[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 106 (Thursday, June 4, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Page 26914]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-12944]


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DEPARTMENT OF STATE

[Public Notice 6651]


U.S. Department of State Advisory Committee on Private 
International Law: Working Group I of the United Nations Commission on 
International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) Model Law on Procurement of Goods, 
Construction and Services

    A study group of the Advisory Committee reviews and provides 
comments on an initiative by the United Nations Commission for 
International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) to revise the 1994 UNCITRAL Model 
Law on Procurement of Goods, Construction and Services (Model 
Procurement Law), and it's Guide to Enactment, available at http://www.uncitral.org/uncitral/en/uncitral_texts/procurement_infrastructure/1994Model.html. The UNCITRAL Model Procurement Law is 
not intended to be applied by the United States, but it is cited and 
relied upon in many other nations as a model procurement code.
    The UNCITRAL Working Group, tasked with making recommendations for 
an updated model law, has focused on new practices and technological 
developments; in particular, those resulting from the use of electronic 
communications in public procurement. These topics have included the 
use of electronic means of communication in the procurement process, 
publication of procurement-related information, the procurement 
technique known as the electronic reverse auction, abnormally low 
tenders, and the method of contracting known as framework agreements. 
The Working Group also decided that the Model Law and the Guide should 
take into account the question of conflicts of interest. In this 
regard, the United Nations Convention Against Corruption, which entered 
into force in December 2005, specifically calls for anti-corruption 
measures in procurement to address conflicts of interest. See also 
Report of Working Group I (Procurement A/CN.9/668) on the work of its 
fifteenth session (New York, 2-6 February 2009) available at http://www.uncitral.org/uncitral/en/commission/working_groups/1Procurement.html.
    It is possible that a revised model procurement law will be 
presented for final review by UNCITRAL in 2009. The issue has been 
placed on the agenda of the Commission for its June 29-July 17 session 
in Vienna. The UNCITRAL Working Group has recommended that the Model 
Law be considered for adoption by UNCITRAL in advance of the completion 
of an updated Guide to Enactment. UNCITRAL has also scheduled a Working 
Group meeting from May 26th through 29th, 2009, to work on the 
recommendations.
    In order to assist the U.S. Delegation at the Annual UNCITRAL 
Commission meeting in July, a public meeting to review and discuss the 
current status of the proposed reforms will be held on June 17, 2009.
    Time and Place: The public meeting will take place at The George 
Washington University Law School, Dean Conference room, 2000 H Street, 
NW., Washington, DC on June 17, 2009 from 10 a.m. to 12 noon EDT.
    Public Participation: Comments may be submitted prior to or after 
the meeting to the Office of Private International Law, U.S. Department 
of State, 2430 E Street, NW., Washington, DC 20037-2851, attn: Michael 
Dennis, or by facsimile to 202-776-8482, or by electronic e-mail to 
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#76321318181f053b3c36250217021358111900"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="37735259595e447a7d77644356435219505841">[email protected]</span></a>. Persons wishing to attend the meeting should call 
Trisha Smeltzer at 202-776-8423 or contact by e-mail at 
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#40132d252c343a2532140b0033342134256e272f36"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="30635d555c444a5542647b7043445144551e575f46">[email protected]</span></a>. Any requests for reasonable accommodations should 
be made as soon as possible; requests made after June 10th will be 
considered but might not be possible to fill.

    Dated: May 20, 2009.
Michael Dennis,
Attorney-Adviser, Office of Private International Law, Department of 
State.
[FR Doc. E9-12944 Filed 6-3-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7410-08-P


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