On Its 90th Anniversary ICC Is Feted at the United Nations

Published on October 9, 2009

L-R: ICC Vice Chairman Rajat Gupta, ICC Honorary Chairman Marcus Wallenberg, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, ICC Chairman Victor Fung, UN Under Secretary General Joseph Reed

On October 8, to mark its 90th anniversary and strong legacy of working closely with multilateral institutions, ICC hosted a luncheon at the United Nations that brought together UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon with members of the ICC Executive Board and USCIB’s Executive Committee. USCIB serves as ICC’s American national committee and works to maintain a robust business presence in the world body.

The gathering celebrated and re-affirmed ICC’s commitment to the goals of the United Nations and a strong working relationship between the two bodies. ICC was one of the earliest organizations to establish consultative status at the UN – indeed, forging these ties was the first task USCIB was charged with after its founding in 1945. During this long and enduring relationship, ICC has served as the voice of the global business community, representing the private sector from over 130 countries.

The ICC Executive Board is chaired by Victor Fung, chairman of the Hong Kong-based Li & Fung Group, and composed of 25 business leaders from every region of the world. USCIB’s Executive Committee serves as the organization’s board of directors and is chaired by William G. Parrett, retired global CEO of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu.

The Secretary General with USCIB Chairman William Parrett

Discussion at the lunch centered on climate change and other major international issues. Joining Mr. Ban were several members of his senior staff, including Vijay Nambiar, Mr. Ban’s chef de cabinet, Ambassador Joseph Reed, under secretary general and senior advisor to Mr. Ban, and Janos Pasztor, director of the secretary general’s climate change support team.

In his remarks, Mr. Ban stated: “Over these nine decades, the International Chamber of Commerce has worked tirelessly to bring people together. You have achieved concrete results: establishing global rules for global markets, raising the productive potential of the least developed countries by helping to create a vibrant private sector, and encouraging the dissemination of technology and know-how to those who need it most.

Mr. Fung praised the secretary general for his leadership in the climate change negotiations and pledged ICC continued support: “In the lead up to Copenhagen, we will examine how business can help, not only in securing a positive outcome in Copenhagen, but also in the post-Copenhagen implementation phase. ICC will continue to work closely with governments and the UN to bring a wide-range of business expertise to collectively solve the crucial global challenges of trade, climate change and development.”

Staff contact: Louise Kantrow

More on ICC’s 90th anniversary celebrations

New ICC Secretary General Makes First Visit to USCIB

Published on July 24, 2009

ICC Secretary General Jean Rozwadowski (right) with USCIB President and CEO Peter Robinson.

Just three weeks after taking the reins at the Paris-based world business body, Jean Rozwadowski, the new secretary general of the International Chamber of Commerce, paid a visit to USCIB, which has served as ICC’s American national committee since 1945.

Mr. Rozwadowski was unanimously appointed secretary general by the ICC World Council at a June meeting in Kuala Lumpur, on the eve of the biennial ICC World Chambers Congress. He succeeds Guy Sebban, who retired at the end of his four-year term.

“We look forward to working closely with Jean as we help bring ICC into its tenth decade,” said USCIB President and CEO Peter M. Robinson. ICC is in the midst of a year-long series of events marking its 90th anniversary. The series will include USCIB’s 2009 Annual Dinner at the Waldrof-Astoria in New York

The Paris-based ICC is the largest, most representative private-sector association in the world, with hundreds of thousands of member companies in over 130 countries, including more than 90 where national committees like USCIB provide a platform for participation from their national business communities.

Mr. Rozwadowski met with USCIB’s senior staff and its policy and program department. Many USCIB policy committees feed directly into the world business organization’s policy-making process. ICC enjoys top-level consultative status at the United Nations and works closely with UN agencies, other international organizations and national governments on behalf of its worldwide business membership.

“I am delighted and honored to be joining such an illustrious organization,” Mr. Rozwadowski said in accepting his position in June. “In these times of dramatic and accelerating change, it is more important than ever to strengthen ICC’s mission as the voice of global business in promoting a rules-based multilateral trading system and international cooperation.”

Mr. Rozwadowski was born in Holland to a Polish father and a French mother, and grew up in South Africa. A French national, he has lived and worked on five continents, holding senior executive positions with MasterCard and American Express in Bahrain, Belgium, Brazil, Britain, France, Germany, Singapore, and the United States. He speaks several languages, including English, French, Portuguese, Polish and Spanish.

More on the International Chamber of Commerce

Press release: ICC Appoints Seasoned International Executive as New Secretary General

ICC Calls on G8 to Avoid Economic Nationalism

Published on June 12, 2009

ICC Vice Chairman Rajat Gupta, Amerigo Gori of ICC Italy and Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi

Rome and New York, June 12, 2009 – The G8 summit should resist pressures to resort to economic nationalism and should further strengthen international cooperation to meet the challenges posed by the global recession, climate change and product counterfeiting, the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) urged Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi today.

”We stressed to the prime minister the importance of resisting protectionist pressures, which would only lead to a deeper and longer world recession,” ICC Honorary Chairman Marcus Wallenberg said following the private session.

“With the world as economically integrated as it has become over recent decades, any lurch into economic nationalism would dislocate commercial activity even further,” Mr. Wallenberg added.

The Paris-based ICC is the largest, most representative private sector association in the world, with hundreds of thousands of member companies in over 130 countries. The United States Council for International Business (USCIB), based in New York, serves as ICC’s American national committee.

Meetings between the host of the annual G8 summit and the ICC leadership have become traditional and allow the views of the world business community to be presented at the highest levels. The business views were also detailed in a six-page statement, which was given to Mr. Berlusconi at the meeting.

In addition to Mr. Wallenberg, the ICC delegation included ICC Vice Chairman Rajat Gupta, senior partner emeritus of McKinsey & Company, and Andrea Tomat, chairman of ICC Italy and CEO of Lotto Sport Italia.

The delegation also conveyed to Mr. Berlusconi, who will host the G8 summit in L’Aquila July 8 to 10, the urgent need to increase trade finance on which international trade – the lifeblood of the international economy – heavily depends.

“ICC continues to urge official development banks and export guarantee agencies to significantly expand their trade finance facilities during the global recession,” Mr. Wallenberg said.

ICC leaders again called on the G8 to finally summon the political will to complete the long-stalled Doha Round of trade negotiations, saying the current global crisis made it more urgent than ever to achieve that objective. ICC praised the recent promises by G20 leaders to refrain from raising trade barriers before the end of 2010.

The ICC delegation said that, while there were some hopeful signs that the recession may be bottoming out in some major economies, the immediate priority was to increase demand and credit. It also urged the world’s most industrialized countries to find more effective ways to reduce the growing imbalances in their external current accounts and warned against a mood of regulatory enthusiasm in business sectors where self-regulation is working well.

Tackling climate change

ICC encouraged the G8 to play a leadership role in fighting climate change and expressed strong support for the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change that will try to reach a new global agreement in Copenhagen this December to regulate greenhouse gas emissions.

ICC said the new agreement must include all major greenhouse gas emitters and provide business with a clear, stable, and predictable framework to stimulate investment and deploy technology on the necessary scale.

“Climate change is perhaps the best example of a global problem requiring a global solution,” Mr. Gupta said after the meeting. “We are worried, however, by proposals in some countries to enact unilateral trade measures to address concerns arising from differences in climate policy among countries.”

Stopping counterfeiting and piracy

The ICC delegation said that while it was encouraged that product counterfeiting and copyright piracy have become a regular topic on the G8 summit agenda, the problem continues to grow and presents a rapidly increasing danger to society.

“The result is unfair competition for legitimate economic activity and the unchecked growth of an underground economy that deprives governments of revenues for vital public services, dislocates hundreds of thousands of legitimate jobs, and exposes consumers to dangerous and ineffective products, including medicines,” said Mr. Tomat.

ICC called for concrete action in this vital area, including the swift conclusion of an Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement that will set new and higher standards for national and international governmental action to deal with counterfeiting and piracy and the creation of an IPR Customs Taskforce – charging it with the responsibility to establish better operational cooperation amongst G8 customs authorities, support customs capacity-building in developing countries, and share best practices on security controls and free trade zones.

“Strengthening the fight against counterfeiting and piracy at the borders is critical”, said Mr. Tomat. “Government efforts to strengthen IP enforcement regimes are investments that pay tangible dividends to economic development and society. Now is the time to increase, not decrease, the resources committed to stopping the illegal trade in counterfeits and piracy.”

ICC has a long-standing working relationship with many intergovernmental organizations, including the World Trade Organization and United Nations agencies. The core mission of ICC is to promote trade and investment across frontiers and help businesses meet the challenges and opportunities of globalization.

USCIB promotes international engagement and prudent regulation in support of open markets, competitiveness and innovation, sustainable development and corporate responsibility. Its members include top U.S.-based global companies and professional services firms from every sector of the economy, and with operations in every region of the world. With a unique global network encompassing leading international business organizations, including ICC, USCIB provides business views to policy makers and regulatory authorities worldwide, and works to facilitate international trade and investment. More information is available at www.uscib.org

Contacts:
Jonathan Huneke, VP of Communications, USCIB
+1 212 703 5043 or jhuneke@uscib.org

Dawn Chardonnal, ICC Communications Dept.
+33 1 4953 2907 or dcl@iccwbo.org

ICC statement to the G8 leaders

ICC website

G8 Summit 2009 website

USCIB press release: G8 Business Federation Heads Unite on Need to Avoid Credit Crunch (April 29, 2009)

ICC Appoints Seasoned International Executive as New Secretary General

Published on June 3, 2009

New ICC Secretary General Jean Rozwadowski

Paris and New York, June 3, 2009 – Jean Rozwadowski, a businessman with broad international experience, has been named secretary general of the International Chamber of Commerce.

Mr. Rozwadowski was unanimously appointed by the ICC World Council at a meeting in Kuala Lumpur yesterday on the eve of the biennial ICC World Chambers Federation Congress. He will replace Guy Sebban, who retires on July 1 at the end of his four-year term.

“I am delighted and honoured to be joining such an illustrious organization,” Mr. Rozwadowski said in accepting his position. “In these times of dramatic and accelerating change, it is more important than ever to strengthen ICC’s mission as the voice of global business in promoting a rules-based multilateral trading system and international cooperation. Protectionism and other challenges to globalization must be firmly addressed,” he added.

Mr. Rozwadowski, 62, was born in Holland to a Polish father and a French mother and grew up in South Africa. A French national, he has lived and worked on five continents, holding senior executive positions in Bahrain, Belgium, Brazil, Britain, France, Germany, Singapore, and the United States. He speaks several languages, including English, French, Portuguese, Polish and Spanish.

“My professional experience has allowed me to witness first-hand how international business contributes to making this a better world ─ creating employment, reducing poverty and stimulating education,” he said.

Mr. Rozwadowski’s nomination was approved by the ICC World Council following the recommendation of the ICC Executive Board. The nomination was concluded after a robust global search which started with some 100 names.

“Jean Rozwadowski is the right man at the right time for our organization and for the international business community,” ICC Chairman Victor K. Fung said. “He will lead ICC at a time of major global shifts when protectionist pressures are increasing and the global recession has sharply reduced international trade.”

“His experience and contacts around the world should be invaluable for us as we move forward in this challenging environment,” Mr. Fung added.

The ICC chairman praised the outgoing secretary general for his role in strengthening the organization. “Guy Sebban, by tirelessly working with all the stakeholder groups inside and outside the ICC organization, made us stronger and more responsive to the needs of international business,” he said.

The selection committee said Mr. Rozwadowski had easily fulfilled the criteria it sought in a new secretary general, namely strong international business experience coupled with a track record in managing change, delivering quality customer service in member-driven organizations, and developing innovative products and solutions to enhance revenue.

It said Mr. Rozwadowski had the personal and business stature necessary to work closely with leaders in business, government and multilateral organizations.

Mr. Rozwadowski was president of the Latin American and Caribbean division of MasterCard between 1999 and 2004. Previously he was the company’s executive vice president for Europe, the Middle East and Africa, based in Belgium.

Before joining MasterCard, Mr. Rozwadowski held numerous executive positions during a 20-year career with American Express, heading up the Southeast Asia and Middle East divisions, based in Singapore and Bahrain, respectively, and leading American Express operations in Brazil for six years. The new secretary general also served as president of the American Chamber of Commerce in Sao Paolo, Brazil.

Mr. Rozwadowski graduated with a MBA degree from the Amos Tuck School of Business Administration at Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire. He earned his undergraduate degree from the Ecole Supérieure de Commerce de Paris.

Mr. Rozwadowski’s wife is Brazilian and they have two children.

Contacts:
Jonathan Huneke, VP of Communications, USCIB +1 212 703 5043 or jhuneke@uscib.org

Dawn Chardonnal, ICC Communications Dept. +33 1 4953 2907 or dcl@iccwbo.org

ICC website

Business Makes an Impact at Commission on Sustainable Development

Published on May 27, 2009

On May 15, the 17th Session of the Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD) concluded two years of negotiations on how to drive forward implementation of Rio and Johannesburg summit commitments in six major development areas – agriculture, land, water, rural development, drought, and Africa. The two-week summit, which included a high-level session, agreed a set of priorities to expedite the implementation of sustainability measures in the cluster of land and agriculture issues.

USCIB and the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) served as the primary business representatives at the CSD, working with the International Agrifood Network, Croplife International and the International Fertilizer Association. The CSD recognizes nine “major groups,” or important sectors of society, which are expected to contribute their experiences in implementing Agenda 21 and the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation, and in identifying future areas for partnership and strengthened implementation. ICC represents the “business and industry” major group, and has official status in the CSD’s activities.

Business engagement in the CSD session – which was attended by representatives of over 60 governments and numerous non-governmental organizations – emphasized the stake and contribution of a broad range of industries that are concerned in the food value and supply chain, as well as in other promising areas, such as biotechnology, energy and sustainable chemistry. Business representatives underscored the importance of flexibility to reflect national circumstances, integrated policies that reflect risk assessment and management, sound science and economics.

“We were able to draw attention to the need for a strengthened focus on capacity-building and information-based approaches,” said Helen Medina, USCIB’s director of agriculture, health care and biotechnology. “One critical element of that is to ensure that intellectual property rights are protected and strengthened. This year’s CSD deliberations made good progress in providing momentum to international cooperation to address the food crisis, and to advance emerging technologies in other agricultural areas, such as bio-energy and biotechnology.”

The draft text included references to trade, technology, climate change, biodiversity, and the right to food. Throughout the week, USCIB and ICC met with several with government officials and intergovernmental authorities to stress the importance of advancing measures to accelerate economic recovery and address trade, IPR and biodiversity in their primary forums, such as the World Trade Organization, the World International Property Organization and UN Convention on Biological Diversity.

A copy of the full CSD conclusions text, the ICC discussion Paper on CSD-17 and all Business and Industry interventions can be found on ICC’s website at www.iccwbo.org/policy/environment/id1465/index.html.

Staff contacts: Helen Medina and Norine Kennedy

More on the International Chamber of Commerce

More on USCIB’s Food and Agriculture Working Group

More on USCIB’s Environment Committee

UN Commission on Sustainable Development website

The Financial Crisis: USCIB responds

Published on April 2, 2009

Latest statements and information from USCIB and our global business network

Amid ongoing financial shocks and market turmoil, USCIB and its global business network continue to actively promote efforts to provide sensible regulatory oversight and get world economic growth back on track.

Our unique affiliations with leading worldwide business groups – including the International Chamber of Commerce, the International Organization of Employers, and the Business and Industry Advisory Committee to the OECD – provide an invaluable channel through which to influence the course of global policies and regulations affecting business and the economy.

Here are links to the latest statements and actions from USCIB and our global network.

USCIB:

– “The G-20 and the Danger of Protectionism” (letter in The New York Times by USCIB President and CEO Peter Robinson, April 1, 2009)

– Joint industry letter to President Obama on keeping markets open for foreign investment
(March 30, 2009)

– Business, Anti-Poverty and Faith-Based Groups Unite in Support of Open Markets (March 20, 2009)

– U.S. Multinational Companies Strengthen the Domestic Economy: Study demonstrates how domestic multinationals contribute to American productivity and prosperity
(March 16, 2009)

– G8 Business Summit Preparations Well Underway (March 2, 2009)

– U.S. business groups urge rejection of “Buy American” provisions in stimulus package (letter to Senate, February 3, 2009)

– USCIB letter to President Obama on priorities for tackling the economic crisis (January 21, 2009)

– Now More Than Ever: In the current crisis, USCIB’s core values matter (column by USCIB President Peter M. Robinson, January 2009)

– G8 Business Leaders: Crisis Demands Urgent Response, But Does Not Indicate a Failure of Market Economics (December 4, 2009)

– Accepting USCIB Award, Coca-Cola CEO Says Financial Crisis Jeopardizes Market Openness
(November 17, 2008)

– USCIB statement on the G-20 Summit (November 13, 2008)

– USCIB President Peter M. Robinson: Some Thoughts on the Current Crisis (October 21, 2008)

– Key Officials Address Critical Role of Sovereign Wealth Fund Investment (October 14, 2008)

International Chamber of Commerce:

– ICC welcomes G20 boost to trade finance and pledge to conclude Doha Round (April 2, 2009)

– ICC plea in Financial Times: avoid deceptively simple solutions (April 1, 2009)

– “Resist Protectionism”
(letter to The New York Times by ICC Chairman Victor Fung, March 31, 2009)

– G20 must take action to fight protectionism and support trade finance to keep trade flowing
(March 31, 2009)

– ICC calls on G20 to address impact of Basel II on trade finance (March 27, 2009)

– Trade volume and value decline sharply as a result of crisis (March 23, 2009)

– A staunch advocate of globalization and trade (interview with ICC Chairman Victor Fung, International Herald Tribune, March 20, 2009)

– ICC issues positions on global economic crisis (March 13, 2009)

– ICC Chairman Victor Fung meets Gordon Brown ahead of G20 Summit (March 12, 2009)

– Lowest global economic index in history (February 18, 2009)

– ICC experts discuss the financial crisis and its implications (December 19, 2008)

– Doha Round agreement all the more vital in global economic crisis (December 17, 2008)

– First ICC Regional CEO Forum for Asia Pacific calls for unlocking of liquidity to spur global trade
(November 24, 2008)

– Lowest global economic index in 20 years (November 20, 2008)

– ICC Chairman hails G20 leaders rejection of protectionism and commitment to conclude WTO’s Doha Development Agenda (November 17, 2008)

– ICC Commission on Banking discusses trade finance problems at WTO (November 17, 2008)

– In CNN interview, ICC Chairman urges G20 to stimulate trade (November 13, 2008)

– ICC Chairman urges G20 leaders to adopt bold solutions to financial crisis (November 12, 2008)

– Op-ed by ICC Chairman calls for a revitalized global trading system (November 10, 2008)

– International cooperation vital to resolve financial crisis (October 15, 2008)

Business and Industry Advisory Committee to the OECD:

– Business calls for credible G20 action to support open markets (March 31, 2009)

– Water and the economic crisis (March 16, 2009)

– The financial crisis and the role of the OECD (BIAC newsletter, December 2008)

– Major exporters pledge ongoing credit support for developing country imports (November 24, 2008 – OECD website)

– OECD welcomes G20 Declaration and offers support (November 17, 2008)

– OECD forecasts protracted economic slowdown (November 13, 2008 – OECD website)

– OECD preparing two-pillar action plan in response to crisis, says Gurría (November 12, 2008 – OECD website)

– OECD business calls for decisive G20 action against protectionism (November 10, 2008)

International Organization of Employers:

– IOE information paper: Exiting the Crisis in Labor Markets (April 2009)

– World Employers: Financial Markets Need to Provide Stability and Liquidity to Business
(February 10, 2009)

– IOE president: Global employers are up to the challenge of the economic crisis (IOE newsletter, January 2009)

– The impacts of global crises on labor markets must be addressed (October 20, 2008)

ICC Kicks Off 90th Anniversary Celebrations With Launch of New Research Foundation

Published on February 2, 2009

WTO Director General Pascal Lamy spoke at the launch.

Geneva and New York, February 2, 2009 – Over 270 business leaders converged in Geneva today to celebrate the International Chamber of Commerce’s 90th anniversary, highlighted by the launch of the ICC Research Foundation.

The ICC Research Foundation was established in December last year to reinforce ICC’s role of providing global intellectual leadership on public policy issues of major concern to business and peoples around the world.

“What is needed now is a way to make a compelling case for world trade, in the context of today’s world, that is accessible to all and based on well-designed research,” said ICC Chairman Victor K. Fung, chairman of the Hong Kong-based Li & Fung Group. “That is the aim of the ICC Research Foundation.”

Mr. Fung led the launch of both the foundation and ICC’s year-long 90th anniversary celebrations at a reception organized by ICC Switzerland. ICC Honorary Chairman Marcus Wallenberg delivered closing remarks, and other main speakers included Pascal Lamy (click here to view remarks), director general of the World Trade Organization, and Micheline Calmy-Rey, member of the Swiss Federal Council and head of Swiss department of foreign affairs.

L-R: ICC Chairman Victor Fung, USCIB President Peter Robinson, USCIB Executive Vice President Ronnie Goldberg.

The ICC Research Foundation will commission research to demonstrate the public benefits that flow from an expansion of international trade and investment, and how multilateral rules are particularly beneficial to that end. It will also promote a deeper understanding by policy makers, the media and the public at large of the benefits of international trade and investment, and the dangers of protectionism, through a public education program drawing on the results of its research.

Founded in 1919, ICC promotes trade and investment across frontiers and helps business corporations meet the challenges and opportunities of globalization. Its conviction that trade is a powerful force for peace and prosperity remains as valid today as it was 90 years ago, organizers said.

The ICC Research Foundation will commission studies by research bodies, academic institutions and other experts in the areas of trade and investment. Its initial research projects will examine the contribution to global prosperity of international trade as seen from the perspective of different geographical regions – beginning with Europe, the US and Asia.

ICC’s 90th anniversary year will include a series of noteworthy events around the world, in Paris, Kuala Lumpur, New York, Boston and New Delhi.

For more information about the ICC Research Foundation, visit: www.iccresearchfoundation.org

A conference jointly organized by ICC and the IMD business school on the future of international trade will take place in Lausanne tomorrow as part of the IMD Responsible Leadership Summit.

Contacts:
Jonathan Huneke, VP of Communications, USCIB
+1 212 703 5043 or jhuneke@uscib.org

Dawn Chardonnal, ICC Communications Dept.
+33 1 4953 2907 or dcl@iccwbo.org

Text of remarks by WTO Director General Pascal Lamy

ICC Research Foundation website

ICC website

China Daily (Hong Kong edition): A revitalized global trading system needed to avert protectionism

Published on November 10, 2008

By Victor K. Fung

As a key component of the global economy, international trade is a major source of economic revenue and a major source of employment for any country. The present financial crisis and a looming recession will undoubtedly have a negative impact on trade and severely curtail growth because of liquidity and deteriorating consumer sentiment.

To avert disaster, leaders of the industrialised world have reacted swiftly to restore trust and confidence in the banking system. Such a brave move is now required to ensure that the global trading system does not collapse under the burden of an unstable world. But it is vital that, at this crucial moment, we should reflect upon where we have come from, before taking potentially disastrous measures that may precipitate protectionist action.

The last 20 years have witnessed an unprecedented expansion of the global market and unprecedented global economic growth and welfare. During the last two halcyon decades, it perhaps hasn’t been surprising that people were not especially interested in the apparent complex intricacies of trade negotiations.

The stark paradox of the last decade is that while the global market boomed, the global trade policy process stalled. More and more countries joined the WTO — growing from about 90 in 1990 to 153 now — but they then proved incapable of moving the agenda forward.

The paralysis may, in part, be a consequence of the system’s success. The multiple reforms of the latter part of the 20th century in developing countries have resulted in many more actors, big and small, engaged in global trade. The trade regime is no longer the sole province of the OECD countries as it was throughout most of its existence until recently.

Not only the fast-growing economies of China and India, but many other countries, such as Pakistan, Bangladesh, Vietnam, Indonesia, Chile, Argentina, Mexico, Turkey, Morocco, Kenya, and Egypt, increasingly want to have a say in the trade-policy process, because their stakes in the trade regime have increased significantly.

Vietnam has probably experienced, in proportionate terms, a greater poverty reduction, within the shortest period of time, than any country in history; the growth that drove that poverty reduction in considerable part emanated from the trade regime that Vietnam joined in the mid-1990s.

One consequence of this feverish activity has been to question why one should bother with what appears remote and arcane trade negotiations, when in the real world, things were going so well.

Another rather different consequence has been that the increase and diversity of actors has made the process far more complex. The repeated failures of the Doha Agenda since its launch in 2001 can be ascribed to two forces: a lack of sustained public interest and support, including from the business community; and incapacity on the part of negotiators to bridge the cultural and economic divides.

In appealing for the application of global solutions to the present financial turmoil, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown stated: “Successful market economies need trust, which can only be built through shared values”. Given the immense benefits that trade has generally conferred upon the people of many nations, it follows that one of the potentially strongest foundations on which to build shared values is in a solid and fair rules-based multilateral trade system that reflects the new realities of this potentially exciting and dynamic new global age. In this context, it is encouraging to note that China has committed to strengthen multilateral trade and economic cooperation, as stated in the country’s 11th Five-Year Program and in the 17th National Party Congress.

The financial crisis has prompted urgent and unprecedented globally co-ordinated actions. Without doubt, the world economy requires emergency surgery. At the latest Asia-Europe Meeting Summit convened in Beijing, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao called for enhanced efforts to prevent the financial crisis from evolving into trade protectionism. The host country also proposed to establish a mechanism for multilateral trade cooperation and facilitation.

What is being recognized is that at the very heart of a global and sustainable economic revival, the multilateral trading system must be strengthened. We still live in perilous times; we live in a global environment in which, as Cordell Hull, Franklin Roosevelt’s secretary of state and a subsequent Nobel Peace Prize winner, wrote “The welfare of nations is indissolubly connected with friendliness, fairness, equality and the maximum practicable degree of freedom in international trade.”

To escape from the abyss of protectionism, the world needs a revitalized global rules-based multilateral trading system that will provide a robust global framework and restore a sense of global trust.

The author is Chairman of the International Chamber of Commerce.

More on USCIB’s Trade and Investment Committee

ICC website

Intellectual Property Guidelines for Business Launched at European Union Conference

Published on October 17, 2008

Strasbourg, France, October 17, 2008 – The International Chamber of Commerce’s BASCAP group today launched a set of intellectual property (IP) guidelines designed to help businesses manage copyright and branded materials, and deter trade in counterfeit and pirate goods.

During a special session at the European Union Conference on Industrial Property Rights in the Internal Market, in Strasbourg, France, the ICC’s Business Action to Stop Counterfeiting and Piracy initiative (BASCAP) launched the Intellectual Property Guidelines for Business to provide information to businesses on practical steps that they can take to protect their own innovation and creativity in IP-based products and services, as well as to protect against the risk of using counterfeit materials or infringing other companies’ IP rights.

With more than 8,000 member companies in over 130 countries, the Paris-based ICC is the largest, most representative private sector association in the world. It is represented in the United States by the United States Council for International Business (USCIB), its American national committee headquartered in New York.

Copyright and branded goods are an important part of every modern economy. The most innovative and advanced sectors rely heavily on IP to support innovation in their own products and services. Nearly every enterprise today uses or produces some form of IP in its business – from its own trademarks on products, to copyrighted publications, music, video or software, to branded goods or services of all types.

The BASCAP guidelines will help companies assess the effectiveness of their IP management policies, and to consider new options for improving performance and managing the risks associated with counterfeiting and piracy. They deal with IP management in all its forms within companies, from IP development to component sourcing, manufacturing, wholesaling, retailing, relations with intermediaries and handling of third parties’ IP.

“Counterfeiting and piracy of copyright and branded goods are a $600-billion worldwide problem which hurts not only consumers but also businesses and the overall economy,” said Richard Heath, vice president of global anti-counterfeiting for Unilever and co-chair of the BASCAP steering committee. “Good laws and government enforcement are crucial to combat this problem, but there is a lot that businesses can do to protect their own creative and innovative products, and to avoid the risk that their supply chain or company operations have been compromised by infringing items.”

Senior European Union officials applauded the move. “I am extremely pleased that ICC and BASCAP will unveil new IP guidelines to help business to manage and protect intellectual property,” EU Commissioner Charlie McCreevey told forum participants.

USCIB President Peter M. Robinson welcomed release of the BASCAP guidelines. “We strongly support the BASCAP initiative, and we are pleased that many American companies took a leading role in development of the guidelines,” he said. “Clearly this is a worldwide problem that requires a coordinated global solution. These guidelines provide a clear roadmap for any company looking to better protect its most important assets.”

ICC Secretary General Guy Sebban said the guidelines are designed to be useful to a wide range of businesses in different sectors, and are suitable to be tailored to deal more specifically with particular industries or sectors. “We hope the launch of the ICC-BASCAP IP Guidelines will introduce Forum participants and government officials to the guidelines and encourage the adoption of good IP management practices as part of corporate and public policies,” he said.

According to Jeff Hardy, ICC’s BASCAP coordinator, the launch is the first step in a worldwide rollout of the guidelines through ICC’s worldwide network. “Our first steps have been to provide copies to the ICC national committees and their member companies located in 90 countries worldwide. We have also provided the IP Guidelines to all BASCAP member companies for further distribution to their global affiliates. This year should be a busy year as we look forward to a series of workshops and roll-out events working with ICC national committees and their members large and small.”

USCIB promotes an open system of global commerce in which business can flourish and contribute to economic growth, human welfare and protection of the environment. Its membership includes some 300 U.S. companies, professional service firms and associations whose combined annual revenues exceed $3 trillion. As American affiliate of the leading international business and employers organizations, including ICC, USCIB provides business views to policy makers and regulatory authorities worldwide and works to facilitate international trade.

Contacts:

Jonathan Huneke, VP Communications, USCIB

+1 212.703.5043 or jhuneke@uscib.org

Dawn Chardonnal, ICC Communications Department

Tel: +33 1 49.53.29.07 or dawn.chardonnal@iccwbo.org

BASCAP Intellectual Property Guidelines for Business (full text)

BASCAP website

More on USCIB’s Intellectual Property Committee

More Gloom in Store for Global Economy According to ICC/Ifo Survey

Published on August 19, 2008

Paris and New York, August 19, 2008 – The ICC/Ifo global economic climate index in July fell for the fourth consecutive quarter, recording its lowest level since 2001, according to the International Chamber of Commerce. Survey respondents also predicted increased economic upheaval as the result of rising oil prices.

The ICC/Ifo world economic climate index for the third quarter, which polled over a thousand economic experts in 92 countries, dropped 8.0 points to 73.4 from 81.4.

Sentiment darkened especially in Western Europe and Asia. While economists’ view of the current U.S. economy scored its lowest marks seen in a decade, they slightly raised their expectations for the U.S. economy in the coming six months due to expectations of a pickup in U.S. exports.

The Paris-based ICC is the world business organization, a representative body that speaks with authority on behalf of enterprises from all sectors in every part of the world. ICC participates in the quarterly survey with the Ifo Institute for Economic Research and the Center for Economic Studies at Ludwig Maximilian University, both based in Munich, Germany. The United States Council for International Business (USCIB), based in New York, serves as ICC’s American national committee.

The global climate index fell in all major Asian economies. In some of the major economies of Latin America, including Brazil and Mexico, economists also foresee a cooling off period for the second half of the year.

Economists surveyed said the greatest impediment to global economic growth is rising inflation, which they say is further aggravating the cyclical downturn. They estimated worldwide inflation at 5.2 percent. Economists polled raised their expectations for inflation in each region of the world: 3.8 percent for the US, a major upgrading in inflationary expectations in Europe to 3.5 percent, and pegged inflation at 5.3 percent in Asia, 9.7 percent in Latin America, and 14.5 percent in the CIS states.

Despite expectations for a further weakening in the global economy, economists reversed their previous view on interest rates. In the current survey, economists said they expect a rise in central bank and long-term interest rates.

$130 oil contributing to economic slowdown

ICC asked a special question in the current survey on the impact of rising oil prices on the global economy and the ability of companies and countries to meet their energy needs.

A large majority of economists said they expect oil prices above $130 (U.S.) a barrel to create disequilibrium and reinforce recessionary tendencies in the global economy in 2008, and to negatively affect company earnings.

Over the next six months, economists also said that $130 oil will lead to high current account deficits in many Asian countries, in South Africa, and in several European countries, including Spain, Portugal and Greece.

At the same time, economists saw a silver lining to oil prices at that level: in Western Europe, North America, and major Asian economies, economists expect $130 oil to induce companies to invest in cleaner and more efficient technologies.

USCIB promotes an open system of global commerce on behalf of its membership of more than 300 leading U.S. companies, professional service firms and associations. As American affiliate of ICC and other leading international business and employers’ organizations, USCIB provides business views to policy makers and regulatory authorities worldwide and works to facilitate international trade. More at www.uscib.org.

Contact:

Jonathan Huneke, VP Communications, USCIB
+1 212-703-5043 (office), +1 917-420-0039 (mobile) or jhuneke@uscib.org

World Economic Survey Graphs (ICC Website)

Special Question Figures (ICC Website)

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