The State Department updated its list of countries (here) certified to have a regulatory program for protection of sea turtles that is comparable to that of the U.S., or to fish in conditions that pose no risk to sea turtles, and therefore eligible to export shrimp to the U.S. without a certification from a government official on State Form DS-2031. The list includes 39 countries and one economy. Countries with a comparable regulatory program include Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Gabon, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Panama and Suriname. Argentina, Belgium, Canada, Chile, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Russia, Sweden, the United Kingdom and Uruguay harvest in an environment that poses no risk; and the Bahamas, Belize, China, the Dominican Republic, Fiji, Hong Kong, Jamaica, Oman, Peru, Sri Lanka and Venezuela employ practices that don’t pose a risk to sea turtles, State said.

The State Department added Mubarak Mohammed A Alotaibi (here) to its list of Specially Designated Global Terrorists, State said. "Global Terrorist" designations include prohibitions against knowingly providing, or attempting or conspiring to provide, material support or resources to, or engaging in transactions with, the individuals. The designations also freeze all property and interests of the individuals in the U.S. or in the control of U.S. citizens.

The State Department added the Central African Republic and Venezuela to the list of participants eligible for the rough diamond trade through 2003’s Clean Diamond Trade Act, according to a Federal Register notice (here).

Alisa Forby is now the division chief of the Sea, Land, and Aircraft Systems Division of State Department Directorate of Defense Trade Controls’ (DDTC) Office of Defense Trade Controls Licensing, the DDTC said (here). The former head of that branch, Robert Warren, is retiring, effective April 30. Forby was previously the division chief of the office’s Plans, Personnel, Programs, and Procedures Division.

The State Department added Tarek Sakr and Farah Mohamed Shirdon to its list of Specially Designated Global Terrorists, State said (here). "Global Terrorist" designations include prohibitions against knowingly providing, or attempting or conspiring to provide, material support or resources to, or engaging in transactions with, the individuals. The designations also freeze all property and interests of the individuals in the U.S. or in the control of U.S. citizens.

The State Department added Abu Anas al-Ghandour (here) to its list of Specially Designated Global Terrorists, State said. "Global Terrorist" designations include prohibitions against knowingly providing, or attempting or conspiring to provide, material support or resources to, or engaging in transactions with, the individuals. The designations also freeze all property and interests of the individuals in the U.S. or in the control of U.S. citizens.

The State Department added Anjem Choudary (here), El Shafee Elsheikh (here) and Sami Bashur Bouras (here) to its list of Specially Designated Global Terrorists, State said. "Global Terrorist" designations include prohibitions against knowingly providing, or attempting or conspiring to provide, material support or resources to, or engaging in transactions with, the individuals. The designations also freeze all property and interests of the individuals in the U.S. or in the control of U.S. citizens.

The State Department added Mark John Taylor (here) and Shane Dominic Crawford (here) to its list of Specially Designated Global Terrorists, State said. "Global Terrorist" designations include prohibitions against knowingly providing, or attempting or conspiring to provide, material support or resources to, or engaging in transactions with, the individuals. The designations also freeze all property and interests of the individuals in the U.S. or in the control of U.S. citizens.

The State Department barred U.S. government procurement and goods sales to a range of individuals and organizations, in accordance with the Iran, North Korea and Syria Nonproliferation Act (here). That ban covers an organization’s successors, subunits and subsidiaries, and includes all items on the U.S. Munitions List, Export Administration Regulations, as well as any defense or defense-related item. The Commerce Department also will not issue any licenses for any of the following individuals and organizations:

The State Department is accepting comments and requests for consultations from stakeholders until April 28, in connection with the Securities and Exchange Commission’s reporting requirements for “conflict minerals” from the Democratic Republic of the Congo and surrounding countries, State said (here). State is seeking comments on “how best to support responsible sourcing” of tin, tantalum, tungsten and gold, in hopes of ensuring the region’s resource wealth helps advance broad, inclusive and sustainable socioeconomic development, and of breaking links between armed groups and the region’s minerals trade, State said. The SEC is considering whether to go forward with the reporting requirements set in 2014 (see 1702030035).