Department of State March 2006 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Office of Citizen Exchanges of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, United States Department of State, announces an open competition for grants to support programs promoting ``Africa Workforce Development'' through professional exchanges and collaboration. In carrying out a proposed program, roughly equal numbers of participants should travel between the U.S. and the focus African country. U.S. public and private non-profit organizations meeting the provisions described in Internal Revenue Code section 26 U.S.C. 501(c)(3) may submit proposals to develop and implement programs of exchange, collaboration and training that involve participants from Sub-Saharan Africa, including consultations, planning, and training conducted both in Sub-Saharan Africa and in the United States. These U.S. organizations should provide evidence of relevant expertise in Sub-Saharan Africa. Up to two grants not exceeding $200,000 each may be awarded.

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 ``The Gospel of Judas,'' 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 National Geographic Society, Washington, DC, from on or about April 6, 2006, until on or about October 6, 2006, and possibly at other venues yet to be determined, is in the national interest. Public Notice of these Determinations is ordered to be published in the Federal Register.

Notice is hereby given that requests for the export or retransfer of lethal defense articles to Indonesia (and defense services related to such lethal defense articles) pursuant to section 38 of the Arms Export Control Act will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

The Department of State is seeking Office of Management and Budget (OMB) approval for the information collection described below. The purpose of this notice is to allow 60 days for public comment in the Federal Register preceding submission to OMB. We are conducting this process in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. Title of Information Collection: Application Under the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction. OMB Control No: 1405-0076. Type of Request: Revision of a Currently Approved Collection. Originating Office: Bureau of Consular Affairs. CA/OCS/CI. Form Number: DS-3013. Respondents: Individuals. Estimated Number of Respondents: 500 per year. Average Hours Per Response: 1 hour. Total Estimated Burden: 500 hours. Frequency: On occasion. Obligation to Respond: Required to Obtain or Retain a Benefit.

The Department of State is seeking Office of Management and Budget (OMB) approval for the information collection described below. The purpose of this notice is to allow 60 days for public comment in the Federal Register preceding submission to OMB. We are conducting this process in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. Title of Information Collection: Registration for the Foreign Service Officer Written Examination. OMB Control Number: 1405-0008. Type of Request: Revision of a Currently Approved Collection. Originating Office: Human Resources, HR/REE/BEX. Form Number: DS-1998 & DS-1998-E. Respondents: Registrants for the Foreign Service Written Examination. Estimated Number of Respondents: 35,147. Estimated Number of Responses: 35,147. Average Hours Per Response: 20 minutes. Total Estimated Burden: 11,716 hours. Frequency: Annually. Obligation to Respond: Required to obtain or retain a benefit.

A determination has been made to extend the waiver of import sanctions against certain activities of the Chinese government that was announced on September 19, 2003, pursuant to the Arms Export Control Act, as amended.

The Office of Citizen Exchanges of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs announces an open competition for International Sports Programming Initiative. Public and private non- profit organizations meeting the provisions described in Internal Revenue Code section 26 U.S.C. 501(c)(3) may submit proposals to discuss approaches designed to enhance and improve the infrastructure of youth sports programs in the countries of Africa, East Asia, Near East and North Africa, and South Asia. The focus of all programs must be reaching out to youth ages 8-18. Programs designed to train elite athletes will not be considered. In Africa, the following countries are eligible: Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Guinea, Liberia, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda. In East Asia eligible countries are: Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines and Thailand. In the Near East and North Africa eligible countries are: Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Kuwait, Morocco, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, and Yemen. Eligible countries in South Asia are: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Only single country projects are eligible. Applicants may not submit proposals that address more than one country or for countries that are not designated in the RFGP. For the purposes of this competition, eligible regions are Africa, East Asia, the Near East, North Africa, and South Asia. No guarantee is made or implied that grants will be awarded in all themes and for all countries listed.

The Advisory Committee's study group on investment securities will hold a meeting Friday, March 31 from 1 p.m. until 5 p.m. e.s.t. to review the results of the second intergovernmental meeting at UNIDROIT on a draft multilateral treaty (convention) on harmonization of certain aspects of investment securities transactional law. The meeting will examine in particular provisions on clearing and settlement of securities transactions through or involving intermediaries, as well as provisions on the relation of intermediaries and issuers of securities and collateral useages including netting of securities transactions.

This rule was originally published in the Federal Register on October 13, 2005 (70 FR 59654). It implemented Section 105 of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000, as amended by Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2003. Because of an inadvertent error in the assignment of the correct part in the Code of Federal Regulations for this rule, the Department of State is redesignating the part from part 96 to part 104. The related section numbers are being redesignated from Sec. Sec. 96.1 and 96.2 to Sec. Sec. 104.1 and 104.2, respectively. There are no substantive or other changes to the regulations themselves.

Notice is hereby given that, pursuant to section 38 of the Arms Export Control Act and effective as of September 12, 2005 all new applications for licenses and approvals of defense articles and services for the export or transfer to Eritrea under the Arms Export Control Act (AECA) are suspended. An exception is made for such items that support U.S. anti-terrorism and de-mining programs, are necessary to meet U.S. commitments under international conventions, and are necessary for United Nations and other appropriate peacekeeping personnel and operation. Licenses and approvals authorized prior to September 12, 2005 continue to be valid.

The Department of State gives notice of the availability of a draft Comprehensive Environmental Evaluation (CEE) for activities proposed to be undertaken in Antarctica. Interested members of the public are invited to submit comments relative to this CEE.

The Defense Trade Advisory Group (DTAG) will meet in open session from 9 a.m. to 12 noon on Friday, April 21, 2006, in Room 1912 at the U.S. Department of State, Harry S. Truman Building, Washington, DC. Entry and registration will begin at 8:15. Please use the building entrance located at 23rd Street, NW., Washington, DC, between C & D streets. The membership of this advisory committee consists of private sector defense trade specialists, appointed by the Assistant Secretary of State for Political-Military Affairs, who advise the Department on policies, regulations, and technical issues affecting defense trade. The purpose of the meeting will be to discuss current defense trade issues and topics for further study. Although public seating will be limited due to the size of the conference room, members of the public may attend this open session as seating capacity allows, and will be permitted to participate in the discussion in accordance with the Chairman's instructions. Members of the public may, if they wish, submit a brief statement to the committee in writing. As access to the Department of State facilities is controlled, persons wishing to attend the meeting must notify the DTAG Executive Secretariat by COB Thursday, April 13, 2006. If notified after this date, the DTAG Secretariat cannot guarantee that State's Bureau of Diplomatic Security can complete the necessary processing required to attend the April 21 plenary. Each non-member observer or DTAG member needing building access that wishes to attend this plenary session should provide his/her name; company or organizational affiliation; phone number; date of birth; and identifying data such as driver's license number, U.S. Government ID, or U.S. Military ID, to the DTAG Secretariat contact person, Mary Sweeney, via e-mail at SweeneyMF@state.gov. DTAG members planning to attend the plenary session should notify the DTAG Secretariat contact person, Mary Sweeney, at the e-mail provided above. A RSVP list will be provided to Diplomatic Security and the Reception Desk at the 23rd Street entrance. Attendees must present a driver's license with photo, a passport, a U.S. Government ID, or other valid photo ID for entry.