Survey Reveals Business Optimistic on Low-Carbon Transition

Published on December 3, 2009

Paris and New York, December 3, 2009 – The vast majority of business experts polled in a worldwide survey believe the transition to a low-carbon economy will bring about new opportunities for many businesses in their country, and think clear and transparent guidelines would help companies innovate and invest in technologies designed to meet the challenges of climate change.

The poll, conducted among more than a thousand economists and other experts in 86 countries in October, was part of the quarterly World Economic Survey conducted by the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) and Germany’s Ifo Institute for Economic Research.

The Paris-based ICC is the largest, most representative private sector association in the world, with hundreds of thousands of member companies in over 130 countries. The United States Council for International Business (USCIB), based in New York, serves as ICC’s American national committee.

Asked whether the transition to a low carbon economy will bring new opportunities to businesses in addition to cost reductions, 78 percent of respondents in Western Europe either agreed strongly or agreed with the statement. The figures for the other regions were as follows: Asia (71%), South Africa (69%), Near East (68%), Central and Eastern Europe (66%), Commonwealth of Independent States (64%), North America, which comprises Canada and the United States (63%), and Central and Latin America (62%). Sixty percent agreed or strongly agreed in Oceania.

“Although the spread of non-polluting products and services will bring new economic opportunities all over the world, there are still significant obstacles to innovation because of lack of legislative and regulatory guidelines,” the report said.

A second question asked the economic experts whether they believe that transparent guidelines would help businesses in their country innovate and invest in environmentally-friendly technologies to meet the challenges of climate change. The response was overwhelmingly positive in all regions of the world.

Oceania led the way with 100 percent of respondents saying they agreed or strongly agreed that transparent guidelines would lead to innovation and investment. Asia was second with 91 percent, followed by 89 percent in both Western Europe and North America, 87 percent in Central and Latin America and in South Africa, 86 percent in Central and Eastern Europe, 82 percent in the CIS countries and 80 percent in the Near East.

“The response to this ICC special question explicitly demonstrated that economists worldwide agree that it is highly important to coordinate economic measures and policies to meet the challenges of climate change,” the report concluded.

ICC will lead business input at the UN climate change conference in Copenhagen later this month as the official business and industry focal point, and will present a wide range of business solutions through other activities in the Copenhagen city centre. ICC is co-organizing the Copenhagen Business Day on December 11 with the World Business Council for Sustainable Development and the Confederation of Danish Industry to demonstrate firsthand how global business is leading action on climate change.

USCIB promotes international engagement and prudent regulation in support of open markets, competitiveness and innovation, sustainable development and corporate responsibility. Its members include top U.S.-based global companies and professional services firms from every sector of the economy, and with operations in every region of the world. With a unique global network encompassing leading international business organizations, including ICC, 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

Contacts:

Jonathan Huneke, VP of Communications, USCIB
+1 212 703 5043 or jhuneke@uscib.org

Catherine Foster, ICC Communications Dept.
+33 1 4953 2822 or catherine.foster@iccwbo.org

ICC special question graphs

Full copy of the report

Asia-Pacific Business Seeks Greater Transparency to Move Goods

Published on November 13, 2009

L-R: Laurie Goldman of Levi Strauss & Co; Arrow Augerot of USTR and Raymond Yee of DHL

Initiative to make trade information more widely available in the region discussed during APEC leaders’ meeting in Singapore

New York and Singapore, November 13, 2009 – Leading companies are urging governments throughout Asia and the Pacific to make their tariffs and related rules more transparent, saying this could provide a big boost to the region as trade rebounds from the past year’s severe drop-off.

To help draw attention to the complexity of trade in the region, the United States Council for International Business (USCIB) and other members of the U.S. APEC Business Coalition, organized a November 12 business discussion on the APEC Transparency Initiative on Tariffs and Preferential Rules of Origin during the APEC CEO Summit and Leaders Meeting in Singapore.

Failure to take advantage of the current “spaghetti bowl” of regional trade agreements can be costly, attendees agreed. Raymond Yee, vice president for Asia-Pacific customs and regulatory affairs with DHL Express, provided his perspective on sourcing within the region and the possible impact of this initiative on business. Planning related to trade agreements is a crucial yet complex process. Company representatives recognize the need for the transparency initiative and believe it would facilitate trade by businesses of all sizes across the APEC region.

Proposed by the U.S. and Japan and endorsed by APEC trade ministers in July 2009, the APEC Transparency Initiative aims to help companies take advantage of the significant trade liberalization in the region. Arrow Augerot, deputy assistant U.S. trade representative for APEC affairs, was on hand to discuss the initiative at the November 12 event.

“This initiative is very timely because the lack of publicly available information on tariffs and preferential rules of origin has made it difficult for companies to take full advantage of the many free trade agreements negotiated in the APEC region,” said Laurie Goldman, senior manager of worldwide government affairs and public policy with Levi Strauss & Co. “What we are proposing is a central database that would be searchable and up-to-date. We would like to review the initiative with the broader APEC business community, exploring how to integrate information from all APEC economies.”

APEC trade ministers have pledged to provide the public with up-to-date and accurate tariff and rules of origin information by the time of their next meeting in June 2010, and to develop an APEC-specific website on tariffs and rules of origin by next year’s APEC leaders meeting in November.

The National Center for APEC (NCAPEC) and the U.S.-ASEAN Business Council are co-chairs of the U.S. APEC Business Coalition, which encompasses many leading U.S. industry groups.

NCAPEC is the only U.S. business association focused exclusively on facilitating American private sector input to the APEC process. The National Center functions as a conduit for U.S. businesses into APEC by serving as the Secretariat for the three U.S. executives who are appointed members of the APEC Business Advisory Council.

The US-ASEAN Business Council is the premier advocacy organization for U.S. Businesses operating in Southeast Asia. The Council serves a select membership of companies, including 7 of the Fortune 10 and 20 of the Dow Jones 30 companies, from its headquarters in D.C. and its five regional offices.

USCIB promotes open markets, competitiveness and innovation, sustainable development and corporate responsibility, supported by international engagement and prudent regulation. Its members include top 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, 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

More on the APEC Transparency Initiative and USCIB Involvement:
https://uscib.org/apectitrprofile-ud-3933

APEC CEO Summit Website:
http://www.apec2009.sg/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=100&catid=38

Co-Chairs of the U.S. APEC Business Coalition:
NCAPEC: http://www.ncapec.org
US-ASEAN Business Council: http://www.us-asean.org

Carnet Export Service Builds Brand Awareness Among Smaller Companies

Published on October 27, 2009

Commerce Secretary Gary Locke praised the Carnet program at USCIB’s Annual Dinner.

Throughout 2009, USCIB has been celebrating four decades of the ATA Carnet service in the United States. But we certainly won’t be resting on our laurels as we seek to broaden awareness and use of these invaluable “merchandise passports,” which enable exporters and global companies to avoid paying duties and taxes on goods taken abroad temporarily for trade shows, product demonstrations and as professional equipment.

Addressing USCIB’s October 8 Annual Dinner, Commerce Secretary Gary Locke extolled the virtues of the Carnet program, saying it fit closely with the Obama administration’s goal of creating a whole new generation of U.S. exporters.

“Right now, U.S. companies aren’t anywhere near maximizing their export potential,” he said. “Ninety-seven percent of U.S. exporters are small- and medium-size businesses, but they only account for 30 percent of export value. Meanwhile, of all the American businesses that export, 58 percent export to only one country. We can do a lot better. We’re looking forward to working with the Council to help educate U.S. companies about the ATA Carnet system.”

In September, building on an agreement signed earlier this year with the U.S. Department of Commerce, Amanda Barlow, USCIB’s Carnet development manager, provided training in the use of Carnets to the department’s Trade Information Center. Soon she will begin outreach and training for U.S. Export Assistance Centers around the country, with a webinar next month for the Northeast network.

According to Cynthia Duncan, USCIB’s senior vice president for Carnet operations, the goal is to help create jobs by getting exports growing again.

“Trade is essential for our economy to prosper, and ATA Carnets can make it easier for smaller companies to make inroads into overseas markets,” she observed.

Staff contact: Amanda Barlow

More on USCIB’s ATA Carnet Export Service

Commerce Department export assistance center (www.export.gov)

Commerce Secretary: U.S. Must Reform Visa Export Control Policies

Published on October 13, 2009

Addressing USCIB annual dinner, Locke hails International Chamber of Commerce on 90th anniversary

New York, N.Y., October 9, 2009 – The United States must improve its business visa process and export control policies, both of which are hampering America’s global competitiveness, according to U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gary Locke. He spoke last night at the annual dinner of the United States Council for International Business (USCIB), which represents America’s top global companies, at the Waldorf-Astoria in New York.

“The United States often makes it too difficult for foreign company executives to enter here to do business, a shortcoming that has a tangible cost for American business by shutting out some of their best customers.” stated Mr. Locke.

The commerce secretary called for an overhaul of the nation’s export control system, proposing that the need for dual-use export licenses be eliminated for U.S. allies and partner nations, and calling for fast-track procedures to review such licenses to other countries that do not pose a significant risk of proliferation.

“As more advances in science and technology occur in places like Europe, Russia and Asia, we are running the risk of preventing U.S. companies from participating in promising avenues of growth,” said Mr. Locke. “That means more high-tech, high-paying jobs going abroad.”

The dinner honored the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), the world business organization for which USCIB serves as American national committee. Throughout 2009, ICC is marking its 90th anniversary, and the continued importance of its credo of “peace and prosperity through world trade,” with a series of celebrations around the world.

Reflecting on the current precarious state of global economic recovery, ICC Chairman Victor Fung, chairman of the Hong Kong-based Li & Fung Group, reiterated ICC’s longstanding call for governments to complete the Doha Round of global trade talks.

“We are not out of the woods yet,” he stated. “Unemployment continues to rise in many countries, while many millions of people have fallen into poverty. This is why it is all the more crucial to do everything we can to get economic growth going again. One way we can do so is through trade.”

Christiane Amanpour, senior international correspondent with CNN, also spoke at the dinner. She reflected on a career reporting from zones of conflict around the world, noting that both global business and the journalistic community sought to illuminate the sources of conflict so that these may be overcome.

In addition to the ICC anniversary, the USCIB dinner celebrated four decades of U.S. membership in the worldwide ATA Carnet system for temporary exports. First introduced in the United States in 1969, Carnets are internationally recognized customs documents that allow for temporary duty-free, tax-free import of commercial samples, professional equipment and goods displayed at trade shows.

In June, USCIB signed a multi-year agreement with the Commerce Department to expand awareness of Carnets among small and medium-sized exporters. USCIB, which issues and guarantees Carnets in the U.S., will work with the U.S. Commercial Service to develop educational and training programs, with the goal of expanding use of the innovative “merchandise passports.”

Previous ICC anniversary events have been held in Geneva, Paris and Kuala Lumpur. The anniversary year will culminate with a high-level gathering of business leaders in New Delhi in December. The USCIB dinner followed a lunch at the United Nations yesterday presided over by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon. ICC will also convene a two-day symposium at Harvard Business School starting today to assess the future of market capitalism. More information on ICC and its 90th anniversary is available at www.icc90anniversary.org.

Based in Paris, with a network of national committees in some 90 countries, ICC has over the past nine decades represented business views to national governments and international organizations, while also establishing the world’s leading court of commercial arbitration and developing crucial rules for cross-border business activity in a variety of areas.

USCIB Chairman William G. Parrett lauded the vision of ICC’s founders. “They called themselves the ‘merchants of peace,’” he said. “Their conviction that commerce is a powerful force for good is as true now as it was nine decades ago. Indeed, the long period of peace and growth since 1945, which has lifted hundreds of millions of people out of poverty, can be traced directly back to the vision” of those who founded ICC in 1919.

Secretary Locke congratulated ICC on its anniversary, calling it “a long-time advocate for the power of open markets to unlock human potential across the globe.”

“Your work has never been more important than it is now,” he said. “During previous periods of economic difficulty, many governments, including that of the United States, have succumbed to the false comfort of turning inward and closing off markets. We all need to be vigilant against the forces of protectionism.

“You have seen how trade can create jobs and growth, speed the delivery of transformative ideas and technology, and hasten democracy and the spread of freedom. And that is a message all of us have a duty to spread, even if it isn’t always popular.”

About USCIB

Contact:

Jonathan Huneke, VP Communications, USCIB
+1 212.703.5043 (office), +1 917.420.0039 (mobile), jhuneke@uscib.org

More on USCIB’s Annual Dinner

Secretary Locke’s remarks

Remarks by ICC Chairman Victor Fung

ICC website

USCIB Welcomes New Agreement Between the U.S. Department of Commerce and ICANN

Published on October 1, 2009

ICANN coordinates the Internet’s worldwide domain name and addressing system.

New York, N.Y., October 1, 2009 – The United States Council for International Business (USCIB), which represents America’s top global companies across every sector of the economy, welcomed the announcement by the U.S. Department of Commerce and the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) to institutionalize and affirm ICANN’s responsibilities as a multi-stakeholder, private sector-led organization to coordinate the Internet’s global domain name and addressing system.

The agreement, called the “Affirmation of Commitments,” marks a new period in the technical management of the domain name system (DNS) following the expiration of a Joint Project Agreement between the two parties on September 30.

“The U.S. business community has supported the ICANN model since its inception 11years ago, and we still do,” said USCIB President and CEO Peter M. Robinson. “The Affirmation of Commitments allows ICANN to continue to evolve, and cements the private sector-led model as a key enabler in appropriately guiding the organization in its limited, technical, but critical role in managing the Internet’s DNS. We believe this will benefit global Internet users everywhere, including the businesses we represent, for whom the Internet is such a crucial infrastructure and commercial platform.”

“USCIB commends ICANN and the U.S. Department of Commerce on the commitments laid forth,” stated Art Reilly, chair of USCIB’s Information, Communications and Technology Policy Committee. “It is important to preserve the security and stability of the system, and ensure that decisions are made in the global public interest, transparently and with sufficient accountability. So is facilitating worldwide participation through International Domain Names. The commitment by ICANN to inclusive decision-making, providing published rationale for decisions taken, and evaluation of the consequences of decisions, provides a solid framework for industry and the global community to positively engage in the development of the Internet. Putting these commitments into practice will be the next big challenge for ICANN.”

As part of the agreement, ICANN pledges to establish review teams to regularly evaluate the progress it makes on its commitments. These teams will be constituted jointly by ICANN leadership and the chair of ICANN’s Government Advisory Committee, and will include representatives from ICANN, governments, various stakeholder groups and independent experts. Team recommendations will be subject to public comment, and ICANN will have six months to act on them.

“Business has long worked with and within ICANN in its technical function to sculpt an inclusive, vibrant, and open Internet,” said Mr. Robinson. “We view industry representation on these review teams, and within ICANN generally, as vital in bringing business expertise into deliberations that will impact the continued evolution and success of the DNS and the Internet. The internalization of review processes within ICANN is a positive step that should promote accountability to stakeholders like business and others, and dampen concerns about ICANN’s link to any one entity.”

USCIB looks forward to continued engagement with ICANN and the global community to ensure ongoing progress and success towards accountable, transparent and stable coordination of the Internet’s DNS.

About USCIB

The United States Council for International Business promotes open markets, competitiveness and innovation, sustainable development and corporate responsibility, supported by international engagement and prudent regulation. Its members include top 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, 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.

More on USCIB’s Information, Communications and Technology Policy Committee

ICANN website

USCIB Statement on the UN Global Leadership Forum on Climate Change

Published on September 23, 2009

New York, N.Y., September 23, 2009 – The United States Council for International Business, which represents America’s top global companies, released the following statement today:

Quotes from USCIB President and CEO Peter M. Robinson:

“American companies are up to the climate challenge, and indeed would benefit from lower barriers to imports of environmental technologies abroad. The U.S. and other major governments in developed and developing countries must support the private sector’s proven ability to commercialize and disseminate the fruits of innovation. Open trade is an essential part of that formula.”

“It is possible to secure global prosperity while protecting the world’s climate, but only with strong and sensible leadership from all major parties. We hope that leadership to advance economic recovery and encourage greener solutions in a mutually supportive fashion will emerge between now and December.”

We welcome the initiative of United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon to energize political and societal will towards a balanced, strengthened and effective global post-2012 climate agreement.

Moreover, we are encouraged by other climate change initiatives at the multilateral, regional and national levels as well as a variety of public-private partnerships and voluntary initiatives. These can help reinforce the ultimate goal of an effective, inclusive, long-term global framework governing post-2012 activities under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

Working primarily through the International Chamber of Commerce, USCIB is actively seeking a global framework that will provide energy access and security, while spurring technological innovation and the deployment of climate-friendly technologies to enable us to meet the common challenge of curtailing greenhouse gas emissions. We are pleased with the remarkable degree of consensus around these key points. Clearly, business is on board and will push hard for an effective global agreement on climate.

In our view, an ambitious and effective post 2012 framework agreement should:

Promote economic recovery, investment and employment as essential steps to respond to climate challenges, and respond to growing energy demand and lack of access to energy for development;
Include agreements on realistic and achievable mitigation objectives by all major-emitting countries, and the means to achieve them, compatible with national priorities and circumstances, while promoting maximum international cooperation;
Recognize the important role of markets in any cost-effective response to climate change, and enhance market-based approaches in conjunction with other policy instruments for more environmentally-sound investment;
Work in harmony with global commercial markets, trade and investment rules, and other fundamental international frameworks, and provide appropriate institutional and enabling frameworks to enhance development and deployment of technologies to address climate change;
Keep all energy options open, stimulate the broader use of existing energy-efficient and low-emission technologies to enable cost-effective reductions of GHG emissions, and protect intellectual property to underpin technology innovation, commerce and trade;
Put in place concerted, global support for research and development to increase the pace of commercialization and deployment for certain technologies;
Include a strong compliance regime, including timely and transparent reporting, and practical and effective approaches to measure, report and verify actions undertaken through national commitments;
Address adaptation needs, particularly in vulnerable developing countries, and create frameworks and governance structures to efficiently attract the necessary resources;
Work in concert with other critical priorities, notably energy supply and access for development, job creation, economic growth and trade liberalization.

USCIB promotes open markets, competitiveness and innovation, sustainable development and corporate responsibility, supported by international engagement and prudent regulation. Its members include top 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 ICC, USCIB provides business views to policy makers and regulatory authorities worldwide, and works to facilitate international trade and investment.

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

More on USCIB’s Environment Committee

International Chamber of Commerce website

The G20: Actions by USCIB and Our Global Business Network

Published on September 15, 2009

USCIB and its global business network continue to actively promote efforts to get world economic growth back on track. We have made the business case directly to G20 leaders and other important intergovernmental forums using a variety of channels.

Our unique affiliations with leading worldwide business groups – including the International Chamber of Commerce, the International Organization of Employers, and the Business and Industry Advisory Committee to the OECD – provide an invaluable channel through which to influence the course of global policies and regulations affecting business and the economy.

Here are links to G20-related statements and actions from USCIB and our global network. For older statements, please refer to the “Financial Crisis: USCIB Responds” page on this website.

Commerce Secretary to Address USCIB Annual Dinner

Published on September 15, 2009

Event to celebrate 90th anniversary of International Chamber of Commerce

New York, N.Y., September 15, 2009 – U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gary Locke will be the keynote speaker at the October 8 annual dinner of the United States Council for International Business (USCIB), which represents America’s top global companies. The event will be held at the Waldorf-Astoria in New York.

The dinner will celebrate the 90th anniversary of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), the world business organization that USCIB has represented since 1945, as part of a worldwide series of events commemorating the milestone.

“We are delighted that Secretary Locke will join us to provide his views on the challenges facing global business,” said USCIB Chairman William G. Parrett, retired global CEO of Deloitte. “It is especially timely in view of the increasingly strong relationship between USCIB and the Department of Commerce.”

Other high-level speakers at the USCIB dinner will include ICC Chairman Victor Fung, chairman of the Hong Kong-based Li & Fung Group, and Bill Schneider, senior political analyst with CNN. Members of ICC’s executive board, representing numerous countries, will join an audience of business leaders, government officials and representatives of the diplomatic community. More information, including ticket and sponsorship pricing, is available at www.uscibgala.com.

World business organization marks an auspicious milestone

Based in Paris, with a network of national committees in some 90 countries, ICC was founded by far-sighted business executives after the First World War. Over nine decades, it has represented business views to national governments and international organizations, while also establishing the world’s leading court of commercial arbitration and developing crucial rules for cross-border business activity in a variety of areas.

“ICC’s role has never been more vital or important than it is today,” according to USCIB President and CEO Peter M. Robinson. “Now more than ever, at a time when concerted global action is needed to address the worldwide economic downturn as well as longer-term challenges like climate change, we need a vibrant and representative global business body that can act forcefully to speak on behalf of the private sector at the highest levels.”

ICC is celebrating its 90th anniversary throughout 2009 with a series of special events around the world, underscoring the continued importance of its core objective of securing peace and prosperity through trade. This has included the launch of the ICC Research Foundation, which was established to provide intellectual leadership on public policy issues, with a focus on global trade and investment. More information is available at www.icc90anniversary.com.

Innovative system for temporary exports also recognized

The USCIB dinner will also commemorate the 40th anniversary of U.S. membership in the worldwide ATA Carnet system for temporary exports, a key service of the pro-trade group. First introduced in the United States in 1969, Carnets are internationally recognized customs documents that allow for temporary duty-free, tax-free import of commercial samples, professional equipment and goods displayed at trade shows.

In June, USCIB signed a multi-year agreement with the Commerce Department’s Commercial Service to expand awareness of ATA Carnets among the nation’s up-and-coming exporters. USCIB, which issues and guarantees Carnets in the U.S., will work with the U.S. Commercial Service to develop educational and training programs for smaller companies, with the goal of expanding use of the innovative “merchandise passports.”

USCIB promotes open markets, competitiveness and innovation, sustainable development and corporate responsibility, supported by international engagement and prudent regulation. Its members include top 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 ICC, 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

More on USCIB’s 2009 Annual Dinner

International Chamber of Commerce website

Department of Commerce website

More on the ATA Carnet Export Service

New Global Commitment to Tackle Jobs Crisis

Published on June 18, 2009

The ILO’s headquarters in Geneva: governments, employers and trade unions will adopt a Global Jobs Pact at the conclusion of the annual ILO conference.

Geneva and New York, June 18, 2009 – Employers, trade unions and governments have reached a historic global agreement on measures to promote employment and enterprise development during economic recovery, according to the International Organization of Employers (IOE).

The Global Jobs Pact will today be adopted by the International Labor Organization (ILO) annual conference in Geneva – the main United Nations labor and social policy forum. It will be the first truly global identification of labor and social measures to combat the crisis, which brings together both the developed and developing world.

The Geneva-based IOE is the largest private-sector network in the world, representing national business federations in 140 countries. It is the leading international business organization on social and labor matters, directly representing business in the ILO and working closely with policy makers at all levels. The United States Council for International Business (USCIB), based in New York, serves as the IOE’s American affiliate.

USCIB Executive Vice President Ronnie Goldberg, who serves on the ILO’s governing body, helped draft the Global Jobs Pact. She said it lays out clearly the policy approaches needed to support job creation by the private sector.

“Enterprises of all sizes have been negatively impacted by the crisis, and they all require the right policies to return to growth,” stated Ms. Goldberg.

The Global Jobs Pact directly meets the challenge laid down by G20 governments in April – supporting employment by stimulating growth, investing in education and training and implementing effective labor market policies, while also focusing on the most vulnerable.

“Having agreed measures which can combat the crisis, the hard work now begins,” the IOE said in a statement. “The challenge for the ILO, international organizations, governments, trade unions and employers, will be translating these ideas into practical measures which actually make a difference on the ground. The true test of the new pact will be its translation into more jobs in all countries.”

The Global Jobs Pact underlines the key role the private sector must play in any recovery. It emphasizes the importance of policies that support business survival, entrepreneurship and investment. It also identifies the development of small and medium-sized enterprises, infrastructure development, and the positive role of rural employment, as measures to respond to the jobs crisis.

“The employers of the world are committed to ensuring the global jobs pact translates into more sustainable enterprises and therefore more jobs and a rapid and comprehensive global economic recovery,” stated the IOE. “The survival of private enterprises will be critical to that recovery.”

The text of the Global Jobs Pact is available on the ILO’s website (www.ilo.org). Click here to access a copy.

USCIB promotes international engagement and prudent regulation in support of open markets, competitiveness and innovation, sustainable development and corporate responsibility. Its members include top U.S.-based global companies and professional services firms from every sector of the economy, with operations in every region of the world. With a unique global network encompassing leading international business organizations, including the IOE, USCIB provides business views to policy makers and regulatory authorities worldwide, and works to facilitate international trade and investment.

Contacts:
Scott Barklamb, IOE
+41 22.917.68.02 or barklamb@ioe-emp.org

Jonathan Huneke, USCIB
+1 212.703.5043 or jhuneke@uscib.org

ILO website

IOE website

More on USCIB’s Labor and Employment Committee

ICC Calls on G8 to Avoid Economic Nationalism

Published on June 12, 2009

ICC Vice Chairman Rajat Gupta, Amerigo Gori of ICC Italy and Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi

Rome and New York, June 12, 2009 – The G8 summit should resist pressures to resort to economic nationalism and should further strengthen international cooperation to meet the challenges posed by the global recession, climate change and product counterfeiting, the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) urged Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi today.

”We stressed to the prime minister the importance of resisting protectionist pressures, which would only lead to a deeper and longer world recession,” ICC Honorary Chairman Marcus Wallenberg said following the private session.

“With the world as economically integrated as it has become over recent decades, any lurch into economic nationalism would dislocate commercial activity even further,” Mr. Wallenberg added.

Meetings between the host of the annual G8 summit and the ICC leadership have become traditional and allow the views of the world business community to be presented at the highest levels. The business views were also detailed in a six-page statement, which was given to Mr. Berlusconi at the meeting.

In addition to Mr. Wallenberg, the ICC delegation included ICC Vice Chairman Rajat Gupta, senior partner emeritus of McKinsey & Company, and Andrea Tomat, chairman of ICC Italy and CEO of Lotto Sport Italia.

The delegation also conveyed to Mr. Berlusconi, who will host the G8 summit in L’Aquila July 8 to 10, the urgent need to increase trade finance on which international trade – the lifeblood of the international economy – heavily depends.

“ICC continues to urge official development banks and export guarantee agencies to significantly expand their trade finance facilities during the global recession,” Mr. Wallenberg said.

ICC leaders again called on the G8 to finally summon the political will to complete the long-stalled Doha Round of trade negotiations, saying the current global crisis made it more urgent than ever to achieve that objective. ICC praised the recent promises by G20 leaders to refrain from raising trade barriers before the end of 2010.

The ICC delegation said that, while there were some hopeful signs that the recession may be bottoming out in some major economies, the immediate priority was to increase demand and credit. It also urged the world’s most industrialized countries to find more effective ways to reduce the growing imbalances in their external current accounts and warned against a mood of regulatory enthusiasm in business sectors where self-regulation is working well.

Tackling climate change

ICC encouraged the G8 to play a leadership role in fighting climate change and expressed strong support for the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change that will try to reach a new global agreement in Copenhagen this December to regulate greenhouse gas emissions.

ICC said the new agreement must include all major greenhouse gas emitters and provide business with a clear, stable, and predictable framework to stimulate investment and deploy technology on the necessary scale.

“Climate change is perhaps the best example of a global problem requiring a global solution,” Mr. Gupta said after the meeting. “We are worried, however, by proposals in some countries to enact unilateral trade measures to address concerns arising from differences in climate policy among countries.”

Stopping counterfeiting and piracy

The ICC delegation said that while it was encouraged that product counterfeiting and copyright piracy have become a regular topic on the G8 summit agenda, the problem continues to grow and presents a rapidly increasing danger to society.

“The result is unfair competition for legitimate economic activity and the unchecked growth of an underground economy that deprives governments of revenues for vital public services, dislocates hundreds of thousands of legitimate jobs, and exposes consumers to dangerous and ineffective products, including medicines,” said Mr. Tomat.

ICC called for concrete action in this vital area, including the swift conclusion of an Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement that will set new and higher standards for national and international governmental action to deal with counterfeiting and piracy and the creation of an IPR Customs Taskforce – charging it with the responsibility to establish better operational cooperation amongst G8 customs authorities, support customs capacity-building in developing countries, and share best practices on security controls and free trade zones.

“Strengthening the fight against counterfeiting and piracy at the borders is critical”, said Mr. Tomat. “Government efforts to strengthen IP enforcement regimes are investments that pay tangible dividends to economic development and society. Now is the time to increase, not decrease, the resources committed to stopping the illegal trade in counterfeits and piracy.”

ICC has a long-standing working relationship with many intergovernmental organizations, including the World Trade Organization and United Nations agencies. The core mission of ICC is to promote trade and investment across frontiers and help businesses meet the challenges and opportunities of globalization.

Contacts:
Jonathan Huneke, VP of Communications, USCIB
+1 212 703 5043 or jhuneke@uscib.org

Dawn Chardonnal, ICC Communications Dept.
+33 1 4953 2907 or dcl@iccwbo.org

ICC statement to the G8 leaders

ICC website

G8 Summit 2009 website

USCIB press release: G8 Business Federation Heads Unite on Need to Avoid Credit Crunch (April 29, 2009)

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