Application deadline is December 6, 2024
WASHINGTON – The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) is accepting applications from individuals to serve as an Indigenous Peoples’ representative on the Observer delegation from the United States to the Partnership Council of the Indigenous Peoples Economic and Trade Cooperation Arrangement (IPETCA).
Today’s announcement aligns with United States Trade Representative Katherine Tai’s pledge to implement a worker-centered trade policy that benefits all Americans, including historically overlooked and underserved communities. In November 2023, Ambassador Tai hosted a first-of-its-kind ministerial meeting with Indigenous leaders on the margins of APEC in San Francisco, California during the United States’ host year.
Initiated in 2021, IPETCA establishes a framework for facilitating cooperation between economies to identify and remove barriers to Indigenous Peoples’ economic empowerment and participation in trade. The current IPETCA participating economies are Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and Taiwan. The Partnership Council is the governing body of IPETCA and is composed of Indigenous and government representatives from the participating economies to the Arrangement. USTR has led the United States’ efforts on IPETCA since the United States became an observer economy to the IPETCA Partnership Council in April 2024.
USTR will consider qualified individuals of Indigenous groups in the United States, including American Indians, Alaska Natives, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders. The foremost consideration for applicants is their ability to engage with U.S. government representatives to ensure robust participation by Indigenous Peoples in IPETCA meetings and activities, as appropriate. Full selection and eligibility criteria are provided in the Federal Register Notice linked below.
Indigenous representatives will serve at the discretion of the U.S. Trade Representative for two-year terms, with the option to extend for a third. The IPETCA Partnership Council is expected to meet four to five times annually, with at least one in-person event (location to be determined) at the call of the Co-Chairs of the IPETCA Partnership Council or their designee. USTR may be able to subsidize expenses associated with the in-person event.
Application instructions can be found on the Federal Register Notice. Applications must be received by 5:00 p.m. EST on December 6, 2024.
USTR strongly encourages diverse backgrounds and perspectives and will make appointments without regard to political affiliation and in accordance with equal opportunity practices that promote diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility. For more information, email MBX.USTR.IAPE@ustr.eop.gov.
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