Communication Department Archives

USCIB’s Goldberg Presides at 2015 International Labor Conference

Published on June 5, 2015
Ronnie Goldberg speaks at the closing ceremony of the 2015 ILC.

Every year, USCIB organizes the American Employers’ delegation to the International Labor Conference (ILC), the highest decision-making body of the International Labor Organization (ILO) which brings together government delegates from the organization’s 185 member states, representatives from workers’ organizations and employers’ organizations such as the International Organization of Employers (IOE). USCIB is the American affiliate of the IOE.

With this year’s ILC underway, which runs from June 1 to June 13, Ronnie Goldberg, USCIB’s senior counsel, is serving as the employer’s co-chair during the proceedings.

Noteworthy projects of the 2015 ILC include an item proposed by global employers, led by the International Organization of Employers (IOE), is the Committee on the Transition from the Informal to the Formal Economy, which will conclude its two-year work on a draft Recommendation to governments on facilitating transitions to more formal economies. In addition, the conference covered discussions on building enabling environments for small- and medium-sized enterprises and on ILO’s work on social protection, focused on labor inspection.

During his opening address to the ILC, ILO Director General Guy Ryder called for a global debate on the future of work. “The issues of jobs, equity, sustainability, human security, labor mobility, social dialogue, which need to be tackled in a future of work initiative, are almost by definition the key policy issues of our time,” said Ryder.

The proposed initiative would be structured around four conversations: work and society; the organization of work and production; decent jobs for all; and the governance of work. Subsequently, a high-level commission on the future of work would prepare a report to the ILO’s centenary Conference in 2019.

Also on June 1, Ryder, Goldberg and other ILO delegates signed a signature panel symbolizing support for the “50 for Freedom campaign” to end modern-day slavery. The campaign’s goal is to encourage 50 member states to ratify, by 2018, a protocol to the ILO Forced Labor Convention.

Read more: IOE Stresses B20 Recommendations for Skills Development and Inclusive Labor Markets

UN Members, Private Sector Prepare for Big Development Finance Conference in Ethiopia

Published on June 3, 2015

FfD

Members of the United Nations are busily negotiating the planned outcome document for the Third International Conference on Financing for Development (FfD3), which will be held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia from July 13 to 16. This pivotal conference aims to map out the framework for global development finance for the coming years, following upon previous high-level gatherings in Monterrey (2002) and Doha (2008).

Negotiators are tackling a cross-cutting global policy agenda – one that touches on multiple areas of interest to USCIB members and the global business community. These include global tax harmonization, trade and investment policies, climate and energy, intellectual property, food and agriculture, and corporate responsibility issues such as transparency and anti-corruption.

According to Ariel Meyerstein, USCIB’s vice president for labor, corporate responsibility and corporate governance, the potential impact of the Addis Ababa conference is broad. “It’s important the companies view what goes on in the UN holistically,” he said. “Decisions made at FfD3 will directly affect the direction of UN debate over the Post-2015 Development Agenda, as well as the climate change negotiations.”

USCIB is actively working with our members and our global network, including the International Chamber of Commerce, to ensure that the private sector’s voice is heard in Addis Ababa. In mid-May, USCIB members participated in a discussion with the lead U.S. negotiator for FfD3, John Hurley of the Treasury Department, who provided an update on the process and on U.S. priorities. USCIB has reviewed and provided detailed comments on both the first and second drafts of the outcome document. Meyerstein, who serves as co-chair of the Development Subcommittee on the State Department Advisory Committee on International Economic Policy, has also met on several occasions with the co-facilitators of the FfD3 process, the Ambassadors from Norway and Guyana, as part of a delegation of the Business Steering Committee for Financing for Development, chaired by the ICC’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Louise Kantrow.

In addition, USCIB is playing a key role in the Business Steering Committee in helping to organize a Business Forum to be held on July 14, concurrently with the FfD3 Conference. According to Meyerstein, the forum will be a unique platform to demonstrate the value the private sector offers to sustainable development. A key focus will be on the business enabling environment required to attract investment to least developed countries, the role of public-private partnerships and the need for new innovative approaches to financing, such as blended finance, which uses public funds, including Official Development Assistance, to catalyze increased private flows.

“It will provide an opportunity for business participants to interact with senior government officials, business leaders and other experts, and let companies and other stakeholders showcase their initiatives related to development and development finance,” he said.

There is still time for companies to nominate high-level business representatives to speak at the Business Forum and during the intergovernmental roundtables at the FfD3 Conference itself. In addition, high-level representatives will be invited to a special dinner hosted by the government of Ethiopia for business leaders and heads of state.

 

Climate policy embraces a range of approaches

Published on June 3, 2015

Financial Times

Letters

Sir, It is unfortunate that Pilita Clark and Ed Crooks present the call from leading oil and gas firms for the widespread introduction of carbon pricing mechanisms in the context of a supposed transatlantic schism (News, June 1). In reality, the prevailing international business view is somewhat more nuanced than it might at first seem.

The anticipated Paris climate agreement will combine a broad range of national and local approaches to combating climate change in what will be a novel form of “bottom-up” global architecture. Carbon pricing instruments (Letters, June 1) can certainly play an important role in spurring emissions reductions in those countries or regions that choose to use them; but it is important to recognise that they are just one part of the policy mix. While carbon pricing may be the most cost-effective climate solution in some countries, other approaches — such as incentive-based systems or efficiency standards — may be a more viable option elsewhere. What’s more, carbon pricing schemes also need to be carefully designed to promote a global level playing field for commerce and to enable future trade-driven growth.

This leads to an important secondary point: the intervention from leading European energy firms is illustrative of a broader effort on the part of the private sector to engage constructively in the development of climate policy. That’s why leading business networks called last month — at the conclusion of the first-ever Business and Climate Summit — for governments to establish a recognised consultative role for the private sector under a future climate accord. Better harnessing of business know-how would be a significant step forward in the way we go about addressing the shared challenge of climate change — irrespective of the specific policy instruments employed.

John Danilovich
Secretary-General
International Chamber of Commerce
Paris, France

USCIB Statement on ICANN Accountability Represents Business Consensus

Published on June 3, 2015

USCIB filed comments on the first draft of ICANN’s (Internet Corporation of Assigned Names and Numbers) Cross-Community Working Group (CCWG) on Enhancing ICANN Accountability proposed Accountability Enhancements on Wednesday, June 3. These comments represented an important cross-sectoral and cross-community consensus of USCIB’s member companies.

Overall, USCIB members applauded the work of the CCWG in developing accountability mechanisms that will replace the “back stop” function currently provided by the contract between the Commerce Department’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) and ICANN concerning stewardship of the IANA (Internet Assigned Numbers Authority) functions. That contract is set to expire on September 30, 2015, but likely will be extended for a limited period to give the ICANN community additional time needed to thoughtfully develop a sound transition plan. In particular, USCIB supported elements of the draft proposal that would give the ICANN multistakeholder community power to reject a budget or strategic plan as well as recall Board members if deemed necessary. USCIB further urged inclusion of a new Bylaw aimed at preventing government capture or undue ICANN influence on public policies unrelated to ICANN’s core mission.

“A spirit of cooperation prevailed as USCIB members across the ICT sector as well as the contracted and non-contracted houses of ICANN worked hard to reach a consensus ultimately aimed at ‘getting the transition right’,” said Barbara Wanner, USCIB’s vice president for ICT policy.

Read USCIB’s comments.

OECD Ministerial: Unlocking Investment for Sustainable Growth and Jobs

Published on June 3, 2015

oecd_forumBusiness welcomes the focus of this year’s OECD Ministerial meeting, which takes place under the overarching theme of Unlocking investment for Sustainable Growth and Jobs. Industry calls upon the OECD to speak up and convince countries of the need to remove the most persistent barriers to markets and put in place pro-investment policies.

Rob Mulligan, USCIB’s senior vice president for policy and government affairs, is in Paris representing USCIB members at and around the Ministerial and at the OECD’s annual Forum earlier in the week. USCIB represents U.S. business at the Business and Industry Advisory Committee (BIAC) to the OECD, which released a policy statement and recommendations ahead of the Ministerial on investment issues.

“A predictable policy framework and an effective cross-government approach are fundamental for investment,” said USCIB Trade and Investment Committee Chairman Rick Johnston at a ministerial panel discussion on Investment, Innovation and Business Climate. “This is recognized by the newly updated OECD Policy Framework for Investment. Fostering both domestic and foreign investment should be governments’ primary objective”.

The OECD Policy Framework for Investment (PFI) provides an important checklist across a range of different policy areas to assist governments in creating an enabling investment environment. BIAC has been an active partner in the update of the PFI and calls for sustained efforts to ensure its implementation, notably as part of the post-2015 development agenda. BIAC strongly believes that policies that foster innovation and investment opportunities will also be key for the transition to a low-carbon economy.

BIAC also called for strengthening global value chains and financing small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). “Actions are urgently needed to step-up SME financing and enable companies to participate in global value chains”, said Phil O’Reilly, BIAC’s chairman, speaking on June 4 at a BIAC-B20 Turkey special event.

BIAC’s five recommendations on Unlocking Investment for Sustainable Growth and Jobs are laid down in a 2015 Statement to the OECD MCM.

IOE Stresses B20 Recommendations for Skills Development and Inclusive Labor Markets

Published on June 2, 2015

Portrait of mechanics

At the plenary session of the B20 Task force in Paris on June 2, International Organization of Employers President Daniel Funes de Rioja set out the two principal recommendations of the Employment Task Force for facilitating skills development and ensuring flexible and inclusive labor markets.

Funes underscored the need for labor markets that include women and young people – two groups that stand to benefit from a regulatory environment that boosts participation rates.  He also made the case for removing barriers to diverse employment arrangements, such as part-time and flexible-hour contracts, for advancing the education of women in countries where there are deficiencies in this area, and improving child care facilities.

He noted that addressing the skills mismatch was key for keeping pace with rapid technological change and innovation, and in preventing the under-skilled from being left behind.

“I urge governments to involve national employers’ organizations, the IOE’s members around the world, in the development and implementation of G20 National Employment Plans (NEPs),” said Funes. “Employers have expertise and experience in the design of work-readiness programmers to bridge the skills gap and can make a substantial contribution to the NEP exercise.”

USCIB’s global network will continue to monitor progress in the G20 employment work stream. “Only by being accountable will the G20 become the engine for much needed labor market reforms to boost growth and jobs,” Funes concluded.

 

From Drift To Deals: New Report Charts Way Forward on World Trade

Published on June 2, 2015

Peterson%20Report_sourceThe International Chamber of Commerce launched a new report prepared by the Peterson Institute on the margins of the OECD Forum in Paris. “From Drift to Deals: Advancing the WTO Agenda, sets out a roadmap for a “grand bargain” to bring the long-stalled Doha Round of trade talks to a conclusion and restore the centrality of the World Trade Organization (WTO) as a forum for trade liberalization.”

“An immediate priority for all WTO members must be concluding the remaining aspects of the Doha Round,” said ICC Secretary General John Danilovich. “We call on governments to accelerate the ongoing negotiations aimed at paving the way for a political agreement at the WTO’s next ministerial conference in December.”

The report outlines a work program to carry out a “grand bargain,” whereby developed countries would make concessions on agriculture market access and developing countries would agree that subsets of WTO members can enter into plurilateral agreements within the WTO framework. The report also reviews nine trade realms that await liberalization and it offers recommendations for agreements on several topics at or around the WTO including the Trade Facilitation Agreement, a Services plurilateral agreement, and an expanded Information and Communications Technology agreement or “ITA II.”

Download a copy of the report.

 

OECD Continues to Review Colombia Accession

Published on June 1, 2015

As the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development continues its review of Colombia’s accession process, USCIB and other business groups have raised concerns about the country’s market access. Specifically, industry is concerned about the country’s policies on alcoholic beverages, pharmaceutical and healthcare products, and scrapping incentives.

USCIB worked with the Business and Industry Advisory Committee to the OECD to produce one-page issue papers that were shared with OECD Trade Committee government officials, outlining Colombia’s policies:

The next OECD trade committee meeting will take place in November, at which point the Trade Committee will review whether Colombia has made any adjustments to its market access policies.

WSIS Forum: ICTs Necessary for Sustainable Development

Published on May 29, 2015

WSISDuring the 2015 World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) Forum in Geneva, convened under the auspices of the United Nations, governments underscored the importance of information and communication technologies (ICTs) as engines for economic growth and as crucial elements of the post-2015 UN Sustainable Development Goals, reports Barbara Wanner, USCIB’s vice president for ICT policy.

Further enriching the forum’s discussions, USCIB member companies such as Intel, Microsoft, Oracle, Verizon, The Walt Disney Company, and Wiley Rein made important contributions to both plenary sessions and workshops on topics as diverse as privacy and security, child online and digital citizenship, empowering women to innovate, and innovation in accessibility technologies.

Government officials, business leaders and members of civil society and the technical community assembled in Geneva from May 25 to 29 for the WSIS stock-taking meetings to review a decade-long progress on promoting the use of Information and Communications Technologies (ICTs) as engines of economic and social development. The forum was hosted by the UN’s International Telecommunications Union (ITU), together with co-organizers UNESCO, UNCTAD and UNDP.

A recurring theme in speakers’ remarks throughout the week was the importance of broadening awareness about the indispensable role played by ICTs in realizing the post-2015 SDGs.

“ICTs are cited in only four of the 17 sustainable development goals,” ITU Secretary General Houlin Zhao noted in launching a special high-level session on May 26, suggesting that this is not a proper reflection of their developmental potential. “ICTs are a catalyst and enabler in development; they support capacity building efforts in areas as diverse as health, gender equality and sustainable farming,” Zhao said.

“This year’s forum, which marks the tenth anniversary of WSIS, was especially important because the UN General Assembly will evaluate its progress and decide its future at a special High-Level Meeting that likely will be held during the week of December 14,” said Wanner. “Virtually all speakers therefore sought to highlight the developmental value of the WSIS process.”

Other themes included the importance of business investment as an impetus for developing new technologies, the need for all stakeholders to be involved Internet governance, renewing the mandate of the Internet Governance Forum as a neutral space for exchanging best practices and capacity-building expertise, and the use of ICTs to empower youth and achieve gender equality.

Addressing a high-level dialogue on gender empowerment, USCIB Member Cheryl Miller (Verizon) described digital gender empowerment as “a community issue, not just a man’s or a woman’s issue.” Miller also shared the success of Verizon’s “Tech Girls” initiative, which brings to the United States young women from Africa and the Middle East to learn coding as well as shadow senior executives at Verizon.

Speaking on the same panel, Paul Mitchell (Microsoft) elaborated on various initiatives Microsoft has undertaken to close the digital gender gap. Digi Girls, for example, teaches High School-aged girls how to do podcasts, create web pages, and so forth. Microsoft recognizes that increasing women in technology and computing has the potential to greatly improve the design of products and services, he said.

On the subject of leveraging ICTs to empower youth, Ellen Blackler (The Walt Disney Company) explored Disney’s investment in entertainment products designed to develop critical thinking skills that the younger generation will need for future success as a productive contributors to the digital economy. Disney recognizes that the Internet “is essential to everything going forward [so that] the biggest risk is that kids will not have the [requisite] digital skills,” she said.

Business plays a central role in harnessing ICTs for economic and social development. USCIB’s ICT Policy Committee Vice Chair Joseph Alhadeff (Oracle), who delivered a policy statement on behalf of ICC-BASIS, highlighted how business investment has served as an important impetus for economic growth and development of technologies benefitting society. For this reason, we must have a policy environment that enables emerging economies to tap the developmental potential of emerging technologies such as cloud computing, Big Data, and the Internet of Things, he urged.

USCIB Extols Importance of Investor-State Rules

Published on May 28, 2015
Shaun Donnelly (center) at the Barcelona Centre for International Affairs
Shaun Donnelly (center) at the Barcelona Centre for International Affairs

USCIB’s Shaun Donnelly, vice president for investment and financial services, took the U.S. trade agenda to Spain last week, advocating for the benefits of the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) and debunking myths about Investor-State Dispute Settlement (ISDS).

Donnelly spoke with business and university groups about the U.S.-EU trade deal and especially about ISDS, which remains controversial in Europe, at the invitation of the U.S. Embassy in Madrid and the Consulate General in Barcelona. He gave the keynote at an all-day conference on May 27 on “TTIP Negotiations: Caught Between Myth and Reality” hosted by leading Spanish think tank CIDOB (Barcelona Centre for International Affairs).

On May 28, Donnelly traveled to Madrid where he spoke at the U.S.-Spain Council‎, the IE Business School, the Foundation for Research in Law and Business, and at a young entrepreneurs association. He also did a radio interview for the U.S. Embassy’s website.

Donnelly, a retired State Department economic officer, former ambassador, and former USTR trade negotiator, has done five TTIP and ISDS public-speaking tours around Europe for the State Department and U.S. embassies over the last 18 months.

Also last week, the European Union Parliament’s trade committee backed a resolution in support of TTIP, including a provision on ISDS.