<html><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"></head><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;" class=""><div class=""><div class=""><div style="text-align: left;" class=""><i class="">Ignoring calls from LGBT groups and the Equality Caucus to pause negotiations, the Kenya STIP negotiations will continue this week (with less than 24 hrs public notice and no apparent stakeholder process). If you’re able to attend a quick demonstration outside the USTR office in DC on Friday, please fill out the form in threat below. Thank you! —Arthur</i></div></div></div><div class=""><br class=""><br class="">
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<div><br class=""><blockquote type="cite" class=""><div class="">Begin forwarded message:</div><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px;" class=""><span style="font-family: -webkit-system-font, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, sans-serif; color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 1.0);" class=""><b class="">From: </b></span><span style="font-family: -webkit-system-font, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, sans-serif;" class="">Aly Bancroft <<a href="mailto:aly@healthgap.org" class="">aly@healthgap.org</a>><br class=""></span></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px;" class=""><span style="font-family: -webkit-system-font, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, sans-serif; color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 1.0);" class=""><b class="">Subject: </b></span><span style="font-family: -webkit-system-font, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, sans-serif;" class=""><b class="">All hands on deck: a protest in support of LGBTQI+ rights in Kenya for Friday, October 6</b><br class=""></span></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px;" class=""><span style="font-family: -webkit-system-font, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, sans-serif; color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 1.0);" class=""><b class="">Date: </b></span><span style="font-family: -webkit-system-font, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, sans-serif;" class="">October 3, 2023 at 6:20:35 PM EDT<br class=""></span></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px;" class=""><span style="font-family: -webkit-system-font, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, sans-serif; color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 1.0);" class=""><b class="">To: </b></span><span style="font-family: -webkit-system-font, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, sans-serif;" class="">undisclosed-recipients:;<br class=""></span></div><br class=""><div class=""><div dir="ltr" class=""><div class="gmail_quote"><div style="word-wrap:break-word;line-break:after-white-space" class="">Dear colleagues,</div><div style="word-wrap:break-word;line-break:after-white-space" class=""><br class=""></div><div style="word-wrap:break-word;line-break:after-white-space" class="">As you have likely seen, USTR will continue STIP negotiations this week, with a team from the Kenyan government participating in discussions in DC. I've included today's announcement from USTR below my signature. Negotiations for the bilateral trade deal are proceeding despite the harsh anti-LGBTQI bill in Kenyan parliament, which includes a 50-year imprisonment. And over recent months, anti-LGBTQI violence has intensified in the country.</div><div style="word-wrap:break-word;line-break:after-white-space" class=""><b class=""><br class=""></b></div><div style="word-wrap:break-word;line-break:after-white-space" class=""><div class=""><b class="">In solidarity with our Kenyan colleagues, we are coordinating a protest to take place in DC this Friday, October 6. </b></div><div class=""><b class=""><br class=""></b></div><div class=""><b class="">If you can participate, kindly complete <a href="https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScCiovIRL6UhpTSsn0QvCwWTOXEVLFnPmbMzK-POAIZoNy_kw/viewform?usp=sf_link" target="_blank" class="">this Google form.</a></b></div><div class=""><b class=""><br class=""></b></div><div class="">Thanks + more soon,</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">Aly<br class="">
<div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">P.S. Apologies for cross posting. <br class=""><blockquote type="cite" class=""><div class="">Begin forwarded message:</div><br class=""><div style="margin-top:0px;margin-right:0px;margin-bottom:0px;margin-left:0px" class=""><span style="font-family: -webkit-system-font, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, sans-serif;" class=""><b class="">From: </b></span><span style="font-family:-webkit-system-font,Helvetica Neue,Helvetica,sans-serif" class="">USTR Press Office <<a href="mailto:ustrpressoffice@ustr.eop.gov" target="_blank" class="">ustrpressoffice@ustr.eop.gov</a>><br class=""></span></div><div style="margin-top:0px;margin-right:0px;margin-bottom:0px;margin-left:0px" class=""><span style="font-family: -webkit-system-font, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, sans-serif;" class=""><b class="">Subject: </b></span><span style="font-family:-webkit-system-font,Helvetica Neue,Helvetica,sans-serif" class=""><b class="">United States and Kenya to Hold Second Negotiating Round Under the Strategic Trade and Investment Partnership</b><br class=""></span></div><div style="margin-top:0px;margin-right:0px;margin-bottom:0px;margin-left:0px" class=""><span style="font-family: -webkit-system-font, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, sans-serif;" class=""><b class="">Date: </b></span><span style="font-family:-webkit-system-font,Helvetica Neue,Helvetica,sans-serif" class="">October 3, 2023 at 1:29:45 PM EDT</span></div><div style="margin-top:0px;margin-right:0px;margin-bottom:0px;margin-left:0px" class=""><span style="font-family: -webkit-system-font, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, sans-serif;" class=""><b class="">Reply-To: </b></span><span style="font-family:-webkit-system-font,Helvetica Neue,Helvetica,sans-serif" class="">USTR Press Office <<a href="mailto:ustrpressoffice@ustr.eop.gov" target="_blank" class="">ustrpressoffice@ustr.eop.gov</a>><br class=""></span></div><br class=""><div class=""><center 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href="https://mailchi.mp/20debf29da1e/united-states-and-kenya-to-hold-second-negotiating-round-under-the-strategic-trade-and-investment-partnership?e=2babc947d3" style="color:rgb(101,101,101);font-weight:normal;text-decoration:underline" target="_blank" class="">View this email in your browser</a></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr><tr class=""><td valign="top" id="m_-2465870194762253360m_9142884059548254797templateHeader" style="background-color:rgb(255,255,255);background-image:none;background-size:cover;border-top-width:0px;border-bottom-width:0px;padding-top:9px;padding-bottom:0px;background-position:center center;background-repeat:no-repeat no-repeat" class=""><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%" style="border-collapse:collapse;min-width:100%" class=""><tbody class=""><tr class=""><td valign="top" style="padding-top:9px" class=""><table align="left" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%" style="border-collapse:collapse;max-width:100%;min-width:100%" class=""><tbody class=""><tr class=""><td valign="top" style="word-break:break-word;color:rgb(32,32,32);font-family:Helvetica;font-size:16px;line-height:24px;text-align:left;padding:0px 18px 9px" class=""><div style="text-align:left" class=""><strong class="">FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE</strong></div><div style="text-align:left" class="">October 3, 2023</div> <div style="text-align:left" class=""><strong class="">CONTACT</strong>:<span class=""> </span><a href="mailto:media@ustr.eop.gov" style="color:rgb(0,124,137);font-weight:normal;text-decoration:underline" target="_blank" class="">media@ustr.eop.gov</a><br class=""> </div><div style="text-align:center" class=""><strong class="">United States and Kenya to Hold Second Negotiating Round Under the Strategic Trade and Investment Partnership<span class=""> </span></strong><br class=""> </div>WASHINGTON – The United States and Kenya will hold a second in-person round under the Strategic Trade and Investment Partnership (STIP) in Washington, DC, from October 4-7, 2023. The United States delegation will be led by Assistant United States Trade Representative Constance Hamilton and will include representatives from several other government agencies.<br class=""> <br class="">The negotiators last met in person under the STIP in April 2023 in Nairobi, Kenya, and have continued to make progress in deepening mutual understanding and resolving differences. Ambassador Tai also traveled to Nairobi from July 17-19, 2023, where she engaged in productive discussions with President Ruto and senior Kenyan officials, on the positive feedback USTR has received from stakeholders on the STIP thus far and on the continued momentum of ongoing negotiations. <br class=""> <br class="">This round of discussions will cover four of the topics under the U.S.-Kenya STIP: (1) agriculture, (2) anti-corruption, (3) inclusivity, and (4) services domestic regulation.<br class=""> <br class="">These meetings will be closed press. <br class=""> <br class=""><strong class=""><u class="">Background</u></strong><br class="">The United States and Kenya launched the <a href="https://ustr.us7.list-manage.com/track/click?u=b58f12c4da47019d98a1e84ef&id=077035c127&e=2babc947d3" style="color:rgb(0,124,137);font-weight:normal;text-decoration:underline" target="_blank" class="">U.S.-Kenya STIP on July 14, 2022</a> and announced that the two governments would pursue enhanced engagement leading to high standard commitments in a wide range of areas. The goal of the Partnership is to increase investment; promote sustainable and inclusive economic growth; benefit workers, consumers, and businesses (including micro-, small-, and medium-sized enterprises); and support African regional economic integration. <br class="">The joint statement identified a set of initial issues on which the United States and Kenya share the goal of negotiating high-standard commitments in order to achieve economically meaningful outcomes. On August 5, 2022, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative published in the Federal Register a request for public comment on objectives for those areas of initial focus: <br class="">(1) agriculture, (2) anti-corruption, (3) digital trade, (4) environment and climate action, (5) good regulatory practices, (6) micro, small, and medium size enterprises, (7) protecting worker’s rights and protections, (8) supporting the participation of women, youth, and others in trade, (9) standards collaboration, (10) trade facilitation and customs procedures, and (11) services domestic regulation. <br class=""> <br class=""> <br class=""><br class=""><br class=""> <div style="text-align:center" class="">###</div></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr><tr class=""><td valign="top" id="m_-2465870194762253360m_9142884059548254797templateBody" 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