Kira Yevtukhova Archives

At 2022 IGF, USCIB Emphasizes Inclusive, Multistakeholder Approaches to Internet Governance

Published on December 14, 2022
2022 Internet Governance Forum

The 2022 Internet Governance Forum (IGF) informally kicked off on November 28 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, drawing a robust “post-COVID” attendance of stakeholders from around the globe. Notably, many of the participants hailed from African and Middle Eastern countries.

The Forum’s overarching theme was Resilient Internet for a Shared and Sustainable Common Future and revolved around five key issues: connectivity, avoiding Internet fragmentation, data governance and privacy, Internet safety, security and accountability and, finally, addressing the challenges and opportunities posed by advanced technologies, including Artificial Intelligence (AI).

While the IGF was formally opened on November 29, the informal sessions the day prior (“Day Zero”) set the stage for workshops and main sessions for the full duration of the IGF, which ran from November 29 to December 2. The formal launch of the IGF featured remarks by Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres and ITU Secretary General-Elect Doreen Bogdan-Martin. They all highlighted the IGF’s welcome return to the African continent and the Forum’s critical role as a convenor for inclusive, multistakeholder discussions aimed at sharing policy solutions, best practices and experiences. The speakers noted that these types of inclusive discussions would leverage the power of the Internet and digital technologies to deliver the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), economic growth and a wide array of societal benefits.

By the week’s end, USCIB members, led by USCIB Vice President for ICT Policy Barbara Wanner, made substantive contributions in high-level sessions and workshops, several of which were organized by USCIB and ICC-BASIS, that addressed virtually all these year’s IGF themes.

According to Wanner, USCIB members’ messages amplified USCIB advocacy priorities in the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), the UN Global Digital Compact and the OECD Committee on Digital Economy Policy.

Day Zero featured two High Level Sessions: one focused on Universal, Affordable & Meaningful Connectivity and Digital Rights, and another focused on the Global Digital Compact Action areas of applying Human Rights online and protection of data. According to Wanner, the first session featured representatives from virtually all stakeholder groups, who agreed that participation of all stakeholders in Internet-related policy discussions remained critical as the digital ecosystem evolves to safeguard against unintended consequences from under-informed policy and/or regulatory decisions.

The first official day of the IGF featured a workshop co-organized by USCIB, Business at OECD (BIAC), and the OECD, titled Realizing Trustworthy AI through Stakeholder Collaboration. The workshop applied the OECD’s groundbreaking AI Principles as a foundation for considering both technical and operational realities for stakeholders when implementing tools and processes to ensure a human-centric and trustworthy use of AI. While AI is an innovative and evolving technology, it has the potential to revolutionize how we live, work, learn, discover and communicate. However, potential misuse of AI risks undermining personal privacy and online security protections, supporting decision-making biases that exacerbate social inequality and, thereby, causing disruptions in the labor market, among other possible pitfalls.

“Adopted in 2019, the OECD’s framework involves five values-based principles and five recommendations for government policymakers. These principles and recommendations were designed to shape a stable policy environment at the international level to promote a human-centric approach to trustworthy AI and prevent the algorithms from running away from us or out of human oversight,” said Wanner.

“The workshop was timely and the scheduling of it on Day One of the IGF was significant. The workshop distinguished the OECD AI Principles from other approaches aimed at realizing trustworthy deployment of AI, such as the UNESCO AI Ethics recommendations and the Council of Europe’s initiative to develop a binding Convention on AI.”

Distinct focus was placed on the ongoing government efforts in building trustworthy AI in the developing countries and the global South. The challenges posed by the newly evolving generative AI technology were also explored. Speakers from OECD, Meta, the Government of Chile and others offered interesting takeaways, according to Wanner.

One takeaway emphasized that as more and more countries are planning to introduce regulation over AI, all relevant stakeholders should seize the window of opportunity for collaboration to define concepts, identify commonalities and gather evidence to improve the effective implementation and enforcement of future regulations before their launch. Another takeaway included ensuring that all actors, from both technical and non-technical communities, work together transparently to develop general principles that can be applied in various contexts. This would foster trust for the AI systems of today and tomorrow. Finally, capacity-building and upskilling of the workforce remains critical.

USCIB Participates in Principals Meeting of US-EU Trade and Labor Dialogue

Published on December 14, 2022
Alice Slayton Clark and Tom Mackall (right) joined by other representatives from business, labor and government

USCIB Vice President for International Investment and Trade Policy Alice Slayton Clark and USCIB Senior Counsel Tom Mackall participated in the inaugural principles meeting of the US-EU Trade and Labor Dialogue (TALD). The exclusive meeting featured United States Trade Representative Katherine Tai, Labor Department Undersecretary of International Affairs Thea Lee, and European Commission Executive Vice President Valdis Dombrovskis, along with select representatives of U.S. business and labor unions. Business Europe and European Trade Union Confederation were also present.

An offshoot of the US-EU Trade and Technology Council, the TALD is a trilateral dialogue among business, labor and government to develop policies and transatlantic alignment on key labor concerns, particularly in the area of digital. This first meeting focused on eliminating forced labor in supply chains, a priority trade concern for the Biden Administration. “Our partnership with the European Union, and our collaboration with labor unions and business leaders, is critical to our work to make trade a force for good and transform the way we treat workers…around the world,” said Ambassador Tai.

While USCIB condemns all forms of forced labor, Clark urged policymakers to develop a strategy that targets root causes. “This requires developing a whole of government strategy that includes enhanced capacity-building and technical assistance that helps countries comply with core labor standards, combat corruption, strengthen labor ministries and courts, and safeguard workers from harmful recruitment practices,” she said.

Clark also asserted that “enhanced trade and investment incentives can play an important role, but import restrictions must be a last resort – targeted, proportional and non-discriminatory. Where allegations of forced labor exist, as a general matter, there should be early engagement with the trade community.” USCIB also expressed its opposition to customs serving as lead or only agency managing forced labor issues.

Clark’s advocacy echoed positions taken in USCIB’s 2022 forced labor trade strategy submission and comments on the Uygur Forced Labor Act. They were aligned with messaging from other industry representatives in the room, including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Labor representatives on the other hand, extolled the benefits of import bans and called for mandatory corporate human rights due diligence legislation that requires identification, reporting and remediation for cases linked to forced labor.

As a key principal in the TALD, USCIB will continue to press business interests as part of the dialogue on forced labor trade strategy as well efforts to address the impact of digital trade on workers.

USCIB Welcomes Adoption of OECD Principles on Government Access to Personal Data Held by Private Entities

Published on December 14, 2022

Gran Canaria, Spain, December 14, 2022—Ministers of OECD countries responsible for digital economy policy today adopted a ground-breaking Declaration on Government Access to Personal Data Held by Private Entities. This action culminated two years of multilateral and multistakeholder discussions in the OECD Committee on Digital Economy Policy, which for the first time brought together privacy, national security and law enforcement officials.

The Declaration articulates principles that are common to OECD members with strong democratic traditions of respect for human rights and the rule of law. It offers clarity and transparency around these shared values, which, in turn, increases trust among governments. For businesses and internet users, the Declaration creates greater confidence in the sufficiency of protections that are guaranteed when individuals’ data is being transferred to a third country or accessed by a third country’s government.

This Declaration comes at a time when growing mistrust in data and data flows feeds uncertainty that has discouraged participation of individuals, businesses, and even governments in the global digital economy and undermined economic recovery efforts following the COVID-19 pandemic and global supply chain disruptions. As the G7 Trade Ministers Digital Trade Principles expressed last year, achieving this consensus among OECD member countries will now help provide greater transparency and legal certainty to cross-border data flows, and will support the transfer of data between jurisdictions by commercial entities and result in positive economic and social impacts.

USCIB members, working under the aegis of Business at OECD (BIAC) and in collaboration with the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), actively contributed evidence and recommendations to inform the TGA process, outlining principles and safeguards for government access to personal data that respect individual rights, promote shared democratic values, and are based on common practices.

“The TGA Principles establish a solid foundation for building trust in the digital ecosystem, similar to the OECD Privacy Guidelines,” said USCIB Vice President for ICT Policy Barbara Wanner, who was on the ground in Gran Canaria. “Excitement about the TGA Principles and the sense of achievement in the Ministerial plenary were palpable. By creating more confidence in data flows, the Principles ultimately will support USCIB members’ global commercial activities not to mention produce societal benefits for all,” she added.

See this link for further information about the OECD Digital Ministerial.

Business Contributions to the OECD CDEP process:

Joint Business Statement on the OECD Committee on Digital Economy Policy’s work to develop an instrument setting out high-level principles or policy guidance for trusted government access to personal data held by the private sector

ICC White Paper on Trusted Government Access to Personal Data Held by the Private SectorCenter for International Economic Collaboration

CFIEC Report on Forming Rules for Government Access: Toward Optimizing the International Flow of Personal and Non-Personal Data

CONTACT:
Barbara Wanner
VP, ICT Policy
bwanner@uscib.org

Kira Yevtukhova
Deputy Director, Communications and Marketing
kyevtukhova@uscib.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. USCIB is the U.S. affiliate of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), the International Organization of Employers (IOE) and Business at OECD (BIAC). More at www.uscib.org.

Intel Wins Prestigious ACE Award from the State Department

Published on December 13, 2022
Bruce Andrews (center), Corporate Vice President of Intel, alongside Cynthia Telles, U.S. Ambassador to Costa Rica
Photo via U.S. Embassy in Costa Rica

For the 17th time in 23 years, a leading USCIB member company has won a prestigious State Department Award for Corporate Excellence (“ACE Awards”). Intel of Costa Rica is the 2022 recipient of the ACE Inclusive Economic Growth Award for its “Skills for Life” program, a STEM and English language training service for afro-heritage and indigenous populations in one of Costa Rica’s lowest income regions. The goal of the program is to boost youth employability to fill jobs not only at Intel’s extensive Costa Rican operations but also for other local industries.

U.S. Ambassador to Costa Rica Cynthia Telles nominated Intel and presented the award to Bruce Andrews, Intel’s vice president and chief corporate affairs officer (a former Deputy Secretary at the U.S. Department of Commerce) at the December 9 ceremony at the State Department in Washington, DC. Undersecretary for Economic Growth, Energy and Environment Jose Fernandez presided before the large crowd of government officials, business representatives and diplomats. Last year’s ceremony was held virtually.

USCIB President and CEO Peter Robinson congratulated Intel on the award.

“We at USCIB are delighted, but not surprised, to see a leading USCIB member company among the select group of winners of the prestigious ACE Award again this year,” said Robinson. “Intel and other USCIB member companies are great corporate ambassadors for American business practices and American values around the world. In taking care of their employees and communities, in responsible stewardship of the environment, and in responsible business practices, American companies and USCIB members set the gold standard around the world. I congratulate Intel’s corporate leadership, Vice President Bruce Andrews, and the 3800+ members of Intel Costa Rica’s team on the ground for this impressive achievement.”

Intel follows in the heels of other leading USCIB ACE winners including Mastercard in 2021, the Coca-Cola Company in 2020, Pepsi and Procter & Gamble in 2018 and many others. Again this year, other USCIB members were nominated by U.S. ambassadors around the world for ACE Awards in three categories – Inclusive Economic Growth, Climate Resilience, and Responsible Business Operations. USCIB lauds them all, including Chevron Nigeria, which was a strong competitor in the Inclusive Economic Growth category, distinguished for its work on social risk management strategy to address the root causes of instability and insecurity in the Niger Delta.

USCIB Policy Experts Provided Extensive Input Into the B20

Published on November 30, 2022

This year’s B20 Summit, held November 13-14, embraced the theme of ‘Advancing Innovative, Inclusive and Collaborative Growth’ in support of the G20 theme of ‘Recover Together, Recover Stronger’. The B20 Summit brought together world business leaders representing leading multinational corporations. In the lead up to the B20 Summit, USCIB policy experts worked closely with USCIB members through various B20 Task Forces, such as those focused on digitalization, trade and investment, integrity and compliance as well as illicit trade and illicit finance. 

USCIB Vice President for ICT Policy Barbara Wanner participated on the B20 Indonesia Digitalization Task Force on behalf of USCIB members. Wanner provided inputs to the Digitalization Task Force report aimed at ensuring that the substance aligned with USCIB contributions to the OECD digital work and the UN Global Digital Compact. According to Wanner, the focus of USCIB substantive inputs – which largely were taken on board by B20 Indonesia – were aimed at carrying through the themes of “data free flows with trust,” opposition to data localization requirements, risk-based and interoperable approaches to digital security, and the importance of multistakeholder participation in global digital consultations.  

USCIB Director, Investment, Trade and China Alice Slayton Clark served on the B20 Trade and Iinvestment Task Force and provided recommendations on behalf of USCIB members in four key areas: promote open, fair and inclusive post-pandemic global trade and investment policies; facilitate innovation and digitalization that supports international development and avoids future crises; encourage inclusivity in global supply chains; and ensure trade and investment drive greener and more sustainable development. USCIB Director for Customs and Trade Facilitation Megan Giblin also played a key role in advancing inputs and securing inclusion of customs and trade facilitation language to reflect member and Committee priorities.  

Meanwhile, USCIB Senior VP, Innovation, Regulation, and Trade Brian Lowry participated as a Member of the B20 Indonesia Integrity & Compliance Task Force alongside USCIB Policy Manager for Environment and Sustainable Development Agnes Vinblad, supporting as a deputy member of the task force. Giblin also served a critical role in coordinating efforts to gather USCIB member inputs, reflecting member and Committee priorities, on the inclusion of language specifically pertaining to illicit trade and illicit finance.  

Working with David M. Luna, chair of the USCIB Anti-Illicit Trade Committee, USCIB submitted comments pertaining to Policy Recommendation 3 to foster agility in counteract measures to combat money laundering/terrorist financing risk and Policy Action 3.1 to refocus on money laundering/terrorist financing risk factors identification. USCIB’s submission on language recognizing the “link between the sustainability agenda, illicit trade/illicit finance, and financial crime” was adopted by the task force and is included in the final policy paper. Additionally, commentary submitted by USCIB to include language on environmental crime and trade-based money laundering is also reflected in the final policy paper. 

USCIB Statement on Climate COP Outcomes and US Business

Published on November 28, 2022

New York, N.Y., November 28, 2022—The United States Council for International Business (USCIB) sought an “Implementation Plus” approach in the outcomes of the recently concluded 27th Conference of the Parties (COP27) in Sharm El Sheikh, in which the international community would realize progress in advancing food and energy security alongside climate action and mobilization of resources.

As a dedicated representative of U.S. business in the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), USCIB understands and supports the urgency of tackling climate change, and was concerned that economic and geopolitical challenges could hamper or even prevent a successful outcome of this important meeting.

Despite those headwinds, government delegates were able to conclude with progress in key areas, such as loss and damage, the role of agriculture and the need to advance a just energy transition. However, we were disappointed by the absence of any meaningful reference to the actions taken by and the role of business in the Sharm El Sheikh outcomes.

Attending its 27th COP, USCIB noted an unprecedented showing by its members from every sector of the American economy, on hand to offer solutions and support a successful outcome. In addition, USCIB joined the global business community in speaking out for political will and ambitious action at COP27. Throughout the COP, USCIB welcomed the opportunity to cooperate with the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), the International Organization of Employers (IOE) and the Major Economies Business Forum (BizMEF). We were especially proud to have the Federation of Egyptian Industries (FEI) join BizMEF.

USCIB attended COP27 looking forward to further encouragement and support for pro-active business action, building on pledges made last year by business at the Glasgow meeting.

Throughout COP27, the U.S. private sector demonstrated its actions to mobilize markets and investment in the areas of mitigation, adaptation and support for vulnerable countries and populations that face impacts of climate change. While initiatives, such as the Report of the High-Level Expert Group on the Net Zero Emissions Commitments of Non-State Entities (UN HLEG), will provide additional thoughts on how such efforts can be strengthened, further work is needed to analyze the fuller implications of the 40 recommendations to drive meaningful, practical progress. USCIB is concerned that overly prescriptive approaches to voluntary pledges and allegations of  “greenwashing” could discourage and hamper further voluntary steps on climate action and finance.

Although COP27 left much still to be done to address the risks and impacts of climate change, USCIB looks to COP28 with resolve and renewed purpose. Without businesses of every sector participating in these vital deliberations, the international community will not be able to fully harness the drive, capability and commitment of business to advance the Paris Agreement.

Across the multilateral system, USCIB will continue to champion a confluence of common interests through practical and inclusive multilateralism. USCIB will forcefully and consistently make the case for catalyzing business knowhow, experience and partnership for innovation, as well as investment and job creation as we move ahead together to deliver on the promises of the UNFCCC and its Paris Agreement.

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. USCIB is the U.S. affiliate of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), the International Organization of Employers (IOE) and Business at OECD (BIAC). More at www.uscib.org.

USCIB Foundation Launches Campaign to Promote Vaccine Literacy, Workplace Wellbeing

Published on November 27, 2022

New York, N.Y., November 28, 2022—Today, the USCIB Foundation launched the ‘There’s More To Be Done’ Campaign, an initiative that seeks to maintain workplace wellbeing. Employers can encourage vaccination for COVID19 and other preventable illness by informing and educating employees on the benefit of vaccination. ‘There’s More To Be Done’ is a global movement of employers and is part of the Business Partners to CONVINCE initiative, which seeks to empower a “vaccine-literate” public.

The Campaign includes free Learning Modules for employers that incorporates training videos, action steps, learning objectives and resources.

The Campaign is simple, actionable, and vital for a safer workplace. The Campaign:

  • Focuses on the important role of employers
  • Recognizes the hard work by employers to date
  • Identifies the role of vaccines in creating a safer workplace and employee well-being.

Scott Ratzan MD, BP2C executive director, stated: “In collaboration with our partners, we created this Campaign and designed these Learning Modules to provide businesses of all sizes around the globe with free resources for developing and supporting employee vaccination. Companies of all sizes from 16 countries, representing over 250,000 employees, have joined. Employers play a critical role in the health and wellness of employees. Having a plan to inform and educate employees on the benefit of vaccination is the key to success.”

“Employers, even small to midsize employers, have a role to play given their privileged access, position of trust, and ability to address potential barriers to vaccine uptake practically,” said USCIB President and CEO Peter Robinson.

Join the movement and access a free Toolkit and Learning Modules at: businesspartners2convince.org

For more information, contact:

Kira Yevtukhova

kyevtukhova@uscib.org

ABOUT USCIB: USCIB promotes open markets, competitiveness and innovation, sustainable development and corporate responsibility. 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, generating $5 trillion in annual revenues and employing over 11 million people worldwide.

ABOUT THE USCIB FOUNDATION: The USCIB Foundation is the research and educational arm of the United States Council for International Business (USCIB). The principal purpose of the Foundation is to carry out research and educational activities designed to promote and advance the benefits of a free-market economy and to demonstrate and document the role of the corporate private sector in economic growth and social development.

ABOUT BUSINESS PARTNERS TO CONVINCE: The United States Council for International Business (USCIB), The USCIB Foundation, and Business Partners for Sustainable Development (BPSD) have launched Business Partners to CONVINCE, a global communication and education initiative to promote COVID-19 vaccine acceptance among private sector employers and employees. The new partnership will play an integral role in a broader, global CONVINCE (Coalition for Vaccine Information, Communication, and Engagement) campaign to advance vaccine literacy and help ensure a strong and swift recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic through widespread acceptance of safe, effective and accessible vaccines.

USCIB Competition Meeting Focuses on ICN, Antitrust Enforcement Priorities in Brazil

Published on November 16, 2022

The USCIB Competition Committee held its semiannual meeting November 9, featuring Federal Trade Commission Counsel for International Affairs Paul O’Brien for an update on the work of the International Competition Network (ICN). Comprised of 142 competition authorities from around the globe, the ICN is a forum for sharing and advancing best practices in the field of antitrust. Through working groups, conferences and workshops, the ICN foments common understanding and harmony on voluntary recommendations in competition law. “It is clear the ICN is a trusted resource for government officials around the globe hoping to harmonize norms and principles as well as industry looking for clarity and convergence in practices,” said USCIB Director for Investment, Trade and China Alice Slayton Clark.

Committee members were also updated on antitrust enforcement priorities in Brazil by economist Silvia Fagá and attorney Milena Mundim of Demarest law firm, both members of International Chamber of Commerce Brazil. They predicted that merger enforcement may increase along with regulation of hate speech on media platforms under the incoming presidency of Luiz Inácio “Lula” da Silva, the populist leftist leader from the 2000s. Brazil’s competition authority, the Administrative Council for Economic Defense (CADE), will continue to scrutinize digital platforms, with more active use of interim measures, they asserted.  As the economy recovers, expect to see more merger activity especially in the healthcare market in Brazil.

Chair of Business at OECD (BIAC) Competition Committee John Taladay (Baker Botts) highlighted key activities, including OECD Competition Week taking place November 28-December 2.  USCIB Competition Committee Chair and Vice Chair of the ICC Competition Commission Dina Kallay (Ericsson) updated USCIB members on task force developments, including an update to the ICC’s ten year old antitrust compliance tool kit. USCIB also provided a briefing on the minor competition changes anticipated to the OECD Guidelines on Multinational Enterprises.

USCIB Raises Concerns Over Content, Process of UN Treaty on Business and Human Rights

Published on November 16, 2022

During the week of October 24, USCIB Senior Counsel Ronnie Goldberg was in Geneva to attend the 8th session of the Open-Ended Intergovernmental Working Group that is negotiating a UN Treaty on Business and Human Rights.  According to Goldberg, USCIB and the International Organization of Employers (IOE) have long raised serious concerns about both the content of the proposed treaty and the process by which it is being negotiated.

“A limited number of countries have engaged in this negotiation to date, and last month’s session saw no significant increase,” said Goldberg. “Many countries have expressed their disappointment and frustration with the approach of the Working Group, which represents a major departure from the international consensus achieved through the development of the UN Guiding Principles on Human Rights (UNGP). USCIB remains concerned that comments and suggestions from the U.S. and EU, as well as from private sector representatives, are being ignored.” There appears to be a lack of effort to develop a genuine consensus, added Goldberg.

Intersessional meetings will be convened before the next round of negotiations in 2023, but the terms and mandate for these meetings remain unclear.  What is clear is that this process promises to grind on for years to come.

Meanwhile, the current iteration of the draft treaty remains inconsistent with the purpose and principles of the UNGP in many respects. While the UNGP emphasizes that the corporate responsibility to respect human rights requires business enterprises to seek, prevent, mitigate and remediate adverse human rights impacts, including through due diligence, the draft treaty imposes a mandatory and complex due diligence process for business entities, requires that business entities either prevent human rights violations from happening or face liability, and makes no mention of other entities indispensable to the protection of human rights, notably governments implementing their own laws and obligations.

“In sum, the text that emerged from the recent negotiation remains unimplementable and largely unratifiable,” asserted Goldberg. “As it stands, it risks harming investment, trade and employment creation, particularly for countries with large informal sectors and deep-rooted challenges related to child and forced labor.” It would also be counterproductive to the efforts of business to safeguard human rights by undermining efforts to strengthen the implementation of the UNGP, raising serious concerns about State sovereignty and creating significant legal uncertainties.

USCIB has thanked the U.S. Government for its support for involving business alongside all societal partners in the Treaty negotiations.  “We will continue to engage with the Administration on ways to protect human rights in the context of rule of law and voluntary enabling frameworks for responsible business conduct,” said Goldberg.

 

USCIB Joins Transatlantic Business Coalition to Call on EU Policymakers to Finalize Agreement to Secure Transatlantic Data Flows

Published on November 16, 2022

New York, N.Y., November 16, 2022 — Yesterday, the United States Council for International Business (USCIB), as part of a broad transatlantic coalition of 41 associations, called on EU policymakers to make a swift conclusion to the EU adequacy decision process so that businesses can confidently rely on the new EU-U.S. Data Privacy Framework. The transatlantic coalition of associations represent companies of all sizes from various sectors of the business community. In a statement delivered to EU and U.S. officials, the associations offered an analysis of recent U.S. Executive Order and accompanying U.S. Department of Justice regulations implementing the U.S.’s commitments under the EU-U.S. Data Privacy Framework to help inform and support EU’s work towards making the EU-U.S. Data Privacy Framework operational through the EU adequacy decision process.

“We urge all stakeholders to consider deliberately but fairly the substance of these new U.S. legal requirements, which establish unprecedented restrictions on U.S. surveillance activities as well as a meaningful redress mechanism for EU citizens,” the associations wrote. “We are heartened that these new safeguards serve to strengthen all existing transfer mechanisms available to companies, including standard contractual clauses, and should be relevant considerations in the context of EU supervisory authority investigations. Furthermore, we recognize that this is not only a matter of facilitating economic stability and growth. The efforts to reach agreement on a new framework embody a statement of common purpose from the EU and U.S., and a willingness to work together to find new ways to uphold the joint values we share as democratic societies. These developments also send a strong message on the importance of privacy globally, and in establishing robust and secure frameworks for cross-border data transfers.”

Recipients of the statement included European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen; Executive Vice-President Margrethe Vestager; Commissioner Didier Reynders; Commissioner Vera Jourova; Members of European parliament’s LIBE Committee, the European Data Protection Board, the European Data Protection Supervisor, and individual Data Protect Authorities; officials from EU Member States; and U.S. Administration officials, including those at the U.S. Departments of Commerce and Justice.

The statement was signed by ACT | The App Association, Alliance Française des Industries du Numérique (AFNUM), Alliance for Automotive Innovation, Allied for Startups, AmCham EU, AmCham Ireland, American Council of Life Insurers, Asia Internet Coalition (AIC), Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO), Bitkom, Business Roundtable, Coalition of Services Industries (CSI), Computer & Communications Industry Association (CCIA), Confederation of Danish Industry (DI), Confederation of Industry of the Czech Republic (SPCR), Consumer Technology Association® (CTA), Danish Entrepreneurs, Dansk Erhverv / The Danish Chamber of Commerce, Developers Alliance, Digital Future for Europe, Digital Poland ZIPSEE, Ecommerce Europe, Engine, Entertainment Software Association, European Games Developer Federation (EGDF), European Publishers Council, FEDMA, IAB, INFOBALT, ITI – Information Technology Industry Council, Interactive Software Federation of Europe (ISFE), Internet Infrastructure Coalition, National Retail Federation, NLdigital, Software & Information Industry Association (SIIA), Swedish Enterprise (SN), TechNet, techUK, Trans-Atlantic Business Council, U.S. Chamber of Commerce, and U.S. Council of International Business (USCIB).

Read the full statement here.  

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. USCIB is the U.S. affiliate of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), the International Organization of Employers (IOE) and Business at OECD. More at www.uscib.org.