Communication Department Archives

Contact an Expert

Published on May 5, 2016

Need a source for your story, or a speaker for your event? USCIB has a roster of knowledgeable experts ready to answer the call. Click on a name to view sample speaking topics and biographical information. Contact Deputy Director of Communications & Marketing Kira Yevtukhova (kyevtukhova@uscib.org) for more information.

Our Experts

Insightful Presentations on a Broad Range of Critical Policy Issues

Peter Robinson
President and CEO
International Regulatory Diplomacy | U.S. & Global Trade Policy 
International Organizations | Climate Change

Shaun DonnellyShaun Donnelly
VP, Investment and Financial Services
US & Global Trade Policy | Foreign Direct Investment | Anti-Corruption

Megan Giblin
Director, Customs and Trade Facilitation

Gabriella Rigg Herzog
VP, Corporate Responsibility and Labor Affairs

Norine KennedyNorine Kennedy
VP, Strategic International Engagement, Energy and Environment
Global Environmental Policy | Energy Policy 
International Organizations | Climate Change

Barbara WannerBarbara Wanner
VP, ICT Policy
Internet Governance | Data Privacy
Big Data | Internet of Things

Forum on Responsible Mineral Supply Chains

Published on May 2, 2016

Gold Rush Fuels DR Congo CrisisThe OECD Due Diligence Guidance for Responsible Supply Chains of Minerals from Conflict-Affected and High-Risk Areas provides detailed recommendations to help companies respect ‌human rights and avoid contributing to conflict through their mineral purchasing decisions and practices. The guidance has been developed with the active participation of business.

Members of the Business and Industry Advisory Committee (BIAC) to the OECD will participate in the upcoming Forum on May 10-12, which will focus on compliance and implementation of the OECD Due Diligence Guidance and other initiatives to enable responsible mineral supply chains. The agenda as well as the OECD Due Diligence Guidance are available on the OECD website.

Climate Change High on BIAC’s Agenda

Published on May 2, 2016

Following the opening ceremony for signature of the United Nations climate agreement (Paris Agreement), held at the UN headquarters on April 22 in New York, the Business and Industry Advisory Committee (BIAC) to the OECD reiterated its continued support to the OECD as a key organization in the field to provide fact-based analysis concerning the implementation of the Paris Agreement. BIAC called upon the OECD to contribute to increasing the overall cost-effectiveness and coherence of climate measures and to help ensure a policy environment that is supportive of innovation and investment by all the business involved.

At the meeting of the OECD Environment Policy Committee in early May, BIAC will highlight the key recommendations of its paper on the “Post-COP 21 Agenda: Key Actions for the OECD”.  Going forward, BIAC will contribute to preparations for the OECD Environment Ministerial planned for September 2016.

Enhancing Productivity for Inclusive Growth

Published on April 29, 2016
USCIB CEO Peter Robinson, BIAC Secretary General Bernhard Welschke, and BIAC Innovation & Technology Committee Chair Rick Johnson at the MCM Consultation (Santiago)
USCIB President and CEO Peter Robinson, BIAC Secretary General Bernhard Welschke, and BIAC Innovation & Technology Committee Chair Rick Johnson at the MCM Consultation (Santiago)

“Enhancing Productivity for Inclusive Growth” will be the theme of this year’s OECD Ministerial Council meeting chaired by Chile. The Chilean government, led by the Ministers of Finance and Foreign Affairs, hosted a preparatory meeting with the Business and Industry Advisory Committee (BIAC) to the OECD on April 25 in Santiago, Chile. Fernando Alvear Artaza, the general manager of the Confederation for Production and Commerce (CPC) in Chile, presented the views of BIAC and his federation on measures to improve productivity and to better use the growth potentials of our economies.

USCIB President and CEO Peter Robinson spoke on the key role of business to realize the Sustainable Development Goals. And the chair of BIAC’s Technology Committee, Rick Johnson, explained the potential of innovation and digital technologies for more growth and well-being.

The BIAC delegation was strongly enhanced by the participation of Martin Pérez Monteverde, president of the National Confederation of Private Entrepreneurial Institutions (CONFIEP), BIAC’s new observer in Peru. Following the meetings in Santiago, Martin hosted the delegation in Lima for talks with the presidents of CONFIEP member federations. The Peruvian economy and cooperation with BIAC on all OECD matters were the focus of discussions.

At the OECD Week General Assembly on May 30, BIAC will present the results of its new economic policy survey and celebrate the 40th anniversary of the OECD Declaration on International Investment and Multinational Enterprises.

USCIB Participates in World Day for Safety at Work

Published on April 29, 2016

Work-related accidents are among the top five leading causes of death around the world. Every year, 2.3 million workers die from injuries sustained on the job. Two million of these deaths are due to diseases including stress.

To respond to this challenge, the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development has set a specific target on promoting safe and secure environments for all workers. On April 28, the UN convened a special event in New York to discuss global initiatives for addressing safety at work.

Ronnie Goldberg, USCIB senior counsel, was a speaker at the event along with Reinhard Krapp (German Mission to the UN), Nata Menabde (World Health Organization), Edmundo Werno (International Labor Organization) and Alison Brown (Cardiff University). The panel was moderated by Vinicius Carvalho Pinheiro, ILO special representative to the UN.

Goldberg gave the business perspective on work-place safety, noting that occupational safety is a key business issue as it is inked to productivity and the competitiveness of enterprises. She said that proper and adequate supply chain management is a priority for companies, and hundreds of sector-specific initiatives exist to promote workplace safety along the supply chain.  Capacity building is also of critical importance to improve working conditions, she said, both for government institutions and companies.

“Employers recognize that creating a culture of prevention is a win-win for all parties,” Goldberg noted. “The IOE is committed to continue participating in the discussion on improving working conditions in supply chains as well as the development of the Vision Zero Fund.”

Business Adds Voice to Partnerships Forum on Nutrition

Published on April 28, 2016
nutrition_partnership_forum
Partnerships Forum on Nutrition

On April 26, over 80 private sector, civil society and United Nations Rome-based officials including from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) gathered for the International Agri-Food Network’s “Partnerships Forum on Nutrition.” The meeting was hosted by Hinrich Tholken, Ambassador of Germany to the UN Rome-based agencies.

“This unique event demonstrated the depth and breadth of industry-led activities related to nutrition,” said USCIB Vice President for Product Policy and Innovation Helen Medina, who attended the forum. “It was an opportunity for the private sector to share examples and concrete experiences of successful initiatives across sectors in many countries.”

The meeting began with Robynne Anderson, director general of the International Agri-Food Network (IAFN) describing why partnerships are important and relating the theme to the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Others in the opening session described the importance of tackling stunting and wasting as a way to achieve Zero Hunger Challenge.

The second part of the meeting included 17 “rapid fire presentations” moderated by Gerda Verburg, Ambassador of the Netherlands to the UN Rome-based agencies. Ambassador Verburg asked participants to speak from their hearts and to be clear and concise about their desires.  The event was meant to inspire all to think about partnerships and how to take advantage of the opportunities that were immediately available to everyone around the table.

The meeting’s main messages included:

  • It is clear that the partnering with all stakeholders including the private sector is needed if countries want to tackle their nutrition challenges;
  • Empowering the value chain and in particular women are key for development and improving nutritional outcomes;
  • Mainstreaming nutrition in poverty reduction goals will translate into high economic growth;
  • Trust is needed to build upon partnerships and all stakeholders need to feel invested in the projects;
  • Key stakeholders including the private sector need to be involved from the analysis stage in problem analysis to delivering the desired outcomes.

 

Industry Representatives Meet FAO and other Rome-based UN Officials

Published on April 28, 2016
Private Sector Mechanism delegation in Rome. (USCIB’s Helen Media is second from right in the first row.)

Nearly 800 million people worldwide remain chronically undernourished, while at the same time incidences of obesity are rising in nearly all countries. This month, the United Nations agreed on a resolution proclaiming the Decade of Action on Nutrition, aiming to galvanize action from all stakeholders to end hunger and eradicate malnutrition worldwide. The resolution calls upon the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and World Health Organization (WHO) to lead this effort’s implementation, and invites international partners, including the private sector, to support governments as they spearhead work on nutrition.

Earlier this week, USCIB and several of its member companies participated in the Private Sector Mechanism (PSM) delegation, which included over 30 industry representatives from the broad agri-food business value chain, to meet bilaterally with high-level FAO officials and to attend the “Partnerships Forum on Nutrition,” which was held at the International Fund for Agriculture Development.

Why it’s important to engage with the FAO

According to Helen Medina, USCIB’s vice president for product policy and innovation, participating in the PSM, which is an officially recognized organization that formally works with FAO, allows for companies and business associations to:

  • learn about crucial policymaking trends that could impact their business;
  • network with industry colleagues and develop industry-wide advocacy messages;
  • build relationships with FAO representatives; and
  • emphasize how the private sector can provide leadership and partnerships on issues such as food security, nutrition, agricultural productivity, nutrition, smallholders and the empowerment of women.

The FAO and the UN Committee on World Food Security, which is housed at the FAO, have most recently become important forums where policy recommendations related to agriculture, food security and nutrition are developed.

“Many in the private sector have become aware that several of the decisions made in the Rome-based organizations can influence policymakers at the highest levels of government,” said Medina. “It is therefore no surprise that over 30 industry representatives traveled to Rome to meet with over 30 different country delegations over a two-day period.”

Over 30 industry representatives met with over 30 governments from North America, the European Union, Latin America, Africa, the Middle East and Asia

Industry participants learned that the recent UN announcement of the Decade of Action on Nutrition, which aims to galvanize actions to reduce hunger and improve nutrition around the world, will drive a lot of the work streams at the FAO. In fact, the UN resolution calls the FAO and World Health Organization (WHO) to lead these efforts and cooperate with other UN bodies such as the UN Standing Committee on Nutrition (UNSCN). With the renewed focus on nutrition issues, the UNSCN will be an important voice. Its mandate is to provide global strategic leadership for strengthening policy coherence on nutrition across the UN system through dialogue, research and policy briefs, as well as through rallying UN agencies around unified positions.

“The meeting with the U.S., Canada and Australia reminded industry participants of how important it is to continue to engage at the FAO,” Medina added. “While those countries are supportive of industry’s involvement in FAO meetings, they cautioned that many countries continue to be skeptical of private-sector participation. Their recommendation to industry was to continue to build relations and share information about successful industry-led activities which align with the FAO’s mission.”

During the meetings with other countries, company representatives showed examples of private-public partnerships in areas such as: investment and financing, food safety, supporting sustainable supply chains, protecting natural resources; stimulating initiatives that create jobs and stimulate trade; communicating information; empowering women; innovating and developing tools to help farmers and better nutrition, to name a few. The topic of partnerships was also the theme for the “Partnerships Forum on Nutrition” half-day event held at the International Fund for Agriculture Development.

New Study Details the Impact of an Environmental Goods Agreement on China

Published on April 22, 2016

Solar-workers_3The Coalition for Green Trade, of which USCIB is a founding member, issued the following press release today about a new study onthe impact of an Environmental Goods Agreement on China:

New Study Details the Impact of an Environmental Goods Agreement on China

The Coalition for Green Trade today released the results of a new study detailing the effects that a World Trade Organization (WTO) Environmental Goods Agreement (EGA) would have on the economy of China and the country’s ability to meet its environmental goals.

Overall, the study, “Value of an Environmental Goods Agreement: Helping China Meet Its Environmental Goals,” finds that full implementation of an EGA accord to eliminate tariffs on green technologies by China – the largest producer of these technologies participating in the EGA negotiations – would have a positive impact on the Chinese economy and environment.

The study was principally prepared by Dr. Joseph F. Francois and Laura M. Baughman of the Trade Partnership Worldwide, LLC.  They find that full implementation by China of an ambitious EGA:

  • Increases China’s GDP and national income by billions of dollars;
  • Increases exports by nearly $27 billion, up by 9.8 percent;
  • Increases real spending of roughly $22 billion annually on environmental goods; and
  • Results in gains of approximately $659 billion annually in economic benefits linked to improved environmental quality, based on the literature assessing cost-benefit ratios for investment in improved environmental conditions.

In July 2014, the United States and a group of other countries launched EGA negotiations at the World Trade Organization (WTO) in an effort to improve access to important green and energy efficient technologies, among other objectives. The United States and the 16 other WTO members participating in the EGA talks account for at least 86 percent of global environmental goods trade.

The Coalition for Green Trade is composed of a broad range of associations – including the U.S. China Business Council, which provided advice and outreach in support of this report – and companies doing business in the United States who seek to remove barriers to global trade in environmental technologies.

Business Pushes for U.S. Manufacturing Competitiveness

Published on April 22, 2016

U.S. manufacturers face high costs for inputs not produced in the United States. USCIB joined more than 200 trade groups and companies urging Congress to pass the Miscellaneous Tariffs Bill (MTB) overhaul bill quickly, which would eliminate unnecessary taxes on imported goods not available domestically. USCIB and others stated in a letter that U.S. manufacturers have faced annual tariffs of nearly $750 million since the last MTB expired in 2012, “undermining American competitiveness and the ability of these companies to retain and create manufacturing jobs in the United States.”

“This is something that we’ve been trying to get done for years,” House Speaker Paul Ryan told reporters on Friday. “This MTB issue is something that I personally have been involved in, and I’m very excited that we have a solution now that we are moving. It is a jobs bill. It is a transparency bill. And it upholds our earmark ban, first and foremost, which is very important.”

Read the full letter.

BIAC Forum to Spark New Ideas for Better Healthcare

Published on April 20, 2016

By Helen Medina 

Two athletic woman running outdoors. Action and healthy lifestyle concept.

Health is everyone’s business. Not only do we as individuals have a stake, but policymakers need to ensure that national populations are active and healthy for the sake of their economies. OECD countries are keenly aware of this and are striving to develop and maintain sustainable healthcare systems that harness the power of innovation and achieve better health outcomes, greater productivity and well-being. We all know that health challenges are complex and there is no single solution to global problems, but business is a key component to unlocking ideas and providing answers.

Against this backdrop, the Business and Industry Advisory Committee to the OECD (BIAC)  is hosting a Forum on Innovation in Health and Well-Being on May 3-4, 2016 in Paris at the OECD Headquarters. This unique two-day event will allow participants to exchange solutions and policy recommendations with high-level representatives from the business community, governments and leading voices in the field. We are thrilled that Riz Khan, a well-known international journalist and author, recognized across the globe for having had flagship TV shows on CNN International and Al Jazeera English, will moderate the discussion.

Follow the event at #BIAChealth

This packed event will showcase the diversity of how business is involved in providing solutions to health care challenges. Participants will learn how the food and drink industries are investing in innovations to deliver healthier products for consumers. As employers, businesses are also providing wellness programs that empower populations and increase productivity. The business community knows that we are just one stakeholder, and the event will showcase examples of partnerships with governments and community stakeholders to reduce risk factors for chronic diseases, as well as education programs that encourage populations to become physically active and adopt healthy lifestyles.

The second day will address business views on how to create sustainable healthcare systems. We believe that a 21st century healthcare system must be patient-centered to be effective, and the integration of digital technologies is vital to making strides in areas of disease prevention and management.  And of course having stakeholder dialogue is crucial to striking a balance between encouraging innovation and improving access to new medicines. Business understands that delivering innovation requires a broad policy framework involving multiple government agencies. Government and business collaboration will be essential in all phases of research. The discussion outcomes of the meeting are relevant for the global health community.

I look forward participating in this unique opportunity and hope to see you in Paris!

Find out more about the BIAC Forum on Innovation in Health and Well-Being.

 

USCIB Monthly Health and Nutrition Blog

March: Global Nutrition: What Is the Private Sector Doing?

February: We’ve All Got to Work Together On Global Health Issues

January: Businesses Celebrate American Heart Month