Emerging markets, transfer pricing and tax treaties on the agenda of annual event

Washington, D.C., May 24, 2012 – How do key emerging markets fit into the global taxation system? How can the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), national governments and global business best foster simplicity, effective problem-solving and appropriate tax policy tools for countries at different stages of development?

These will be among the questions tackled at the annual tax conference of the United States Council for International Business (USCIB), June 4-5 in Washington, D.C. Now in its sixth year, the sold-out event will focus on the work of the 34-nation OECD, a key global forum for discussion and coordination of national taxation policies.

The conference provides a unique opportunity for American business to interact with top representatives of the OECD’s Center for Tax Policy and Administration, as well as senior tax officials from the U.S. and other OECD countries.

“As emerging markets like China and India continue to attract significant inbound investment, increase their outbound investment, and grow their participation in global production and value chains, it is critical that their national tax policies work harmoniously with the evolving global body of tax treaties and related rules,” said Bill Sample, corporate vice president for worldwide taxation with Microsoft Corp. and chair of USCIB’s Taxation Committee.

“This event will provide an important opportunity for tax executives from multinational companies to benchmark the best approaches to tax and development, and to discuss related issues of transfer pricing and tax treaties, through direct discussion with experts from the OECD and national tax officials,” he said.

Key questions to be addressed at the conference include: What are the latest international developments affecting permanent establishments? Are transfer pricing rules too complex? How should income from intangible property be determined? How are countries working together to improve tax compliance and cooperation?

Speakers at the event are expected to include:

• Jose Fernandez, assistant secretary for economic and business affairs, U.S. Department of State
• Pascal Saint-Amans, new head of the OECD’s Center for Tax Policy and Administration
• Manal Corwin, deputy assistant secretary of the Treasury for international affairs
• Masatsugu Asakawa of the Japanese finance ministry, chair of the OECD Committee on Fiscal Affairs
• Marlies de Ruiter, new head of OECD’s tax treaty, transfer pricing and financial transactions division
• Joe Andrus, new head of OECD’s transfer pricing unit
• Sam Maruca, the Internal Revenue Service’sdirector of transfer pricing operations.

“Informed, ongoing dialogue with the OECD secretariat and with OECD member states is crucial for global companies,” according to Carol Doran Klein, USCIB’s vice president and international tax counsel. “It’s a testament to how seriously companies view these issues that the event was sold out weeks in advance.”

The conference is co-organized by USCIB, the OECD and the Business and Industry Advisory Committee (BIAC) to the OECD, which officially represents the view of industry in the Paris-based body. Supporting organizations include the International Fiscal Association – USA Branch, the International Tax Policy Forum, the National Foreign Trade Council, the Organization for International Investment, the Tax Council Policy Institute, the Tax Executives Institute and the Tax Foundation. Details are available at www.uscibtax.org.

USCIB promotes open markets, competitiveness and innovation, sustainable development and corporate responsibility, supported by international engagement and regulatory coherence. Its members include U.S.-based global companies and professional services firms from every sector of our economy, with operations in every region of the world. With a unique global network encompassing leading international business organizations, including BIAC, USCIB provides business views to policy makers and regulatory authorities worldwide, and works to facilitate international trade and investment. More information is available at www.uscib.org.

Contact:
Jonathan Huneke, VP communications, USCIB
+1 212.703.5043 or jhuneke@uscib.org.

Conference agenda and other information

More on USCIB’s Taxation Committee

BIAC/AmCham France report highlights how the gender dividend pays economic dividends and can spur job creation

Paris and New York, May 22, 2012 – As governments struggle to find the right combination of policies to create jobs, boost demand and spur economic growth, a new report from BIAC, the Business and Industry Advisory Committee to the OECD, and the American Chamber of Commerce in France suggests that women’s economic empowerment is a powerful resource. The report was unveiled today in Paris, according to BIAC’s American affiliate, the United States Council for International Business (USCIB).

The report states that unleashing women’s talent and creative potential in the workplace bears significant and well-documented economic gains, not only for companies, but for women themselves, economies and societies as a whole. In this strategic context, the role of women as critical human capital as well as consumers is key, all the more so as the global economy faces persistent economic challenges.

The new report, “Putting ALL Our Minds to Work: Harnessing the Gender Dividend,” launched today and delivered to OECD ministers at the 2012 OECD Ministerial Council Meeting, shows that there is a clear gender dividend. The report also presents evidence of how the accelerating trend towards women’s economic empowerment is bringing about change. Companies and business organizations are taking action and assuming leadership locally and globally to implement practices and policies that open pathways to the highest level for women in business.

The report advocates the business case for women’s economic empowerment, provides a toolkit of company best practices and puts forward public policy recommendations to further enable efforts to maximize the benefits of gender diversity.

BIAC worked closely with the United States Mission to the OECD and in particular with Ambassador Karen Kornbluh. According to Ambassador Kornbluh: “The United States supported the launch of the OECD Gender Initiative because women’s economic empowerment is a centerpiece of U.S. foreign policy. The reports address the paradox that although more girls than ever are getting an education and are entering the workforce, we still see little change in top management or in ownership of assets. The OECD and BIAC reports together document the leaky pipeline that explains the paradox and present policy tools which businesses and governments can use to repair it.”

The BIAC report highlights that despite best efforts, progress in moving women into senior decision-making roles of companies is still slow. At the current rate of change it will take until 2057 for there to be 30 percent representation of women on the boards of global large cap companies in emerging and developed markets.

“Businesses worldwide acknowledge that the bottom end of the pipeline is bulging with better educated and enthusiastic women, but still there is only a trickle that comes out at the top. According to our businesses’ experiences, no single approach is enough, and no single actor is sufficient,” said BIAC Chairman Charles P. Heeter.

“Gender equality is an economic issue, and should be a business priority,” stated Ronnie Goldberg, USCIB’s executive vice president and senior policy officer, who chairs the BIAC Employment, Labor and Social Affairs committee, which is providing a business perspective on OECD work on the gender dimension of education, employment, and entrepreneurship. “Countries, as well as companies, that do not capitalize on the full potential of half their society or workforce are grossly misallocating their human resources, and compromising their ability to compete in the global economy.”

The report shows that harnessing the gender dividend requires top leadership commitment, transparency of action and accountability throughout all levels of an organization. Training, sponsorship and mentorships tailored for women are also necessary, as well as a willingness to change mind-sets, including amongst women themselves.

Advancement also requires measurement. The OECD, through its Gender Initiative, is doing important work to create indicators that show where the gaps persist, whether it is pay, the number of women on boards, or education. That data will provide facts to support more effective efforts of all participants, reinforcing initiatives worldwide and helping companies and governments to constructively address and remove barriers to advancing women in the workplace.

“What gets measured gets done,” said Mr. Heeter. “The OECD will fill an important gap in measuring progress and deepening understanding of gender diversity impacts on economic growth through its analysis of the public policy landscape and business approaches to gender diversity.”

Public policy matters. Business looks to governments for enabling frameworks that allow companies to promote women at work. The report explores this, showcasing successful legislative and voluntary approaches to women’s economic empowerment. Further, policy should aim to develop the overall employment potential for all women. Governments can support this goal through labor market, social, education and tax policies that make work pay for women and their families. Access to affordable quality child care is a persistent important issue. Access to finance for entrepreneurs is also a critical enabler.

“Advancing efforts to harness the gender dividend is an opportunity we need to make the most of now,” said Mr. Heeter. “Companies are implementing global strategies for women to succeed at all levels of work. These efforts are not just about affirmative action for women, they are about creating a level playing field for men and women alike. And they are paying off in better company performance – the so called “gender dividend. This translates to economic growth and social advancement.”

About BIAC:

Founded in 1962 as an independent organization, the Business and Industry Advisory Committee to the OECD (BIAC) is the officially recognized representative of the OECD business community. BIAC’s members are the major business organizations in the OECD member countries and a number of OECD observer countries. More information is available at www.biac.org.

About USCIB:

USCIB promotes open markets, competitiveness and innovation, sustainable development and corporate responsibility, supported by international engagement and regulatory coherence. Its members include U.S.-based global companies and professional services firms from every sector of our economy, with operations in every region of the world. With a unique global network encompassing leading international business organizations, including BIAC, USCIB provides business views to policy makers and regulatory authorities worldwide, and works to facilitate international trade and investment. More at www.uscib.org.

Contact:
Jonathan Huneke, VP Communications, USCIB
+1 212.703.5043, jhuneke@uscib.org

White paper from McGraw-Hill Research Foundation and United States Council Foundation explores approaches to lifelong learning for the 21st century

New York, N.Y., May 17, 2012 – As technology increasingly eradicates traditional jobs faster than individuals can learn the skills necessary to adapt, the fundamental process of how we educate and train people must be revisited. In order to address the needs of the 21st-century economy, educators, policy makers and the business community should develop a common global approach to education, skills development and lifelong learning. Suggested approaches include building resilience into curriculums and shifting the focus from either/or knowledge or skills training to an area that includes both.

This is the conclusion of a new white paper from the United States Council Foundation, the educational arm of the United States Council for International Business (USCIB), and The McGraw-Hill Research Foundation. Summarizing the conclusions of a Roundtable on Education and Human Capital Requirements held earlier this year, the paper calls for a continuous, cogent conversation to respond to the global and personal challenges of the 21st century. Rejecting efforts to elevate science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) over the humanities or other disciplines in favor of a more flexible approach, the paper encourages educators to address both individual learning styles as well as the changing demands of the workplace.

“It became clear at the Roundtable that we do not have a coherent strategy to skills development that will meet the economic needs of the 21st century,” according to Peter M. Robinson, USCIB’s president and CEO. “Research is fragmented among stakeholders, with business, educators and policy makers each looking at the problem through their own prism. We need a global, multi-disciplinary approach to solving the problem.”

“Disruptive events around the world underscore dramatic changes occurring in societies; yet one truism remains unchanged: the key to unlocking a brighter future is forged in education,” noted James H. McGraw, IV, president of The McGraw-Hill Research Foundation. “If we are to tackle the problem of stubbornly high unemployment and meet the job needs of global employers over the long term, we need to embrace a wide range of ideas about education and consider new possibilities.”

The paper offers a number of suggestions made at the Roundtable to help improve education, including:

• Focus first on early childhood, where the best return on investment lies. Among other techniques, pair each child with a caring adult, if a caring parent is not available – this has been shown to have the largest single impact on a child’s future chances.
• Build resilience into education systems, improving their ability to respond to rapidly changing needs by allowing for as much as thirty percent or more of customization and adaptation of curricula (which will have the extra benefit of being better adapted to each child’s needs and learning styles).
• Push for mastery of the foundational curriculum through middle school – the “table stakes.” Be explicit about STEM’s and Humanities/Arts’ complementary role and value. Emphasize quantitative literacy and applied mathematics for all, not just for the few who get into STEM jobs.
• Focus on processes to reach deep understanding of the knowledge areas covered. Shift the mindset from knowledge OR skills to knowledge AND skills, and focus on both knowledge and its applications through creativity/innovation, critical thinking, communication, and collaboration.
• Improve the connection between school and work-based learning via apprenticeships and internships. Open up the teaching profession to practitioners from the world beyond the educational environment, moving back and forth between the two, or shouldering teachers.
• Rethink the front-end-loading of education, as in many cases formal education is continuing well into adulthood via personal re-skilling and corporate training. Develop micro-credentialing and “stackable” certificates, which would evaluate and validate skills.
• Develop a better understanding of the role of corporate training and development and its contribution to life-long learning, as business and corporate training is currently much larger than the entire U.S. higher education sector.
• Place increased value on informal learning avenues (such as after-school programs, museums, etc.) as critical supplements to the inevitable gaps of formal learning.

“What is clear is that there is an urgent need to bring to the fore a deeply cogent, synthetic, open-minded and continuous conversation,” said Charles Fadel, author of 21st Century Skills and founder and chairman of the Center for Curriculum Redesign, which prepared the white paper for the Roundtable on Education and Human Capital Requirements.

The United States Council Foundation and The McGraw-Hill Research Foundation will convene a second Roundtable to focus on the white paper’s suggestions for immediate action and identify key areas for further study and research.

To read the report: http://mcgraw-hillresearchfoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Education-and-Human-Capital-Requirements_WP.pdf

To view excerpts from interviews with Roundtable participants: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hnvokzRkyu4&feature=youtu.be

About the United States Council Foundation:

The United States Council Foundation, Inc. is a private 501(c)(3) organization affiliated with the United States Council for International Business. It undertakes educational activities to promote the benefits of a free market economy, demonstrate and document the role of the corporate private sector in economic growth and social development, and advance sustainability in environmental management. Additional information is available at www.uscouncilfoundation.org. Contact: Jonathan Huneke, +1 212.703.5043, jhuneke@uscib.org.

About The McGraw-Hill Research Foundation:

The mission of The McGraw-Hill Research Foundation is to support organizations, projects and activities that are advancing global education and knowledge in the 21st century. The Foundation was established with the support of The McGraw-Hill Companies and is a Section 501(c)(3) organization. Additional information is available at www.mcgraw-hillresearchfoundation.org. Contact: Jason Feuchtwanger, +1 212.512.3151, jason_feuchtwanger@mcgraw-hill.com.

About the Center for Curriculum Redesign:

“What should students learn in the 21st century?” The mission of the Center for Curriculum Redesign (CCR) is to answer this timely question, and openly propagate its recommendations and frameworks on a worldwide basis. The CCR brings together non-governmental organizations, jurisdictions, academic institutions, corporations, and organizations including foundations. Additional information is available at www.curriculumredesign.org. Contact: Charles Fadel, charlesfadel@gmail.com.