BIAC Archives

Donnelly Leads Business Push at OECD for FDI

Published on March 13, 2017

ShaunDonnelly_BIAC_OECD_InvestmentForumUSCIB’s Vice President for Investment and Financial Services Shaun Donnelly was leading the business voices at multiple events around the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development’s (OECD) Investment Week in Paris last week. Donnelly was the lead business speaker at the panel on “Is Investment Liberalization Shifting into Reverse?” at the OECD Global Forum on International Investment and the lead business respondent to presentations by academic experts on “Societal Benefits and Costs of Investment Treaties” at the OECD’s Third Annual Conference on Investment Treaties.

In both formal presentations, as well as in formal and informal interactions with government delegations from both ‎OECD member countries and leading developing and emerging governments, Donnelly emphasized the importance of investment agreements, including strong enforcement provisions, to facilitate much needed Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) flows.

Per established OECD practice, Donnelly played a lead role in BIAC’s formal consultation, along with the parallel labor and civil society stakeholder groups, with the OECD’s Investment Committee on Wednesday, March 8.  With investment agreements under attacks from some quarters, it is important for business to speak up these sorts or international fora, whether at OECD or elsewhere, on the importance of FDI for both the host economy and the home country and especially on the important role high standard investment agreements and strong enforcement provisions play in today’s global economy.

Senior investment policy experts from the State Department, U.S. Trade Representative and Treasury Department also participated in the meetings last week.

Washington Conference Looks at OECD’s Role in Fostering Digital Transformation

Published on March 13, 2017
OECD Deputy Secretary General Doug Franz
OECD Deputy Secretary General Doug Franz

Cross-border trade in digital goods and services has grown 45-fold over the past decade. How can policy makers and the business community work together to ensure that new technologies and digital applications can lead to a more prosperous, productive, inclusive and socially beneficial world? And what lessons can be learned from current discussions and related work within the 35-nation Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD)?

This was the focus of a conference today in Washington, D.C., “Facilitating Digital Transformation: The OECD’s Role,” organized by the USCIB Foundation, the educational arm of the United States Council for International Business (USCIB), in partnership with the OECD and Business at OECD (BIAC).

In opening keynote remarks, David Redl, chief counsel for communications and technology at the Energy and Commerce Committee, U.S. House of Representatives, compared extending broadband access to the construction of the interstate highway system. “Despite everyone’s best efforts, there are still parts of the United States that lack the infrastructure to meet universal availability and adoption,” he stated. Redl said government spending alone won’t get the job done. “We must also foster investment in U.S. networks, streamline regulation, and improve online trust and security to bring the benefits of the Internet to every American.”

OECD Deputy Secretary General Douglas Frantz identified several factors as key to ongoing digital transformation: improved communications infrastructure and services, new and innovative business models, improved consumer trust and privacy protection, effective policy making, and a robust approach to the challenges and opportunities posed by improvements in artificial intelligence (AI). On the latter point, he proposed that the OECD work toward some sort of policy instrument to address AI.

Andrew Wycoff, director of the OECD’s Directorate for Science, Technology and Innovation, outlined the OECD’s work to assess the G20 economies’ uneven progress to date toward enabling the digital transformation. He said the OECD’s upcoming policy recommendations would focus on the importance of boosting investment in digital infrastructure, ensuring competition in the ICT sector and the broader economy, and establishing sufficient trust in the digital economy while also making it truly inclusive.

Jacqueline Ruff, Verizon, gives remarks during panel
Jacqueline Ruff, Verizon, gives remarks during panel

During an industry roundtable on emerging technologies, Jacqueline Ruff, vice president for international public policy and regulatory affairs with Verizon, said public policy will be important to remove barriers to the deployment of fifth-generation wireless technology, while creating a pro-investment environment. “They key to 5G will be smart communities,” she stated.

Other conference panels examined questions of equity and potential negative effects of digital technologies, as well as ways to enhance trust in an increasingly connected world. Organizers said the event would help steer discussion toward practical measures to maximize the benefits of new technologies. Panelists also focused on jobs, as well as education and skills-development challenges and opportunities, posed by digital transformation and the efforts by companies, such as IBM, to create “new collar jobs” enabling a segment of workers in more mature industries to become productive participants in the digital economy.

“Getting policy right for digital innovation is a critical factor for economic competitiveness, for trust and confidence in the digital environment, and ultimately for societal well-being”, said Bernhard Welschke, Secretary General of Business at OECD. “We need to communicate the benefits of digital transformation and Business at OECD will continue to work closely with the OECD on this challenge.”

USCIB President and CEO Peter Robinson stated: “We hope that today’s discussions will enable those who may not participate directly in OECD meetings to learn more about the OECD’s work and its value to the process and substance of crafting sensible, effective policy and regulation. Whether it is in providing frameworks, or in the development of consensus-based guiding principles, the OECD has a lot to offer and think about.”

USCIB, OECD and BIAC Leadership Discuss Trade, Digital Revolution

Published on March 10, 2017
Rob Mulligan, Senior Vice President, Policy and Government Affairs addresses OECD and USCIB members, alongside USCIB President and CEO Peter Robinson (center) and Rick Johnston, Citi (left)
Rob Mulligan, Senior Vice President, Policy and Government Affairs addresses OECD and USCIB members, alongside USCIB President and CEO Peter Robinson (center) and Rick Johnston, Citi (left)

USCIB hosted leadership from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and Business at OECD (BIAC) on March 9 in Washington DC, following a successful joint OECD-BIAC-USCIB Fostering Digital Transformation Conference the day prior. Nearly forty of USCIB’s leadership and members attended the meeting, including USCIB Vice Chair Rick Johnston (Citi) and Vice-Chair of USCIB’s China Committee Tad Ferris.

OECD and Business at OECD officials included OECD’s Deputy Secretary General Doug Frantz, Secretary General of Business at OECD (BIAC) Bernhard Welschke, Senior Policy Director at BIAC Nicole Primmer and Acting Head of the OECD Washington Center Susan Fridy.

This was a timely opportunity for USCIB, OECD and BIAC to have a roundtable discussion on a wide range of issues that are being addressed in the OECD such as tax, cross-border data flows, health, investment, digital trade, the Sustainable Development Goals and the G20. These issues were framed in a larger discussion of the role of business in the current political and economic climate in the U.S., about which Frantz said, “we need help from business to convey that free trade, open borders and anti-corruption guidelines require multilateral engagement. The U.S. and the U.S. business community benefit enormously from the work done at the OECD.”

Doug Franz, Deputy Secretary General OECD addresses USCIB members
Doug Frantz, Deputy Secretary General OECD addresses USCIB members

Frantz also emphasized the role of digital innovation in providing future growth, prosperity and equal distribution of wealth to curtail the negative effects of the digital revolution, noting “taking digital innovation and its breakthroughs and making sure that the breakthroughs are more evenly distributed through training, skills-building and education that is based on deductive reasoning, will cushion the fall for people who are at risk of losing their jobs to the digital revolution.”

OECD Holds Workshop to Measure Business Impact on Well-Being

Published on March 3, 2017

The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) organized a workshop on measuring business impacts on people’s well-being in Paris on February 23-24. The workshop is part of the OECD’s Better Life Initiative for which the OECD developed a series of indicators enabling governments to design policies for improving well-being in areas including income, health, education, security and environment. An increasing number of actors are looking at how companies impact well-being, but lack specific guidance on how to accurately measure these impacts. Statistical evidence on business’ contribution to well-being is scattered and firms’ performances on environmental, social and governance as well as responsible business conduct issues remain hard to benchmark.

Building on in-house knowledge and experience in measuring well-being and responsible business conduct, the OECD, in collaboration with Fordham University, the Society and Organization Center of HEC Paris and the Humanistic Management Network, organized a workshop to discuss foundations measuring business impacts’ on well-being and explored interest in creating a consistent system of indicators based on existing corporate responsibility metrics, corporate practices and OECD’s experience in measuring well-being.

The workshop emphasized the importance of using coordinated information systems for different actors, such as businesses, NGOs and governments, to encourage them to adopt a common channel for promoting well‑being in the broad sense. It will bring together researchers, experts, business executives and a wide range of actors on the ground.

Additional information on the event is available on the OECD’s website. Official notes from the sessions are available here.

OECD’s Global Anti-Corruption and Integrity Forum

Published on March 3, 2017

Compass direction pointing towards IntegrityThe Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) is organizing a Global Anti-Corruption and Integrity Forum on March 30-31 in Paris, which will focus on integrity and anti-corruption. The Forum aims to bring together a diverse array of stakeholders from policy communities, the private sector, civil society and academia to discuss topics such as reducing the inequality gap, stimulating fair competition and economic growth as well as shaping a level playing field for business.

The Forum will also feature presentations from academia connecting academic insights and evidence with policy-making and will highlight innovative research on integrity, anti-corruption and trade, gender and corruption and inclusive growth. The agenda for the meeting is available here. Registration is now open.

BIAC Holds Annual Consultation With OECD Ambassadors

Published on February 21, 2017
OECD
BIAC Secretary General Bernhard Welschke and BIAC Chair Phil O’Reilly address Secretary General Angel Gurria and OECD Ambassadors

BIAC held its annual consultation with OECD Ambassadors last month, providing an opportunity for the business community to identify priorities for the OECD agenda that affect both the private sector and governments. Senior business leaders discussed the OECD Secretary General and Ambassadors timely challenges and ways forward in global markets. This annual consultation is part of BIAC’s active advocacy with top OECD officials and governments throughout the year.

The consultation focused on outlining appropriate macro-economic and regulatory policies to strengthen growth, defending and promoting trade and investment for competitiveness, addressing tax uncertainty to boost investment, seizing the benefits of innovation and the digital economy, strengthening human capital to build dynamic inclusive economies, and including business in development and a clean environment.

A full report from the consultations can be found here.

USCIB’s Shaun Donnelly Educates US Government on BIAC-OECD

Published on February 16, 2017

Shaun DonnellyThe State Department’s Bureau of Economic and Business (EB) Affairs organized a day-long training session February 15 for sixty U.S. Government officials from nearly twenty U.S. Government agencies on how to be an effective Delegate when representing the U.S. Government at OECD committee meetings and other sessions in Paris.  State invited USCIB Vice President Shaun Donnelly to represent business and broader “stakeholder” groups on a panel that also included representatives from OECD’s Washington Center as well as former OECD Secretariat and U.S. Mission staffers.

Shaun is a former U.S. Ambassador and senior economic policy official at State with long experience in a variety of OECD meetings.  He explained the role of the OECD’s three recognized “stakeholder” organizations, the Business and Industry Advisory Committee (BIAC), Trade Union Advisory Council (TUAC), and OECD Watch representing civil society groups.

Focusing on BIAC, Shaun explained BIAC’s extensive efforts to provide constructive, real-time input from its international business members across the broad swath of OECD’s committee and working groups.  Shaun emphasized USCIBs role as “the single US business voice in the BIAC and OECD process” and reminded the staff from around the USG of USCIB’s ability to connect them with the U.S. private sector and help advance U.S. interests in the OECD.

Washington Conference to Explore OECD’s Role in Facilitating the Digital Transformation

Published on January 17, 2017

ict_conference_boxNew York, N.Y., January 18, 2017 – How can policy makers and the business community work together to ensure that new technologies and digital applications can lead to a more prosperous, productive, inclusive and socially beneficial world? And what lessons can be learned from recent discussions and related work within the 35-nation Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD)?

This is the focus of a timely conference, “Fostering Digital Transformation: The OECD’s Role,” organized by The USCIB Foundation, the educational arm of the United States Council for International Business (USCIB), March 8 in Washington, D.C.

“This will be an important forum for dialogue among technologists and policy makers to help us navigate toward a more robust, secure and inclusive digital economy,” said USCIB President and CEO Peter M. Robinson. “Following last year’s pivotal OECD Ministerial in Cancun, which recognized the digital economy as a powerful catalyst for innovation, growth and overall prosperity, the focus will be on moving forward the OECD’s ambitious agenda. We will explore how broad-ranging OECD policy frameworks can help to address new challenges posed by changing global policy dynamics.”

Topics for discussion include:

  • The Digital Economy and Information Society of the Future
  • Realizing the Global Commercial Benefits and Corporate Societal Responsibilities of Digitalization
  • Enhancing Trust in the Digitally Connected Ecosystem

Confirmed speakers for the event include:

  • Douglas Frantz, deputy secretary general of the OECD
  • Andrew Wyckoff, director of the OECD Directorate for Science, Technology and Innovation
  • Anne Carblanc, head of the OECD Digital Economy Policy Division
  • Eric Loeb, senior vice president of international external and regulatory affairs, AT&T
  • Joseph Alhadeff, vice president of global public policy, Oracle Corp.

The conference, which is co-organized by the OECD and Business at OECD (BIAC), will take place at the Microsoft Innovation & Policy Center (901 K Street, NW, Washington, D.C.). More information is available on the conference website. Event sponsors and partners include AT&T, Google, Microsoft and Inside Cybersecurity.

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

Contact:
Jonathan Huneke, USCIB
+1 212.703.5043, click here to e-mail

Public Private Collaboration Crucial for Success of Health Reforms

Published on January 17, 2017

Addressing the OECD Health Committee yesterday, Business at OECD (BIAC) emphasized the private sector role as partner both in bringing innovative solutions in health and well-being and in intensifying public-private collaboration with OECD and governments.

Ministers from over 35 OECD and partner countries discussed the Next Generation of Health Reforms. This reflects the challenge that many countries face from the demographic transition to an ageing society and the associated increase in the burden of chronic diseases and related co-morbidities. The meeting addressed a number of topics, including ineffective health spending and avoiding waste, the opportunities offered by new health technologies, the role of health professionals and realizing the promise offered by Big Data in health.

“Health systems in OECD countries face numerous complex challenges,” stated Nicole Denjoy, chair of the BIAC Health Committee. “What they have in common is that these challenges can only be overcome through multi-stakeholder efforts. Health policies need to embrace innovation, encourage education, and foster economic growth; therefore achieving greater policy coherence will be crucial.”

Helen Medina, USCIB’s vice president for product policy and innovation, added: “With the debate over the future of the Affordable Care Act currently embroiling Washington, it’s useful to place discussions of health care affordability and effectiveness in a global context.”

In the paper entitled “Priorities and Vision for the Future of Health,” which was released during the Health Ministerial, business identifies four priority recommendations for the OECD and governments: integrating care, embracing innovation, promoting balanced nutrition and active lifestyles and investing in a healthier future. The paper, which also highlights how private-public dialogue and partnerships could inform health policies and related analysis, can be accessed here.

 

BIAC Holds Business Day to Discuss OECD Role at G20 and B20

Published on December 19, 2016

biac_business_daySenior business leaders from BIAC’s global membership and key OECD representatives met on December 8 at the OECD in Paris to discuss OECD’s Contributions to the G20 and the B20. The high-level panel addressed the G20 and the German Presidency and was framed by panels addressing policy topics in Employment and Education, Responsible Business Conduct/Anti-Bribery, Trade and Investment, Digital Economy, and Energy, Climate and Resource Efficiency. The day was rounded off by remarks from Frédéric Sanchez, president of France’s business association, MEDEF, and CEO of Fives.

 

USCIB was represented by Jonathan Huneke, USCIB’s vice president for communications and public affairs, and BIAC Vice Chair and USCIB Board Member Rick Johnston.

 

For more information on BIAC’s Business Day, please visit their website.