Communication Department Archives

New ICC Report Sheds Light on How to Combat Counterfeit Products

Published on March 27, 2015

4989_image002The Business Action to Stop Counterfeiting and Piracy (BASCAP) initiative – a project of the International Chamber of Commerce – released a study outlining the steps that intermediaries can take to help keep fake and pirated products out of the supply chain and off the Internet.

The report, “Roles and responsibilities of intermediaries: Fighting counterfeiting and piracy in the supply chain,” looks at key intermediaries in the physical world and those providing infrastructure and services online, yielding the most comprehensive review to date of the many types of intermediary channels that are being utilized by criminal networks to sell and distribute fakes and pirated content.

“Trade is being revolutionized by the emergence of integrated global value chains and the explosion of online commerce,” said Jeff Hardy, director of BASCAP.

Hardy added: “Intermediaries – from express shipping firms through to online search engines – are now a central part of the global economy. This is an overwhelmingly positive development, but intermediaries must ensure they have adequate systems in place to address growing counterfeiting and piracy risks.”

Read more at the ICC’s website.

USCIB Congratulates USTR Froman for Leadership on TFA

Published on March 25, 2015
USTR Michael Froman
USTR Michael Froman

USCIB submitted a letter to U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman on March 23 congratulating him for his leadership in implementing the World Trade Organization’s Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA). The United States was one of the first countries to accept the TFA, a trade deal that will streamline cross-border trade and create an estimated 21 million jobs and add $1 trillion to the global economy over the course of a decade.

Two-thirds of WTO members must ratify the TFA before the agreement goes into force, and the United States serves as an example to other countries in ensuring the agreement’s ratification and implementation. Swift adoption of the TFA is critical for the business community, as it will spur economic growth and enhance competitiveness at a time when supply chains routinely cross multiple borders in the production of goods and services.

“The United States is playing a critical leadership role in implementation of the TFA and can count on the full support of the business community,” wrote USCIB President and CEO Peter Robinson in the letter.

USCIB has advocated strongly for the TFA, organizing two policy conferences on the multilateral trade agenda: “Exploring New Approaches to Trade, Investment and Jobs” in D.C. in October, for which Froman was the keynote speaker, and the “Customs and Trade Facilitation Symposium” in February in Miami.

Read the letter.

USCIB Defends Investor Dispute System at World Economic Forum

Published on March 25, 2015
Shaun Donnelly (left) in Geneva.
Shaun Donnelly (left) in Geneva.

As debate continues over whether Investor-State Dispute Settlement (ISDS) ought to be included in U.S. trade agreements such as the Trans-Atlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP), USCIB represented American business interests at the Investment Policy Group meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF) and the International Centre for Trade and Sustainable Development (ICTSD) in Geneva on March 23 and 24.

Shaun Donnelly, USCB’s vice president for investment and financial services, attended the meeting as one of just three business representatives among the group’s 25 investment experts convened by WEF and ICTSD.

This Investment Policy Group ‎is one of 18 parallel expert groups under the E15 initiative, jointly implemented by WEF and ICTSD, to develop policy recommendations to governments and international organizations across a broad range of trade and investment issues by late 2015. At the investment group meeting, academics, lawyers, international organization officials and business representatives debated a range of investment issues and options. Herbert Oberhaensli of USCIB member Nestle and Nicolle Graugnard from the International Chamber of Commerce secretariat in Paris joined Donnelly at as business representatives at this session.

Much of the discussion centered on ISDS, which grants an investor the right to use dispute settlement proceedings against a foreign government. USCIB argued that ISDS is a necessary legal instrument to truly incentivize and protect international investment flows that are vital for economic growth, development and job creation.

The E15 initiative’s Investment Policy Group will meet again in June to finalize its recommendations.

Putting ALL Our Minds to Work: Women and Entrepreneurship

Published on March 23, 2015

4982_image002Entrepreneurship is an important driver of economic development and growth, and a facilitator of empowerment for women around the world. For the past several years, USCIB and BIAC have supported the Organization for Cooperation and Development (OECD) Gender Initiative, which promotes public and private sector collaboration with the aim of removing persistent obstacles to gender equality in education, employment and entrepreneurship as well as measuring and monitoring the progress in achieving this goal together.

USCIB has contributed to two workshops and three reports on women’s empowerment published and organized by BIAC, the most recent of which, “Putting ALL Our Ideas to Work: Women and Entrepreneurship,” was unveiled on March 23 at an OECD gender initiative meeting in Jakarta, Indonesia.

“Our economies cannot afford to miss out on the contributions of talented women entrepreneurs,” wrote Bernhard Welschke, BIAC’s secretary general, in the report’s preface. “BIAC welcomes OECD efforts to mainstream gender equality across various aspects of its work.”

Read the report.

The new report on entrepreneurship offers practical experience to policymakers in identifying best practices, addressing obstacles and implementing policies that will help unleash the potential for women’s entrepreneurship activities. Access to capital remains the biggest obstacle for women entrepreneurs, who own between one fourth and one third of all the world’s businesses.

The report also notes that many multinational corporations understand well the business and economic case for greater participation of women in the workforce and have introduced programs aimed at supporting women-owned businesses and women entrepreneurs. Public policies that foster women entrepreneurs are also key to increasing their numbers and contributing to their success. Regulatory and legal frameworks should not raise barriers to women.

Phil O’Reilly, BIAC’s chairman, unveiled the report at a meeting of the OECD Southeast Asia Gender Initiative. He spoke at a panel about the role gender plays in Southeast Asian businesses, which addressed the challenges and opportunities of achieving gender equality of opportunity in one of the world’s most dynamic regions.

Launch of ICC Academy, a Premier Source for Professional Education

Published on March 19, 2015

The International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), the world business organization for which USCIB serves as the American national committee, today launched the ICC Academy – setting a new standard for professional education. Based in Singapore and delivered via a digital platform, the Academy will provide rigorous, relevant and applicable business education – encouraging individuals to reach their highest potential with respect to professional competency and ethical conduct.

The Academy has been launched in partnership with International Enterprise (IE) Singapore, the government agency that promotes international trade and assists Singapore companies to internationalize. Singapore Minister for Trade and Industry Lim Hng Kiang joined ICC board members at the launch of the ICC Academy, which aims to enhance the expertise of practitioners across a wide range of business sectors.

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“As the world’s business organization, ICC has long provided training and certification programs to help build business skills for the jobs of today and tomorrow,” said Terry McGraw, chairman of ICC (as well as USCIB) and chairman of McGraw Hill Financial [now S&P Global]. “We are taking this commitment to growing a skilled workforce and jobs globally to a new level with the launch of this Academy, which will be internationally recognized and accessible to all – in developed and developing countries.”

IE Singapore and ICC share a common vision to promote global trade. The former’s role is to establish Singapore as a global trading hub while the latter promotes open trade and investment and helps businesses worldwide meet the challenges and opportunities of an increasingly integrated world economy. The ICC Academy is a successful partnership milestone for both parties in nurturing global business leaders and experts. It will serve as a center of excellence and thought leadership for the global business community.

Taking full advantage of ICC’s extensive global network, the ICC Academy promotes the highest standards of excellence in global professional education – providing a wide range of specialized programs that are recognized worldwide. Courses are designed and taught by ICC’s unrivalled roster of experts and practitioners, incorporating insights from external senior business leaders and policymakers.

ICC Academy courses are delivered via a dynamic digital platform, using innovative tools to give the Academy global reach. The ICC Academy can therefore offer those in developing and remote regions the same access to world-class professional education as those in advanced economies – developing skills even in the most challenging locations.

“E-learning initiatives are being adopted as a means of maximizing educational budgets as well as expanding the potential breadth of audience – without compromising on the quality or depth of learning,” said ICC Secretary General John Danilovich. “Provided users have access to the Internet, distance learning means there will be no inequalities with respect to educational potential via the ICC Academy – no matter where an individual is situated.”

The use of a digital platform also allows ICC to centralize the Academy in one location: Singapore – an established international trade hub, underpinned by its strategic location and presence of a strong trading community. It is chosen as the location of the ICC Academy because of the country’s well-established ecosystem of business infrastructure, strong network of companies and large pool of skilled talent. The ICC Academy will further enhance this trade ecosystem.

Teo Eng Cheong, chief executive officer of IE Singapore, said: “The establishment of the ICC Academy global headquarters in Singapore is a testament to our role as an international trading hub. With a common mandate to promote international trade, IE Singapore and ICC can jointly contribute to growth of expertise and talent for the sector globally.”

The ICC Academy will draw on ICC expertise in specialist fields – starting with a faculty in banking and trade finance shaped by over 600 banking experts from 110 countries. The faculty features around 70 online courses and two global certificates in trade finance. Following this initial trade finance focus, the ICC Academy will broaden its scope – introducing new curricula, spanning all ICC competences from international law to anti-corruption.

ICC Academy website

FTC’s Brill Backs Enhanced Consumer ‘Right To Obscurity’

Published on March 17, 2015

Law360 – March 10, 2015

Addressing USCIB’s Internet policy conference (held jointly with BIAC and the OECD), Federal Trade Commissioner Julie Brill says looking to aspects of a contentious European ruling on the “right to be forgotten” could help inform U.S. consumer protections.

http://www.law360.com/privacy/articles/629481

 

 

Economist Report: Human Rights are a Matter for Businesses

Published on March 17, 2015

4981_image002With the support of the International Chamber of Commerce, the International Organization of Employers and other business organizations, the Economist Intelligence Unit published a report on the intersection of global business and the protection of human rights. “The Road from Principles to Practice: Today’s Challenges for Business in Respecting Human Rights” evaluates the state of play in business and human rights since the adoption of the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights in 2011.

The report shows that 83 percent of executives surveyed from a wide variety of sectors believe that human rights are a matter for businesses, not just for governments. 71 percent also said that their company’s responsibility to respect human rights goes beyond “obedience to local laws.”

While this response suggests corporate attitudes are evolving quickly, only 22 percent say they have a publicly available human rights policy in some form, and 44 percent say that human rights are an issue on which CEOs take the lead. The most common barriers to progress, according to the respondents, are lack of understanding of their company’s responsibilities and lack of training and education for employees.

The report also shows that companies do not see a business case – focused on immediate costs and benefits – for human rights, but rather see respecting human rights as helpful in building good relationships with local communities, protecting the company brand and reputation, and serving ethical considerations.

The study also draws on in-depth interviews conducted with Ed Potter, director of global workplace rights at The Coca-Cola Company and chair of USCIB’s Labor and Employment Committee; John Ruggie, former UN Secretary-General’s special representative on business and human rights; Bob Collymore, CEO of Safaricom and other experts from civil society, human rights and business organizations.

 

IOE: EU Development Should Support the Private Sector

Published on March 17, 2015
L-R: Phil O’Reilly (BIAC), Frederick Muia (IOE) and Ronnie Goldberg (USCIB)
L-R: Phil O’Reilly (BIAC), Frederick Muia (IOE) and Ronnie Goldberg (USCIB)

A high-level delegation from the International Organization of Employers (IOE) participated in an EU workshop in Brussels prior to an EU Development Policy Forum. This workshop is the second the IOE has attended in the past six months in efforts to inform EU policy discussions with business perspectives and recommendations.

Ronnie Goldberg, USCIB’s senior counsel and IOE vice president for North America, shared the opening session with Klaus Rudischhauser, deputy director general for international cooperation development.  She underscored the IOE’s strong commitment to building partnerships with the European Commission in light of many shared goals.

Acknowledging that EU support lifts millions of people out of poverty and contributes to a solid foundation on which private enterprises could be created and developed, Goldberg thanked the hosts for creating the space for deeper private-sector engagement, adding, “The IOE places great importance on building partnerships with the European Commission for the joint promotion of an enabling environment for growth and sustainable development.”

She reiterated the IOE’s key inputs to consultations on the post-2015 Development Goals over the past two years, which could equally frame EU-private sector dialogue. These included putting sustainability at the core of the agenda; ensuring that growth was inclusive to boost productive employment. Open and accountable institutions also had to be enabled.

Goldberg added that it is essential that EU commission funding support investment in infrastructure projects, such as road, rail, electricity, renewable energies and ICT; the protection and enforcement of property rights and the rule of law; effective financial services, particularly for SMEs; improvements in education and training for the delivery of work-ready young people, as well as more open markets and regional integration.

B20 Sets Priorities for World Trade Agenda

Published on March 14, 2015

4977_image002The Business-20 (B20) Trade Task Force has committed to work toward ratification of the World Trade Organization’s (WTO) Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA) by year’s end and to work with WTO and its members to ensure quick and effective implementation. The Task Force agreed to the strategy as it met to set business priorities for G20 governments, which also includes a call on the G20 to roll back protectionist measures implemented since the 2008 financial crisis.

B20 is the premier dialogue platform for engaging global business leaders with G20 governments and leaders. B20 Turkey is chaired by Rifat Hisarciklioglu, the president of the Union of Chambers of Commerce of Turkey.

The Turkey B20 Trade Task Force held its second meeting in Istanbul on March 10. The Task Force consists of 76 company senior representatives from around the globe and is co-chaired by ICC and USCIB Chairman Terry McGraw and Guler Sabancı, chairman of Turkey’s Sabancı Holding.

The B20 group of companies unanimously agreed that the first priority is to call on all WTO countries to ratify the Trade Facilitation Agreement, which over time could contribute an additional US$1 trillion to world GDP and 21 million jobs, 18 million of which will be in developing countries. The task force outlined plans to work at the country level to convey the economic and job growth benefits of the agreement and to press for ratification and implementation.

“Governments, particularly those in the G20, must now ensure that the TFA is ratified by their national legislatures by mid-December,” McGraw said. “So far, the US is the only G20 country to ratify; and the remaining 19 must fulfill the commitments they made in Brisbane and demonstrate the leadership that comes with being part of the G20.”

The B20 Trade Task Force also agreed that the second key priority is to stop protectionism and is calling on governments to move forward to remove trade restrictive measures.

The 2015 G20 Leaders’ Summit will be held in Antalya on November 15 and 16.