BIAC Archives

B20 Brazil Releases Policy Recommendations  

Published on September 12, 2024

On August 28, the policy recommendations that are expected to influence G20 decisions were presented to Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. The global economic group is chaired by the Brazilian government this year, while the Business 20 (B20) engagement forum is coordinated by Brazil’s industry association—the National Confederation of Industry (CNI).  

B20 Brazil recently released its Executive Communique Policy Recommendations to the G20. The Communique was developed over the past few months and will help develop the necessary recommendations to major global challenges, such as energy transition and decarbonization, digital transformation, as well as hunger, poverty, and inequalities. The goal is to provide more time for the analysis of the 24 recommendations listed by the private sector before the final G20 meeting scheduled for November.  

Rick Johnston, Chair of Business at OECD, Chair of USCIB’s Trade and Investment Committee, Vice Chair of USCIB Board of Directors, and Managing Director, Global Government Affairs, Citigroup, participated in the International Business Advocacy Caucus, which is part of the B20 structure.  

USCIB staff also helped shape the B20 Brazil documents and maintained long-standing relationship with CNI.  

USCIB Joins BIAC at OECD Ministerial Council Meeting 2024

Published on May 6, 2024

Whitney Baird with the BIAC delegation. USCIB’s affiliation with BIAC gives us international reach and influence.

USCIB’s President and CEO Whitney Baird attended the OECD MCM 2024 from May 2-3 as part of the Business at OECD (BIAC) delegation. The theme of this year’s MCM was “Co-Creating the Flow of Change: Leading Global Discussions with Objective and Reliable Approaches towards Sustainable and Inclusive Growth.” 

BIAC called upon the Ministers to strengthen the competitiveness of OECD economies, drawing upon the OECD’s unique strength: its structured and institutional relationship with the private sector. As the private sector faces an overcast outlook, reinforcing the competitiveness of our market-based economies is the only way to deliver high, long-term, and truly sustainable growth. 

Understandably, AI was also a hot topic and a key takeaway from the event was the need for convergence internationally on AI governance and standards. 

MCM 2024 provided an opportunity to highlight results from BIAC’s Annual Economic Survey, conducted among the leading national business and employer organizations in OECD member countries. This year’s survey showed a regionally diverging business climate for 2024 and underlined continuing challenges for business, including geopolitical uncertainties, risks of volatilities in several markets and specific concerns about the lack of effective policies to enhance competitiveness. 

USCIB’s Whitney Baird with Rick Johnston, Chairman, Business at OECD (BIAC)

USCIB will continue to play an important role representing the voice of the private sector in policy discussions. Shared challenges are best tackled together. A renewed commitment to strong and effective multilateralism, with the OECD at the center of global cooperation, will help promote global efforts to create policies that enable a better future for all.

Check out BIAC’s Economic Survey and MCM statement for more information.  

 

Argentina and Indonesia Are the Latest Countries to Begin OECD Accession Negotiations

Published on May 1, 2024

The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) is now formally undertaking accession negotiations with Argentina and Indonesia. 

While Argentina was invited to accede to the OECD in 2022, political turmoil delayed progress until a new Argentine Administration led by President Javier Milei recommitted to the process this year. The OECD adopted Argentina’s accession roadmap in March and now awaits Argentina’s initial memorandum (IM) outlining how it complies with OECD legal instruments. 

The OECD also adopted Indonesia’s roadmap for accession in March. Because of the many divergences with OECD practices and principles, Indonesia will likely need more time and is not expected to have its IM ready this year, according to USCIB Senior VP for Trade, Investment and Digital Policy Alice Slayton Clark. Once the IM is received, the OECD will undertake its market openness report and invite Member views on Indonesia’s candidacy.  

“As the US affiliate of Business at OECD (BIAC), USCIB has a unique opportunity to highlight and address the market access concerns of US business as part of the accession process,” said Clark.  

Argentina and Indonesia join the five current OECD candidates – Brazil, Bulgaria, Croatia Peru, Romania.  

For updated information on the OECD Accession process and recent developments about the candidates, please visit our website. 

USCIB Gives Intervention at UN Global Digital Compact on a “Zero Draft” for Shared Goals and Principles 

Published on April 29, 2024

Following the launch of the Global Digital Compact (GDC) by the United Nations’ Secretary General, UN member states and stakeholders are developing a “Zero Draft” to outline shared goals and principles for an open, free, and secure digital future for all. USCIB Vice President for Digital Policy Cheryl Miller gave an intervention at the most recent GDC consultation to highlight US business concerns with the Zero Draft.  

Miller’s intervention warned against duplication of efforts by the GDC that are already ongoing at other multilateral organizations on both internet governance and artificial intelligence (AI). Namely, Miller emphasized that existing UN forums, such as the Internet Governance Forum (IGF), could implement and monitor GDC objectives, rather than creating new structures and processes.  

“Using existing forums will avoid duplication of efforts and resources for US companies and all stakeholders involved,” said Miller. 

Miller also raised the issue of duplication when it comes to international governance of AI. Discussions around AI governance is already ongoing at the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) and the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), as well as at regional and national levels.  

“The GDC could helpfully complement ongoing dialogues at the OECD, ITU, and ECOSOC, rather than convening its own annual global dialogue,” added Miller. 

Miller was one of several representatives across the multistakeholder community to give an intervention to Ambassador Chola Milambo, the Permanent Representative of Zambia to the UN, who is co-facilitating the GDC, along with Ambassador Anna-Karin Eneström, the Permanent Representative of Sweden to the UN. 

USCIB will continue to work with the multistakeholder community to ensure that the final Zero Draft supports an open, free and secure digital future for all. 

 

USCIB Co-Hosts Italy’s Main Business Association Delegation to Washington

Published on April 17, 2024

USCIB Senior Director for Customs and Trade Facilitation Megan Giblin co-hosted the largest Italian business group, known as Confindustria, delegation. USCIB hosted the meeting in collaboration with the National Customs Brokers and Forwarders Association of America (NCBFAA) Executive Director Megan Montgomery.

“This was the first such delegation to Washington for Confindustria. We hope is it is the first of many,” said Giblin. “It was a great opportunity for informal dialogue on topics related to customs operations, compliance and policy, as well as trade facilitation, among the participants. We look forward to future delegations, dialogues, and collaboration.”

Confindustria is an association of associations, headquartered in Rome, Italy, that serves as the main association representing manufacturing and service companies in Italy, with a voluntary membership of more than 150,000 companies of all sizes, employing over 5 million people. In addition, Confindustria serves the ICC National Committee as well as the Business at OECD (BIAC) National Federation in Italy.

The USCIB Foundation and Business at OECD Hold Preview Event in Paris on Metaverse Project

Published on April 17, 2024

On the sidelines of the biannual OECD Digital Policy Committee Meeting in Paris, Business at OECD (BIAC) and The USCIB Foundation’s metaverse project team hosted a successful report preview event on April 5. OECD delegates and secretariat, as well as various companies, including USCIB members, attended the preview event. Following the event, BIAC and The USCIB Foundation will launch the report in Washington, DC and organize a webinar with relevant experts to present findings in the report.

The roundtable featured remarks from Business at OECD Deputy Executive Director Nicole Primmer, a presentation of the project and preview of the project report findings from Paula Bruening (Casentino Strategies), and comments from the OECD Secretariat, including OECD Global Forum on Technology Lead Elizabeth Thomas Raynaud and OECD Economist/Policy Analyst on Privacy and Data Governance Christian Reimsbach- Kounatze.

According to USCIB Program and Policy Associate on Digital Issues, Nan Schechter, who attended the event, companies are actively exploring the possibilities of the metaverse, as well as trying to understand the novel privacy risks it may raise and how those risks might be addressed.

“BIAC and The USCIB Foundation undertook this project to explore the privacy issues raised by the metaverse and to develop business-oriented evidence regarding the of the OECD Privacy Guidelines’ applicability in this emerging environment, keeping in mind their two-part objective of protecting privacy and fostering cross border data flows,” said Schechter.  “USCIB is thrilled at the exciting potential and relevance of the report as it emphasizes multistakeholder privacy solutions and the increasing importance to data governance in the metaverse.”

 

USCIB Participates in the First Meeting of the OECD Working Party on Countering Illicit Trade

Published on April 17, 2024
Business at OECD (BIAC) delegation to the OECD

The first Meeting of the Working Party on Countering Illicit (WP-CIT) Trade took place April 4-5 at OECD headquarters in Paris.

USCIB Anti-Illicit Trade Committee (AITC) Chair David Luna (Luna Global Networks), USCIB Senior Director of Customs and Trade Facilitation Megan Giblin, and several USCIB members participated as part of the Business at OECD (BIAC) Anti-Illicit Trade Expert Group delegation to WP-CIT. This inaugural meeting was a milestone of the OECD work on countering illicit trade since the WP-CIT was elevated within the organization due to its move from the Governance Directorate (GOV) to the Trade and Agriculture Directorate (TAD) at the OECD.

During the meetings, Luna delivered remarks as Chair of BIAC Anti-Illicit Trade Expert Group (AITEG). USCIB member representatives Susan Wilson (Intel), Monica Ramirez (ABinBEV), and Jennifer Lane (Amazon) also provided topic specific remarks on Third Party Litigation Funding (TPLF), trade in illicit alcohol, and existing best practices in the e-commerce space to fight counterfeits and illicit goods, respectively. The USCIB delegation participated actively and joined broader panels on these and other topics.

USCIB’s AITC was established in 2018 to support the work of BIAC and the OECD WP-CIT in this space.

“It was an honor and a privilege to participate in this milestone event of the WP-CIT,” said Giblin.  “The BIAC–OECD public private partnership is an issue of critical interest to BIAC, USCIB, and other BIAC national federations. We look forward to continuing our engagement and collaboration coming out of these recent WP meetings and discussions as we move into 2025, as well as supporting the newly established WP-CIT forum and related work program.”

Giblin also noted there was robust dialogue on TPLF and countering illicit trade across online marketplaces, building on the earlier good work of the informal expert group supported strongly by both BIAC and USCIB. For Giblin, it was a very positive development to learn about the progress related to the OECD Recommendations on enhancing Transparency in Free Trade Zones (FTZ), specifically the commencement of the related FTZ Certification Scheme. This is an important topic for BIAC and USCIB, but also the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), which works in collaboration with BIAC on this workstream at the OECD.

As stated by Piotr Stryszowski, senior economist at the OECD, there was a great collaborative spirit in the debate with the business community showing their strong endorsement in the work of the WP-CIT (along with an intervention by John W.H. Denton, ICC Secretary General, supporting the OECD’s Free Trade Zones Recommendation).

USCIB is both the US National Committee of ICC and the US National Federation of BIAC.

USCIB Supports Launch of Blue Dot Network to Strengthen Quality Infrastructure Investment 

Published on April 16, 2024
Whitney Baird at the OECD

USCIB President and CEO Whitney Baird spoke during the April 8-9 launch activities for the Blue Dot Network (BDN), a project certification framework that aims to strengthen quality infrastructure investment. The launch activities included a meeting of the Executive Consultation Group, a Leaders’ Dialogue, and the official launch ceremony.  

BDN will certify projects based on robust standards and criteria in economic, environmental, social, and other areas.  The certification applies to infrastructure projects across all major infrastructure sectors including energy, water and sanitation, transport and ICT. It can accommodate projects at different stages of the life cycle, from planning and preparation to construction and operations. Projects developed under a variety of ownership and delivery models (e.g. traditional procurement, public-private partnerships, privatized) can be certified. 

The Blue Dot Network will be hosted at the OECD, but remain an independent entity overseen by the initiative’s Steering Committee governments, currently Australia, Japan, Spain, Switzerland, Türkiye, the United Kingdom, and the United States.  

“There is the potential to make BDN a serious game changer in the infrastructure world. But private sector engagement and creativity is absolutely crucial to any success,” said Baird. “It will take all of us – developers, investors, governments, and communities – to make BDN a success, and we are counting on your support. USCIB is happy to be a part of this process.” 

Baird has been a long-time supporter of the BDN, even prior to her current role leading USCIB.  

“As Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Economic Bureau at the US Department of State, I led our BDN team in its work to develop this initiative,” added Baird. “I traveled, literally, all over the world because the US government believed, and I believed personally, that BDN, if done correctly, could answer a real need for a framework to allow project sponsors and public and private financial institutions to identify good infrastructure projects.” 

USCIB was also on hand for the OECD Infrastructure Forum, immediately following the launch. 

USCIB Submits Comments to UN Advisory Body on AI 

Published on April 2, 2024

USCIB has submitted a response to the United Nations Secretary General’s Artificial Intelligence (AI) Advisory Board and its Interim Report: Governing AI for Humanity. This UN report calls for a closer alignment between international norms and how AI is developed and rolled out. The report also proposes to strengthen international governance of AI to reach the UN 2030 Sustainable Development Goals SDGs.  

USCIB’s response to the report emphasizes the need for a risk-based approach to address any potential negative impacts of AI. USCIB also highlights the potential of AI to address economic and societal inequalities that help realize the SDGs.  

“Many AI innovations have demonstrated great promise to enable economic development,” said USCIB Digital Policy Committee Chair JoAnn Stonier (Mastercard), “We appreciate that the report describes the essential opportunities that may be seized to achieve the SDGs, as well as some of the potential risks that must be addressed to realize these goals.  To ensure this developing science achieves maximum societal benefit, we will continue to look forward to providing commentary and input as the process evolves.”  

According to USCIB, a risk-based approach involves impact assessments of AI technology in the context of specific uses, applications, and scaled deployments, rather than the risk of the technology in the abstract. 

USCIB also cited the EU AI Act, the OECD’s AI Principles, and the US NIST AI Risk Management Framework (RMF) as having risk-based approaches. Importantly, this approach should be applied to both developers and deployers of AI systems while acknowledging that each group has different and distinct roles and responsibilities in AI governance. 

To view USCIB’s response to the UN Advisory Body on AI, please click here. 

USCIB in the Press: USCIB Webcast With KPMG Highlighted in Bloomberg Tax 

Published on April 1, 2024

USCIB was highlighted in a Bloomberg Tax article on March 28 titled “OECD Mulls Using Risk assessment Tool for Global Tax Deal.” USCIB was mentioned in the context of a webinar that USCIB co-hosted with member KPMG.  

The webinar featured Nicole Casey from the OECD’s Center for Tax Policy and Administration. Casey provided comments to USCIB members on the OECD potentially using one of its existing tools to give taxpayers the ability to gain more certainty under the global tax deal.  

The article, written by Lauren Vella, is accessible via subscription to Bloomberg Tax. 

For more information on this webinar, please click here.