2001 Annual Report: Review of Federal Advisory Committee
January 17, 2002. 1. Department or Agency: Department of State 2. Fiscal Year: 2001 3. Committee or SubCommittee: Advisory Committee on International Communications and Information Policy 3b. GSA Committee No.: 657 4. Is this New During Fiscal Year? No 5. Current Charter: 9/11/2000 6. Expected Renewal Date: 9/11/2002 7. Expected Term Date: 8a. Was Terminated During FY? No 8b. Specific Termination Authority: 22 U.S.C. 2656 8c. Actual Termination Date: 9. Agency Recommendation for Next FY: Continue 10a. Legislation Req to Terminate? 10b. Legislation Pending? 11. Establishment Authority: Agency Authority 12. Specific Establishment Authority: 22 U.S.C. 2656 13. Effective Date: 7/27/1789 14. Committee Type: Continuing 14c. Presidential? No 15. Description of Committee: National Policy Issue Advisory Board 16a. Total Number of Reports: No Reports for this Fiscal Year. 17a Open: 3 17b. Closed: 0 17c. Partially Closed: 0 17d. Total Meetings: 3 Meeting Purposes and Dates: Quarterly Meeting -- Quarterly Meeting -- Quarterly Meeting --
20a. How does the Committee accomplish its purpose? The U.S. Department of State's Advisory Committee on International Communications and Information Policy (ACICIP) entered its seventh active year in 2001. The goal of the Committee is to provide a formal channel for regular consultation and coordination on major economic, social and legal issues and problems in international communications and information policy, especially as these issues and problems in international communications and information policy involve users of information and communication services, providers of such services, technology research and development, foreign industrial and regulatory policy, the activities of international organizations with regard to communications and information, and developing country interests. Under the Chairmanship of Ed Black, President, Computer & Communications Industry Association, the Committee has tried to highlight current issues of concern to the United States Government in order to encourage comment by the Committee members in developing U.S. Government policy positions. The primary method for achieving this has been accomplished through an impressive array of speakers who have given special presentations at each Committee meeting: Meeting on October 26, 2000: We held a special meeting entitled, "Forum 2000: Technology and Innovation: How are governments Responding?" Three prominent governmental representatives from the European Union and the United States spoke on the subject: Sibylle Frucht, Delegation of the European Commission, Washington; Kathy Brown, Chief of Staff, Federal Communications Commission; and Donald Russell, Chief, Telecommunications Taskforce, U.S. Department of Justice. Meeting on March 22, 2001: We billed it as Roundtable 2001 at which the members of the ACICIP and the general public attending were able to highlight key issues for the new Administration represented by Kevin Martin, Special Assistant to the President for Economic Policy. Meeting on June 14, 2001: The meeting was devoted to "Focus on Cybercrime Developments" with speakers, Betty-Ellen Shave, Associate Chief for International Matters, Computer Crime & Intellectual Property Section, U.S. Department of Justice, and Richard Visek, Attorney-Adviser, Office of the Legal Adviser, U.S. Department of State. 20b. How does the Committee balance its membership? The list of the Advisory Committee members during 2001 is attached. The previous U.S. Coordinator for International Communications and Information Policy and the Acting Coordinator have selected Advisory Committee members who represent a diverse, dedicated group of individuals from industry and academia who have continued the process of presenting forward-thinking advice and recommendations on the future of the telecommunications and information technology sectors and their potential effects on U.S. Government foreign policy. Of enormous significance to this diversity is that the Committee membership now not only represents the telecommunications sector, but extends its representation beyond telecommunications to include the information technology sector. The committee has a roster of 28 prominent members of the telecommunications and information technology industries with representatives of telephone companies (equipment manufacturers and services providers (both local and long distance)), computer companies (both hardware and software), content providers, and academia. 20c. How frequent and relevant are the Committee meetings? The intent is for the Advisory Committee to meet on a quarterly basis or as needed. The Committee held three meetings, all opening to the public, during fiscal year 2001: October 26, 2000, March 22, 2001, and June 14, 2001. With the roster of guest speakers and the additional information presented by Malcolm R. Lee, U.S. Coordinator for International Communications and Information Policy, by Richard C. Beaird, U.S. Coordinator for International Communciations and Information Policy, Acting, and by Timothy C. Finton, Counselor for Telecommunications Trade, and Executive Secretary of the ACICIP, the dialogue on front-burner telecommunications and information technology issues has proved highly relevant to both the State Department and to the private sector members. 20d. Why can't the advice or information this committee provides be obtained elsewhere? In the United States, the telecommunications and information technology sectors are in the hands of intensely competitive private sector companies. There is no other forum in the U.S. Government for developing or presenting a harmonized view of these competitive industries on U.S. policy, strategy or negotiations on international communications and information issues either bilaterally or multilaterally. This Committee, furthermore, is unique in having the ability to focus on issues beyond the more limited telecommunications arena, focusing instead on the integration of both telecommunications and the information technology industries in the Committee's work. The State Department Advisory Committee remains the only U.S. Government private sector advisory committee with the breadth of industry membership from various subsectors to provide the necessary input into the policy development process. 20e. Why is it necessary to close and/or partially close committee meetings? N/A 21. Remarks: Designated Federal Official:
Total Count of Committee Members: 28 [end] |
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