FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 
Washington, D.C. 
May 9, 2012

President Barack Obama recently issued Executive Order 13609, titled Promoting International Regulatory Cooperation, based in part on a recommendation issued by the Administrative Conference of the United States (ACUS), Conference Recommendation 2011-6, which aims to enhance cooperation between United States agencies and foreign authorities.

Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs Administrator Cass Sunstein (left) and Conference Chairman Paul R. Verkuil.

Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs Administrator Cass Sunstein announced the issuance of the order at an Implementation Summit on International Regulatory Cooperation organized by ACUS and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Center for Global Regulatory Cooperation.

“In an increasingly networked world, the importance of international issues cannot be overestimated,” said Paul R. Verkuil, Conference Chairman. “This executive order is a testament to the work of ACUS in bringing together public and private sector leaders to foster ideas on improving government processes and providing recommendations that make sense.”

ACUS previously issued a recommendation in 1991, Conference Recommendation 91-1, which dealt with cooperation between United States agencies and their foreign counterparts. Recommendation 2011-6 both reaffirms important aspects of Recommendation 91-1 and explores modifications to reflect developments of the last 20 years. Recommendation 2011-6 strongly advocates streamlining regulations to improve international cooperation and avoid unnecessary impediments to economic growth and job creation.

The Administrative Conference of the United States is an independent federal agency dedicated to improving the administrative process through consensus-driven applied research and providing nonpartisan expert advice and recommendations for improvement of federal agency procedures. Its membership is composed of innovative federal officials and experts with diverse views and backgrounds from both the private sector and academia. With the exception of the Chairman, all Conference Members are unpaid. ###