BIAC Archives

Kristen Edgreen Kaufman at the inaugural OECD Critical Minerals Forum.

USCIB led a multisectoral member delegation alongside the US Department of Energy and Department of State officials to the inaugural OECD Critical Minerals Forum️ in Istanbul last week. The Forum provided a platform for high-level, cross-regional dialogue between OECD members, partner countries, and key stakeholders from the private sector and civil society dedicated to developing solutions to shared challenges in the critical minerals space. 

USCIB and Business at OECD (BIAC) also co-hosted a side-event during the Forum on business priorities in the critical minerals space, which had standing room only. As the sole US representative to BIAC, USCIB brought together ministers, industry leaders, and key stakeholders to set the stage for the forum. BIAC also presented its recently released priorities paper, Critical Minerals, Critical Partnerships, which was developed with input from USCIB members.

Kristen Edgreen Kaufman, Senior Vice President, Global Impact Initiatives at USCIB, moderated a panel, which featured insights from Mike Kopp (US Department of Energy), Jochem Wiers, Permanent Representative of the Netherlands to the OECD, Kenan Arkan (J.P. Morgan), USCIB member Carol Anderson (Microsoft), Rohitesh Dhawan (ICMM), Ramazan Yön (TOBB Mining Council), Ben Chalmers (Mining Association of Canada), Alev Somer (BIR – Bureau of International Recycling), Hanni Rosenbaum (BIAC), and Andreas Schaal (OECD). 

“We are grateful to Dominik Kümmerle and Maxime Ledieu for their partnership, and to the US State Department and Department of Energy for sending representatives to support US business interests,” noted Kaufman.

Dariya Brown (College Board), Ravi Aurora (Mastercard), Flore-Anne Messy (OECD), Gianluca Riccio (BIAC), and Alice Slayton Clark.

USCIB was featured prominently at the Business at OECD (BIAC) April 16 event to launch a new policy paper, The Business Case for Financial Literacy: a Strategic Imperative for Competitive Companies.

USCIB board member Ravi Aurora (Mastercard) and USCIB member Gianluca Riccio (Chair of BIAC’s Finance Committee) were joined by Meritxell Soler of CaixaBank, Dariya Brown of the College Board, and Flore-Anne Messy, Senior Counsellor at the OECD Directorate for Financial and Enterprise Affairs, to explain the findings in the paper regarding the social as well as strategic business imperatives of financial literacy. Alice Slayton Clark, Senior Vice President, Trade, Investment, and Digital at USCIB, underscored the extensive business engagement in advancing financial education and inclusion through partnerships with governments and civil society.

Special thanks to Gary Litman (US Chamber of Commerce) for providing opening remarks and hosting the event as part of the US Chamber’s B20 Finance Track.

USCIB member Rick Ziegler (UL Solutions), Alice Slayton Clark, and Dominik Kummerle (BIAC).

Business at OECD (BIAC) Trade Committee held their semi-annual meeting April 1, in preparation for the OECD Trade Committee meetings next week in Paris. Disappointingly, the meeting is closed to BIAC participation while OECD member states discuss “sensitive” topics for inclusion as part of its 2027-2030 agenda. BIAC has written to the OECD Trade Committee leadership expressing concern about this practice and has good assurances that this will be a one-off as the program of work and budget is finalized.

Other topics BIAC discussed included a review of MC14, the e-commerce moratorium, and efforts at the OECD to advance digital trade; a presentation on OECD digital trade research; a recap of recent BIAC actions on trade; recent trade developments, including commercial impacts linked to the war in Iran; and the OECD Critical Minerals Forum in Istanbul in April. They also enjoyed a discussion on OECD workstreams with Marion Jansen, Director of the Trade and Agriculture Directorate (TAD) at the OECD.

Several USCIB members were in attendance. Alice Slayton Clark, Senior Vice President, Trade, Investment, and Digital at USCIB and Vice Chair of the Trade Committee provided the update on the recent World Trade Organization’s 14th Ministerial Conference (MC14) given her participation in Cameroon. Mike Rousek, Vice President for Customs and Trade Facilitation at USCIB, also joined the discussion.

Melissa San Miguel (Red Flag USA and Ankura), Octaviano Canuto (World Bank, IMF, and IDB), Susan Fridy (OECD), and Whitney Baird.

Whitney Baird, President and CEO at USCIB, spoke on Inside the System: How Multilateral Bodies Structure Dialogue with Business, a high-level panel on private sector engagement with multilateral institutions, hosted by the World Spirits Alliance (WSA) in Washington DC on March 30.

Baird spoke about USCIB’s engagement with multilateral institutions, underscoring USCIB’s unique relationship with organizations like Business at OECD (BIAC), and the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC). She highlighted how USCIB uses its network to advocate for US business priorities on trade, health, and illicit trade and emphasized the importance of incorporating business and private sector perspectives at the global level. Baird also stressed that even in situations where the US government is not directly involved, it is essential for business to be represented and its input must be considered.

The panel was moderated by Melissa San Miguel, President at Red Flag USA and Senior Managing Director at Ankura. Panelists included Baird, Otaviano Canuto, former Vice President and Executive Director at the World Bank, International Monetary Fund (IMF), and Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), and Susan Fridy, Head of the OECD Washington Office, OECD Washington Center. Panelists spoke to an audience of WSA Executive Board Members and Steering Committee.

USCIB member Diageo was also present at the event.

Sophie Talarico (ICC), Lorena Perez Bajo (ipieca), Agnes Vinblad, and Ulrike Schopp (ExxonMobil).

Agnes Vinblad, Senior Director for Environment and Sustainability at USCIB, represented members, as the global lead delegate for Business at OECD (BIAC), at the OECD—International Energy Agency (IEA) Climate Change Expert Group (CCXG) and its Global Forum on the Environment and Climate Change in Paris, March 18-19. The CCXG brings together government delegates, leading experts, and stakeholders to discuss key issues relevant to the implementation of the Paris Agreement.

For business, these conversations matter because the Global Stocktake helps shape the international signals that can influence future national climate plans, regulatory frameworks, and investment environments. Vinblad made several interventions throughout the two days, highlighting the importance of preserving policy coherence and ensuring that business perspectives are meaningfully reflected as governments consider how the second Global Stocktake (GST-2) of the Paris Agreement outcomes can inform the next phase of action under the Paris Agreement. USCIB also emphasized that the private sector remains a key implementation partner, particularly in sectors central to the energy transition.

Over 500 participants attended this hybrid session, which focused on technical preparations for the GST-2 and on unpacking the Conference of Parties (COP) 30 outcomes related to the Global Goal on Adaptation (GGA), including early engagement with the new Belém Adaptation Indicators. The agenda also featured discussions on how the international climate landscape has shifted since the first Global Stocktake that took place at COP28 in Dubai, the role of GST-2 in driving ambition and implementation, as well as discussions on recent OECD and IEA analytical work on the global energy investment landscape.

“The discussions in Paris reinforced that the climate process is continuing to move towards a strictly implementation-focused phase, where clarity, predictability, and practical pathways forward will matter more than ever,” said Vinblad. “For US business, it is important that the Global Stocktake continues to send signals that can support coherent national policymaking, energy security, investment planning, and effective engagement with the private sector as a core implementation partner.” The impacts of current geopolitical challenges on energy security also dominated the discussions, according to Vinblad.

As the sole official US affiliate of Business at OECD (BIAC), USCIB provides members with a unique platform to engage in OECD processes and contribute business perspectives to important international policy discussions.

USCIB AITC Chair Jennifer Lane (Amazon), Michael Rousek, AITC Vice Chair Susan Wilson (AITEG Chair), and Emma Brierley (BIAC).

Mike Rousek, Vice President, Customs and Trade Facilitation at USCIB, attended the OECD Working Party on Countering Illicit Trade (WP-CIT) and the 2nd OECD Forum on Countering Illicit Trade from March 16-18 in Paris with a delegation of USCIB members as part of Business at OECD’s (BIAC) contribution to the OECD’s work on anti-illicit trade. The three days of meetings and events highlighted anti-illicit trade issues including the continuing fight against counterfeits, an OECD clean Free Trade Zones (FTZ) certification, combating illicit trade in online marketplaces, and understanding the impact of non-counterfeit illicit products.

The Forum is designed as a platform for aligning values, sharing evidence, and advancing practical solutions that protect legitimate trade, public safety, and economic security. The forum highlighted how modern logistics, digitalization, e-commerce, and small parcels are reshaping illicit trade risks and how organized criminal networks are taking advantage of these developments in their illicit trade activities. Opening remarks were made by OECD Deputy Secretary General Fabrizia Lapecorella, DHS DAS for Trade Policy James Rockas, Co-Chair of the WP-CIT, and Hanni Rosenbaum, Executive Director of Business at OECD (BIAC).

Several USCIB members joined as experts to speak at the forum including a keynote speech from Kebharu Smith (Amazon), and participation by Delphine Dauba-Pantanacce (eBay), Timothy Mohn (Johnson & Johnson), Brian White (Intel), Monica Ramirez (AB InBev), David Luna (IACAIE), and Jeff Hardy (TRACIT).

USCIB also hosted a delegate luncheon focused on e-commerce challenges on March 17, providing an opportunity for government and business representatives to exchange perspectives and strengthen collaboration on combating anti-illicit trade.

USCIB is delighted to announce that several of our members were approved to serve in leadership positions at Business at OECD (BIAC):   

• Julie Carlson (Qualcomm): Vice Chair, BIAC Competition Committee  

• John Stowell (The Walt Disney Company and USCIB Tax Committee Chair) and  Carolina Perez Lopez (J&J and USCIB Tax Committee Vice Chair), Vice Chairs, BIAC Tax Committee 

• Timothee Roux (ExxonMobil), Vice Chair, BIAC Environment and Energy Committee 

• Gianluca Riccio (C2FO) renewed as Chair of the Finance Committee 

Additionally, USCIB is pleased that Natasha Santos (Bayer – nominated by the Federation of German Industries), was approved to be Chair BIAC’s Food and Agriculture Committee. 

We are grateful to these members for dedicating their expertise and leadership to these committees as they develop strategies and positions for issues under consideration at the OECD.   

USCIB Vice Chair Rick Johnston (Managing Director for Global Government Affairs at Citi, Chair of BIAC, Chair of USCIB’s Trade & Investment Committee).

USCIB Vice Chair Rick Johnston (Managing Director for Global Government Affairs at Citi, Chair of BIAC, Chair of USCIB’s Trade & Investment Committee) and Whitney Baird, President and CEO at USCIB, were in Paris for the annual Consultation with OECD Ambassadors and Leadership, organized by Business at OECD on February 13. The Consultation is an opportunity for the heads of BIAC’s National Committees to outline their priorities for the year ahead and to discuss how the OECD can support growth and competitiveness. The OECD Secretary General Mathias Cormann opened the session, which was attended by a large group of USCIB member companies, including USCIB board members Ravi Aurora (Mastercard) and Alejandra Castro (Bayer).

USCIB board members Ravi Aurora (Mastercard) and Alejandra Castro (Bayer) with Mathias Cormann (OECD Secretary General) and Hanni Rosenbaum (BIAC Executive Director).

As part of the opening plenary, Baird presented US business’ top priorities for the year—advancing regulatory simplification and trade resilience, championing digital innovation, promoting reliable sources of energy and securing access to critical minerals. The session also featured Steffen Kampeter (BDA, Germany’s leading industry group), Fernando Trevino (COPARMEX, Mexico’s leading industry group), and Kiyotaka Morita (Keidanren, Japan’s leading industry group).

Whitney Baird.

In addition, Baird spoke on the keynote panel during a special BIAC session on trade, Navigating Uncertainties Together, alongside Jonas Berggren (Swedish Foreign Trade Association) and Keidanren’s Morita. Baird highlighted supply chain stability and resilience, regulatory reform and coherence, preserving the global rules‑based trading system, WTO reform, protecting and facilitating innovation in the AI space, and safeguarding investments.

Prior to the Consultation, Johnston chaired the BIAC Executive Committee meeting and Baird attended BIAC’s annual General Assembly on February 12, where she briefed on the US B20 host year.

USCIB appreciates this regular opportunity that BIAC provides to connect with OECD ambassadors and leadership.

Barbara Bijelic (OECD), Martin Denis (Trade Union Advisory Committee), Anithra Varia (Business and Human Rights Centre), George Williams (Ethical Trading Initiative), and Jose Arroyo.

Jose Arroyo, Policy Manager for Corporate Responsibility and Labor Affairs, represented USCIB at the 2026 OECD Forum on Due Diligence in the Garment and Footwear Sector at the OECD in Paris, February 11-12. The Forum brought together policymakers, business leaders, trade unions, civil society organizations, and international organizations to discuss responsible business conduct (RBC) in the global garment and footwear industry. Arroyo was joined by USCIB member companies on the ground, including the Business at OECD (BIAC) Responsible Business Conduct (RBC) Committee co-chair and USCIB member Laura Rubbo (The Walt Disney Company).

As part of the Forum, Arroyo spoke in the session titled, RBC for a Just Transition: Protecting workers, communities and consumers in the low-carbon transition. The session explored how businesses, governments, and other stakeholders can support a transition toward low-carbon production models while preserving the scope and integrity of internationally agreed frameworks such as the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs) and the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises, in addressing potential social impacts on workers, local communities, and consumers.

The Forum is a key international platform convened annually by the OECD Centre for RBC, and one of the largest forums dedicated to due diligence practices, providing a space for stakeholders to share experiences, identify emerging risks, and discuss practical approaches to implementing the OECD Due Diligence Guidance for RBC in the garment and footwear sector. The event reflects the growing global attention to environmental and social sustainability expectations for businesses and the importance of collaboration and support between governments, companies, and workers’ representatives.

USCIB’s participation underscores the commitment of US businesses to responsible business conduct, while reflecting US business realities and priorities. USCIB is committed to a constructive engagement in international policy discussions on due diligence frameworks.