Presidential Proclamation -- Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands

RESERVING CERTAIN SUBMERGED LANDS IN THE COMMONWEALTH OF THE NORTHERN MARIANA ISLANDS

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BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

A PROCLAMATION

The submerged lands surrounding the islands of Farallon de Pajaros (Uracas), Maug, and Asuncion in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands are among the most biologically diverse in the Western Pacific, with relatively pristine coral reef ecosystems that have been proclaimed objects of scientific interest and reserved for their protection as the Islands Unit of the Marianas Trench Marine National Monument (marine national monument) by Proclamation 8335 of January 6, 2009. Certain submerged lands adjacent to the land leased by the United States of America on the islands of Tinian and Farallon de Medinilla under the Lease Agreement Made Pursuant to the Covenant to Establish a Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands in Political Union with the United States of America, dated January 6, 1983, as amended (Lease) are essential for ensuring that United States forces forward deployed to the Western Pacific are adequately trained and ready to respond immediately and effectively to orders from the National Command Authority, and for ensuring the safety of citizens of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.

Certain of these submerged lands will be conveyed by the United States to the Government of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands on January 16, 2014, pursuant to section 1(a) of Public Law 93-435, as amended by section 1 of Public Law 113-34 (the "Act"), unless the President designates otherwise pursuant to section 1(b)(vii) of the Act.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of authority vested in me by section 1(b)(vii) of the Act, do hereby proclaim that the lands hereinafter described are excepted from transfer to the Government of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands under section 1(a) of the Act:

the submerged lands adjacent to the islands of Farallon de Pajaros (Uracas), Maug, and Asuncion permanently covered by tidal waters up to the mean low water line and extending three geographical miles seaward from the mean high tide line; and

the submerged lands adjacent to the islands of Tinian and Farallon de Medinilla permanently or periodically covered by tidal waters up to the line of mean high tide and extending seaward to a line three geographical miles distant from those areas of the coastline that are adjacent to the leased lands described in the Lease.2

Nothing in this proclamation is intended to affect the authority of the Secretary of the Interior (Secretary) under section 1(b) of the Act to subsequently convey the submerged lands adjacent to the islands of Farallon de Pajaros (Uracas), Maug, and Asuncion when the Secretary, the Secretary of Commerce, and the Government of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands have entered into an agreement for coordination of management that ensures the protection of the marine national monument within the excepted area described above. Furthermore, nothing in this proclamation is intended to affect the authority of the Secretary under section 1(b) of the Act to subsequently convey the submerged lands adjacent to the land leased by the United States on the islands of Tinian or Farallon de Medinilla when the Secretary of the Navy and the Government of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands have entered into an agreement that ensures protection of military training within the excepted area.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this fifteenth day of January, in the year of our Lord two thousand fourteen, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-eighth.

BARACK OBAMA

Presidential Proclamation -- National Stalking Awareness Month, 2014

NATIONAL STALKING AWARENESS MONTH, 2014

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BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

A PROCLAMATION

Each January, we draw attention to a crime that will affect 1 in 6 American women at some point in their lives. Although young women are disproportionately at risk, anyone can be a victim of stalking -- regardless of age, sex, background, or gender identity. While many victims are stalked by ex-partners, sometimes the perpetrators are acquaintances or even strangers. During National Stalking Awareness Month, we extend our support to victims and renew our commitment to holding their stalkers accountable.

Stalkers seek to intimidate their victims through repeated unwanted contact, including harassing phone calls, text messages, or emails. Cyberstalking is increasingly prevalent, with more than one quarter of stalking victims reporting being harassed through the Internet or electronically monitored. Many victims suffer from anxiety, depression, and insomnia, and some are forced to move or change jobs. Stalking all too often goes unreported, yet it also tends to escalate over time, putting victims at risk of sexual assault, physical abuse, or homicide.

My Administration remains dedicated to pursuing justice for victims of stalking and ensuring survivors receive the support they need. Last March, I was proud to sign the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act. Every time we renew this landmark legislation, we improve it, and this time was no exception. This renewal expanded protections for Native American and lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender victims of stalking, domestic violence, and sexual assault. It amended the Clery Act to require colleges to report crime statistics on stalking, continued to allow relief for immigrant victims, and strengthened support and training programs that have proven effective in helping law enforcement bring offenders to justice.

We also stand behind the tireless advocates who provide essential services to victims. Along with law enforcement, prosecutors, court personnel, and survivors, these devoted women and men are links in a chain that has made a difference -- one person, one family, one case at a time. This month, let us resolve to strengthen this chain, bring stalkers to justice, and give hope to everyone who has suffered from this crime.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim January 2014 as National Stalking Awareness Month. I call upon all Americans to recognize the signs of stalking, acknowledge stalking as a serious crime, and urge those affected not to be afraid to speak out or ask for help. Let us also resolve to support victims and survivors, and to create communities that are secure and supportive for all Americans.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this thirty-first day of December, in the year of our Lord two thousand thirteen, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-eighth.

BARACK OBAMA

Presidential Proclamation -- African Growth and Opportunity Act

TO TAKE CERTAIN ACTIONS UNDER THE AFRICAN GROWTH AND

OPPORTUNITY ACT AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES

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BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

A PROCLAMATION

1.  In Proclamation 8921 of December 20, 2012, I determined that the Republic of Mali (Mali) was not making continual progress in meeting the requirements described in section 506A(a)(1) of the Trade Act of 1974, as amended (the "1974 Act"), as added by section 111(a) of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (title I of Public Law 106-200) (AGOA).  Thus, pursuant to section 506A(a)(3) of the 1974 Act (19 U.S.C. 2466a(a)(3)), I terminated the designation of Mali as a beneficiary sub-Saharan African country for purposes of section 506A of the 1974 Act.

2.  Section 506A(a)(1) of the 1974 Act authorizes the President to designate a country listed in section 107 of the AGOA (19 U.S.C. 3706) as a "beneficiary sub-Saharan African country" if the President determines that the country meets the eligibility requirements set forth in section 104 of the AGOA (19 U.S.C. 3703), as well as the eligibility criteria set forth in section 502 of the 1974 Act (19 U.S.C. 2462).

3.  Based on actions that the Government of Mali has taken over the past year, pursuant to section 506A(a)(1) of the 1974 Act, I have determined that Mali meets the eligibility requirements set forth in section 104 of the AGOA and section 502 of the 1974 Act, and I have decided to designate Mali as a beneficiary sub-Saharan African country.

4.  On April 22, 1985, the United States and Israel entered into the Agreement on the Establishment of a Free Trade Area between the Government of the United States of America and the Government of Israel (USIFTA), which the Congress approved in the United States-Israel Free Trade Area Implementation Act of 1985 (the "USIFTA Act") (19 U.S.C. 2112 note).

5.  Section 4(b) of the USIFTA Act provides that, whenever the President determines that it is necessary to maintain the general level of reciprocal and mutually advantageous concessions with respect to Israel provided for by the USIFTA, the President may proclaim such withdrawal, suspension, modification, or continuance of any duty, or such continuance of existing duty-free or excise treatment, or such additional duties, as the President determines to be required or appropriate to carry out the USIFTA.

6.  In order to maintain the general level of reciprocal and mutually advantageous concessions with respect to agricultural trade with Israel, on July 27, 2004, the United States entered into an agreement with Israel concerning certain aspects of trade in agricultural products during the period January 1, 2004, through December 31, 2008 (the "2004 Agreement").

7.  In Proclamation 7826 of October 4, 2004, consistent with the 2004 Agreement, the President determined, pursuant to section 4(b) of the USIFTA Act, that it was necessary in order to maintain the general level of reciprocal and mutually advantageous concessions with respect to Israel provided for by the USIFTA, to provide duty-free access into the United States through December 31, 2008, for specified quantities of certain agricultural products of Israel.

8.  Each year from 2008 through 2012, the United States and Israel entered into agreements to extend the period that the 2004 Agreement was in force for 1-year periods to allow additional time for the two governments to conclude an agreement to replace the 2004 Agreement.

9.  To carry out the extension agreements, the President in Proclamation 8334 of December 31, 2008; Proclamation 8467 of December 23, 2009; Proclamation 8618 of December 21, 2010; Proclamation 8770 of December 29, 2011; and Proclamation 8921 of December 20, 2012, modified the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTS) to provide duty-free access into the United States for specified quantities of certain agricultural products of Israel, each time for an additional 1-year period.

10.  On November 26, 2013, the United States entered into an agreement with Israel to extend the period that the 2004 Agreement is in force through December 31, 2014, to allow for further negotiations on an agreement to replace the 2004 Agreement.

11.  Pursuant to section 4(b) of the USIFTA Act, I have determined that it is necessary, in order to maintain the general level of reciprocal and mutually advantageous concessions with respect to Israel provided for by the USIFTA, to provide duty-free access into the United States through the close of December 31, 2014, for specified quantities of certain agricultural products of Israel.

12.  Presidential Proclamation 8783 of March 6, 2012, implemented the United States-Korea Free Trade Agreement (USKFTA) with respect to the United States and, pursuant to the United States-Korea Free Trade Agreement Implementation Act (the "Implementation Act") (Public Law 112-41, 125 Stat. 428), incorporated into the HTS the schedule of duty reductions and rules of origin necessary or appropriate to carry out the USKFTA.

13.  In Presidential Proclamation 8771 of December 29, 2011, pursuant to the authority provided in section 1206(a) of the Omnibus Trade and Competitiveness Act of 1988 (19 U.S.C. 3006(a)), I modified the HTS to reflect amendments to the International Convention on the Harmonized Commodity Description and Coding System (the "Convention").

14.  Section 202 of the Implementation Act provides rules for determining whether goods imported into the United States originate in the territory of a Party to the USKFTA and thus are eligible for the tariff and other treatment contemplated under the Agreement.  Section 202(o) of the Implementation Act authorizes the President to proclaim, as part of the HTS, the rules of origin set out in the USKFTA and to proclaim any modifications to such previously proclaimed rules of origin, subject to the exceptions stated in section 202(o)(2)(A) of the Implementation Act.

15.  Because the USKFTA was negotiated under the 2002 HTS nomenclature, the United States and Korea agreed to modify certain specific rules of origin in the USKFTA to ensure that the tariff and certain other treatment accorded under the Agreement to originating goods will continue to be provided under the tariff categories that were modified in Proclamation 8783.

16.  In order to implement the agreed modifications to the rules of origin in the USKFTA and ensure the continuation of such staged reductions in rates of duty for originating goods under tariff categories that have been modified to reflect the amendments to the Convention, I have determined that additional modifications to the HTS are necessary or appropriate to ensure that the duty reductions previously proclaimed are applied.

17.  Section 212 of the Caribbean Basin Economic Recovery Act (CBERA) (19 U.S.C. 2702), as amended by the Caribbean Basin Trade Partnership Act (CBTPA) (Public Law 106-200), authorizes the President to designate certain countries, territories, or successor political entities as beneficiary countries for the purposes of the CBERA and CBTPA.

18.  Section 211 of the CBTPA provides that certain preferential tariff treatment may be provided to eligible articles that are the product of any country that the President designates as a "CBTPA beneficiary country" pursuant to section 213(b)(5)(B) of the CBERA (19 U.S.C. 2703(b)(5)(B)), provided that the President determines that the country has satisfied the requirements of section 213(b)(4)(A)(ii) (19 U.S.C. 2703(b)(4)(A)(ii)) relating to the implementation of procedures and requirements similar to those in chapter 5 of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).

19.  In Proclamation 7351 of October 2, 2000, the President authorized the United States Trade Representative (USTR) to perform the functions specified in section 213(b)(4)(A)(ii) of the CBERA and certain functions under section 604 of the 1974 Act (19 U.S.C. 2483) for each beneficiary country designated in that proclamation pursuant to section 213(b)(5)(B) of the CBERA.

20.  Curaçao is a successor political entity to The Netherlands Antilles and has expressed its desire to be designated as a beneficiary country under the CBERA and CBTPA.  As a successor political entity, Curaçao was not included in Proclamation 7351.

21.  Pursuant to section 212(b) and (c) and 213(b)(5)(B) of the CBERA (19 U.S.C. 2702(b) and (c) and 19 U.S.C. 2703(b)(5)(B)), I have determined that Curaçao meets the eligibility requirements set forth in those sections.  Accordingly, pursuant to section 212(b) and 213(b) of the CBERA, and after taking into account the factors enumerated in section 212(b) and (c) of the CBERA (19 U.S.C. 2702(b) and (c)), I have decided to designate Curaçao as a beneficiary country for purposes of the CBERA and CBTPA.  In addition, pursuant to section 212(a)(1)(A) of the CBERA, I am notifying the Congress of my intention to designate Curaçao as a beneficiary country under the CBERA and CBTPA, and communicating the considerations entering into my decision.

22.  The preferential treatment extended pursuant to the Andean Trade Preference Act (ATPA) (19 U.S.C. 3201-3206, as amended) expired on July 31, 2013.  As a result, I have determined that certain modifications to the HTS are required to reflect this status.

23.  Presidential Proclamation 7746 of December 30, 2003, implemented the United States-Chile Free Trade Agreement (USCFTA) with respect to the United States and, pursuant to the United States-Chile Free Trade Agreement Implementation Act (19 U.S.C. 3805 note), incorporated in the HTS the schedule of duty reductions and rules of origin necessary or appropriate to carry out the USCFTA.  Those modifications to the HTS were set out in Publication 3652 of the U.S. International Trade Commission, which was incorporated by reference into Proclamation 7746.

24.  Annex II of Publication 3652 contained a typographical error that needs to be corrected.  I have determined that a modification to the HTS is necessary to correct this typographical error and to provide the intended tariff treatment.

25.  Section 604 of the 1974 Act (19 U.S.C. 2483), authorizes the President to embody in the HTS the substance of the relevant provisions of that Act, and of other acts affecting import treatment, and actions taken thereunder, including the removal, modification, continuance, or imposition of any rate of duty or other import restriction.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including but not limited to section 301 of title 3, United States Code, title V and section 604 of the 1974 Act, section 104 of the AGOA, section 4 of the USIFTA Act, section 202 of the Implementation Act, and sections 212 and 213 of the CBERA, do proclaim that:

(1)  Mali is designated as a beneficiary sub-Saharan African country.

(2)  In order to reflect this designation in the HTS, general note 16(a) to the HTS is modified by inserting in alphabetical sequence in the list of beneficiary sub-Saharan African countries "Republic of Mali (Mali)."

(3)  In order to implement U.S. tariff commitments under the 2004 Agreement through December 31, 2014, the HTS is modified as provided in Annex I to this proclamation.

(4)(a)  The modifications to the HTS set forth in Annex I to this proclamation shall be effective with respect to eligible agricultural products of Israel that are entered, or withdrawn from warehouse for consumption, on or after January 1, 2014.

(b)  The provisions of subchapter VIII of chapter 99 of the HTS, as modified by Annex I to this proclamation, shall continue in effect through December 31, 2014.

(5)  In order to reflect in the HTS the modifications to the rules of origin under the USKFTA, general note 33 to the HTS is modified as set forth in Annex II to this proclamation.

(6)  The modifications to the HTS set forth in Annex II to this proclamation shall be effective with respect to goods that are entered or withdrawn from warehouse for consumption, on or after January 1, 2014.

(7)  Curaçao is designated as an eligible beneficiary country for the purposes of the CBERA and CBTPA.

(8)  In order to reflect Curaçao's designation as a beneficiary country for the purposes of the CBERA, general note 7(a) to the HTS is modified by inserting in alphabetical sequence "Curaçao."

(9)  In order to implement Curaçao's designation as a CBTPA beneficiary country, the USTR is authorized to determine whether Curaçao has satisfied the requirements of section 213(b)(4)(A)(ii) of the CBERA relating to the implementation of procedures and requirements similar in all material respects to those in chapter 5 of the NAFTA.  To implement such determination, the USTR is authorized to exercise the authority provided to the President under section 604 of the 1974 Act to embody modifications and technical and conforming changes in the HTS.  The determination of the USTR under this paragraph shall be set forth in a notice that the USTR shall cause to be published in the Federal Register.  Such notice shall modify general note 17 of the HTS by including Curaçao in the list of CBTPA beneficiary countries.

(10)  In order to reflect the expiration of the ATPA, the HTS is modified as set forth in Annex III to this proclamation.

(11)  The modifications to the HTS set forth in Annex III to this proclamation shall be effective with respect to goods that are entered, or withdrawn from warehouse for consumption, on or after July 31, 2013.

(12)  In order to provide the intended tariff treatment to goods of Chile under the terms of general note 26, the HTS is modified as set forth in Annex IV to this proclamation.

(13)  The modifications to the HTS set forth in Annex IV to this proclamation shall be effective with respect to goods that are entered or withdrawn from warehouse for consumption, on or after January 1, 2004.

 (14)  Any provisions of previous proclamations and Executive Orders that are inconsistent with the actions taken in this proclamation are superseded to the extent of such inconsistency.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-third day of December, in the year of our Lord two thousand thirteen, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-eighth.

BARACK OBAMA

Presidential Proclamation -- Bill of Rights Day, 2013

BILL OF RIGHTS DAY, 2013

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BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

A PROCLAMATION

When America's Founders declared our independence, they set forth an idea that became our Nation's defining creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." They understood that while these truths have always been self-evident, they have never been self-executing. After 15 years of democratic experimentation and national debate, the Bill of Rights came into force, touching off a long journey to carve America's highest ideals into enduring, enforceable law.

The Bill of Rights is the foundation of American liberty, securing our most fundamental rights -- from the freedom to speak, assemble, and practice our faith as we please to the protections that ensure justice under the law. For almost two and a quarter centuries, these 10 Constitutional Amendments have served as a basis from which civil society could grow and flourish. They have encouraged innovation and defended Americans who questioned, challenged, and dared our Nation to be greater.

Thomas Jefferson once wrote, "I am not an advocate for frequent changes in laws and constitutions, but laws and constitutions must go hand in hand with the progress of the human mind." Our liberties opened heated debate over the questions of citizenship and human rights, driving progress in the American mind. We learned that our Nation, built on the principles of freedom and equality, could not survive half-slave and half-free. We resolved that our daughters must have the same rights, the same chances, and the same freedom to pursue their dreams as our sons, and that if we are truly created equal, then the love we commit to one another must be equal as well. Americans with disabilities tore down legal and social barriers; disenfranchised farmworkers united to claim their rights to dignity, fairness, and a living wage; civil rights activists marched, bled, and gave their lives to bring the era of segregation to an end. As we celebrate the anniversary of the Bill of Rights, let us reach for a day when we all may enjoy the basic truths of liberty and equality.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim December 15, 2013, as Bill of Rights Day. I call upon the people of the United States to mark this observance with appropriate ceremonies and activities.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this thirteenth day of December, in the year of our Lord two thousand thirteen, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-eighth.

BARACK OBAMA