Brian Lowry Archives

Business Applauds UN High-Level Meeting on Non-Communicable Diseases

Published on September 26, 2011

4161_image002USCIB and its affiliate the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) said the world business community strongly supports the outcome of the United Nations High-Level Meeting on Non-Communicable Diseases, which took place September 19-20 in New York.

USCIB and ICC representatives said businesses have an interest in curbing non-communicable diseases for a variety of reasons, including having productive employees, providing products, medicines, services, and technical support to manage NCDs, and sustaining a beneficial long-term relationship within the communities where they operate.

“Business understands that NCDs are a societal matter, and therefore require whole-of-society and whole-of-government solutions,” said Louise Kantrow, ICC’s permanent representative to the United Nations.  “All companies have an interest in ensuring they have a healthy and resilient workforce, and we welcome the UN’s work on this issue and look forward to taking an active part in continuing the fight against NCDs.”

Industry has taken concrete actions to combat NCDs that include global public commitments to address food reformulation, consumer information, responsible marketing, promotion of healthier lifestyles, and public-private partnerships.  In fact, cooperative relationships with industry have already led to many favorable outcomes related to diet and physical activity.

There are ongoing initiatives by the food industry to reduce the fat, sugar, and salt content of processed foods and portion sizes, to increase introduction of innovative, healthier and nutritious choices.  Industry is also partnering with governments and nongovernmental organizations to encourage more active, healthier lifestyles, including working to reduce alcohol abuse, which have contributed to health gains worldwide.

USCIB President and CEO Peter M. Robinson said the global business community welcomed the outcomes of the UN High-Level Meeting on Non-Communicable Diseases as well as future engagement with the United Nations on this important societal issue.  “A multi-stakeholder approach is clearly needed to effectively curb NCDs,” he said.  “The private sector will continue to play its role, and we look forward to working closely with governments and other actors in this effort.”

To read the declaration from the High-Level Meeting on NCDs, click here.

More on USCIB’s Health Care Working Group

BASCAP Launches New Initiatives in the Fight Against Fakes

Published on September 20, 2011

BASCAPSeveral years ago, in response to the growing threat to business from fake products, USCIB’s affiliate the International Chamber of Commerce launched BASCAP – Business Action to Stop Counterfeiting and Piracy, which seeks to connect all business sectors and cut across national borders in the fight against counterfeiting and piracy.  With senior-level representation from numerous affected companies, industries and countries, BASCAP’s efforts focus on raising awareness and working with governments, law enforcement and international organizations in a joint effort to combat global intellectual property theft.

During the most recent BASCAP steering committee meeting, September 15-16 in New York, BASCAP members discussed its new Pro-IP work stream, which concentrates on developing a strong set of materials to promote the positive aspects of IP protection and its relation to innovation, economic growth/development and employment.

One feature of the work stream is a new BASCAP-IP Blog, which will strengthen the body of public knowledge in the realm of IP protection and create an outlet for BASCAP pro-IP work, including existing products such as the BASCAP IP Powerhouse report and its economic studies. The blog is an online location for commenting on issues of the day and will replace the data-oriented BASCAP Digest, with editorial comment.

BASCAP is preparing a report debunking economic “IP fallacies” related to growth, R&D, employment, and FDI.   A number of interest groups have argued that counterfeiting and piracy are not associated with negative effects on society or the economy.  Among the key assertions put forward by these groups, some of which made their way into a recent paper by the UN’s World Intellectual Property Organization, are that counterfeiting and piracy create employment and provide income to workers, particularly in developing economies, and that counterfeiting and piracy provide competition for big business, spurring increased R&D spending and lower prices.

BASCAP also plans to add two annexes to its IP Guidelines for Business, which have thus far been launched in six languages.  The first annex will address government use of software, with the goal of ensuring that governments take action to prevent IPR infringements in their computer systems.   The second annex will focus on government procurement, i.e., what happens when governments themselves purchase counterfeit products in several sectors – transportation, medicines and medical supplies, electronics, software, and military and security supplies.

The steering committee also reviewed a scoping paper to address how IP-based businesses use various types of technical protection measures to deter counterfeiting and piracy, how these are or should be protected by regulation, and how the inherent limitations in such technologies militate against mandatory “one size fits all” solutions.

In the coming months, BASCAP plans to move forward with in-country initiatives in Turkey, Chile, Ukraine, Africa, China and India.  There are also several reports in the pipeline, including on free trade zones, digital piracy in the U.S., what to do with confiscated goods, and a study on the role of intermediaries in the supply chain.

More on USCIB’s Intellectual Property Committee

USCIB Gears Up for APEC Senior Officials Meeting in San Francisco

Published on August 9, 2011
A wide-ranging agenda in San Francisco will help set the stage for this November’s APEC summit in Honolulu.
A wide-ranging agenda in San Francisco will help set the stage for this November’s APEC summit in Honolulu.

USCIB members and staff will be front and center as the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) economies convene September 12-26 in San Francisco for their third senior officials’ meeting of 2011.  Founded in 1989, APEC encompasses 21 economies of the Asia-Pacific region, with a focus on facilitating economic growth, cooperation, trade and investment.

As the host to APEC this year, the United States held the first two senior officials’ meetings in Washington, D.C. in February and in Big Sky, Montana in May.  The meetings in San Francisco will set the stage for the APEC Leaders Meeting and CEO Summit, November 9-14 in Honolulu.

The San Francisco gathering will include important high-level meetings on women and the economy, energy and transportation, information and communications technology, and life sciences innovation.  Also on the agenda are important sessions on customs and trade facilitation, electronic commerce and data privacy, and chemicals.

By participating in the APEC process, companies and business groups have the opportunity to lay out their priorities on various trade and investment issues directly to the economies of greatest interest, and participate in dialogues with the officials who ultimately make the policy decisions affecting their industry.  Business input into APEC is facilitated at the regional level through the APEC Business Advisory Council, and at the U.S. level via the National Center for APEC.

USCIB members and staff will be busy informing discussions and attending a number of high-priority meetings, including the following.

  • Women and the economy: Ronnie Goldberg, USCIB’s executive vice president and senior policy officer, has been invited by the Department of State to attend the Women and the Economy Summit, which takes place September 13-16. The WES is set to bring together senior private- and public-sector representatives for a dialogue on fostering women’s economic empowerment among the APEC economies. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is scheduled to deliver the keynote address.
  • Chemicals: Helen Medina, USCIB’s director of life sciences and product policy, will have an active role at the APEC Chemical Dialogue, scheduled for September 12-13, leading industry input and continuing discussion on the chemical in articles project from February’s meeting in Washington, D.C.
  • Customs: Nasim Deylami, USCIB’s manager of customs and transport policy, will participate in the APEC Customs-Business Dialogue on September 17, joined by members of USCIB’s Customs Committee to address issues ranging from mutual recognition of authorized economic operators to supply-chain connectivity and security.
  • Privacy: USCIB is coordinating a seminar on “APEC Cross-Border Privacy Rules: The Company Perspective:”  At the earlier senior officials meeting in Washington, Heather Shaw, USCIB’s vice president of ICT policy, spoke on a panel about the costs and benefits to corporate participation in the program.  In San Francisco, a working group will consider the potential interoperability between the APEC rules and other existing regulatory systems dealing with cross-border privacy issues, such as the EU’s binding corporate rules.

In addition to the above events, Justine Badimon, USCIB’s APEC affairs manager, will join members at public-private dialogues at the energy and transportation ministerial, a meeting of the APEC business mobility group, and the Secure Trade in APEC Region conference.  She will also support a presentation of the Asia-Pacific Interactive Tariff Database to the business community and APEC customs officials.

USCIB is already looking ahead to the November leaders’ meeting and CEO summit in Honolulu, where a full agenda of public-private roundtables and events is being organized to facilitate discussion and cooperation between the public and private sectors of APEC member economies.  USCIB President and CEO Peter Robinson plans to attend the CEO summit, joining many USCIB member companies in communicating industry’s priorities for the Asia-Pacific region.

For more information about registration for private-sector activities, please visit the National Host Committee’s website at www.apec2011usa.org.

Staff Contact: Justine Badimon

Countries Decline to Ramp Up Disclosure of Product Information

Published on July 8, 2011
USCIB’s Helen Medina at the conference in Chisinau, Moldova
USCIB’s Helen Medina at the conference in Chisinau, Moldova

Timely work by USCIB and other business groups around an intergovernmental conference paid off when parties to the Aarhus Convention rebuffed efforts to widen possible public environmental disclosure rules to include proprietary product information.

The scene was the fourth meeting of parties to the convention, which took place June 27 to July 1 in the Moldovan capital Chisinau. Attending on behalf of business and industry were Helen Medina, USCIB’s director of life sciences and product policy, attended the meeting in Moldova and was joined by Alessandra Salamini (Monsanto), Michelle Orfei (Croplife International) and Robbie Schreiber (European Crop Protection Association).

Formally known as the UN Economic Commission for Europe Convention on Access to Information, Public Participation in Decision-Making and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters, and named after the Danish city where it was signed in 1998, the Aarhus Convention links environmental protection and human rights, laying our procedures for public access to information, participation and redress in local, national and cross-border environmental matters. Some 40 European and other countries are party to the convention.

“The Aarhus Convention is not just an environmental agreement,” noted Ms. Medina. “It is also about government accountability, transparency and responsiveness. It grants the rights to the public, and it imposes obligations on countries and public authorities regarding access to information, public participation and access to justice.”

Industry representatives were interested in how the convention work program for 2012-2014 would be implemented, especially the work plan for a task force aimed at widening the range of information – including privately held product information – made available to the public. In the end, parties to the convention opted to delete the reference to product information.

“This was a win for us, brought about largely because, prior to the conference, industry did a lot of work on educating the European Union about the slippery slope of giving the public have direct access to product information from the private sector,” Ms. Medina said. “In the end, it was the EU that changed the language.”

USCIB and other industry groups will continue to monitor future discussions to see how this language in the work program translates into practice.

Business also sought to learn how Aarhus Convention principles are being promoted at the global level and in other international environmental discussions. Stakeholders at the Chisinau meeting issued a declaration, “Rio Plus Aarhus – 20 Years On,” which highlights the importance of promoting Aarhus principles of openness, transparency, wide participation and accountability in international environmental decision-making in preparation for the Rio+ 20 Conference in 2012. In this context, the business delegation delivered an intervention which highlighted the need of wide stakeholder engagement in matters relating to sustainable development.

On the last day of the meeting, USCIB’s Ms. Medina delivered a business statement highlighting the positive role companies can play in providing practical solutions to complex global environmental challenges. She stressed the need for improved governance and policymaking, as well as a multi-stakeholder approach, in tackling such environmental challenges as climate change, energy security, waste management, water scarcity and population growth.

 

More on USCIB’s Product Policy Working Group

More on USCIB’s Environment Committee

UN Ramps Up Action on Non-Communicable Diseases

Published on June 23, 2011
Panelists at the luncheon briefing on non-communicable diseases. L-R: Dr. Scott Ratzan (Johnson & Johnson), Louise Kantrow (ICC), Donna Hrinak (PepsiCo), Dr. Karen Sealey (Pan-American Health Organization).
Panelists at the luncheon briefing on non-communicable diseases. L-R: Dr. Scott Ratzan (Johnson & Johnson), Louise Kantrow (ICC), Donna Hrinak (PepsiCo), Dr. Karen Sealey (Pan-American Health Organization).

The United Nations plans to hold a high-level meeting this September in New York on combating non-communicable diseases like cancer and diabetes.  In preparation, USCIB and its affiliate the International Chamber of Commerce hosted a luncheon briefing at the UN on June 16 on “Multi-Stakeholder Solutions Addressing Non-Communicable Diseases.”  The event was attended by some 80 representatives of UN member states, industry and civil society.

Speakers at the luncheon came from across the spectrum of health policy and business, and included:

  • Alexander Alimov, senior counselor with the Russian mission to the UN
  • Dr. Karen Sealey, special advisor to the Pan-American Health Organization
  • Donna Hrinak, co-chair of the International Food and Beverage Alliance and vice president of global public policy with PepsiCo
  • Dr. Scott Ratzan, chair of the International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers and Associations and vice president of global health with Johnson & Johnson
  • Erica Whinston, senior manager with Qualcomm

The panel was moderated by Louise Kantrow, ICC’s permanent representative to the UN.  Earlier in the day, USCIB and ICC submitted a joint statement to an interactive hearing for civil society.  The statement focused on the importance of tailored, local solutions as part of a broader global effort in addressing non-communicable diseases (NCDs), the importance of involving the private sector and the need to take a broad, societal approach.

“NCDs are a societal matter and therefore require whole-of-society and whole-of-government solutions,” the statement said, noting that “all companies have an interest in ensuring they have a healthy and resilient workforce to maintain their competitive edge.”

Staff contact: Helen Medina

Remarks by ICC’s Louise Kantrow to the UN civil society hearing on non-communicable diseases

More on USCIB’s Health Care Working Group

Conference Highlights Need for Cooperative Efforts to Rein in Health Care Costs

Published on June 22, 2011

“Governments and the private sector need to work together to offer innovative solutions for health promotion, disease prevention and treatment that will help address the rising health care costs and challenges presented by aging populations,” stated Nicole Denjoy, chair of the Task Force on Health Care Policy at the Business and Industry Advisory Committee to the OECD, USCIB’s affiliate.  “We need to move from sick care to health care.”

Speaking to over 100 senior policymakers, business figures and academics gathered in Paris for the OECD 50th Anniversary Health Conference on meeting the challenges of aging and multiple morbidities, co-sponsored by BIAC, Ms. Denjoy, the secretary general of COCIR (European Coordination Committee of the Radiological, Electromedical and Healthcare IT Industry), highlighted the business case for greater collaboration with governments to generate improved health outcomes and greater efficiency in the future.

She said businesses, as contributors to health budgets, employers of older workers, and providers of goods and services, have a vested interest in reducing the overall cost burden, while increasing efficiency and quality of health care.  Close cooperation with governments will help incentivize the business community to make the necessary investments today that will yield the solutions needed for tomorrow.

Despite big improvements in health since the founding of the OECD in 1961, health policies have been slow to adapt to new challenges. Ms. Denjoy said.  Addressing the health care needs of the future requires urgent attention from policymakers as the transformation for the health care system takes years to develop and implement.

Read more on BIAC’s website.

Staff contact: Helen Medina

More on USCIB’s Health Care Working Group

OECD website

 

Launch of ICC WIPO Handbook for Providing IP Services

Published on June 6, 2011
Available in English and Spanish, the ICC-WIPO handbook gives practical advice on how to set up different types of IP services
Available in English and Spanish, the ICC-WIPO handbook gives practical advice on how to set up different types of IP services

The International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), USCIB’s affiliate, and the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) have launched the publication, Making intellectual property work for business today during the 7th World Chambers Congress in Mexico City. Developed jointly by the two organizations, the handbook – provides practical guidance to chambers of commerce and business associations looking to provide intellectual property (IP) services for businesses.

Although intellectual property has become an essential competitive tool for businesses in today’s economy, many companies do not understand how to use IP in their business. Businesses membership organizations are uniquely positioned to help bridge this knowledge gap.

“Businesses nowadays have to rely on the effective use of one or more types of intellectual property to gain and maintain a competitive edge in the marketplace,” said David Koris, chair of the ICC Commission on Intellectual Property. “Business leaders and managers, therefore require a much better understanding of the tools of the IP system to protect and exploit the IP assets they own, or wish to use, for their business models and competitive strategies in domestic and international markets.”

Daphne Yong-d’Hervé, ICC’s chief IP officer, said: “Because of the strong relationship with their business constituencies, business membership organizations are ideally placed to help companies navigate this emerging field and to play an active role in helping companies understand and use IP assets as a competitive tool.” Read more on ICC’s website.

Staff Contact: Helen Medina

More on ICC’s intellectual property work

More on USCIB’s Intellectual Property Committee

With Business Input APEC Officials Make Progress Toward This Falls Honolulu Summit

Published on May 26, 2011
Trade ministers from the 21 APEC economies at the senior officials meeting in Big Sky, Montana.
Trade ministers from the 21 APEC economies at the senior officials meeting in Big Sky, Montana.

USCIB was among the business groups that participated in the second 2011 APEC (Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation) senior officials meeting, which took place last week in Big Sky, Montana. APEC groups 21 leading economies from around the Pacific rim. The United States is hosting this year’s APEC leaders meeting in Honolulu in November as well as three senior officials meetings (the first in Washington, DC, in March, the third in San Francisco in September).

U.S. companies and business associations played an important role in the Montana meeting, helping inform the discussions and laying the groundwork for a CEO summit in Hawaii. Business input to APEC is facilitated at the regional level via the APEC Business Advisory Council, and at the U.S. level through the National Center for APEC.

Executives held numerous breakout sessions and briefings with leading economic officials from around the region. Jonathan Huneke, USCIB’s vice president for communications and public affairs, took part in the Big Sky sessions and chaired meetings with trade officials from Mexico and Malaysia.

Much of the discussion among government officials centered on trade, and on ensuring that small and medium-sized businesses can benefit from commercial opportunities in the APEC region. Trade ministers including U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk explored ways to bolster the multilateral trading system in light of the stalled Doha Round of trade talks in the WTO. Business groups said they remained committed to Doha and urged governments not to abandon the talks. The U.S. delegation also included Commerce Secretary Gary Locke and other top officials.

Other key developments at the Big Sky meetings included:

  • Adoption of a code of ethics for the region’s medical devices industry to improve the quality of health care and encourage innovation.
  • Signing of an agreement between APEC and the World Bank to strengthen collaboration on food safety in the Asia-Pacific region, which accounts for over 40 percent of the world’s population and nearly half of global food production.
  • Release of an APEC survey on structural reform, which said APEC economies have made significant progress in reforming regulations to better assist businesses.
  • Discussions with private-sector leaders on ensuring food security in the region in light of growing populations, insufficient gains in agricultural productivity and limited natural resources.

Looking ahead, USCIB will play an active role at the third senior officials meeting in San Francisco (September 12-26), leading on issues such as chemicals policy, data protection, customs and trade facilitation, energy, and women in the workplace.

Separately, USCIB applauded introduction of the APEC Business Travel Card (ABTC) Act in the U.S. House of Representatives and urges its passage as soon as is practicable.

 

APEC website

National Committee for APEC website

USCIB Urges Changes to Proposed Korean Chemicals Regulation

Published on May 11, 2011

korea_flagThe Korean environment ministry recently proposed far-reaching regulations, modeled largely on European Union law, on the use of chemicals.  In response, USCIB engaged its members and submitted comments, supporting other submissions by business and industry groups, including the American Chemistry Council.

The regulations would amend Korea’s toxic chemicals control act and introduce many elements similar to those found in the EU’s REACH law on chemicals, including priority chemicals, chemicals for authorization, chemicals for restriction, pre-registration of priority chemicals and communication of information throughout the supply chain.

USCIB urged that manufactured products or articles be excluded from all the regulation’s provisions, and that exclusions for such articles not require a confirmation that they are exempt.  “A requirement that manufacturers or importers submit an application for confirmation of an exemption would be inefficient and wasteful,” the USCIB letter stated.

Under a World Trade Organization agreement on technical barriers to trade, Korea must notify the organization when it prepares or adopts a new technical regulation or standard, and other WTO member nations may comment on such measures.

Staff contact: Helen Medina

USCIB Letter to Korean Environment Minister

More on USCIB’s Product Policy Working Group

News Brief: The Costs of Counterfeiting

Published on February 4, 2011

A new ICC report predicts the cost of intellectual property rights abuses worldwide will reach $1.7 trillion by 2015 and put 2.5 million legitimate jobs at risk each year.  Launched at the 6th Global Congress on Combating Counterfeiting and Piracy, which took place in Paris in early February, the ICC report updates a groundbreaking 2008 OECD study that showed more than $250 billion in counterfeit and pirated goods move through international trade alone.  The revealing ICC study not only brings the estimates up to date but also examines additional impacts not quantified in the OECD report.  These include the value of domestically produced and consumed counterfeit products, the value of digital piracy, and the negative impacts on society, governments and consumers.

Staff contact: Caitlin Martin

More on ICC’s BASCAP (Business Action to Stop Counterfeiting and Piracy) initiative