Groups Offer USTR Openness Ideas
Eight public interest, consumer and public health organizations wrote to the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative on Wednesday recommending the office and other federal agencies reduce secrecy and increase transparency in negotiations that involve global norms for knowledge governance. The groups' submission included a lengthy discussion of 21 specific recommendations, plus three attachments that describe transparency norms in a variety of multilateral and plurilateral norm setting fora.
The letter from the Electronic Frontier Foundation, Knowledge Ecology International, Public Knowledge and others is a product of a consultation with USTR officials that began in March and included a July 13 meeting between USTR and more than a dozen non-governmental organizations. One major area of concern is the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement. Negotiations between the United States and a handful of trading partners are occurring largely behind closed doors with the goal of concluding in 2010.
The groups' recommendations go beyond ACTA, to address the transparency of all USTR negotiations that concern the setting of global norms for knowledge governance. "Transparency is the foundation stone for balanced policy making," EFF's Gwen Hinze said in a press release. "ACTA could lead to new invasive monitoring of Internet communications by ISPs and raise serious potential due process concerns for Internet users." KEI's James Love said he is heartened by the USTR's recent request for the public to offer concrete ideas about transparency. Read the 21 recommendations here.
Join the Discussion
The National Journal Group has the right (but not the obligation) to monitor the comments and to remove any materials it deems inappropriate.
Comments powered by Disqus