Communication Department Archives

IOE Seeks Candidates for New Secretary General

Published on November 11, 2014

Following the recent resignation of the International Organization of Employers (IOE) secretary general, Brent Wilton, the IOE Management Board will appoint a successor.

The November 8, 2014 session of the Management Board has appointed a Selection Committee and approved a procedure to take the nomination process forward.

IOE President Daniel Funes de Rioja is inviting candidate submissions for the organization’s secretary general.

A profile of the ideal candidate may be downloaded here. The position is available immediately and is located in Geneva.

Please disseminate this opportunity and profile within your organization, and to others as you deem appropriate, and invite interested parties to submit their CV and cover letter to Funes in English either by email at president@ioe-emp.org, or to the address below, by December 8, 2014.

Mr. Daniel Funes de Rioja
President
International Organization of Employers
71 avenue Louis Casaï
1216 Cointrin, Geneva
Switzerland

We thank you in advance on behalf of the IOE for your engagement in the selection process for identifying the most suitable candidate to head the organization’s secretariat.

Staff contact: Ronnie Goldberg

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USCIB Issues Policy Pillars on Foreign Direct Investment

Published on November 10, 2014

4878_image001New York, N.Y., November 10, 2014 – Foreign direct investment (FDI) is a prime motor of the global economy, boosting job growth and incomes in both home and host countries. What’s more, policy makers increasingly identify FDI as a critical element in financing and delivering innovative solutions to shared global challenges, such as climate change and sustainable development.

In many ongoing trade and investment negotiations as well as other global forums, however, sensible policies to promote cross-border investment are increasingly under broad, politicized attack. To help set the record straight, the United States Council for International Business (USCIB) has issued new “Policy Pillars on Foreign Direct Investment.”

“The time is right for a refresher course on the benefits of FDI,” stated USCIB President and CEO Peter Robinson. “Our members share a fundamental belief in the importance of cross-border trade and investment as engines of growth and human betterment. Yet many fundamental tools to boost FDI are poorly understood or under assault.”

The nine-point USCIB paper, developed under the auspices of the Council’s Trade and Investment committee, presents essential lessons and reminders to policy makers, including:

  • Clear, well-implemented government policies, and strong investment agreements, are essential to attract and retain high-quality FDI.
  • Bilateral investment treaties must protect investments, open up host economies for foreign investment and provide effective rules to settle investment disputes.
  • State-owned enterprises present a range of challenges to home and host countries in crafting effective FDI policies.
  • Governments should provide effective support for both inbound and outbound FDI.
  • National security concerns surrounding specific investments must be dealt with in a clear, limited and non-discriminatory manner.

“Governments and the international community must take positive steps in order to promote and secure high-quality FDI,” said Robinson. “It is increasingly apparent that, in the 21st century, investment is a crucial component not just for the competitiveness of companies, or even of national economies, but for our global society as a whole as we confront a wide range of shared challenges.”

Release of the USCIB Policy Pillars follows participation by Robinson and Shaun Donnelly, USCIB’s vice president for investment policy, in last month’s UNCTAD World Investment Forum in Geneva, as well as a well-attended USCIB/OECD conference last week in Washington, D.C. on new directions in trade and investment policies. It also comes as USCIB is actively presenting the views of business in the UN climate change negotiations and the ongoing elaboration of new UN Sustainable Development Goals.

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 encompassing leading international business organizations, 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

ICC & USCIB Customs and Trade Facilitation Symposium: Finding Solutions to Cross-Border Challenges

Published on November 10, 2014

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February 22-24, 2015

The Four Seasons Hotel | Miami, Florida, USA

 

Limiting cross-border friction is increasingly vital to smooth the flow of trade and boost competitive­ness for all business, especially for small and medium sized businesses and emerging industry sectors. This conference brings business, govern­ment, international organizations and operational customs and trade experts together from the world over for an important dialogue on the most effec­tive means to ease the movement of goods and services between countries along supply chains.

Topics Will Include:
  • Best regional practices and global cooperation on
    • single window initiatives
    • de minimis
    • intellectual property rights, and
    • supply chain solutions
  • Balancing security and trade facilitation
  • WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement: implementation and challenges
Click Here for the Program

 

Full List of Confirmed Speakers:
  • Kunio Mikuriya, Secretary General of the World Customs Organization (WCO)
  • Yi Xiaozhun, Deputy Director General of the WTO
  • Gil Kerlikowske, Commissioner, U.S. Customs and Border Protection
  • Harold McGraw, Chairman, McGraw Hill Financial [now S&P Global]; Chairman, ICC; Chairman, USCIB
  • John Danilovich, Secretary General, ICC
  • Mark Linscott, Assistant United States Trade Representative for WTO and Multilateral Affairs
  • Peter Robinson, President and CEO, USCIB
  • Brenda Brockman Smith, Assistant Commissioner, Office of International Trade, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP)
  • Lev Kubiak, Assistant Director, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Homeland Security Investigations, International Operations, U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS)
  • Virginia Brown, Director, Office of Trade and Regulatory Reform, USAID
  • Evdokia Moïsé, Senior Trade Policy Analyst,Trade and Agriculture Directorate, OECD
  • James Bacchus, Chair, Global Practice Group, Greenberg Traurig; Chair, ICC Commission on Trade and Investment Policy
  • Judy Lao, Head of Trade Facilitation Programs, Office of Western Hemisphere, Pathways to Prosperity Program, U.S. Department of Commerce; International Trade Administration Market Access and Compliance
  • Luis Eduardo Lara Gutierrez, General Administrator for Foreign Trade Audit, Mexican Tax Administration
  • Dan Duncan, Senior Director, International Affairs, McGraw Hill Financial
  • Gilbert Lee Sandler, Founding Member, Sandler, Travis & Rosenberg P.A.
  • Maritza Castro, Vice President, Head of Customs and Regulatory Affairs, Americas Region, DHL Express USA
  • Oliver Peltzer, Vice Chair, ICC Commission on Customs and Trade Facilitation; Partner, Debelstein & Passehl
  • Frank Reynolds, President, International Projects
  • Rafael Farromeque, Senior Specialist, Head of the Logistics Practice for Latin America, Vice Presidency of Infrastructure, Development Bank of Latin America (CAF)
  • Antoni Estevadeordal, Manager, Integration and Trade Sector, Inter-American Development Bank
  • Eugene Laney, Head of International Trade, DHL
  • Norm Schenk, Vice President, Global Customs Policy & Public Affairs, UPS; Chairman, ICC Customs and Trade Facilitation Commission
  • Ruth Snowden, Executive Director, CIFFA, International Federation of Freight Forwarders Associations
  • Jerry Cook, Vice President, Government and  Trade Relations, Hanesbrands; Chair, USCIB Customs and Trade Facilitation Committee
  • Leroy J. Sheffer, Partner, International Trade Advisory Services
  • Cindy Duncan, Senior Vice President, Trade Services, USCIB
  • Simon Schofield, Vice President – European Tax and Corporate Audit, Samsung Electronics
  • Michael Heldebrand, Principal, EY Global Trade, Ernst & Young LLP
  • William Bullard OBE, Corporate Relations Director, DIAGEO WestLAC
  • Sarah Thorn, Senior Director, International Trade, Wal-Mart
  • Denise Coutinho, Senior Manager, Global Trade Strategy, Global Tax and Customs, Cisco
  • Darcy Price, Director, Value Chain Applications, Oracle
Registration Information:
  • You can register online by following this link, or by filling out a registration form.
  • Registration costs are:
    • $550 for USCIB Customs and Trade Facilitation Committee and ICC Customs and Trade Facilitation Commission Members
      • Contact Diana Jack for the Committee and Commission discount code.
    • $600 for all other USCIB and ICC Members
      • Contact Diana Jack for the USCIB and ICC member discount code.
    • $675 early-bird special for non-members – ends January 16
    • $750 regular price for non-members
  • For more information:
Hotel Rooms at the Four Seasons are Sold Out!  Click Here for a List of Nearby Hotels
NEW! NCBFAA NEI Credit
  • NCBFAA NEINow eligible for National Customs Brokers and Forwarders Association of America (NCBFAA) Educational Institute (NEI) Credit!
  • Earn 11.5 CCS or CES credits.
  • You must bring your CCS/CES ID number in order to attend.
Sponsorship Information:
  • For information on how you can become a sponsor:
Sponsored by:
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EY
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With Support From:
Sandler, Travis & Rosenberg, P.A.
Enterprise Florida
FCBF
Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce
The Journal of Commerce
Presented by:
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ICC & USCIB Customs and Trade Facilitation Symposium: Finding Solutions to Cross-Border Challenges — Registration Instructions

Published on November 10, 2014

ICC AND USCIB

CUSTOMS & TRADE FACILITATION SYMPOSIUM

FINDING SOLUTIONS TO CROSS-BORDER CHALLENGES

 

Registration Information

 Online Registration:
  • If you received an email invitation from USCIB to one of our events, you already have an Events Portal Account. To activate your account, go to register online and click the “Forgot Password” link to receive your password via email. Then login and register.
  • If your e-mail address is not recognized, you will have to create an account with USCIB, by filling out the Online Events Registration Login Request form.
  • There are discount codes available to the following groups:
    • USCIB Customs and Trade Facilitation Committee members
    • ICC Customs Commission members
    • All other USCIB members
    • All other ICC members
  • Please contact Diana Jack at 202-617-3156 or djack@uscib.org to receive the appropriate discount code if you fall into one of the categories listed above, or if you experience problems registering online.

 

Click here to register online.

 

Registration Form:
  • If you prefer register by fax, email or standard mail, please click here to fill out the registration form.

 

Confirmation emails are sent to registrants shortly after the registration has been received.

If you think you have registered but have not received a confirmation email, please contact Diana Jack at (202) 617-3156 or djack@uscib.org to confirm that your registration has been processed.

Investment Tops BIACs Agenda

Published on November 6, 2014

4877_image002Revision of the OECD Policy Framework for Investment

Since 2006, the OECD Policy Framework for Investment (PFI) has provided a comprehensive and systematic approach for governments to implement specific policy reforms to create a robust and competitive environment for domestic and foreign investment. The PFI has been widely used for the OECD’s country-specific investment policy reviews, and has served as a reference point for investment promotion agencies and donors.

To reflect the developments that have reshaped the global investment landscape, such as the emergence of new major outward investors, the spread of global value chains, and growing investment protectionism, the PFI is currently being updated. A first discussion, including on five revised draft chapters, took place in October back-to-back with the Investment Committee meeting. A more extensive consultation is planned for December 2 when the OECD Advisory Group on Investment and Development will organize a half-day stakeholder consultation. In the meantime, the BIAC Development Task Force will discuss the PFI revision in its meeting on November 6. 

BIAC Raises Concerns about Threats to Investment

On multiple occasions, BIAC emphasized the importance of OECD’s ground-breaking work on fostering an open and conducive investment climate as a fundamental prerequisite for job creation and economic growth.  At the same time, business observes a proliferation of restrictions on Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) as well as worrying developments in the area of investment protection. Of particular concern to business is that Bilateral Investment Treaties (BITs) and Investor-State Dispute Settlement (ISDS), which are crucial to mitigate risk in international investment decisions, have come increasingly under attack. Business needs the OECD to provide governments with objective and fact-based analysis, foster dialogue among member and non-member countries and highlight the importance of adequate protection of investments as a priority.

BIAC raised these concerns during its consultation with the OECD Investment Committee in October and will reiterate them at the annual consultation with OECD Ambassadors in January. In October, the chair of the BIAC Investment Committee also represented BIAC at the UNCTAD World Investment Forum, highlighting BIAC’s concern in the session on reform of the international investment agreement system and ISDS. BIAC will continue to urge the OECD to address and underline the importance of investment protection and market openness as priorities for growth and development.

Staff contact: Eva Hampl

More on USCIB’s Trade and Investment Committee

USCIB Award Gala Comes to Washington DC

Published on November 6, 2014
WTO Director General Roberto Azevêdo
WTO Director General Roberto Azevêdo

New York, N.Y., November 6, 2014 – The United States Council for International Business (USCIB), the New York-based group representing America’s leading global companies that works to promote cross-border trade and investment, will celebrate its annual International Leadership Award Dinner gala in the nation’s capital for the first time. The November 19 event, at the Four Seasons Hotel, will honor Roberto Azevêdo, director general of the World Trade Organization (WTO).

Azevêdo, a Brazilian career diplomat who took over as head of the WTO in 2013, is the 35th recipient – and the first from the public sector – of the USCIB award, which recognizes vision, international success and excellence in leadership in individuals and organizations that have made significant contributions to improving the global framework in which business operates. The event comes as WTO members seek to implement a landmark Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA), agreed at last December’s WTO in Bali, to remove administrative barriers to cross-border trade.

“Roberto Azevêdo has shown vision, courage and tremendous leadership in shepherding the TFA and the rest of the Bali package through to completion,” said USCIB President and CEO Peter Robinson. “The business community is pushing hard for their swift implementation, and the presentation of this award signifies our strong commitment to this goal as well as our appreciation for a job well done.”

The International Leadership Award was presented most recently to Fred Smith of Fedex and Andrew Liveris of Dow Chemical. The annual USCIB award gala draws hundreds of business leaders and dignitaries from government and diplomatic circles. This is the first time in the 35-year history of the event that it has been held outside New York City.

Among those attending this year’s event will be members of executive board of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), the world business organization for which USCIB serves as the American national committee. Both USCIB and ICC are currently chaired by Terry McGraw, chairman of McGraw Hill Financial [now S&P Global], who will serve as master of ceremonies for the gala. More information on the event is available at www.uscibgala.com.

USCIB promotes open markets, competitiveness and innovation, sustainable development and corporate responsibility, supported by international engagement and regulatory coherence. Its members include top U.S.-based global companies and professional services firms. With a unique global network encompassing leading international business and employers groups, including ICC, 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, VP Communications, USCIB

(212) 703-5043 or jhuneke@uscib.org

 

More on USCIB’s International Leadership Award Dinner

Private Sector Can Boost Growth in Landlocked Developing Countries – Senior UN Official

Published on November 4, 2014

Private sector engagement is key to accelerating development in the world’s 32 landlocked developing countries (LLDCs), said delegates at the Second United Nations Conference on LLDCs. This article from All Africa quotes Louise Kantrow, ICC’s permanent representative to the UN.

Private Sector Can Boost Growth in Landlocked Developing Countries – Senior UN Official

Remembering Clifford Henry a Champion of Corporate Responsibility

Published on November 4, 2014
Clifford Henry (left) with Professor John Ruggie of Harvard, then the UN special rapporteur for business and human rights, in 2010.
Clifford Henry (left) with Professor John Ruggie of Harvard, then the UN special rapporteur for business and human rights, in 2010.

USCIB marks with great sadness the death of Clifford Henry, who chaired our Corporate Responsibility Committee since its inception and demonstrated a lifelong commitment to bettering the lives of others.

Clifford passed away on October 25 at age 64 following a long illness. A 35-year veteran of Procter & Gamble, he most recently served as the company’s associate director of global sustainability.

USCIB President Peter Robinson and USCIB Senior Counsel Ronnie Goldberg, both of whom worked closely with Clifford, issued a joint statement of condolence.

“Clifford’s death leaves an enormous hole in our organization, as well as in our hearts,” they said. “He could always be relied upon to contribute his time, his copious energy, and his invaluable advice, experience and wisdom to our work. He did so with humor and optimism, and in recent years with remarkable courage. It is an understatement to say he will be missed.”

Services for Clifford Henry were held on November 1 at Mueller Funeral Home in Mason, Ohio. Donations in his name may be made to the Bone Marrow Foundation and the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Friends and colleagues of Clifford are encouraged to contribute to an online guestbook.

Added Adam Greene, senior advisor in the ILO’s Bureau for Employers’ Activities, who worked with Clifford for many years as USCIB’s vice president of labor and corporate responsibility, “He was a true friend and leaves us all much better off for having known him.”

B20 Urges Turkish G20 Presidency to Focus on Job Creation

Published on November 4, 2014

4876_image002The G20 Employment Taskforce met today at the International Labor Organization to reflect on the expectations of labor and employment ministers and government sherpas in the run up to the handover of the G20 Presidency to Turkey on December 1.  Ronnie Goldberg, USCIB’s senior counsel, is participating in the taskforce.

Speaking for the B20 Human Capital Taskforce, International Organization of Employers President Daniel Funes de Rioja, and Erol Kiresepi, vice president of the Turkish Confederation of Employers’ Organizations (TISK) and member of the Turkish G20 Steering Board, outlined the expectations of the global business community.

Funes reiterated the longstanding employers’ call for structural reforms to many G20 labor markets, as well as the ongoing need to bridge the skills gap. These are “fundamental” to getting people back to work and overcoming the barriers to hiring.

“The B20 Human Capital Taskforce calls on governments to remove the barriers to offering diverse forms of employment,” said Funes. He went on to remind attendees that, despite a commitment by the G20 to embrace multiple forms of work, monitoring by the IOE and BIAC had revealed that eight G20 countries failed to take initiatives to fulfill this commitment, and four countries had restricted recourse to flexible forms of work. Disappointingly for business, the September labor ministerial in Melbourne had not renewed the earlier commitment.

When it came to the skills gap, the UK was cited for its successful reforms to the apprenticeship system, but there is “still a long way to go in some countries”. Funes recalled the work being done by the IOE-BIAC-initiated Global Apprenticeships Network (GAN) which provides a unique platform for businesses to share best practices on work-readiness programs that address both the skills mismatch and the youth unemployment crisis.

Looking forward to the Turkish presidency, Kiresepi called for a renewed focus on job by promoting an enabling environment for business, and particularly SMEs. He also welcomed his government’s proposal to include the demographic challenge on the agenda, which he likened to “a ticking time bomb”, threatening to jeopardize growth and employment if not properly addressed – including through “effective labor mobility policies.”

Staff contact: Ronnie Goldberg

More on USCIB’s Labor and Employment Committee