00899]
[[Page 3966]]
=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
MILLENNIUM CHALLENGE CORPORATION
[MCC FR 25-01]
Report on the Selection of Eligible Countries for Fiscal Year
2025 (Albania)
AGENCY: Millennium Challenge Corporation.
ACTION: Notice.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: This report is provided in accordance with the Millennium
Challenge Act of 2003, as amended. The report is set forth in full
below.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Report on the Selection of Eligible
Countries for Fiscal Year 2025 (Albania).
Summary
This report is provided in accordance with section 608(d)(1) of the
Millennium Challenge Act of 2003, as amended (the Act) (22 U.S.C.
7707(d)(1)). This is the second such report for fiscal year (FY) 2025
due to the enactment of the Millennium Challenge Corporation Candidate
Country Reform Act on December 23, 2024.
The Act authorizes the provision of assistance under section 605 of
the Act (22 U.S.C. 7704) to countries that enter into compacts with the
United States to support policies and programs that advance the
progress of such countries in achieving lasting poverty reduction
through economic growth and are in furtherance of the Act. The Act
requires the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) to determine the
countries that will be eligible to receive assistance for the fiscal
year, based on their demonstrated commitment to just and democratic
governance, economic freedom, and investing in their people, as well as
on the opportunity to reduce poverty through economic growth in the
country. The Act also requires the submission of reports to appropriate
congressional committees and the publication of notices in the Federal
Register that identify, among other things:
1. The countries that are ``candidate countries'' for assistance
for FY 2025 based on their per-capita income levels and their
eligibility to receive assistance under U.S. law, and countries that
would be candidate countries, but for specified legal prohibitions on
assistance (section 608(a) of the Act (22 U.S.C. 7707(a)));
2. The criteria and methodology that the Board of Directors of MCC
(the Board) used to measure and evaluate the policy performance of the
``candidate countries'' consistent with the requirements of section 607
of the Act in order to determine ``eligible countries'' from among the
``candidate countries'' (section 608(b) of the Act (22 U.S.C.
7707(b))); and
3. The list of countries determined by the Board to be ``eligible
countries'' for FY 2025, with justification for eligibility
determination and selection for compact negotiation, including with
which of the eligible countries the Board will seek to enter into
compacts (section 608(d) of the Act (22 U.S.C. 7707(d))).
This is an additional report that fulfills the requirements under
the third of the above-described reports by MCC for FY 2025. A prior
report was sent to Congress on December 19, 2024. Both the prior report
and this report identify countries determined by the Board to be
eligible under section 607 of the Act (22 U.S.C. 7706) for FY 2025 with
which MCC seeks to enter into compacts under section 609 of the Act (22
U.S.C. 7708), as well as the justification for such decisions. The
prior report also identifies countries selected by the Board to receive
assistance under MCC's threshold program pursuant to section 616 of the
Act (22 U.S.C. 7715).
Eligible Countries
The Board met on December 18, 2024, to select those eligible
countries with which the United States, through MCC, will seek to enter
into a Millennium Challenge Compact pursuant to section 607 of the Act
(22 U.S.C. 7706). At the time, the Board selected Liberia as eligible
to develop a compact, as noted in MCC's previous report.
Following the passage of the MCC Candidate Country Reform Act, as
part of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2025,
the Board considered additional eligible countries with which the
United States, through MCC, will seek to enter into a Millennium
Challenge Compact pursuant to section 607 of the Act (22 U.S.C. 7706).
On January 7, 2025, the Board selected Albania for such assistance for
FY 2025 via a written consent action in accordance with section 9 of
MCC's bylaws. Albania is invited by MCC to develop a compact.
Criteria
In accordance with the Act and with the ``Selection Criteria and
Methodology Report for Fiscal Year 2025'' formally submitted to
Congress on September 20, 2024, selection was based primarily on a
country's overall performance in three broad policy categories: Ruling
Justly, Encouraging Economic Freedom, and Investing in People. The
Board relied, to the fullest extent possible, upon transparent and
independent indicators to assess countries' policy performance and
demonstrated commitment in these three broad policy areas. The Board
compared countries' performance on the indicators relative to their
income-level peers, evaluating them in comparison to either the group
of countries with a GNI per capita equal to or less than $2,165, the
group with a GNI per capita between $2,166 and $4,515, or the group
with a GNI per capita between $4,516 and $7,895.
The criteria and methodology used to assess countries, including
the methodology for the annual scorecards, are outlined in the
``Selection Criteria and Methodology Report for Fiscal Year 2025.'' \1\
Scorecards reflecting each country's performance on the indicators are
available on MCC's website at https://www.mcc.gov/who-we-select/scorecards.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ Available at https://www.mcc.gov/resources/doc/report-selection-criteria-methodology-fy25.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Board also considered whether any adjustments should be made
for data gaps, data lags, or recent events since the indicators were
published, as well as strengths or weaknesses in particular indicators.
Where appropriate, the Board considered additional quantitative and
qualitative information, such as evidence of a country's commitment to
fighting corruption, investments in human development outcomes, or
poverty rates. MCC published a Guide to Supplemental Information \2\ to
increase transparency about the type of supplemental information the
Board uses to assess a country's policy performance. In keeping with
statutory requirements, the Board also considered the opportunity to
reduce poverty and promote economic growth in a country, in light of
the overall information available, as well as the availability of
appropriated funds.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\2\ Available at https://www.mcc.gov/resources/doc/guide-to-supplemental-information.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Board sees the selection decision as an annual opportunity to
determine where MCC funds can be most effectively used to support
poverty reduction through economic growth in well-governed countries
with demonstrated development need. The Board carefully considers the
appropriate nature of each country partnership--on a case-by-case
basis--based on factors related to poverty reduction through economic
growth, the sustainability of MCC's investments, and the country's
ability to attract and leverage public and private resources in support
of development.
This is the first fiscal year in which the Board used its new
authority under
[[Page 3967]]
the MCC Candidate Country Reform Act to select from the additional
group of countries newly included for consideration for MCC assistance.
The new authority aligns the income threshold for a country to be an
MCC candidate county with the World Bank threshold for initiating the
International Bank for Reconstruction and Development graduation
process ($7,895 gross national income per capita for fiscal year 2025).
In considering any such new countries in MCC's candidate pool, the
Board will continue to apply MCC's long-standing statutorily mandated
eligibility criteria and selectivity model to all selections and will
continue to prioritize the opportunity to reduce poverty through
economic growth.
Country Newly Selected for Compact Assistance
Using the criteria described above, Albania, a candidate country
under section 606(a) of the Act (22 U.S.C. 7705(a)), was newly selected
as eligible for assistance under section 607 of the Act (22 U.S.C.
7706). Albania is invited by MCC to develop a compact.
Albania: A prior MCC threshold program partner, Albania performs
well on the scorecard, passing 15 of 20 indicators overall. A stable
democracy with a record of competitive elections, Albania is expected
to hold parliamentary elections on May 11, 2025. In recent years,
Albania has adopted critical anti-corruption and rule of law reforms
amid efforts to join the European Union, which are reflected in its
performance on the scorecard. Despite sound economic governance,
Albania continues to face headwinds in its development path given its
vulnerabilities to geopolitical and natural disaster-related shocks,
which have disproportionately affected the poor in recent years; 14
percent of the population lives on less than $6.85 per day--the World
Bank's poverty line for upper middle-income countries. MCC's Board
selected Albania as eligible to develop a compact in recognition of
Albania's democratic history, progress fighting corruption, and ongoing
development needs.
(Authority: 22 U.S.C. 7707(d)(2))
Dated: January 10, 2025.
Peter E. Jaffe,
Vice President, General Counsel, and Corporate Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2025-00899 Filed 1-13-25; 11:15 am]
BILLING CODE 9211-03-P