Brian Lowry Archives

Southeast Asia Tanker Hijacks Rose Despite Global Drop in Sea Piracy

Published on January 23, 2015

4944_image002Attacks against small tankers off Southeast Asia’s coasts caused a rise in global ship hijackings, up to 21 in 2014 from 12 in 2013, despite piracy at sea falling to its lowest level in eight years, the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) International Maritime Bureau (IMB) has revealed. Pirates took 442 crewmembers hostage, compared with 304 in 2013.

IMB’s annual piracy report shows 245 incidents were recorded worldwide in 2014 – a 44% drop since Somali piracy peaked in 2011. Somali pirates were responsible for 11 attacks, all of which were thwarted. However, IMB warns shipmasters to follow the industry’s Best Management Practices, as the threat of Somali piracy has not been eliminated.

Worldwide, 21 vessels were hijacked last year, 183 were boarded, and 13 fired upon. Pirates killed four crewmembers, injured 13 and kidnapped nine from their vessels.

“The global increase in hijackings is due to a rise in attacks against coastal tankers in Southeast Asia,” said Pottengal Mukundan, director of IMB whose Piracy Reporting Centre has monitored world piracy since 1991. “Gangs of armed thieves have attacked small tankers in the region for their cargoes, many looking specifically for marine diesel and gas oil to steal and then sell.”

Citing the death of one crewmember shot on his bitumen tanker in December, the IMB report highlights the possibility of the hijackings becoming increasingly violent. Most of the 124 attacks in the region were aimed at low-level theft from vessels using guns and long knives.

IMB offers the latest piracy reports free of charge. To request a PDF version of the report by email, please click here.

More on the ICC website.

 

USCIB Looks Ahead to Int’l Conference on Chemicals Management

Published on January 10, 2015
Helen Medina (USCIB) speaks at the second meeting of the Open-Ended Working Group of ICCM in Geneva on December 16. (Credit: International Institute for Sustainable Development)
Helen Medina (USCIB) speaks at the second meeting of the Open-Ended Working Group of ICCM in Geneva on December 16. (Credit: International Institute for Sustainable Development)

Central to the modern economy, chemicals are traded widely across borders and are used in the production of thousands of different products, from pharmaceuticals to computer microchips.

The International Conference on Chemicals Management (ICCM) is an inter-governmental ministerial that convenes UN member delegates and stakeholders for discussions on chemicals management. Adopted by the International Conference on Chemicals Management (ICCM) in 2006, the Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management (SAICM) is a policy framework aimed to foster the safe and sound management of chemicals.

In December, Helen Medina, USCIB’s senior director for product policy and innovation, attended the Second Open-Ended Working Group of ICCM in Geneva to represent American business interests in the lead-up to the next ICCM ministerial, scheduled to take place in late September 2015.

Approximately 335 delegates attended the working group, representing 105 governments, five UN agencies, 12 intergovernmental organizations, and 38 non-governmental and industry organizations. At the meeting USCIB shared its concerns about SAICM’s Chemicals in Products program (CiP), a voluntary initiative designed to give guidance on how to share relevant information on chemicals in products along the supply chain and throughout their life cycle. Industry representatives argued that elements of the CiP draft text were too prescriptive, and that efforts should be made to make the document more attractive to business.

USCIB will continue to monitor work on SAICM and provide regular updates to members. Medina will attend the fourth International Conference on Chemicals Management in September 2015.

Full House ICC Conference Elucidates New EU Rules on Genetic Resources

Published on January 8, 2015

4926_image002The International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) hosted a conference in Paris on November 24 and 25 which shed light on the new European Union (EU) regulation regarding Access and Benefit-sharing (ABS). ABS refers to the way in which genetic resources such as plant and animal products may be legally accessed, and how users and providers reach agreement on the fair sharing of the benefits that arise from the use of these products.

The United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity concluded the Nagoya Protocol in 2010, which provides an international framework for establishing national regimes on ABS.

Featuring a panel of high-level speakers representing government agencies and the private sector, ICC’s sold-out event brought together executives and policymakers to discuss how the new regulation affects their daily operations. The two-day conference convened over 120 participants from 16 countries representing a wide variety of sectors including cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, plant and animal breeding, collections and museums, as well as government representatives.

“It is very important to get to know better the new EU regulation as it may affect any professional involved in the manufacturing, development and distribution of genetic resources,” said Alicja Kozlowska, ABS policy officer of the European Commission.“The conference was a unique opportunity to throw some light on the scope of the obligations flowing from the regulation.”

The first day of the event featured an overview of the new EU ABS regulation covering topics such as scope and due diligence requirements under national and international regimes.The second day featured a program of technical workshops on tools to facilitate compliance, as well as commercialization and transactions with customers and licensees inside and outside the EU. Afternoon sessions highlighted industry best practices with panelists who shared their best practices.

ICC played an active role coordinating business participation in the Nagoya Protocol negotiations and continues to coordinate business input in the process of national implementation of the protocol.

 

Business Fully Engaged at 2nd International Nutrition Conference

Published on November 21, 2014

ICN2_BannerThe Second International Conference on Nutrition (ICN2) wrapped up on Friday, ending an inter-governmental conference aimed at addressing the twin global threats of malnutrition and obesity as governments pledged to align national policies with nutrition objectives.

USCIB attended the conference, organized by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization and World Health Organization at the FAO headquarters in Rome from November 19 to 21, as part of a private sector delegation of over 90 people from more than 20 countries. USCIB and member companies were on the ground in Rome to make the case for the positive role the private sector plays in nutrition and agriculture.

USCIB, along with the International Agri-Food Network, developed a list of key private sector messages that were delivered during the ICN2 plenary:

Private Sector Key Messages

Nutrition & ICN2 meeting 19-21 November 2014

Addressing Nutrition Globally

  • Furthering nutritional goals depends on agricultural production and access, particularly to address the needs of women, children and the most vulnerable.
  • Good nutrition promotes broad-based, diverse diets and provides consumer choice.
  • Innovation, research, and education are essential to accelerating nutritional improvements.

Taking Action

  • The private sector is necessary to increase the scope of financial and human resources in order to tackle nutritional challenges on a large scale.
  • Expanding trade raises the standard of living in developing countries and improves the performance of national economies, which are necessary for combating global hunger.
  • Empowering women is crucial for improving nutrition, so governments should promote policies that help women become farmers, traders and entrepreneurs.

Private Sector Engagement is Essential

  • At ICN2, the private sector delegation included 90 private sector representatives from 24 countries.
  • The private sector appreciates the support of member-states in encouraging the participation of non-state actors in ICN2 and encourages future plans to engage them in action plans.
  • The private sector is committed to public-private partnerships that support public health strategies.
The Second International Conference on Nutrition took place at the FAO headquarters in Rome from November 19 to 21
The Second International Conference on Nutrition took place at the FAO headquarters in Rome from November 19 to 21

“The private sector is an important ally in fighting hunger and malnutrition, therefore the FAO is committed to strengthening its partnership with private sector,” said FAO Director General Jose Graziano da Silva. “There is a need for improved nutrition and coordination across sectors. This needs to be done in dialogue with non-state actors including the private sector.”

On November 18, Helen Medina, USCIB’s senior director for product policy and innovation, chaired a side-meeting with government officials – Kevin Concannon, undersecretary for food, nutrition and consumer services at the U.S. Department of Agriculture; Ambassador Peter McGovern, Canada’s ambassador to Italy; and Lois Brown, Canadian Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of International Cooperation.

“The meeting was friendly,” Medina said. “The private sector shared its main messages while government officials reiterated how pleased they were to see a big private sector delegation at ICN2.”

Throughout the conference Medina and other private sector representatives engaged with delegates to promote business’s positive role in the nutrition space. Many governments supported business’s engagement in the dialogue.

During the plenary, discussion was intense over how the agriculture and food systems should address obesity. Speakers stressed the importance of reducing salt, sugar and fat in people’s diets, as well as reducing processed foods. Malnutrition received less attention.

The conference ended with participants agreeing that there is a clear need for a whole of government approach to nutrition. In particular, ICN2 has underscored that it is crucial to have policy coherence the health and agriculture agencies to deliver action on the nutritional challenges of each nation. Thus far, there has been a no coordinated approach on nutrition.

Looking ahead, there will be a push to include more nutritional targets in the UN’s Post-2015 Development Agenda and in the Sustainable Development Goals. USCIB will continue to work with the International Agri-Food Network to ensure that its members can engage with the FAO and relevant UN agencies as the ICN2 recommendations move forward.

Improving nutrition is a collective business (FAO)

Staff contacts: Helen Medina

More on USCIB’s Food and Agriculture Working Group

More on USCIB’s Product Policy Working Group

USCIB Represents Business at International Conference on Nutrition

Published on November 13, 2014

FAO BuildingsMore than half the world’s population suffers from malnutrition. The Second International Conference on Nutrition (ICN2), jointly organized by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Health Organization, will convene government officials to craft a policy framework for addressing the world’s nutrition challenges. Held at the FAO headquarters in Rome from November 19 to 21, ICN2 hopes to keep nutrition high on the international development agenda.

USCIB will be part of a private-sector delegation of nearly 100 people attending the conference, during which member country representatives will pledge to develop national strategies to address malnutrition.

USCIB member companies will also send representatives to Rome for ICN2, including the Coca-Cola Company, Dupont, McDonalds, Meade Johnson, Monsanto, Nestle and Pepsi. Helen Medina, USCIB’s senior director for product policy and innovation, will be part of the private sector delegation in Rome.

ICN2 provides an important opportunity for business to showcase its strong support for nutrition and food security. Business plays an important role throughout the entire agriculture supply chain, from seeds, to food processing, to all the products farmers need to grow and distribute food.

Companies help educate consumers about healthy lifestyles through nutrition programs, labeling and responsible marketing,” Medina said. “They have an interest in promoting healthy societies in which their workers can prosper.”

Medina will be on the ground in Rome as a voice for the following U.S. business messages in the nutrition and agriculture space.

  • The private sector plays a positive role in addressing nutritional issues and food security
  • Free trade and investment negotiations hold the potential to increase the standard of living in developing countries and distribute more food to more people
  • Empowering women is crucial for improving nutrition, and any global nutrition plan must include policies that help women become farmers, traders and business owners
  • While tax incentives for healthy diets might seem like a good idea, fiscal policy often has unintended consequences, and taxing food actually winds up hurting low-income individuals the most
  • Sound nutrition policy must employ knowledge and evidence-based programs rather than be held captive by parochial interests.
  • Read the ICN2 provisional agenda and outcome documents.

Staff contacts: Helen Medina

More on USCIB’s Food and Agriculture Working Group

More on USCIB’s Product Policy Working Group

USCIB Champions Regional Integration at APEC CEO Summit

Published on November 10, 2014
More: Business Applauds APEC’s Work on Trade Facilitation

L-R: Hai Ling (Mastercard), Peter Robinson (USCIB), Leocadia Zak (USTDA), Peter Sykes (Dow Chemical), Leslie Griffin (UPS) and Anthony Nightingale (Jardine Matheson Holdings Limited
L-R: Hai Ling (Mastercard), Peter Robinson (USCIB), Leocadia Zak (USTDA), Peter Sykes (Dow Chemical), Leslie Griffin (UPS) and Anthony Nightingale (Jardine Matheson Holdings Limited

Thousands of delegates from around the world gathered in Beijing from November 8 to 10 for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation CEO Summit, the most influential and high-level economic dialogue in the region. The summit brings together heads of state, business leaders and economic experts to share their views on how to promote free trade, innovation, growth and integration in the Asia-Pacific.

USCIB President and CEO Peter Robinson and Helen Medina, senior director of product policy and innovation, attended the summit and met with USCIB members and government officials to discuss American business priorities in the region.

Robinson hosted a bilateral discussion with U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Economic and Business Affairs, Charles Rivkin. Company representatives raised several concerns, including the need to move forward on the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP), the importance of bilateral investment treaties, and the need to secure a high standard of intellectual property rights in TPP.

President Obama delivered a speech at the APEC Summit on Monday on U.S. engagement with the Asia-Pacific region and the value of trade and economic integration.

“In the 21st century, the pursuit of economic growth, job creation and trade is not a zero-sum game. One country’s prosperity doesn’t have to come at the expense of another’s,” Obama said. “If we work together, and act together, strengthening the economic ties between our nations will benefit all our nations. That’s true for the nations of APEC, and I believe it’s particularly true for the relationship between the United States and China.”

Global Value Chains and Trade: Strengthening APEC’s Economic Integration

USCIB organized an event, “Global Value Chains and Trade: Strengthening the Backbone for Greater Economic Integration Across APEC,” through the U.S. APEC Business Coalition. The event convened government and business leaders to discuss the role global value chains (GVCs) play in bolstering Pacific Rim economies.

“In our highly interconnected world, participation in GVCs can produce considerable gains,” said Robinson. “According to a report last year by the OECD, WTO and UNCTAD, developing economies with the fastest growing GVC participation have per-capita GDP growth rates two percent above the average. Likewise, countries that attract more foreign direct investment tend to have higher GVC participation levels and to generate more value added from trade.”

Healthy economies require solid transportation infrastructure and modern customs systems. U.S. Trade and Development Agency Director Leocadia Zak explained that USTDA has strengthened global value chains in APEC by targeting projects that secure transportation system upgrades. Customs modernization policies are critical for creating an effective global value chain that promotes international trade.

“The U.S. Trade & Development Agency has been pleased to work with public and private sector partners throughout the APEC region to modernize transportation and customs system networks,” said Zak. “This work has not only demonstrated advanced U.S. technologies, but has also led to more efficient global value chains that enable U.S. goods to flow more freely across and within APEC economies.”

The private sector, particularly logistics providers, has an important role to play in streamline trade and the flow of goods along the value chain. UPS’s senior vice president for international public policy Leslie Griffin noted that logistics providers do more than simply store and move goods, they coordinate traditional logistics competencies with manufacturing, distribution, sales and value-add services like customs clearance.

“Intensifying competition and changing customer demands for goods and services have made global value chains more complex and difficult to manage,” Griffin said. “In this environment, logistics providers have become value chain integrators.”

During the discussion, companies identified a number of obstacles that APEC economies must overcome in order to leverage the benefits of global value chains:

  • forced localization requirements that impede the flow of goods and services;
  • restrictions on cross border data flows, which limit cloud computing and e-commerce;
  • differences in customs procedures, including duplicative document requirements and complicated administrative requirements, which result in multiplied costs and time to reach the market;
  • lack of regulatory transparency and additional regulatory barriers for products or services from country to country.

Robinson also attended a “Women in the Economy” side meeting hosted by USCIB members Microsoft, Chevron and Wal-Mart in coordination with the U.S. APEC Business Coalition. APEC officials reiterated the importance of equal gender participation in the economy, and USCIB will continue to advocate for the inclusion of this issue throughout the work of APEC, as outlined in our priorities.

USCIB recently released its “2015 APEC Priority Issues and Recommendations,” which outlines policies that APEC economies can pursue towards freer trade, greater economic integration, and easier movement of goods and services across borders and along the value chain. USCIB will continue to work within APEC with our business and government partners in the coming Philippines host year to ensure that these issues remain in the agenda.

Staff contacts: Helen Medina and Rachel Spence

More on USCIB’s APEC Working Group

Business Applauds APEC’s Work on Trade Facilitation

The U.S. private sector applauded APEC’s efforts to forge ahead on initiatives to accelerate trade and economic growth through the APEC Alliance for Supply Chain Connectivity (A2C2), amid challenges surrounding implementation of the World Trade Organization’s (WTO) Agreement on Trade Facilitation.

In 2010, APEC Leaders committed to achieve a 10 percent improvement by 2015 in the performance of the regional supply chain, as measured by reductions in cost, time, and uncertainty. In 2014, APEC established the A2C2 to leverage outside expertise in helping developing economies improve supply chain performance through targeted, focused capacity building and technical assistance.

In a joint statement, USCIB and the National Center for APEC called the effort “a strong example of the kind of substantive work APEC is doing to improve supply chain performance and help economies implement the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement.”

“U.S. companies and associations trading in the Asia-Pacific have valuable experience moving goods and services seamlessly, quickly, and inexpensively through the region. The A2C2 is an excellent opportunity for the U.S. private sector to lend its expertise to APEC’s supply chain initiative on an ongoing and substantive basis,” said USCIB President and CEO Peter Robinson.

Staff contact: Kristin Isabelli

More on USCIB’s Customs and Trade Facilitation Committee

USCIB Gears Up for APEC Summit With Business Priorities

Published on October 31, 2014
More: Boost for APEC Agenda on Marketing

The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) is a forum comprised of 21 Pacific Rim member economies that promotes free trade and economic cooperation throughout the Asia-Pacific region. In the lead-up to APEC’s November meetings in Beijing, which will close out China’s host year, USCIB welcomes the committed partnerships that APEC sustained with the private sector to address the region’s complex economic challenges.
The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) is a forum comprised of 21 Pacific Rim member economies that promotes free trade and economic cooperation throughout the Asia-Pacific region. In the lead-up to APEC’s November meetings in Beijing, which will close out China’s host year, USCIB welcomes the committed partnerships that APEC sustained with the private sector to address the region’s complex economic challenges.

The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) is a forum comprised of 21 Pacific Rim member economies that promotes free trade and economic cooperation throughout the Asia-Pacific region. In the lead-up to APEC’s November meetings in Beijing, which will close out China’s host year, USCIB welcomes the committed partnerships that APEC sustained with the private sector to address the region’s complex economic challenges.

Throughout 2014, USCIB advanced a wide range of policy discussions through APEC to promote a pro-business agenda on chemicals regulation, advertising self-regulation, data privacy, customs, women in the economy and local content requirements.

USCIB engaged in several APEC working groups, including the Chemical Dialogue, Customs Business Dialogue and the Electronic Commerce Steering Group, to encourage discussions between governments and the private sector on topics of interest to business.

Next week, USCIB President and CEO Peter Robinson will attend the APEC CEO Summit in Beijing, China from November 8 to 10 as a business delegate and representative of the U.S. APEC Business Coalition along with Helen Medina, USCIB senior director of product policy and innovation, and USCIB member company CEOs and executives. Robinson and Medina will discuss USCIB’s work and members’ APEC priorities, and will join with other coalition partners to pursue common business objectives.

The APEC forum is a valuable space for business to engage with the region’s political leaders, and USCIB has assumed a leadership role in APEC on behalf of our members. At the CEO Summit this year, USCIB will organize a breakfast event on November 10 through the U.S. APEC Business Coalition to discuss the role of global value chains (GVCs) in strengthening economic integration across Pacific Rim countries. The event will feature private sector representatives and APEC government officials who will offer their perspectives on how policies and regulations impact investment decisions, supply-chain routing, cost efficiency, and key ingredients for climbing the GVC-ladder. Please find the current draft agenda here.

USCIB has also consulted with members engaged in APEC’s work to develop top-level messaging for the CEO Summit and related meetings in Beijing, as well as an APEC priorities document ahead of the 2015 APEC Summit to be hosted by the Philippines.

On October 14, the USCIB APEC Working Group met with Ed Brzytwa, Director for APEC Affairs, Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) and Bob Wang, U.S. Senior Official for APEC, U.S. Department of State, where members voiced their thoughts on priority areas including:

  • the integration of global value chains throughout the APEC region;
  • the importance of digital trade in economic development and issues regarding local content;
  • alignment to international best practices in advertising and the promotion of self-regulatory bodies (see below);
  • intellectual property rights enforcement and capacity building;
  • rule of law and ethical business practices in supply chains (child labor and human trafficking); and
  • the importance of energy security and strategic infrastructure to sustainable development.

Additionally, USCIB plans to meet with Deputy Secretary of Commerce Bruce Andrews to discuss USCIB’s APEC work and priorities.

More information on USCIB’s APEC activities will be available after the summit concludes next week.

Staff contact: Rachel Spence and Helen Medina
More on USCIB’s APEC Working Group

Boost for APEC Agenda on Marketing

Earlier this month, USCIB and the Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA) convened a well-attended roundtable in Washington, DC, on moving forward with the promotion of marketing and advertising standards work in APEC. There are strong signals that the Chinese government (this year’s APEC host) is pushing for leaders at the November APEC summit in Beijing to endorse the APEC action agenda on advertising standards, which was agreed by ministers at the August senior officials meeting.

Among other things, the action agenda calls for APEC economies to develop principles to use in constructing their ad standards regimes, as well as an advertising regulatory checklist of key elements in a regulatory (including self-regulatory) framework. USCIB and GMA members discussed with U.S. government representatives what industry would like to see next. They agreed to send a letter to U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman laying out the case for additional APEC work in this area in order to facilitate cross-border trade and investment in the APEC region.

Staff contact: Jonathan Huneke

More on USCIB’s Marketing and Advertising Committee

Leveraging Partnerships to Combat Malnutrition

Published on October 15, 2014

4861_image002As part of a series of public discussions leading up to the Second International Conference on Nutrition (ICN2), the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization hosted a dialogue on October 14 in Rome about the critical role public-private partnerships in fighting malnutrition. The well-attended event convened representatives from member states, the private sector and civil society to raise awareness of global nutrition issues and catalyze support for partnerships. Dr. Nancy Stetson, special representative for global food security at the U.S. Department of State, noted that partnerships are necessary to reduce global hunger and malnutrition.

Louise Kantrow, ICC’s permanent representative to the UN, made a strong case for engaging the private sector as a full partner in deciding strategies for addressing malnutrition, since business is involved throughout the entire agriculture supply chain, from seeds to food processing to all the products farmers need to grow and distribute food.

“The UN has recognized that the problems confronting the global community now know no boundaries and all actors in society must come to the table and provide inputs,” said Kantrow, who also stressed the importance of trade and investment in the agriculture industry as it relates to economic development, empowering women, and innovation as areas where the private sector can contribute to the fight against malnutrition.

USCIB will attend ICN2 in November at the FAO’s headquarters in Rome.

Read the event summary on the FAO’s website.

Staff contacts: Louise Kantrow and Helen Medina

More on USCIB’s Food and Agriculture Committee

More on USCIB’s Product Policy Working Group

USCIB Observes Nutrition Conference Negotiations

Published on October 13, 2014
4854_image002
L-R: Katy Lee (Private Sector Mechanism), Ann Steensland (Global Harvest Initiative), Nico Belzen (International Dairy Federation), and Helen Medina (USCIB)

The United Nations and World Health Organization will convene the Second International Conference on Nutrition (ICN2) next month to address the persistently high twin threats of hunger and malnutrition around the world.

In the lead-up to ICN2, member states met in Rome at the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) from October 10 to 12 to negotiate the final outcome documents for ICN2 – the political declaration and the framework for action. The meeting was a continuation of negotiations in Geneva last September where member states made progress finalizing the political declaration.

The ICN2 outcome documents will provide key priorities and technical assistance to governments and other stakeholders for improving people’s nutrition.

During the Rome meeting, USCIB partnered with the Global Harvest Initiative to represent U.S. business interests at the negotiations. USCIB’s Helen Medina, senior director for product policy and innovation, attended the meeting. Watch her summarize the meeting’s key takeaways for business.

Prior to the negotiations, private sector representatives were concerned with outstanding issues in the political declaration for ICN2. The document contained some language on “culturally acceptable food” that might have produced negative trade implications. Business believes that the document should focus on nutrition and leave discussions about trade policy to the World Trade Organization. Private sector representatives sought to eliminate language that could create potential trade barriers.

Business also paid attention to other areas of concern in the Framework for Action, including policies that deal with food pricing incentives, marketing and labeling regulations, language the puts a pejorative spin on processed food, and policies that are not inclusive of the entire agriculture industry.

“There are some good winds for the private sector,” Medina said at the end of the meeting. Negotiators deleted language in the political declaration that would have had a negative impact on trade. However issues remain with the Framework for Action, which recommends policies in international trade and investment that would be problematic for business. The U.S. government has reserved its position on the framework’s paragraphs about recommended trade and investment action, and USCIB is planning a follow-up meeting with USG to learn about any remaining issues with the framework before ICN2.

ICN2 will take place in Rome from November 19 to 21.

Staff contact: Helen Medina

More on USCIB’s Food and Agriculture Committee

More on USCIB’s Product Policy Working Group

USCIB Represents American Business During the ICN2 Outcome Documents Negotiations

Published on September 22, 2014

4839_image001Global hunger and malnutrition remain stubbornly high, with over two billion people suffering from nutrient deficiencies. To address the worldwide double threat of undernourishment and obesity, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) spearheaded the International Nutrition Conference in 1992, aimed at alleviating hunger and malnutrition while encouraging countries to develop national strategies to address unhealthy diets, obesity and other nutrition-related diseases. Although progress has been made, more needs to be done to combat global hunger and malnutrition.

To reach that goal, the Second International Nutrition Conference (ICN2) will take place this November, and in the lead-up to the conference the FAO and the World Health Organization (WHO) have organized an Open Ended Working Group on September 22-23, hosted at the WHO in Geneva, to approve the final drafts of the ICN2 Political Declaration and a Framework for Action, documents that are meant to provide key priorities to governments and other stakeholders for improving people’s nutrition in a sustainable way.

Helen Medina, USCIB’s senior director for product policy and innovation is currently attending the working group, along with other non-state actor representatives and Member State delegations. USCIB was among two U.S.-based associations representing American business interests at the working group. The meeting marked the first time USCIB has been invited to attend a negotiating session at the WHO.

Last month, USCIB submitted comments to the FAO consultation on the framework identifying several problems with the draft’s language, particularly clauses that either ignored or downplayed industry’s contributions to alleviating malnutrition. As USCIB’s comments were taken into consideration, Medina is attending the working group negotiations to ensure that stakeholders acknowledge that the private sector plays a positive role in addressing nutritional issues.

“We want to make sure that the discussion acknowledges that the private sector is part of the solution,” Medina said.

USCIB maintains that increased trade in agriculture and food increases the standard of living in developing countries and improves the performance of national economies. Given the positive role industry plays in combating malnutrition, it is important that the FAO’s framework support policies that do not inhibit international trade and investment.

During the working group meeting, USCIB working with other private sector representatives will have the opportunity to engage with U.S. and foreign government officials to further the following messages:

  • Industry has a positive role in addressing nutritional issues;
  • It is important to employ “knowledge and evidence-based programs” to combat global hunger and nutrition-related diseases;
  • Any roles and responsibilities given to the various multilateral organizations involved in addressing global malnutrition should be clearly defined;
  • Increased trade, particularly in agriculture and food, increases the standard of living in developing countries and improves the performance of national economies;
  • Empowering women is crucial for improving nutrition, and therefore promotes policies that help women become farmers, traders and business owners;
  • Fiscal policy is complex and often has unintended consequences, therefore taxes should not be used as incentives for healthy diets; and
  • It is essential that all stakeholders work together to develop holistic, impactful, and sustainable solutions.

The political outcome document and the framework for action are supposed to be finalized during the working group meeting with the view of being adopted at ICN2 in November.

Watch Helen Medina summarize key business takeaways from the ICN2 negotiations in Geneva.

Staff contact: Helen Medina

More on USCIB’s Food and Agriculture Working Group

More on USCIB’s Product Policy Working Group