News Stories Archives

Registration Open for USCIB’s Engaging Business Forum

Published on July 31, 2018

USCIB, the International Organization of Employers (IOE) and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce will be sponsoring the 10th Engaging Business Forum, hosted by The Coca-Cola Company. The Forum will take place on September 13-14, in Atlanta, GA.

This year’s Forum will focus on collaboration through partnerships to address business and human rights trends and developments. Panels will discuss what works/doesn’t work in partnerships, access to remedy, human rights defenders, supply chains, among other topics. Speakers include Guy Ryder, Phil Bloomer, Anita Ramasastry, John Morrison and many more. In addition to hearing from our speakers, there will also be opportunities for networking and peer-to-peer learning roundtables. The full agenda can be found here.

If you would like to participate, please register here. Space is limited, so registration will be on a first-come first-serve basis. If you have any questions, please reach out to Elizabeth Kim (ekim@uscib.org).

US and Japan Commit to Open, Reliable and Secure Internet

Published on July 31, 2018

At a recent policy cooperation dialogue on the internet economy between the United States and Japan, the two nations emphasized their continued commitment to an open, interoperable, reliable, and secure Internet. This dialogue served as the ninth meeting of the U.S.-Japan with regards to the internet economy and took place in Washington, DC, on July 23 and 24. The dialogue included discussions with private sector representatives from both countries on fifth generation mobile technologies (5G) and secure future Internet infrastructure, promoting cross-border data flows, international harmonization of regulatory frameworks and privacy, as well as ICT policy issues related to trending technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) and the Internet of Things (IoT).

USCIB Vice President for ICT Policy Barbara Wanner spoke on a panel on the Prospect for Future Internet Policy Issues, alongside representatives from the Information Technology Industry Council, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and Access Partnership. “U.S. and Japanese business and government have much in common with respect to opportunities and challenges in the digital economy, so collaborative approaches are very important going forward to ensure that we all reap the extraordinary economic, commercial, and societal benefits,” said Wanner.

Wanner also emphasized the need to work together in multilateral organizations and multistakeholder organizations especially in light of several countries continuing to press for government regulation of the internet by bringing Internet governance and digital economy issues under the UN or its specialized agencies. “This is not the best approach given the dynamic nature of technology development,” warned Wanner. “Heavy-handed regulations could damper this dynamism. Additionally this may open the door to efforts by some countries to use the Internet for surveillance of their citizens and possibly even censorship.”

USCIB Warns More Tariffs Will Harm US Companies, Consumers

Published on July 31, 2018

In the continuing battle of tit-for-tat tariffs between the United States and China, USCIB submitted comments to the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) on July 23 regarding the proposed 25 percent tariffs on $16 billion worth of Chinese imports. This list of goods followed the first consultation on proposed 25% tariffs on $50 billion worth of Chinese imports, which resulted in the imposition of tariffs on $34 billion on July 6, 2018.

“Tariffs are a blunt tool with many unintended consequences on U.S. businesses,” said Eva Hampl who leads USCIB’s work on China. “They will significantly impact U.S. companies’ ability to export and create important jobs in the United States. They will also negatively impact U.S. customers, increasing competitiveness in the United States for foreign competitors. The Administration’s proposed tariff list was drawn up without significant input from the U.S. business or manufacturing community. The public comment process is the principal means to solicit information from U.S. businesses. Therefore, the Administration must use this process to ensure that its actions in this China 301 process do not inadvertently harm some of the most competitive sectors of the U.S. economy, and the hundreds of thousands of American jobs that depend on them. Tariffs should only be used as leverage toward a negotiated outcome and should not be imposed while negotiations are ongoing.”

USCIB’s comments also applauded the Administration for looking at alternative approaches, such as initiating a World Trade Organization (WTO) dispute by requesting consultations with the Chinese government regarding certain specific aspects of China’s technology regulations considered in the investigation. “In addition to engaging the WTO process, this should include developing a strategy with clearly defined objectives, direct negotiating mechanism with the Chinese, targeted deliverables, and deadlines with measurable results,” added Hampl. “The Administration should also coordinate in various available forums with like-minded trading partners who are similarly afflicted by China’s actions on intellectual property rights, forced technology transfer, and discriminatory industrial policies.”

USCIB’s comments to USTR were supplemented by a separate multi-association letter on $16 billion worth of tariffs. USCIB will also put together comments on the $200 billion list of proposed additional 10% tariffs on Chinese imports.

USCIB, ILO Director General Discuss Role of Business

Published on July 25, 2018
L-R: Laura Rubbo (Walt Disney Company), Guy Ryder (ILO), Peter Robinson (USCIB), Kevin Cassidy (ILO), Gabriella Rigg Herzog (USCIB)

As the International Labor Organization (ILO) gears up to celebrate its centennial in 2019, ILO Director General Guy Ryder met with USCIB and 20 of its company members in Washington DC on July 20 to discuss issues of mutual interest and concern. Topics covered included areas of mutual business including the ILO’s centenary in 2019, the “Future of Work,” the role of governments, the role of business at the ILO, and the work of the standard-setting committee on violence and harassment at the International Labor Conference.

For the centenary, USCIB will seek to organize a business-focused event in 2019, and also participate in an ILO event to celebrate the Philadelphia declaration. Members highlighted that they see the Future of Work, which is the theme of the ILO’s centenary celebration, as a positive opportunity to highlight the impactful role that government education and employment policies, as well as business initiatives to offer apprenticeship and training opportunities, can have to prepare workers for the jobs of the information economy and beyond. 

USCIB and its members also stressed the fundamental role governments must play in writing laws that meet international standards and effectively enforcing them, and they stressed the importance of ILO’s continued focus on helping governments carry out those core functions. Business also recommended that the ILO could helpfully prioritize providing support for governments and other tripartite partners with essential job creation, skills, employment and other relevant topics. 

USCIB also spoke very clearly about the issue of violence and harassment at work and emphasized U.S. employer commitment to this topic. USCIB Vice President for Corporate Responsibility and Labor Affairs Gabriella Rigg Herzog stated that the topic is right, the time is now – especially in light of the #metoo movement, and the Employers’ hope and expectation is that the ILO is the right institution to push this issue forward. Herzog underscored that Director General Ryder and the ILO Office can provide needed support for the tripartite constituents to help reach an agreed text that provides clear and practical definitions for both public and private sector employers so they can understand their responsibilities and so that governments can be attracted to take the next step and ratify the ILO instrument. An ILO instrument that sits on the shelf that no government ratifies will not have any impact on the ground in counties where guidance and change is needed – most especially on this critical issue of addressing violence and harassment in the workplace.

As the U.S. affiliate to the International Organization of Employers (IOE), USCIB represents U.S. employers at the ILO and provides key input to the governance and policy setting activities. 

In BBC Interview, Mulligan Shares Thoughts on G20 Meeting

Published on July 24, 2018
Rob Mulligan, USCIB

G20 Finance Ministers gathered in Argentina over the weekend to raise concerns over growing tensions between the United States and its major trading partners. Following the meetings, BBC’s Aaron Heslehurst spoke with USCIB Senior Vice President for Policy and Government Affairs Rob Mulligan as part of BBC’s Talking Business segment regarding international trade tensions that may undermine the global economy and stunt growth.

Mulligan expressed concern that continued escalation of tariffs may cause all kinds of problems for USCIB member companies. “Tariffs will lead to higher costs, drive higher prices for consumers and, we think, in the end, can start driving job losses,” warned Mulligan. “In fact, we’ve seen estimates for the existing tariffs related to steel and aluminum that can cause job losses in the United States of up to 140,000 jobs.”

Specifically, on U.S.-China tensions, Mulligan noted, “there are issues with China’s unfair trade practices that need to be addressed and we fully support an effort that would bring together all our allies to make that point with China, but we’re not sure that raising tariffs the way the President has threatened, even threating to impose tariffs on all 500 million of China’s exports to the United States, is going to be the way to solve that problem.”

To hear the entire interview, click here.

World Youth Skills Day Focuses on Innovation, Emerging Technologies

Published on July 23, 2018

On the margins of the High-Level Political Forum at the United Nations July 9-18, the International Labor Organization (ILO), in partnership with UNESCO, the Office of the Secretary-General’s Envoy on Youth, the UN Permanent Missions of Sri Lanka and Portugal, hosted an event on July 16 titled “World Youth Skills Day 2018: Sustainability and Innovation.”

The ILO estimates that in 2017, 70.9 million young people were unemployed, and in 2018, while the rate will remain stable, more young people will enter the work force. Currently, technological innovations are quickly transforming industries and skills demands, potentially creating a talent gap in the future. Therefore, it is imperative for education and skills development systems to equip youth with the right education and skills to face these changes, while supporting a sustainable future and the transition to a green economy. Given this, the event aimed to bring together member states, UN agencies, the private sector and civil society, among others, to discuss how to leverage innovation and emerging technologies to increase youth employment, and the implications for skills needs and development.

President of the UN General Assembly Ambassador Miroslav Lajčák, gave the keynote speech, and other high-level speakers included ILO Director-General Guy Ryder and Secretary-General’s Envoy on Youth Jayathma Wickramanayake, as well as the Permanent Representatives to the UN from Sri Lanka and Portugal.

USCIB Vice President of Corporate Responsibility and Labor Affairs Gabriella Rigg Herzog participated on the all-female interactive panel that followed the keynotes, and she underscored the key role of government education and labor market policies, as well as the contributions that companies and employer organizations can make to support skills acquisition, including digital, among youth.

“Close and regular dialogue between governments, business and civil society – and especially youth – is critical to our shared goal of closing the gap between the training being taught in schools and the skills needed for jobs of the future,” said Rigg Herzog. “While focusing on the technical and STEM skills is fundamental, we must not lose sight of critical soft skills like creativity and critical thinking, which are also keys to successful integration into the workplace. Companies and government education systems would also be wise to ensure effective inclusion of women and girls, given that they are 50% of the global workforce and  thus a human resource asset to be valued.”

USCIB in the Media: Highlights of 2018 Coverage to Date

Published on July 19, 2018

Trade and protectionism dominated the news during the first half of 2018, and USCIB was featured prominently in many stories on the escalating trade battles. Tax policy also received significant coverage, especially around USCIB’s annual tax conference with the OECD.

Click here to download the latest USCIB in the Media review. Some links may be available only for paid subscribers.

Please contact Jonathan Huneke, USCIB’s Vice President for Communications and Public Affairs, to discuss this review and future opportunities with the news media.

USCIB Welcomes New Partners to SDG Business Web Platform

Published on July 17, 2018
From L-R: Ambassador Kevin Moley, Assistant Secretary for International Organizations (State Department), Peter Robinson, President and CEO (USCIB), and John Denton, Secretary General (ICC)

On the margins of this year’s annual United Nations High-Level Political Forum (HLPF) on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at UN headquarters in New York, USCIB convened a dinner for business, UN organizations and governments to highlight private sector action and impact towards sustainable development, using the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development as a blueprint.  The Businessfor2030 Dinner was co-organized with the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) and its Swiss and UK National Committees, as well as with the International Organization of Employers (IOE).

In addition to announcing the expansion and globalization of the Businessfor2030 web platform, the dinner and its speakers also set the stage for the SDG Business Forum, organized by ICC and held at UN HQ on July 17.  Recently appointed Secretary General of the ICC John Denton addressed the Businessfor2030 dinner, issuing a challenge to the international community to unleash the power and potential of business in order to attain the 2030 objectives across economic, social and environmental areas.  “We need to help people understand the power of working with the private sector,” emphasized Denton.  Kris DeMeester, representing the International Organization of Employers, underscored the broad commitment of employers all over the world to advance sustainable development through employment, in the workplace and working closely with other social partners.

“Three years after the launch of the SDGs, we continue to take seriously that all companies, all sectors must engage to deliver on economic, environmental and social progress,” stated USCIB President and CEO Peter Robinson in his opening remarks. “No company can sit this out.  We commend our own members for having embraced the SDGs and moved forward to embed them not only in corporate responsibility programs, but increasingly across aspects of their planning and investment.”

The Businessfor2030 webplatform is a unique resource for business, governments and others in the UN community who are seeking to understand and pursue the SDGs.  It presents business examples of SDG action, and provides information on public-private partnerships. Established by USCIB in 2015, it now features over 250 examples of business action, covering more than half of the 169 specific SDG targets.

USCIB Applauds UN on Global Compact for Safe Migration

Published on July 17, 2018

USCIB Senior Counsel Ronnie Goldberg delivered a statement on July 13 at the United Nations headquarters in NY in support of the final draft of the Global Compact for safe, orderly and regular Migration (GCM). Goldberg delivered the statement on behalf of the International Organization of Employers and the Global Forum on Migration and Development (GFMD) Business Mechanism.

The Global Compact for safe, orderly and regular migration was agreed upon by UN Member States following several negotiating rounds and aims to protect the interests of both migrants and citizens.

“Regular migration is critical to the success of our enterprises – as well as our economies,” said Goldberg. “That success requires a comprehensive and balanced approach – such as that sought in the GCM – that facilitates the economic contributions of migrants while protecting them from predatory practices.”

SDG Countdown: Protect Ecosystems and Strengthen Means of Implementation

Published on July 16, 2018

This year’s United Nations High-Level Political Forum (UN HLPF) on sustainable development will be held from July 9-18 under the auspices of the Economic and Social Council. The theme for the forum will be “Transformation towards sustainable and resilient societies” focusing in part on Sustainable Development Goal 15: Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss Goal 17: Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development, that will be considered each year.

As part of USCIB’s countdown to the UN HLPF, USCIB is highlighting some initiatives that its member companies are working on to transform toward sustainable and resilient societies, while subsequently meeting the SDG targets set by the UN. More examples of initiatives can be found on USCIB’s Business for 2030 website.

 

SDG 15: Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss

One initiative to highlight is a project by Novozymes to support the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CDB) in terms of the fair and equitable sharing of the benefits arising out of the utilization of genetic resources.  Novozymes has decided to acknowledge and support the principles of both the CBD and the Nagoya protocol and has internal procedures to ensure that it lives up to its commitments. Novozymes promotes fair and equitable sharing of the benefits arising from the utilization of genetic resources and promotes appropriate access to such resources, as internationally agreed. They are regularly assessing outcomes of CBD meetings with a view to undertake a broader strategic discussion on its management and reporting of biodiversity issues. By sharing the benefits of genetic resources, Novozymes is taking steps to achieve SDG 15 and to increase biological diversity.

SDG 17: Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development, that will be considered each year:

Another project to note is an initiative by Mars to ensure that everyone working with their extended supply chains should earn sufficient income to maintain a decent standard of living. This is done through Mars’ Farmer Income Lab, an open-source “think-do-tank” that will enable Mars and others to leverage their unique human, social and financial resources to identify and activate solutions needed to eradicate smallholder poverty in global supply chains. This year, the Lab’s focus is on identifying effective actions that buyers can take to enable smallholder farmers in global supply chains to meaningfully increase income. This will culminate in a ‘What Works’ publication, providing an overview of promising models, sourced from academic literature and stakeholder dialogues, that increase incomes and demonstrate what factors are most successful. Mars’ commitment to increasing incomes is part of their Sustainable in a Generation Plan, a $1-billion investment to accelerate sustainable growth by achieving SDG 17 through global partnerships.

 

Click here for more information on what USCIB has done so far during this year’s HLPF.