Featured Story Accented Stories Archives

U.S. Embassy in Ethiopia Honored for Commercial Diplomacy

Published on October 7, 2016
joy_award
Winners of the Benjamin Joy Award

The U.S. Departments of State and Commerce have for the first time ever recognized one overseas commercial diplomacy team whose effective cooperation has advanced U.S. commercial and economic objectives. The award was presented jointly in a ceremony at the State Department on September 29 by Commerce Department Assistant Secretary Arun Kumar and State Department Assistant Secretary Charles Rivkin to a team from the U.S. Embassy in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

The Benjamin Joy Award was created to highlight and promote inter-agency collaboration and honor commercial diplomacy excellence. The winning team, led by former U.S. Ambassador to Ethiopia Patricia M. Haslach, includes Deputy Chief of Mission Peter H. Vrooman, Senior Foreign Commercial Service Officer Tanya Cole, Trade and Investment Promotion Officer Gaia Self, Commercial Specialist Tewodros Tefera, and Advocacy Center Regional Manager Nnaji Campbell. The embassy’s leadership and innovation advanced U.S. business interests in Ethiopia and created a model for U.S. missions to support fair competition and increase U.S. exports in Africa.

USCIB Vice President Shaun Donnelly, a retired U.S. ambassador who has also worked recently with Commerce and State on commercial diplomacy policy under the auspices of the American Academy of Diplomacy, represented USCIB at the awards ceremony.  Several leading USCIB member companies also attended.

The winner was selected from 43 nominations from U.S. embassies and consulates around the world. The award’s namesake, Benjamin Joy, was an early exemplar of U.S. commercial and economic diplomacy, appointed in 1792 by President George Washington as the first American consul and commercial agent to India. Today, there are more than 200 diplomatic outposts helping to strengthen America’s economic reach and positive economic impact.

More details on the award are available in the State Department press release and in the remarks at the ceremony by Assistant Secretary Rivkin.

Execs Meet With Labor Secretary to Promote Apprenticeships

Published on October 7, 2016
US Labor Secretary Thomas Perez (second from right) at the Global Apprenticeships Network board meeting in Washington, D.C.
US Labor Secretary Thomas Perez (second from right) at the Global Apprenticeships Network board meeting in Washington, D.C.

Youth unemployment worldwide has reached crisis proportions. Businesses are often unable to find the skills they need among new graduates, and around the world 621 million youth are not engaged in employment, education or training. What’s more, 51 percent of millennials are underemployed, and student debt is growing.

Obtaining an apprenticeship as a first job allows the young person to benefit from “earning while learning,” which can lead to a lifetime of productive employment. U.S. Secretary of Labor Thomas Perez has called apprenticeship “the other college, except without the debt.”

A business-led coalition spearheaded by CEOs representing some of the world’s largest companies, employer associations, and major international organizations have come together through the Global Apprenticeships Network (GAN) to create skills for business and jobs for youth.

gan_group
Secretary Perez (front row, center) met with CEOs and other private-sector representatives, including USCIB President Peter Robinson and IOE Secretary General Linda Kromjong (first row, far right), and BIAC Secretary General Bernhard Welschke (second row, second from right).

USCIB President and CEO Peter M. Robinson joined GAN CEOs and Secretary Perez at a series of events on October 6 at the White House in Washington, D.C. Also present were Linda Kromjong, secretary general of the International Organization of Employers, and Bernhard Welschke, secretary general of Business at OECD.

Coincident with the GAN meetings in Washington, Adecco Group CEO Alain Dehaze published a column on LinkedIn entitled “Employment: A Call to Action for the Next President of the United States.”

Click here to read more about the days events. You can also view a recap on the GAN’s website.

 

New Survey Finds Worsening Global Shortage of Trade Finance

Published on October 7, 2016

2016 ICC Global Survey on Trade Finance shortfall_sourceBusiness executives have identified a sharp decrease in the availability of financing for cross-border trade, according to the latest annual survey of global trade finance from the International Chamber of Commerce. According to the survey — which received 357 responses from 109 countries worldwide — 61 percent of respondents reported a global shortage of trade finance . Only 52 percent of respondents reported an increase in trade finance activity, compared to 63 percent in 2015 and 80 percent in 2012. Furthermore, the perceived shortfall came predominantly from regional and global banks — 78 percent and 56 percent respectively, compared to 41 percent of national banks.

ICC Secretary General John Danilovich said: “We must emphasize the importance of trade finance. It is often forgotten – trade finance has dropped off the international agenda. We need to do more to communicate its central importance to the global economy.”

Read more and download the survey on the ICC website.

 

USCIB Welcomes Selection of Guterres as New UN Secretary General

Published on October 7, 2016
Mr. Antonio Guterres former United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees addressed the press at the stakeout after the casual meeting with member states
Antonio Guterres of Portugal. UN Photo/Manuel Elias

New York, N.Y., October 7, 2016 – The United States Council for International Business (USCIB), which represents American business views to the United Nations and other international bodies, applauded the selection of Antonio Guterres of Portugal as the next UN secretary general, succeeding Ban Ki-moon.

“The selection of Prime Minister Guterres is a welcome signal of agreement among Security Council members on the urgent need to address the refugee crisis and other pressing global issues, many of which will require significant input and assistance from the private sector,” said USCIB President and CEO Peter M. Robinson. “His leadership at the helm of the United Nations will be essential to developing robust international frameworks that business needs in order to innovate and thrive.”

The Security Council’s selection of Guterres, the former Portuguese prime minister who served for 10 years as UN high commissioner for refugees, will be formally voted on by the UN General Assembly next week.

USCIB Chairman Harold McGraw III, who also serves as honorary chairman of the International Chamber of Commerce, added: “The American business community understands the importance of multilateral cooperation, whether on trade, investment or climate change, and we know the UN system is the anchor for this essential collaboration. We look forward to continuing to work in partnership with the UN to successfully address global problems to provide increased economic growth and prosperity across the world.”

Robinson also expressed appreciation for the outgoing UN secretary general’s achievements and dedication to partnering with business. “Throughout the UN deliberations on sustainability and climate change, Secretary General Ban has consistently sought to work with the private sector, recognizing that today’s economic and environmental challenges require private sector solutions and investment,” he said.

Companies of all sizes and from all sectors have already pledged to respond to the refugee crisis through a series of initiatives – from funding campaigns to delivering essential training programs. USCIB’s global network is encouraging companies to do more where they can, based on their own assets and capabilities.

Separately, USCIB welcomed the entry into force of the Paris Agreement, the global pact on climate agreed at last year’s COP21 summit. USCIB and its global business network have provided significant substantive input to the UN climate negotiations since their inception, and they are working to develop a formal channel for private-sector views and solutions to the agreement going forward.

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 the International Chamber of Commerce, the International Organization of Employers, and Business at OECD, 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, VP communications, USCIB
+1 212.703.5043 or jhuneke@uscib.org

Business Highlights Opportunities to Strengthen Paris Agreement

Published on September 16, 2016

ParisWorkshopLast week, business, government, OECD and UNFCCC representatives attended a first of its kind workshop at the OECD to share experiences and explore next steps to enhance the role of business in the preparation, review and improvement of national pledges for the Paris Agreement.  Organized by BIAC and the Major Economies Business Forum (BizMEF),  the workshop included presentations of pro-active business dialogue and cooperation with national and regional governments from representatives of BusinessEurope, CNI, Keidanren, and MEDEF.

Opening the meeting, Russel Mills, Dow Chemical, Chairman of BIAC’s Environment and Energy Committee, stated that “in today’s increasingly inter-linked economies more in-depth cooperation between governments and business is essential to build the best models to most effectively tackle our major climate change challenges.” Over the course of the workshop, representatives of the UNFCCC and its Paris Agreement and implementation bodies presented their perspectives on where business could support action and inform technical discussions leading up to entry into force of the Paris Agreement and the development of rules for tracking progress of national actions.

Norine Kennedy, USCIB, presented a discussion paper, Business Engagement in Domestic and International Implementation of the Paris Agreement: Institutional Infrastructure for Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and the UN FrameworkConvention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) , prepared by USCIB for BizMEF.  The discussion paper offers case studies drawn from a BizMEF survey of its partner organizations and recommends a recognized business interface to be developed as part of the Paris Agreement institutional infrastructure.  This unique report offered to UNFCCC by leading national and regional representative business groups will be further elaborated and presented in final form at a BizMEF side event during the next climate meetings in Marrakesh in November.

BIAC representatives also attended the OECD Global Forum on Climate Change this week.  BIAC’s ongoing policy work to advise OECD member states highlights the necessity of innovative technologies and investments that will support and scale up mitigation, adaptation and resilience.  In his closing comments, Mills reminded the Workshop that when “business identifies the most cost effective options for climate policy, this helps governments and society tackle climate challenges faster and cheaper.”

To read the current discussion draft, click here. We will keep you informed of further developments.

USCIB Helps Lead Dialogue on Private Sector and the SDGs

Published on September 15, 2016

un_headquarters_lo-resNew York, N.Y., September 15, 2016 – Peter M. Robinson, president and CEO of the United States Council for International Business (USCIB), will help lead a high-level dialogue on the private sector and the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at this year’s Concordia Summit, which takes place September 19-20 in New York City.

Agreed by all UN member states last year, the SDGs encompass 17 broad goals and numerous targets to be achieved by 2030 through concerted efforts by governments, with the support of the private sector, including both business, philanthropy and civil society.

“The 2030 Agenda is a visionary and ambitious agenda for global development, one that the business community will need to play an instrumental role in achieving,” said Robinson. “This timely dialogue will provide an opportunity for the private sector to demonstrate the central role it plays in society, and to examine the management expertise and technical know-how that companies can lend to achieving the Global Goals.”

Last year USCIB launched Business for 2030, an ambitious effort to catalogue and catalyze company efforts to support the SDGs. The site has quickly become a go-to resource for all stakeholders interested in the SDGs to learn about what the global business community is doing to help achieve them. Business for 2030 now showcases 165 initiatives from 47 companies that cover 81 of the 169 SDG targets. These activities cover both philanthropic corporate responsibility initiatives as well as core business operations that all contribute to achieving one or more of the 17 Goals’ targets.

At the dialogue, which will take place the morning of September 20, Robinson will be joined by an array of experts, from the private sector and elsewhere, to explore ways in which companies can help advance the Global Goals. USCIB member companies represented at the dialogue are expected to include Novozymes, Walmart, Citi, Coca-Cola, Deloitte, PwC, Pfizer, MasterCard, Bechtel, Johnson & Johnson and GE (Africa).

In addition, John Danilovich, secretary general of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), will participate. USCIB serves as the U.S. affiliate of ICC as well as the International Organization of Employers (IOE) and BIAC, the Business and Industry Advisory Committee to the OECD. Each group is actively contributing to discussion of the SDGs at the global and national levels.

The dialogue’s other partners include the U.S. State Department Office of Global Partnerships, the USAID Global Development Lab and the U.S. Institute of Peace’s PeaceTech Lab. This year’s Concordia Summit will be held at the Grand Hyatt New York. More information is available at https://www.concordia.net/the-summit-2016/. The Strategic Dialogue will be live-tweeted from @bizfor2030, #bizfor2030.

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 ICC, 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, VP communications, USCIB
+1 212.703.5043 or jhuneke@uscib.org

Finance Disrupted – Collaborate or Die?

Published on July 21, 2016

Finance Disrupted BannerUSCIB is proud to partner with The Economist for the October 13 event “Finance Disrupted: Collaborate or Die?” in New York City. The wave of fintech disruption that is sweeping through the financial services industry is approaching a critical phase. The rise of startups targeting every corner of financial services – from currency transactions to trading and wealth management – has won the attention of the industry’s incumbent giants.

USCIB members save 15% on The Economist’s “Finance Disrupted” conference

Building on 2015’s acclaimed Buttonwood Gathering, “The Valley Meets the Street”, we are pleased to announce that our Finance Disrupted conference will take place this October 13th 2016 at 10 on the Park at the Time Warner Center in New York. Join editors of The Economist, industry leaders, entrepreneurs, investors, academics and policymakers to explore the role of collaboration in surviving the fintech revolution.

Visit The Economist’s website for program and registration information.

2019 USCIB International Leadership Award Dinner

Modified on September 25, 2019

Honoring
Guy Ryder
Director General, International Labor Organization

2019 USCIB International Leadership Award Dinner

December 16, 2019

Delegates Dining Room at the United Nations Headquarters

USCIB’s International Leadership Award recognizes vision, international success and excellence in leadership.

USCIB is delighted to honor Guy Ryder, director general of the International Labor Organization. The theme of this year’s dinner is Resilient Institutions that Matter. Each year this gala event attracts several hundred industry leaders, government officials and members of the diplomatic community to celebrate open markets and the recipient of USCIB’s highest honor.

Established in 1980, USCIB’s International Leadership Award is presented to a senior business executive who has made significant policy contributions to world trade and investment, and to improving the global competitive framework in which American business operates. Join us for what will be a truly memorable evening!

We look forward to seeing you on December 16!

About the Nominee

Guy Ryder was elected as ILO Director-General by the ILO’s Governing Body in May 2012 and took office on October 1, 2012. On taking office, he pledged to position the Organization as a determined actor translating principle into action and ensuring that it had the capacity to make a major difference to the working lives of people on all of the continents. To support this he launched a major reform process geared to assuring the ILO’s authority on matters falling within its mandate. Guy Ryder was re-elected as ILO Director-General by the ILO’s Governing Body on November 7, 2016 with overwhelming support across the ILO’s tripartite constituency. His second term started on October 1, 2017.

Ryder started his professional career in 1981 as assistant at the International Department of the Trade Union Congress in London. From 1985, he held the position of Secretary of the Industry Trade Section of the International Federation of Commercial, Clerical, Professional and Technical Employees (FIET) in Geneva. In 1988, Guy Ryder became Assistant Director and – from 1993 – Director of the Geneva office of the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU).

Ryder first joined the ILO in 1998 as Director of the Bureau for Workers’ Activities and, from 1999, as Director of the Office of the Director-General. It was during this time that the ILO’s Decent Work Agenda was launched and won support from the international community. In 2002, he was appointed General Secretary of the ICFTU, leading the process of global unification of the democratic international trade union movement. He was elected as first General Secretary of the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) when it was created in 2006. He headed international trade union delegations to high level talks with the UN, IMF, World Bank and WTO and to the G20 Leaders’ Summits.

In September 2010, Ryder came back to the ILO in Geneva as Executive Director, responsible for international labor standards and fundamental principles and rights at work. Among other activities, he supervised the application of ILO Conventions and Recommendations. He also headed several high-level ILO missions to address a range of issues related to labor standards in countries such as Bahrain, Colombia, Fiji, Georgia, Greece, Myanmar and Swaziland.

Sponsorship Opportunities

Interested in sponsoring? Please contact Abby Shapiro (ashapiro@uscib.org, 212-703-5064).