Request for Comments on the Asian Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Electronic Commerce Steering Group Work Plan

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

International Trade Administration

Request for Comments on the Asian Pacific Economic Cooperation

(APEC) Electronic Commerce Steering Group Work Plan

AGENCY: International Trade Administration, Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of request for public comment.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Commerce/International Trade Administration

(DOC/ITA) seeks comment on the APEC Electronic Commerce Steering Group

work program.

DATES: Comments are due no later than April 21, 1999.

[[Page 16914]]

ADDRESSES: Comments may be submitted by e-mail to the following e-mail

address [email protected]>. All e-mail submissions should

include the following text in the subject line of the message: ``APEC

Electronic Commerce Steering Group work plan--Comment.'' The body of

the message should indicate the name and affiliation of the

correspondent and the name and version of the word processing program

used to create the document. Files compatible with the Windows versions

of MS Word or WordPerfect word processing programs are preferred.

Otherwise, please submit comments in ASCII text format. To enable

prompt review and accessibility to the public, DOC/ITA prefers

submission of comments in electronic form by e-mail.

DOC/ITA will accept comments submitted on 3\1/2\ inch floppy disc.

The disc label should include the name and affiliation of the

correspondent and the name and version of the word processing program

used to create the document. DOC/ITA will also accept comments

submitted in hard copy. Individuals or organizations that submit

comments in hard copy must provide twenty (20) copies. Discs and hard

copy comments must be submitted to Sabrina Montes, Office of Trade and

Economic Analysis, International Trade Administration, U.S. Department

of Commerce, HCHB Stop 2815, 14th Street & Constitution Avenue, NW,

Washington, DC 20230. Tel.: 202-482-5242. Fax: 202-482-4614.

If the submission contains business confidential information, a

justification as to why the information contained in the submission

should be treated confidentially must be included in the submission.

Submissions containing business confidential information must be

clearly marked ``Confidential'' at the top and bottom of the cover page

(or letter) and each page of the submission. A version that does not

contain confidential information should also be submitted and clearly

marked ``public version'' at the top and bottom of each page.

Comments should clearly state the position taken and should

describe the specific information supporting that position. Comments

must be made in English. All submissions should include the name and

affiliation of the correspondent.

Written comments submitted in connection with this request, except

for information that is business confidential, will be available for

public inspection on the Internet at http://infoserv2.ita.doc.gov/

otea/apec/fedreg.nsf> or in hard copy at the U.S. Department of

Commerce, 14th Street & Constitution Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20230.

An appointment to review the file may be made by calling Sabrina

Montes, Office of Trade and Economic Analysis, International Trade

Administration, Tel.: 202-482-5242.

Respondents that provide an e-mail address with their submission

will be added to an e-mail list for future information.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jonathan Menes, Director Office of

Trade and Economic Analysis/Co-Chair APEC Electronic Commerce Steering

Group (202-482-5145).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In Vancouver, November 1997, Leaders of APEC

member economies brought the importance of electronic commerce to the

fore by directing Ministers to

undertake a work program on electronic commerce in the region,

taking into account relevant activities of other international fora,

and to report to us in Kuala Lumpur. This initiative should

recognize the leading role of the business sector and promote a

predictable and consistent legal and regulatory environment that

enables all APEC economies to reap the benefits of electronic

commerce.

In November 1998, the APEC Ministers approved a Blueprint for

Action on electronic commerce that sets out a framework for electronic

commerce in APEC, outlines a work plan, and establishes a steering

group to coordinate electronic commerce activities within APEC fora and

to implement the Blueprint work program. The Steering Group membership

consists of representatives from all APEC economies. The Steering Group

will involve relevant APEC working groups and sub-fora, as well as

business sector experts in accordance with APEC guidelines on business

participation.

DOC/ITA seeks comment on the APEC Electronic Commerce Steering

Group work program, which is outlined in the Blueprint for Action on

electronic commerce http://www.dfat.gov.au/apec/ecom/>.

The Blueprint for Action on electronic commerce advocates that APEC

economies ``endeavor to work together to build trust and confidence;

enhance government use [of electronic commerce]; intensify community

outreach; promote technical cooperation and experience exchange; where

appropriate, work toward eliminating impediments to its uptake; and

develop seamless legal, technical, operating and trading environments

to facilitate the growth and development of electronic commerce.''

Specific initiatives identified in the work program include:

Developing measures and indicators of the uptake, use, and

flows of e-commerce;

Assessing impediments to economic commerce in APEC and

reviewing the economic costs that inhibit electronic commerce,

including those imposed by regulatory or market conditions;

Working on the financial aspects of electronic commerce;

Expanding a case history database to facilitate and

support electronic commerce activities by small and medium enterprises

(SMEs), government, and business/public sector partnerships;

Exploring economic and technical cooperation to facilitate

the uptake, use, and maximization of the benefits of electronic

commerce in APEC member economies;

Tasking authentication experts, including business sector

experts, to study the range of business models for electronic

authentication. This work should include examining the potential role

of mechanisms, such as cross-certification and the use of a root

certification authority, to promote inter-operability and trust and to

facilitate cross-border electronic commerce;

Working with UNCITRAL and other international fora to

advance, where appropriate, the work on the legal foundations for a

seamless system of cross-border electronic commerce;

Establishing APEC electronic virtual commerce/multimedia

resource network; and

Developing paperless trading by 2005, if possible.

Work in many of these areas is already underway in various APEC

fora, including the Telecommunications Working Group, the

Transportation Working Group, the Industrial Science and Technology

Working Group, and the Committee on Trade and Investment and its

subcommittee on Customs Procedures.

Dated: March 29, 1999.

Jonathan C. Menes,

Director, Office of Trade and Economic Analysis, Co-Chair APEC

Electronic Commerce Steering Group, International Trade Administration,

U.S. Department of Commerce.

[FR Doc. 99-8425 Filed 4-6-99; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510-DR-P