Communication Department Archives

ICC Chairman, Chinese Vice Premier Strengthen Business Ties

Published on July 30, 2015
L-R: Terry McGraw (ICC) and Chinese Vice Premier Wang Yang
L-R: Terry McGraw (ICC) and Chinese Vice Premier Wang Yang

International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) and USCIB Chairman Terry McGraw met with Chinese Vice Premier Wang Yang in Beijing on July 29 to underscore the importance of incorporating the voice of Chinese companies into global economic governance forums.

McGraw held a series of meetings with Chinese government leaders and business officials seeking to secure the engagement of Chinese companies in ICC’s work to promote cross border trade and investment.

“ICC is the world business organization and our mission is to represent the views of international business to policymakers in key forums such as the G20, the World Trade Organization, the World Customs Organization and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change,” he said. “China has the world’s second largest GDP and is critical player in the world economy. It is therefore essential that Chinese companies are involved in ICC’s international policy-making process.”

Wang welcomed McGraw’s support and spoke positively of the indispensable role played by ICC in promoting economic growth, global trade and investment, and in strengthening global economic governance.

“We wish to step up our cooperation between Chinese companies and ICC,” said Wang. “China is willing to draw upon your suggestions and I hope ICC will play an active role in China’s reform and increasing exchanges with Chinese business to create more opportunities for foreign cooperation with Chinese companies.”

Wang said the China Chamber of International Commerce (CCOIC) – which houses ICC China – will be responsible for maintaining the close and frequent interactions with ICC.

McGraw also pointed to China’s upcoming G20 presidency, beginning on December 1, and explained that Chinese business will have an increasingly important opportunity to help shape the G20 policy agenda. McGraw shared current Business 20 (B20) priorities under development for the G20 Summit in Antalya, Turkey in November, highlighting trade, investment, infrastructure, human capital and education as priorities for G20 consideration.

“ICC has historically conveyed business priorities to G20 Leaders, and has served as a strategic partner to national B20 hosts to develop policy recommendations for G20 consideration,” said McGraw. “ICC is committed to supporting the Chinese government and the Chinese business community in its preparations for hosting the G20 and we are investing now in our long-run work plan with ICC China and CCOIC.”

Jiang Zengwei, chairman of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT) joined McGraw in the meeting with Wang.

“We highly value the role of ICC,” said Jiang. “As we grow the participation of Chinese companies in CCOIC, we will work closely with ICC for support on educating Chinese businesses and incorporating their views in critical international policy forums, including trade, investment and intellectual property.”

McGraw and Jiang agreed to a long-term program, featuring a growing number of ICC meetings in China, to develop CCOIC contributions to ICC international business policy.

ICC’s delegation to Beijing also included Cherie Nursalim, vice chairman of GITI Group; Sara Dai, president of Novozymes China; Zhang Yanling, Bank of China and member of ICC Executive Board; Cindy Braddon, vice president for international affairs, McGraw Hill Financial [now S&P Global]; Jeffrey Hardy, director, ICC G20 CEO Advisory Group; and Robert Milliner, senior director, Wesfarmers and B20 Australia Sherpa.

 

 

USCIB Joins Other Business Groups in Defense of IPRs

Published on July 29, 2015

green_lightbulbThe protection of Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs) is a central enabling condition for innovation, stimulating investment and disseminating new greener technologies and knowledge. But in recent years, IPR protection is being challenged in a range of international forums, including the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the UN Post-2015 Development Agenda.  Critics assert that IP protection increases costs and impedes access.

USCIB joined eight other business associations in signing a letter to U.S. cabinet officials calling upon the U.S. government to resist “persistent efforts” by a small group of countries and NGOs to undermine American innovation for environmental technologies. The letter focuses on major international policy decisions that will be reached covering climate change and a wide array of other economic, social and environmental policy priorities this year in New York and Paris. It underscores the importance of avoiding inclusion of IP protection in the Paris climate agreement, and discouraging the proliferation of bureaucratic and redundant technology forums.

“These countries assert that environmental technology and other manufacturing IPRs prevent technology diffusion and undermine socio-economic development – without any evidence, in the face of practical experience and despite a vast body of academic literature to the contrary,” the letter stated, which was sent on July 29 to Secretary of State John Kerry, USTR Michael Froman and Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker.

“In reality, the development of effective IP frameworks that apply to environmental technology IPRs, including manufacturing IPRs, has been shown to facilitate the development of new solutions to environmental and development challenges and, especially, their adaptation and

Read the full multi-association letter.

USCIB advocates for polices that enhance innovation, such as IPRs, as vehicles that support and encourage environmental and development goals.

Find out more about USCIB’s engagement with the UN climate talks and the UN Post-2015 Development Agenda.

USCIB, Members, Gov’t Reps Discuss China Engagement with U.S., OECD

Published on July 28, 2015

Blue sky and white clouds, ancient Chinese architectureOn the heels of both the U.S.-China Strategic & Economic Dialogue (S&ED) and the visit of Chinese Premier Li Keqiang to the OECD Headquarters in Paris, USCIB held an important briefing with members to discuss ongoing U.S.-China and OECD-China engagement. USCIB and members met with representatives from several U.S. government agencies, the OECD and the Electronic Industry Citizenship Coalition (EICC) on Wednesday, July 22 at Foley & Lardner LLP in Washington, D.C.

Audrey Winter from the USTR China Office, Michael Tracton from the Office of Investment in the State Department’s Economic Bureau and Zhao Li from the Department of Labor discussed outcomes of the S&ED regarding trade, ICT, investment and labor. Tracton also discussed the increasing collaboration between the OECD and China, which is exemplified by the recent agreement of Primer Li and OECD Secretary General Angel Gurría to develop an OECD-China work plan, as well as collaboration on Chinese responsible business conduct.

The second panel included the State Department’s head on conflict minerals, Eileen Kane, who reported out on her recent trip to China, where she met with several Chinese officials and agencies to gain important connections and advance the relationship with China in regard to conflict minerals. Tyler Gillard, head of sector projects and legal adviser in the responsible business conduct unit from the OECD’s Investment Division, also joined by video conference to provide an overview of the OECD’s broader outreach and capacity-building on conflict minerals with the China Chamber of Commerce. Tara Holeman, program director from EICC, discussed the Conflict-Free Sourcing Initiative (CFSI), which has been developed in line global standards including the OECD Due Diligence Guidance for Responsible Supply Chains of Minerals and the U.S. Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act.

ICC: New Anti-Corruption Guide for SMEs

Published on July 28, 2015

new-guide-smes_sourceThe International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) has released “Anti-corruption Third Party Due Diligence,” a new guide to help small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) assess and manage corruption risks associated with engaging third party suppliers.

SMEs are often on the receiving end of burdensome due diligence procedures. The new ICC anti-corruption tool inspires businesses to engage in due diligence by creating achievable and manageable goals.

“Corruption hinders economic growth and erodes trust in both businesses and governmental institutions,” said Viviane Schiavi, senior policy manager of the ICC Commission on Corporate Responsibility and Anti-corruption, and co-chair of the B20 Anti-corruption Task Force Training Work Stream. “It remains a major barrier that impacts businesses negatively by increasing the costs of doing business -especially for SMEs – and undermining the quality of both products and services. SMEs are drivers of economic growth in many economies yet often they need relevant training to do their part for responsible supply chains and sustainable growth.”

The ICC guide addresses SMEs’ need for capacity building on integrating global supply chains in an ethical and responsible way. It provides practical advice on how SMEs can cost-effectively conduct due diligence on third parties they engage to perform services on their behalf.”

This new anti-corruption tool is a direct response to the Turkish G20 and B20 efforts to implement concrete actions for private sector integrity, especially to empower SMEs in their fight against corrupt activities. It also supports one of the key United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, to be adopted during the UN’s General Assembly in September, which will work towards substantially reducing corruption and bribery in all its forms.

ICC has been a pioneer in the business fight against corruption, and is at the forefront of the development of ethics, anti-corruption and corporate responsibility advocacy codes and guidelines. The new guide will complement ICC’s robust suite of anti-corruption tools, which includes the Ethics and Compliance Training Handbook .

Launch of the Global Employers’ Summit 2015 Website

Published on July 27, 2015

BahrainThe first Global Employers’ Summit of the International Organisation of Employers (IOE) will take place at the invitation of the Bahrain Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI) on October 6-7, 2015 in Bahrain. 

The Global Employers’ Summit website is now online. Participants are encouraged to register on the website as soon as possible.

Jointly organised by the IOE and BCCI, this prestigious event will be held under the patronage of His Royal Highness Shaikh Salman Bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince of the Kingdom of Bahrain. The Summit will bring together high-level participants from multinational companies, international organisations, employers’ organisations and institutions, to explore key areas of interest for business including labor mobility across borders, business and human rights, promoting inclusion and diversity, and more.

The event will culminate with the signing of the Bahrain Declaration.

White House, USCIB Members Launch American Business Action on Climate Change Pledge

Published on July 27, 2015

White_HouseUSCIB welcomes the leadership announcements made today at the White House by several of its members, including Coca-Cola, Google, Microsoft, Pepsico, UPS and Walmart as part of the American Business Action on Climate Change Pledge.  These and other USCIB members have been moving ahead to provide innovation, investment and implementation to complement the international community’s efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to climate risks under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

USCIB’s President and CEO Peter Robinson called this the most recent proof that U.S. business is in the vanguard of global citizenship in advancing sustainability in the context of energy access and security.  “USCIB is strongly committed to a successful outcome at the Paris conference this December,” he said. “This announcement highlights how critical it is to engineer business into the Paris agreement in order to tap business action and invite business input to inform cost effective policy and practice to address climate change.”

USCIB is the U.S. affiliate of the International Chamber of Commerce and a U.S. partner of the Major Economies Business Forum (BizMEF).  It has represented U.S. business interests in the UNFCCC since 1993.  Please check its climate change website for continuing updates of its climate change positions and plans for COP21.

IOE, IOM, Partner Companies Take Part in Expert Meeting on Ethical Recruitment

Published on July 24, 2015

Two machinists working on machine

The International Organization of Employers (IOE) is deepening its engagement with the International Organization for Migration (IOM) on the interface between employment and migration. As part of this, USCIB Senior Counsel (and IOE Regional Vice President for North America) Ronnie Goldberg and IOE Senior Adviser Frederick Muia attended a recent expert meeting on ethical recruitment.

The two day meeting, which was also attended by Cindy Sawyer of The Coca-Cola Company and Annemarie Muntz of Randstad Holding NV, two IOE partner companies, discussed the development of the operational protocol of the International Recruitment Integrity System (IRIS), an international voluntary ethical recruitment framework that will benefit all stakeholders in the labor migration process.

Speaking during the opening session, Goldberg called for a practical operational tool that would recognize, reward and build on the efforts being undertaken by the “good” actors in the recruitment chain and find ways to identify, isolate and hopefully eliminate the bad actors. She noted that companies were taking measures to ensure transparency in their labor supply chain and that all recruitment activities were being performed in accordance with ethical recruitment principles. These efforts are helping companies mitigate the risk of unforeseen links to forced labor, child labor and human trafficking. 

Speaking during the session dedicated to partners of the initiative, Muia underscored the importance of the IOE in enabling member federations and partner companies to have a platform to push for immigration policies that are efficient and transparent so that companies can move skills and talent across borders. Muia also spoke about the need to strengthen government institutions particularly in fragile states. As IRIS was a voluntary initiative it could only compliment government efforts whose role was critical in addressing cases of criminal activity such as human trafficking. 

Muntz, who is also president of the International Confederation of Private Employment Agencies (CIETT), underscored the role of the recruitment industry in self-regulation. She explained how the CIETT code of conduct helps mobilize member companies and associations to promote ethical recruitment practices both at national and international levels. She highlighted the need to continue efforts to promote the ratification of ILO Convention 181 on private employment agencies as it gave these agencies the necessary recognition to carry out their legitimate activities. 

Sawyer focused on the role of multinational enterprises in taking the lead in ethical recruitment of migrant workers and promotion of good employment practices. She gave the example of The Coca-Cola Company that had issued Supplier Guiding Principles that expressly prohibit the use of all forms of forced labor and trafficking.

USCIB Welcomes Expansion of WTO Information Technology Agreement

Published on July 24, 2015

ITA_manufacturing

New York, N.Y., July 24, 2015  – The United States Council for International Business (USCIB) welcomed today’s agreement among members of the World Trade Organization (WTO) to expand the 1996 Information Technology Agreement (ITA) to a wide array of additional products.

“These are critical, market-opening negotiations, with vast potential to boost U.S. exports,” said USCIB President and CEO Peter Robinson. “Combined with last December’s agreement on the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement, this breakthrough further demonstrates the importance of keeping a robust multilateral track in the U.S. trade agenda.”

The original ITA helped cement the growth of electronic commerce and the digital economy by freeing up trade in many IT goods and services. But with the rapid growth of the Internet and digital technologies in the two decades since, many newer products fall outside its purview. A plurilateral undertaking among 54 WTO members, the ongoing ITA negotiations aim to lift tariffs on approximately $1 trillion worth of trade in high-tech products annually.

Robinson added: “We applaud the determination displayed by U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman and his team to get this important agreement done by this December’s WTO ministerial in Nairobi. We urge all WTO members to seize this momentum to finalize a deal as soon as possible.”

In May 2013, USCIB joined a wide array of high-tech and other business groups in urging negotiators to aim for a comprehensive, ambitious and commercially meaningful expansion of the ITA.

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, USCIB provides business views to policy makers and regulatory authorities worldwide, and works to facilitate international trade and investment. More at www.uscib.org.

Contact:
Jonathan Huneke, USCIB
+1 212.703.5043, jhuneke@uscib.org

More on USCIB’s Trade and Investment Committee

More on USCIB’s Information, Communications and Technology Committee

The Business of Sustainability

Published on July 22, 2015
USCIB President and CEO Peter Robinson
USCIB President and CEO Peter Robinson

Think the UN is all talk and no action? Think again. Two upcoming conferences could radically alter how business is done around the world.

By the end of this year, two highly anticipated UN deliberations will have altered the course of global policy and regulation. Taken together, September’s UN General Assembly session – where member states will finalize the UN’s long-awaited Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) – and December’s COP21 climate summit in Paris will shift markets and expectations of the private sector, and impact U.S. companies for years to come.

At the same time, critical negotiations on finance, investment and trade are unfolding that seek to mobilize business resources for climate and sustainability. These include July’s UN Financing for Development conference in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, and talks on a WTO Environmental Goods Agreement. As these processes move forward, we are seeing increasing momentum, activity and heightened expectations, not just for governments but also for the business community.

This is because, unlike previous UN talk shops, these deliberations have catalyzed political leaders around the world toward action. Governments are already moving ahead. The United States, Brazil and China have all announced new ambitious greenhouse gas reduction targets. In Addis Ababa, governments will commit to global economic and development policies that seek to mobilize both public-sector and private-sector financial resources in support of development.

So what is the role of U.S. business in these global debates? This depends in large measure on what our government and the UN agencies involved want – and allow – companies to do. But to a substantial degree, it is also up to American business to define and shape its role in the systems and policy frameworks that will emerge from the SDGs and COP21.

Make sure agreements work with – and for – the private sector

We have an important message to deliver to policy makers: The private sector, not government, is responsible for the lion’s share of investment decisions around the world that will finance sustainable development and climate amelioration. It is business that develops, and deploys, the technologies that will surmount current sustainability challenges. The success of the SDGs and the COP21 agreement hinges on open markets and a level playing field. These have been core guiding principles of USCIB and our business partners for decades, and they are more important now than ever before.

As a responsible partner of long standing representing U.S. companies in intergovernmental agencies, USCIB has been deeply involved in all these deliberations. Our members know how important it is to find solutions that work with the private sector, and in synergy with global markets, to foster shared prosperity through innovation and investment.

Undeniably, business can, and should, lead in the transition to a more climate-friendly and sustainable economy, while improving world health and eradicating poverty and hunger. For this to happen, the policy frameworks governments put in place in via the SDGs and a global climate pact must be practical, and must consider how  the private sector’s involvement can get us all to the finish line more quickly, without compromising economic growth and prosperity or creating undue burdens on business.

Launch of Campaign 2015

campaign2015_logoJust as political leaders are catalyzing around the need for action, USCIB is rallying American business in a constructive, coordinated effort to provide a stronger private-sector role in the SDGs, COP21 and related initiatives. We have launched a new initiative, Campaign 2015, to serve as a linchpin for our work in these critical negotiations.

Through Campaign2015, USCIB will:

  • represent business interests in real time at global negotiations, ensuring business is at the table when these ambitious agreements lead to binding regulations
  • champion and amplify USCIB’s messagesthrough dedicated meetings with key policymakers
  • promote the opportunity for business investment, action, collaboration and innovation, and
  • communicate our policy views to influential audiencesby leveraging media attention around UN deliberations.

We have created a new Web platform www.BusinessForPost-2015.org, to showcase the private sector’s contributions to sustainable development and explain what the SDGs mean for business.  We are also engaging in a media campaign with Devex, the leading online platform for development professionals, to highlight our policy work and priorities for the post-2015 development agenda.

Our efforts through Campaign 2015 will challenge us to extend our reach and amplify our voice in new ways. More than visibility, this initiative provides business a seat at the table to inform, advise and engage throughout the negotiation processes to encourage member state representatives to enact policy frameworks that safeguard sustainable economic growth and resist negative proposals, such as those that will weaken intellectual property protection.

The bottom line is that business must be a part of the process if it is to be a part of the solution.

To learn more about Campaign2015 or to make a contribution, please visit www.USCIBCampaign2015.org, or contact Norine Kennedy at nkennedy@uscib.org.

 

Hosting European Media, USCIB Makes Case for Ambitious Transatlantic Trade Pact

Published on July 22, 2015

shaunUSCIB’s Washington, D.C. office hosted a diverse group of 10 journalists from around the European Union yesterday for a discussion of the state of transatlantic trade talks. USCIB Vice President Shaun Donnelly provided an in-depth analysis of key issues at stake in the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) negotiations.

Joined by Eva Hampl, USCIB’s director of investment, trade and financial services, Donnelly emphasized American business’s strong support for an ambitious and comprehensive TTIP agreement that sets high standards in areas such as regulatory cooperation and protection of investments. He also stressed that the negotiating dynamics as well as an ultimate agreement would be different from other U.S. and EU trade pacts, owing to the relative size and sophistication of the economies involved.

“Average tariffs between our two economies are now around three percent,” he observed. “So it’s clear that the ‘easy’ issues of reducing traditional trade barriers have already been tackled. What we need to do now is address the ‘hard’ issues: making our regulatory systems work together to expand trade and investment, streamlining government procurement rules and creating a level playing field with regard to state-owned enterprises.”

Since the beginning of the TTIP negotiations in 2013, the treatment of investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS) rules in TTIP has emerged as a lightning rod for many in Europe. Donnelly reminded the journalists that ISDS was in fact a European invention, forming a cornerstone of many bilateral investment treaties and free-trade agreements.

“Investment is now a central issue in trade negotiations,” Donnelly stated. “We need strong investment rules in TTIP, both to safeguard reciprocally beneficial FDI and as a benchmark for further agreements with other countries.”

The media roundtable was facilitated by the U.S. State Department’s Foreign Press Center.