694 Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 4 / Wednesday, January 7, 2009 / Notices 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

International Trade Administration 

Notice of Vacancies on the U.S.-Iraq 

Business Dialogue 

AGENCY: International Trade 

Administration, Department of 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Notice. 

SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of 

Commerce and the Iraqi Ministry of 

Trade established the U.S.-Iraq Business 

Dialogue (Business Dialogue or 

Dialogue) in July 2006. This notice 

announces four open membership 

opportunities for American 

representatives to join the U.S. section 

of the Dialogue. 

DATES: Applications must be received 

no later than January 21, 2008; 5 p.m. 

EST. 

ADDRESSES: Please send requests for 

consideration to Ms. Susan Hamrock 

Mann, Director, Iraq Investment and 

Reconstruction Task Force, U.S. 

Department of Commerce, either by fax 

on 202–482–0980 or by mail to U.S. 

Department of Commerce, 14th and 

Constitution Avenue, NW., Mail Stop 

3868, Washington, DC 20230. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. 

Kevin M. Reichelt, Office of the Middle 

East, U.S. Department of Commerce, 

Room 2029–B, Washington, DC 20230. 

Phone: 202–482–2896. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The U.S. 

Department of Commerce and the Iraqi 

Ministry of Trade established the 

Dialogue as a bilateral forum to facilitate 

private sector business growth in Iraq 

and to strengthen trade and investment 

ties between the United States and Iraq. 

During Secretary of Commerce Carlos 

M. Gutierrez’s visit to Iraq in July 2006, 

he joined Iraqi Minister of Trade Dr. 

Abd-al-Falah al-Sudani in signing the 

Joint Statement on Commercial 

Cooperation, which formally provided 

for the establishment of the Dialogue. In 

their next meeting in September 2006, 

the Secretary and the Minister approved 

and signed the Terms of Reference for 

the Dialogue. 

The U.S. Secretary of Commerce and 

the Iraqi Minister of Trade co-chair the 

Dialogue. The Dialogue consists of a 

U.S. Section and an Iraqi Section. Each 

Section consists of members from the 

private sector, representing the views 

and interests of the private sector 

business community. Each Party 

appoints the members to its respective 

Section. The Sections provide advice 

and counsel to the U.S. Department of 

Commerce and the Iraqi Ministry of 

Trade that reflect private sector views, 

needs, and concerns regarding private 

sector business development in Iraq and 

enhanced bilateral commercial ties that 

could form the basis for expanded trade 

between the United States and Iraq. The 

Dialogue will exchange information and 

encourage bilateral discussions that 

address the following areas: 

—Factors that affect the growth of 

private sector business in Iraq, 

including disincentives to trade and 

investment and regulatory obstacles to 

job creation and investment growth; 

—Initiatives that the Government of Iraq 

might take, such as enacting, 

amending, enforcing, or repealing 

laws and regulations, to promote 

private sector business growth in Iraq; 

—Promotion of business opportunities 

in both Iraq and the United States, 

and identification of opportunities for 

U.S. and Iraqi firms to work together; 

and 

—Attracting U.S. businesses to 

opportunities in Iraq and serving as a 

catalyst for Iraqi private sector 

growth. 

The members will represent a crosssection of American business with an 

emphasis, to the extent possible, on 

agribusiness and food processing, 

financial services and private equity, 

construction and housing, information 

technology, consumer products, and 

manufacturing industries. The following 

sectors currently are represented on the 

U.S. Section of the USIBD: 

Telecommunications; petroleum; 

construction equipment; financial; and 

logistics. Applications to represent any 

sector will be considered. However, in 

an effort to expand the sectors 

represented on the U.S. Section of the 

Dialogue, the Department particularly 

encourages applications from persons 

who would represent the consumer 

goods and services, private equity, 

health, aviation, and electricity sectors. 

Members serve in a representative 

capacity representing the views and 

interests of their particular industries. 

Members are not special government 

employees, and receive no 

compensation for their participation in 

Dialogue activities. Only appointed 

members may participate in official 

Dialogue meetings; substitutes and 

alternates will not be designated. 

Section members serve for three-year 

terms, but may be reappointed. U.S. 

Section members serve at the discretion 

of the U.S. Department of Commerce. 

The U.S. Department of Commerce is 

currently seeking candidates for four 

membership positions on the U.S. 

Section of the Dialogue. Candidates will 

be evaluated based on: Their interest in 

the Iraqi market; export/investment 

experience; contribution to diversity 

based on size of company, geographic 

location, and sector; and ability to 

initiate and be responsible for activities 

in which the Business Dialogue will be 

active. 

In order to be eligible for membership 

in the U.S. section, potential candidates 

shall be: 

—A U.S. citizen residing in the United 

States, or able to travel to the United 

States or other location to attend 

official Business Dialogue meetings; 

—The President or CEO (or comparable 

level of responsibility) of a private 

sector company; if the company is 

very large, the head of a sizeable 

operating unit of that company; or the 

head of a non-profit entity, such as a 

trade or industry association, who 

possesses unique technical expertise, 

an outstanding reputation, and the 

ability to provide counsel with 

respect to private sector business 

development in Iraq; and 

—Not a registered foreign agent under 

the Foreign Agents Registration Act of 

1938, as amended. 

Members will be selected on the basis 

of who best will carry out the objectives 

of the Business Dialogue as stated in the 

Terms of Reference establishing the 

Dialogue. (The Terms of Reference are 

available from the point of contact listed 

above.) Recommendations for 

appointment will be made to the 

Secretary of Commerce. All candidates 

will be notified of whether they have 

been selected. 

To be considered for membership, 

please submit the following information 

as instructed in the addresses and dates 

captions above: Name(s) and title(s) of 

the individual(s) requesting 

consideration; name and address of 

company or non-profit entity to be 

represented; size of the company or 

non-profit entity; description of relevant 

product, service, or technical expertise; 

size of company’s export trade, 

investment, and/or international 

program experience; nature of 

operations or interest in Iraq; and a brief 

statement of why the candidate should 

be appointed, including information 

about the candidate’s ability to initiate 

and be responsible for activities in 

which the Business Dialogue will be 

active. 

Dated: January 2, 2008. 

Susan Hamrock Mann, 

Director, Iraq Investment and Reconstruction 

Task Force. 

[FR Doc. E9–59 Filed 1–6–09; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–DA–P