Whitney Baird Archives

USCIB Represents Business at Cool Earth Forum in Tokyo

Published on November 9, 2015
USCIB President and CEO Peter Robinson at a press conference in Lima, Peru on December 8. “If a global agreement on climate change doesn’t work for and with businesses, it just won’t work,” he said.
USCIB President and CEO Peter Robinson at a press conference in Lima, Peru on December 8. “If a global agreement on climate change doesn’t work for and with businesses, it just won’t work,” he said.

As the world prepares for the pivotal Paris COP21 summit meeting on climate change, the role of innovation – and the proper policies to catalyze the dissemination of greener technologies around the world – is emerging as a critical issue.

USCIB attended the 2nd Innovation for Cool Earth Forum (ICEF2) on October 6-7 in Tokyo.  ICEF2, convened at the initiative of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, focused on promoting technological innovation as a means to address climate change. The two-day forum brought together 1,000 researchers, business representatives and policymakers from around the globe to present a broad range of innovative technologies, and discuss what innovative measures should be developed, how the innovation should be promoted, and how cooperation and public private partnership should be enhanced.

USCIB, as part of the Major Economies Business Forum (BizMEF), worked with the Japanese business organization, Keidanren, to attract business participation, and ensure private sector views were reflected.

USCIB President and CEO  Peter Robinson was invited to address the ICEF2 Plenary. Norine Kennedy, USCIB’s vice president for environment, energy and strategic international engagement also attended the Tokyo meetings. Robinson stressed the importance of strengthened enabling frameworks for innovation in the global marketplace – in policy, markets and institutions, both inside and outside the United Nations. In particular, a successful outcome in the UN climate negotiations would demonstrate work in synergy with trade, markets and intellectual property right protection.

Robinson emphasized that a successful UNFCCC (UN Framework Convention on Climate Change) implementation for greenhouse gas reduction and societal adaptation and resilience would need to rely on innovation from business, across every sector and from multiple energy sources, in both developed and developing countries, from companies large and small.

At another ICEF2 session on business engagement, Robinson spoke about institutional evolution underway in the UNFCCC, which has changed significantly in the 20 years since its inception, especially in its interactions with business and other stakeholders.

Robinson said: “The challenge in Paris at COP21 is how to also reflect and integrate these non-state actor resources – in other words, can the Paris outcomes promote institutional innovation that features private sector engagement.”

He commented on the worrying absence of references to business in the current Paris outcome negotiating text, and highlighted the necessity for recognized business involvement in implementation and policy consultation.

While in Tokyo, Robinson also represented U.S. business at the 3rd meeting of the Paris Business Dialogue on technological innovation, convened by Laurence Tubiana, climate envoy, France and Gerard Mestrallet, CEO, Engie.

USCIB at the United Nations

Published on November 1, 2015

un_headquarters_lo-resHere in New York, September was a high-profile month, not only for heads of state, but also for business where USCIB, along with our colleagues at the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), was in the thick of things during the United Nations General Assembly.

Prior to the opening of this year’s session, country leaders and other important actors gathered for two events of critical importance for business: UN Climate Week and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Summit. After two years of slow-moving and intricately detailed negotiations, countries agreed the UN 2030 Development Agenda, which includes 17 Sustainable Development Goals. They also highlighted the critical importance of a successful outcome at this December’s UN Climate Summit in Paris.

In both these arenas, USCIB has been involved every step of the way. It is clear that both initiatives will impact the private sector, while also providing many opportunities for business to contribute. Because of this, our stepped up advocacy and communications activities this year on both climate change and the SDGs have been carefully planned and strategically managed under our Campaign 2015 initiative.

Our key messages have been consistent – as well as insistent. Both in the negotiations leading to the SDGs and in the climate change negotiations, we have underscored the need for business to be embedded in the process. This is necessary to leverage the full resources that we can bring to the table – through investment, innovation and know-how. We have also sought to ensure that expectations of the private sector’s contributions are reasonable, and in line with business and economic realities. I believe this steady drumbeat of private-sector messaging is beginning to pay off.

Business for 2030 showcases company initiatives

I am especially proud of the launch of our Business for 2030 web portal, which makes a critical contribution to the 2030 Agenda by showcasing corporate programs and initiatives supporting each of the 17 SDGs (see page 3). Co-sponsored by Bechtel, MasterCard and IFPMA, our event attracted a diverse, standing-room only crowd of corporate, governmental, IGO and NGO representatives. We were honored to have UN Ambassador Amina Mohammed, the architect of the Sustainable Development Goals, as our opening speaker. Another leading figure in international development, Erik Solheim, executive director of the OECD Development Committee, delivered closing comments.

The Business for 2030 portal has already received widespread acclaim, and it has been designated by the UN as an official portal for identifying corporate contributions to the SDGs. This is a remarkable contrast to the “cold shoulder” business got in the development of the Millennium Development Goals 15 years ago.

All eyes now on implementation – and on Paris

USCIB has worked closely with the UN system, the U.S. government and other business groups to shape the SDGs, and has identified priority issues for business attention and engagement. To date, however, the access and involvement afforded business in the deliberations has not been commensurate with the high expectations for private-sector resources and action. We are working to change that as attention now shifts to putting the SDGs into practice at the national level.

I have been extremely impressed with the commitment and determination shown by USCIB members to help guide and inform the UN’s work on the 2030 Development Agenda. Special thanks and recognition go to Ann Condon of GE, chair of USCIB’s Environment Committee, and to Tam Nguyen of Bechtel and Brian Lowry of Monsanto, co-chairs of our SDGs Working Group.

The new UN agenda will shift the terrain for much of USCIB’s work, and we appreciate the encouragement and support we have received to continue to take a pro-active role, expressing USCIB’s vision and raising USCIB’s visibility. We will continue to work hard to inject business views into the implementation phase, especially at the national level, utilizing USCIB’s unmatched global business network.

We are now gearing up for the next critical step in the Campaign 2015 program: the COP21 climate negotiations in Paris. In October, I helped represent U.S. business in Tokyo at the Second Innovation for Cool Earth Forum (ICEF2), a high-level conference organized by the government of Japan for business, government and academics to discuss the important role of innovation and technology in addressing climate change. While in Tokyo, I also participated in the High Level Business Dialogue organized by Laurence Tubiana of the government of France; the invitation to join this influential consultation with government ministers on technological solutions and their deployment is further recognition of USCIB’s reputation and expertise in the process. We also participated in the final round of UN climate negotiations in Bonn.

And now it is on to Paris!

Groundbreaking ICC Academy Goes Live

Published on October 13, 2015

The International Chamber of Commerce’s (ICC) educational platform, the ICC Academy has gone live today – providing millions of business professionals and students around the globe with access to a new standard in business education. Commonwealth Bank of Australia, DBS, OCBC Bank, Banco Santander, and Standard Bank have been announced as “early adopters” of ICC Academy training courses.

Launched earlier this year, the ICC Academy has now opened its virtual doors and unveiled its online curricula of courses – all designed and taught by leading industry experts – and its groundbreaking Learning Management System.

Five banks will be “early adopters” of the ICC Academy, enabling employees to access its initial trade finance programs. The Academy’s trade finance offering features over 70 online courses and two global certificates in trade finance (the “Global Trade Certificate” and “Certified Trade Finance Professional”). These initial courses have been designed drawing on the expertise and experience of the ICC Banking Commission – comprising more than 600 members across 110 countries.

ICC Academy courses feature insights from senior business leaders and policymakers, and can be accessed online by prospective students – professionals, academics, tertiary students or members of the general public – anywhere in the world, at any time. Not only does this make it convenient for those with busy schedules, it also means that students in regions where physical access to training is limited can have equal access to world-class professional education. What is more, upon completion of courses, students receive globally-recognized certification of their professional skills.

“The ICC Academy is an effective response to a global need for high-quality, flexible business education available on a large scale,” said John Danilovich, secretary general of ICC. “We hope our initial trade finance offering will help bridge skills gaps as regards trade finance instruments-both within the banking sector and wider industry. Academy courses have a key role to play in enhancing the supply of trade credit and ensuring that corporates understand the financing options open to them.”

By becoming “early adopters” of the ICC Academy, all five banking partners can ensure their employees are not only internationally certified trade finance professionals, but are authorities on the trade finance industry – regularly completing courses and attending various conferences or seminars that allow them to continually adapt to fit the evolving landscape.

 

 

ICC Tunisia Honorary Chairman Receives Nobel Peace Prize 2015

Published on October 12, 2015
Wided Bouchamaoui
Wided Bouchamaoui

The International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) and the International Organization of Employers (IOE) congratulated Wided Bouchamaoui, honorary chairman of ICC Tunisia and president of IOE member Tunisian Confederation of Industry, Trade and Handicrafts (UTICA), for receiving the 2015 Nobel Peace Prize.

UTICA along with the Tunisian Human Rights League, the Tunisian Order of Lawyers and the Tunisian General Labor Union compose the Tunisian National Dialogue Quartet which has been awarded today in Oslo. UTICA submitted the application to the Nobel Prize selection committee on behalf of the four organizations.

The quartet has made a decisive contribution to the building of a pluralistic democracy in Tunisia in the wake of the Jasmine Revolution of 2011. The four organizations exercised their role as a mediator and driving force to advance peaceful democratic development in Tunisia with great moral authority.

In its official announcement, the Nobel committee said: “The quartet paved the way for a peaceful dialogue between the citizens, the political parties and the authorities and helped to find consensus-based solutions to a wide range of challenges across political and religious divides.”

Bouchamaoui is also a winner of the 2015 Business for Peace Award, an annual prize given to outstanding business people who have been able to achieve business success while acting in an ethically responsible way.

TPP: A 21st Century Trade Agreement

Published on September 14, 2015

by USCIB President and CEO Peter Robinson

Golden_GateLike many in the U.S. business community and other key stakeholders, we at USCIB and our member companies are eagerly anticipating a successful and swift conclusion to the long-running Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) negotiations. We are encouraged by senior White House National Economic Council official Carolyn Atkinson’s suggestion last week that a successful conclusion may be imminent.

Experience dictates that the endgame of any international negotiation is always more complicated, more challenging and less predictable than foreseen. However, getting a comprehensive, ambitious, high-standard TPP agreement over the finish line is absolutely a top priority for our organization and our member companies. A strong TPP is good news for American workers, companies, communities and taxpayers.

From what I have heard about the prospective TPP agreement, I am forcefully reminded how different this agreement will be from other trade agreements that have gone before. We love NAFTA, CAFTA and the network of bilateral and plurilateral FTAs the U.S. has built over the past 30 years. They have paid tremendous dividends for our country. But it is not just for semantic reasons that the TPP is branded as a “Partnership.” rather than a “Free Trade Agreement”; the TPP goes well beyond a traditional FTA.

Continue reading the full post on Investment Policy Central.

The Business of Sustainability

Published on July 22, 2015
USCIB President and CEO Peter Robinson
USCIB President and CEO Peter Robinson

Think the UN is all talk and no action? Think again. Two upcoming conferences could radically alter how business is done around the world.

By the end of this year, two highly anticipated UN deliberations will have altered the course of global policy and regulation. Taken together, September’s UN General Assembly session – where member states will finalize the UN’s long-awaited Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) – and December’s COP21 climate summit in Paris will shift markets and expectations of the private sector, and impact U.S. companies for years to come.

At the same time, critical negotiations on finance, investment and trade are unfolding that seek to mobilize business resources for climate and sustainability. These include July’s UN Financing for Development conference in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, and talks on a WTO Environmental Goods Agreement. As these processes move forward, we are seeing increasing momentum, activity and heightened expectations, not just for governments but also for the business community.

This is because, unlike previous UN talk shops, these deliberations have catalyzed political leaders around the world toward action. Governments are already moving ahead. The United States, Brazil and China have all announced new ambitious greenhouse gas reduction targets. In Addis Ababa, governments will commit to global economic and development policies that seek to mobilize both public-sector and private-sector financial resources in support of development.

So what is the role of U.S. business in these global debates? This depends in large measure on what our government and the UN agencies involved want – and allow – companies to do. But to a substantial degree, it is also up to American business to define and shape its role in the systems and policy frameworks that will emerge from the SDGs and COP21.

Make sure agreements work with – and for – the private sector

We have an important message to deliver to policy makers: The private sector, not government, is responsible for the lion’s share of investment decisions around the world that will finance sustainable development and climate amelioration. It is business that develops, and deploys, the technologies that will surmount current sustainability challenges. The success of the SDGs and the COP21 agreement hinges on open markets and a level playing field. These have been core guiding principles of USCIB and our business partners for decades, and they are more important now than ever before.

As a responsible partner of long standing representing U.S. companies in intergovernmental agencies, USCIB has been deeply involved in all these deliberations. Our members know how important it is to find solutions that work with the private sector, and in synergy with global markets, to foster shared prosperity through innovation and investment.

Undeniably, business can, and should, lead in the transition to a more climate-friendly and sustainable economy, while improving world health and eradicating poverty and hunger. For this to happen, the policy frameworks governments put in place in via the SDGs and a global climate pact must be practical, and must consider how  the private sector’s involvement can get us all to the finish line more quickly, without compromising economic growth and prosperity or creating undue burdens on business.

Launch of Campaign 2015

campaign2015_logoJust as political leaders are catalyzing around the need for action, USCIB is rallying American business in a constructive, coordinated effort to provide a stronger private-sector role in the SDGs, COP21 and related initiatives. We have launched a new initiative, Campaign 2015, to serve as a linchpin for our work in these critical negotiations.

Through Campaign2015, USCIB will:

  • represent business interests in real time at global negotiations, ensuring business is at the table when these ambitious agreements lead to binding regulations
  • champion and amplify USCIB’s messagesthrough dedicated meetings with key policymakers
  • promote the opportunity for business investment, action, collaboration and innovation, and
  • communicate our policy views to influential audiencesby leveraging media attention around UN deliberations.

We have created a new Web platform www.BusinessForPost-2015.org, to showcase the private sector’s contributions to sustainable development and explain what the SDGs mean for business.  We are also engaging in a media campaign with Devex, the leading online platform for development professionals, to highlight our policy work and priorities for the post-2015 development agenda.

Our efforts through Campaign 2015 will challenge us to extend our reach and amplify our voice in new ways. More than visibility, this initiative provides business a seat at the table to inform, advise and engage throughout the negotiation processes to encourage member state representatives to enact policy frameworks that safeguard sustainable economic growth and resist negative proposals, such as those that will weaken intellectual property protection.

The bottom line is that business must be a part of the process if it is to be a part of the solution.

To learn more about Campaign2015 or to make a contribution, please visit www.USCIBCampaign2015.org, or contact Norine Kennedy at nkennedy@uscib.org.

 

Remembering Bill Matteson, a Longtime USCIB Champion

Published on July 20, 2015
William B. Matteson
William B. Matteson

We are saddened to report the passing in May of William B. Matteson, a longtime member and supporter of USCIB who served as vice chairman from 1986 to 1999 and also served as chairman of BIAC, the Business and Industry Advisory Committee to the OECD.

A native of Westchester County, New York, Bill graduated from Harvard Law School and clerked for Justice Harold Burton in the United States Supreme Court before joining the Debevoise & Plimpton law firm in 1955, where he went on to become partner in 1961. He headed the Paris office of Debevoise from 1973 to 1976 and was presiding partner of the firm from 1988 to 1993.

“Bill was one of the leading corporate lawyers of his generation,” said USCIB President and CEO Peter M. Robinson. “He brought great intelligence to his work with USCIB. But more than anything, he was a great friend to the organization, someone who inspired good will and admiration by the power of his own example.”

Ronnie Goldberg, senior counsel with USCIB and a longtime head of policy and program, added: “Bill was a quiet presence. It was easy to underestimate him – until he spoke. Listening to Bill summarize a meeting or present an issue amounted to a master class in both policy and presentation. He was a generous host and a patient and wise counselor. I feel both fortunate and honored to have worked with him.”

Our sincere condolences go out to the Matteson family, including his wife of almost 65 years, Marilee, and to Bill’s former colleagues at Debevoise and throughout the USCIB and BIAC communities. Donations in his name may be made to the Sconset Trust, P.O. Box 821, Siasconset, MA 02564 for conservation efforts on Nantucket Island. A service is planned there later this summer.

Letter in New York Times on Trade and Climate

Published on June 16, 2015
USCIB President and CEO Peter Robinson at a press conference in Lima, Peru on December 8. “If a global agreement on climate change doesn’t work for and with businesses, it just won’t work,” he said.
USCIB President and CEO Peter Robinson at a press conference in Lima, Peru on December 8. “If a global agreement on climate change doesn’t work for and with businesses, it just won’t work,” he said.

USCIB President and CEO Peter Robinson has a letter in today’s issue of The New York Times on climate change and trade policy. The letter is reproduced below, and you can view it on The Times’ website by clicking here.

Robinson rebuts a recent piece by Times columnist Eduardo Porter that suggested border taxes on products from countries outside a so-called “climate club,” saying that countries should instead offer trade incentives, rather than punitive tariffs, to reduce carbon emissions and spur the deployment and use of greener energy technologies.

This letter is especially timely, as it comes after the most recent negotiating session of the UN climate change talks in Bonn, where USCIB played an important role in voicing private-sector views. Click here to read our report. It also comes as we gear up for next week’s climate-focused meeting of USCIB’s Environment Committee and the North American Business Climate Consultation, held in conjunction with the International Chamber of Commerce and the Canadian Chamber of Commerce.

Finally, USCIB continues to advance American business interests in the WTO’s Environmental Goods Agreement talks as well as other key trade negotiations, even as we grapple with the current trade deadlock on Capitol Hill.

—

The New York Times

June 15, 2015

The Opinion Pages/Letters

Climate Change and Trade Policy

To the Editor:

Eduardo Porter advocates launching a trade war as a way of ”solving” the climate challenge (”Climate Deal Badly Needs a Big Stick,” Economic Scene column, June 3), imposing tariffs on those countries that don’t join a ”climate club” committed to reducing carbon emissions.

But we should offer carrots instead of sticks to accelerate the transition to greener energy. Rather than threatening higher-emitting countries with punitive tariffs, we should roll back barriers to trade in environmental goods and services.

There is no contradiction between economic development and climate protection. Indeed, as countries grow richer, they can devote additional resources to cleaner energy.

To be viable, climate solutions must factor in real-world needs, including the need for economic growth, and deliver benefits today to people in both rich and poor countries.

And they need to be in line with political and market realities, including the global community’s common interest in keeping markets open and economic relations cordial.

The ”big stick” that Mr. Porter endorses fails to meet these criteria.

PETER M. ROBINSON
President and Chief Executive
United States Council for International Business
New York

What Has Changed in the Climate Change Talks?

Published on January 10, 2015

If a global climate agreement doesn’t work for business, it won’t work.

USCIB President and CEO Peter Robinson
USCIB President and CEO Peter Robinson

Following another finish in “overtime,” the annual UN climate change conference wrapped up in Lima, Peru on December 13. This was the 20th Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, or UNFCCC, and one could be forgiven for a sense of déjà vu. After all, we have become accustomed to the inevitable cliff-hanger ending of these annual “COP” meetings, just as we have come to depend on a last-minute compromise.

The Lima meeting’s purpose was to set the stage for the home stretch of negotiations of a long term inclusive climate agreement to be finalized next December in Paris. Yet despite a modest agenda, it proved extremely difficult for member states to agree to even a brief five page outcome document. In my view, this means we should not be too complacent as we look ahead to 2015. Much has changed since the international community negotiated the Kyoto Protocol in 1997, and business has a lot on the line.

Negotiators did make progress in framing commitments to lower greenhouse gas emissions and fund developing countries’ climate efforts. I attended alongside USCIB’s Norine Kennedy and many dozens of USCIB member executives and representatives of our global business network. Our colleagues from the International Chamber of Commerce played an important coordinating role, facilitating private-sector engagement across the board in Lima.

This was my fourth COP, and a major difference I noticed from prior meetings was while governments still face gaps and differences in opinion, positions put forward by business groups are converging in three key areas that are – in USCIB’s view – deal-breakers for the future of the agreement.

Commitments and Transparency

The climate agreement to be signed in Paris must provide a clear framework for international cooperative action, committing all large emitting economies to the measurement, monitoring and reporting of nationally pledged activities to control and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, such as those announced recently by the United States and China.

UN negotiators needed to reach agreement on credible measuring, reporting and verification for all national commitments to ensure transparency and assess progress going forward. In Lima, China and a number of other, largely developing, countries resisted measurement and reporting tools to ensure that countries are living up to their commitments.

Financing and Investment

We need to leverage private investment if we are to have any hope of marshalling the $100 billion in annual financing that UNFCCC parties say is required to ensure adequate resources for climate mitigation and adaptation. Yet governments seem stuck in the same old “aid, not trade” mindset. The UN’s Green Climate Fund, designed to finance developing countries’ efforts to combat climate change, did reach its initial $10 billion capitalization target. But going from $10 billion to $100 billion depends on the mobilization of private investment and innovation.

Negotiators must now work toward a 2015 Paris agreement with measures that enable markets and foster business investment – as well as government aid – aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions and adjusting to climate impacts. The UNFCCC should promote innovation through financially efficient and well-targeted support mechanisms to scale up new technologies and strong, protection of intellectual property.

Private-Sector Engagement

If a global climate agreement doesn’t work for business, it won’t work. This was the message my colleagues and I delivered repeatedly in Lima. With so much riding on economy-wide transformational change that will rely on the private sector, the Paris outcomes must anchor the role of business in the UN climate agreement through actions to reduce emissions, pursue efficiency, transform energy systems and build more resilient infrastructure.

We made some progress on this front. Our well-attended BizMEF Lima Dialogue (see photo) won praise for engaging with key governments and other stakeholders in support of securing the private-sector commitment and expertise that can drive meaningful change. Given the wide impact that a UN agreement will have on markets, regulations and national competitiveness, an agreed and recognized structure is needed to provide business expertise and support.

UN negotiators should make space for a business consultative channel as a resource of technical and practical expertise for governments and the UNFCCC process.

So where does this leave us, with one year to go before the big Paris climate summit? The challenge of climate change is real on economic, environmental and social fronts, with opportunities for business in new markets and for the global community to enable climate friendly development and energy access.

Negotiators have a lot of work to do between now and next December. Have they bitten off more than they can chew? I think not, but getting this agreement past the finish line will clearly require pragmatic problem-solving and engagement with the private sector. Business innovates and invests in ways that the public sector can’t, and tapping into that innovation could well be the difference between success and the same old same old in Paris next year.

Peter Robinson’s bio and contact information

Other recent postings from Peter Robinson:

What’s the Rush on Global Tax Reform? (Summer 2014)

Setting the Rules of the Road in Cross-Border Commerce (Spring 2014)

It’s Time to Clap with Both Hands on FDI (Winter 2013-2014)

Making Sure the Business Voice Is Heard in International Agencies (Fall 2013)

USCIB Celebrates Great Year for Trade at Annual Award Gala

Published on November 20, 2014
Director General of the World Trade Organization Roberto Azevedo accepts USCIB’s 2014 International Leadership Award. “I am extremely proud to receive your backing in this way,” he said.
Director General of the World Trade Organization Roberto Azevedo accepts USCIB’s 2014 International Leadership Award. “I am extremely proud to receive your backing in this way,” he said.

Government officials, business leaders, representatives from international organizations, and staff and friends of the United States Council for International Business (USCIB) gathered at the Four Seasons Hotel in Washington, D.C. to honor the director general of the World Trade Organization, Roberto Azevedo, and to celebrate a banner year for the multilateral trading system.

Coming on the heels of a breakthrough at the World Trade Organization on the implementation of the Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA), USCIB’s annual award dinner gave the American business community a chance to thank Azevedo for his stewardship of the Bali agreement, which was brokered last December and once fully implemented is estimated to add $1 trillion to the global economy and create 21 million jobs.

The atmosphere was warm and celebratory at the Four Seasons on Wednesday evening as over 240 guests congratulated Azevedo over cocktails and dinner. United States Trade Representative Michael Froman gave special remarks in which he commended USCIB for its support of President Obama’s ambitious trade agenda and happily remarked that last week was “a good week for trade,” given recent progress on the TFA, the Information Technology Agreement and the G20 Summit in Brisbane where leaders listed trade as one of the main drivers of economic growth.

Five other officials joined Ambassador Froman, USCIB President and CEO Peter Robinson, and International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) and USCIB Chairman Terry McGraw in thanking Azevedo for breathing new life into the multilateral trade agenda, including director general of the International Labor Organization (ILO) Guy Ryder, Customs and Border Security Commissioner Gil Kerlikowske, ICC Secretary General John Danilovich, BIAC (Business and Industry Advisory Committee to the OECD) Secretary General Bernhard Welschke and Rep. Peter Roskam (R-IL).

“The WTO is essential, it’s rules-based, and we’ve got to get behind it.” – Terry McGraw

Robinson kicked off the dinner by welcoming USCIB’s guests and friends, and by formally thanking Azevedo for his commitment to realize the promise of the WTO’s Bali agreement.

“We are delighted to be honoring Roberto Azevedo of the WTO,” Robinson said. “Indeed, tonight is a celebration of global trade and investment, and its potential to contribute to better lives and help tackle shared global challenges.”

It was a bittersweet moment when Robinson told attendees that Azevedo could not be with them in Washington for the very reason he was being honored – Azevedo had withdrawn quickly to the WTO’s headquarters in Geneva to oversee the TFA breakthrough.

But as McGraw noted in his remarks during the dinner, it was ultimately “a good thing that Azevedo isn’t here. He’s doing what he has to do. The opportunity of trade facilitation came alive again.”

Although he could not be at the gala in person, Azevedo recorded his acceptance speech a few hours before the event in a video that was shown during the dinner.

“I am extremely proud to receive your backing in this way,” Azevedo said of the International Leadership Award. In his acceptance speech he gave a progress report on the TFA and assured viewers that he will continue to press ahead with a multilateral trade agreement.

Watch Azevdo’s acceptance speech.

ICC and USCIB Chairman Terry McGraw
ICC and USCIB Chairman Terry McGraw

Following the acceptance speech, McGraw presented Azevedo with the International Leadership Award, and he called on attendees to give their full support to the WTO. “We’ve got to do everything we can to elevate the prominence of the WTO,” he said.

With a new G20 agenda in which trade plays such an integral role, McGraw praised the progress on the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) and the Trans-Atlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) and summed up the evening’s ethos by saying free trade “means more prosperity for our world, and that’s what we’re all about.”

“The stakes are huge…for the billions of people around the world that stand to benefit from expanding trade.” – Ambassador Michael Froman

USTR Michael Froman
USTR Michael Froman

After joking that building consensus among members at the WTO “is like herding animals: cats, frogs or venomous snakes, depending on the day,” Ambassador Froman commended Azevedo for his role in securing a meaningful outcome at the WTO’s ministerial in Bali last year. Froman noted that Azevedo’s perseverance during those contentious negotiations was essential for a successful deal.

The recent resolution to the TFA impasse is one of many victories for global trade that made last week “a good week for trade.”

Froman listed the week’s many accomplishments: on November 10, when President Obama convened a productive meeting of all the TPP leaders, on November 11, when Obama announced a major breakthrough with China to help pave the way for the Information Technology agreement – the first tariff elimination agreement in the WTO’s 17 years and an encouraging signal in the U.S.-China relationship, on November 12 when the U.S. and India reached another breakthrough that allowed the WTO to move forward on the TFA, and over the weekend on November 16 when U.S. and EU leaders committed to moving forward with a high-standard TTIP.

“It was a good week for trade,” Froman said. “I wish we could do that every week, but we’ll try and keep the momentum going.”

Read Ambassador Froman’s full remarks.

“We need to make sure that the trade debate doesn’t stay in the echo chamber.” – Congressman Peter Roskam

The dinner ended with congratulatory remarks from leaders of USCIB’s global network and a U.S. government representative.

Ryder commended the WTO for ensuring progress on international trade and for producing “results that everyone wants to see. He reminded attendees that since the financial crisis, in the G20 alone 54 million people lost their jobs, and that’s a gap that must be closed.

“This evening recognizes those who are closing the gap,” Ryder concluded.

Commissioner Kerlikowske said USCIB is a great partner in the Customs and Border Security’s mission to spread the supply chain, improve efficiency and facilitate the movement of goods and people across borders.

ICC secretary general Danilovich echoed those sentiments, saying “we’re warriors in this effort to bring about free trade,” and while he admitted that it’s “a tough racket” to get consensus at the WTO, the world is on the verge of a major breakthrough for multilateral trade, and Azevedo is helping to lead that fight.

Many speakers noted urged attendees to communicate why world trade is so important to the general public. “The multilateral trading system needs to be developed,” said Welschke. “We need to explain why trade is so important to growth. It’s an important mission.”

Congressman Peter Roskam concluded the evening’s speeches with a vigorous call to advocate for free trade at every opportunity and make the case for why multilateral trade liberalization is good for us all. With so much inaction on Capitol Hill, Congressman Roskam pointed out that the U.S. trade agenda is one of the few areas where there’s common ground on both sides of the aisle. For those of us who firmly believe that expanded trade will benefit all, we should take advantage of that.

Staff contact: Peter Robinson