Business In Society Archives

Upcoming Events: USCIB Engaged on Corporate Responsibility, Human Rights

Published on December 4, 2015
Photo credit: UN, Pierre Albouy
Photo credit: UN, Pierre Albouy

USCIB will participate in three events next week about corporate responsibility and human rights. For more information and registration details, please contact USCIB Vice President Ariel Meyerstein (ameyerstein@uscib.org).

The Corporate Counsel Innovation Summit
Monday, December 7, 2015
New York

The Financial Times’ Innovative Lawyers General Counsel Summit will build on the success of last year’s inaugural summit and focus on the implications of a changing landscape. For in-house lawyers, most often at the forefront of innovation, how should related challenges be met and how will the in-house role change as a result? Meyerstein will speak on a panel about the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs)

The UNGPs are a global framework for preventing and addressing the risk of adverse impacts on human rights linked to business activity. John F. Sherman III, General Counsel, Company Secretary and Senior Adviser at the Shift Project, will lead a panel to discuss what this global framework means for GCs and the responsibilities it places on lawyers.

The Human Rights First Summit
December 9, 2015
Washington, D.C.

Modern-day slavery is a global problem that taints many of the products we use every day. How can the United States work with businesses and other governments to eradicate human trafficking from supply chains?

More than 14 million people are exploited for labor worldwide, many of them buried deep within the supply chains of global businesses. Nearly four years ago California enacted a law that requires retailers and manufacturers to disclose if they have policies to prevent trafficking in their supply chains. Yet these policies aren’t adequately compelling companies to ensure that their suppliers protect vulnerable workers.

There are, however, a few successful non-regulatory initiatives. The Electronics Industry Citizen Coalition (EICC) has a progressive code of conduct that all members must follow. The Fair Labor Association has pulled responsible businesses, civil society and universities together to establish better policies to protect vulnerable workers in supply chains. The International Finance Corporation (IFC) incentivizes suppliers who score well on sustainability standards—including preventing forced labor—by offering lower lending rates. Are these models sustainable? Could they be applied more broadly within their own industries or scaled up and replicated in other industries? What can the United States do to ensure that the gains from these programs are sustainable? Meyerstein will moderate a panel discussion that addresses these questions.

Registration and the full program agenda is available here.

OECD In-Depth: G20/OECD Principles of Corporate Governance
December 11, 2015
Washington, D.C.

In a landmark decision, the G20 Leaders endorsed the G20/OECD Principles of Corporate Governance as an indispensable and globally recognized standard for assessing and improving corporate governance. The Principles have been developed under the auspices of the OECD, convening the expertise of policy makers, regulators, business and other stakeholders from around the world.

USCIB will co-host an informal roundtable discussion of the Principles and a conversation about how corporate governance in today’s equity markets can facilitate corporate access to finance, unlock investment, and boost sustainable economic growth.

 

IOE: Embedding Human Rights in Sporting Events

Published on November 30, 2015

SportsAt a two-day meeting in Switzerland, November 19 and 20, International Organization of Employers (IOE) Secretary General Linda Kromjong joined with a range of actors to explore ways of ensuring mega sporting events meet the potential of their founding values with regard to human rights and social inclusion, as well as contributing to sustainable development.

Jointly organised by the Institute for Human Rights and Business (IHRB), the Swiss Government and Wilton Park, the meeting aimed to build consensus on the need for specific measures to address human rights due diligence at mega sporting events.  One idea was to establish an independent center for human rights learning and methods of oversight and accountability in the delivery of mega-sporting events.  Such an initiative would respond to growing calls to enhance the social benefit and minimize adverse human rights impacts of mega-sporting-events by providing a venue for knowledge transfer, capacity-building and accountability across sporting traditions.

The meeting explored various approaches and gleaned interest from specific stakeholders in trialing specific projects, including testing the feasibility of embedding human rights due diligence within mega-sporting events candidature procedures and host city contracts.  There was a strong call to “stop talking and start doing” and participants expressed their firm support, as well as the need for the engagement of all the relevant sporting organizers such as IOC, FIFA and the Commonwealth Games Federation, all of whom were represented at the meeting.

Speaking of the IOE’s engagement in the discussions, Linda Kromjong said: “The IOE, as the global voice of businesses, has a key role to play in addressing human rights issues associated with global events of all kinds. Business has a keen interest in ensuring sustainable mega-sporting events and looks forward to being part of the solution.”

The IOE was also one of the joint signatories, with the International Labor Organization, the International Trade Union Confederation and the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, of a statement in support of the organizers’ aims for this event, in which they committed to actively engage in the discussions and further joint action in line with their respective mandates.

IOE members and partner companies will be kept informed about the next steps and IOE member federations are encouraged to engage with mega-sporting events in their respective countries to ensure that human rights and social inclusion, as well as grievance and remedy procedures, are being addressed.

ICC Underscores Importance of Freedom of Commercial Communication

Published on November 30, 2015

Digital marketing concept

A new International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) statement urging governments to reject general advertising bans and overly prescriptive restrictions on truthful commercial communications, in favor of self-regulatory practices, warns that excessive regulation in the field of advertising and commercial communications could hinder trade and hamper economic growth and development.

Issued on November 24, the ICC policy statement addresses continuing threat of bans on advertising and promotion of legal products and restrictions on freedom of commercial communication in favor of self-regulatory practices.

“This statement presents the views of global business on the freedom of commercial communication and expands on the discussion of the rights of advertisers,” said Brent Sanders (Microsoft), chair of the ICC commission and of USCIB’s Marketing and Advertising Committee. “It outlines the responsibilities accepted by business and supports the argument for continued self-regulation through ICC codes.”

ICC’s Commission on Marketing and Advertising will hold its nextg meeting on December 7 in New York. The Consolidated ICC Code of Advertising and Marketing Communications Practice (the ICC Code), is the gold standard for most nationally applied self-regulation around the world.

The newly revised ICC policy statement on freedom of commercial communication outlines ICC Code principles related to freedom of commercial communication and self-regulation, and recognizes business responsibility to consumers in providing decent, honest and truthful commercial communication. It aims to underscore that freedom of advertising and of commercial speech, underpinned by effective self-regulation, are cornerstones of the market economy.

“Latin America has seen a proliferation of proposals or enacted laws to restrict food and beverage marketing and this statement from ICC is most timely as business concern mounts with threats continuing to extend globally,” said Ximena Tapias Delporte, vice chair of the ICC Commission on Marketing and Advertising and executive chairman of the Colombian Union of Advertising Companies.

In the statement, ICC upholds that products that can be legally manufactured and marketed should be legal to advertise in line with free market media and communication laws, taking into account the interests of the public and the common good.

ICC has served as the authoritative rule-setter for international advertising since the 1930s, when the first ICC Code on advertising practice was issued. Since then, it has updated and expanded the ICC self-regulatory framework where needed to assist companies in marketing their products responsibly and to help self-regulators apply the rules consistently.

Download the ICC Policy Statement on Freedom of Commercial Communications

Download the Consolidated ICC Code of Advertising and Marketing Communications Practice

IOE Welcomes Business Reforms Reported in World Bank Doing Business 2016

Published on November 19, 2015

DoingBusinessThe World Bank’s Doing Business 2016: Measuring Regulatory Quality and Efficiency finds that 85 developing economies implemented 169 business reforms during the past year, compared with 154 the previous year. High-income economies carried out an additional 62 reforms, bringing the total over the period to 231 in 122 economies.

The majority of the new reforms were designed to improve the efficiency of regulations by reducing their cost and complexity, with the largest number of improvements made in “Starting a Business.”  A total of 45 economies, 33 of which developing, undertook such reforms.  India, for example, eliminated the minimum capital requirement and a business operations certificate, saving entrepreneurs unnecessary bureaucracy and five days’ wait. Kenya simplified pre-registration procedures, reducing incorporation time by four days.

Efforts to strengthen legal institutions and frameworks were less common, with 66 reforms implemented in 53 economies. The largest number of such reforms were carried out under “Getting Credit,” with 32 improvements – nearly half in Sub-Saharan Africa.

“A modern economy cannot function without regulation and, at the same time, it can be brought to a standstill through poor and cumbersome regulation,” said Kaushik Basu, World Bank chief economist and senior vice president. “The challenge … is to tread this narrow path by identifying regulations that are good and necessary, and shunning ones that thwart creativity and hamper the functioning of small and medium enterprises.”

Singapore retains the top spot in the global ranking of the most business-friendly regulatory environments. The top ten also includes New Zealand (2); Denmark (3); Republic of Korea (4); Hong Kong SAR, China (5); United Kingdom (6); United States (7); Sweden (8); Norway (9); and Finland (10).

Read the full report.

More information available at the International Organization of Employers website.

USCIB Participates in 4th UN Forum on Business and Human Rights

Published on November 16, 2015

The 4th United Nations Forum on Business and Human Rights got underway this week in Geneva, convening hundreds of government officials, business leaders, civil society representatives and representatives from the UN and other international organizations to track progress and promote policy coherence around business and human rights, specifically the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights.

The Guiding Principles, which were prepared under the stewardship of former UN special representative on business and human rights John Ruggie, established a framework under which states are obligated to protect and fulfill the human rights of those in their jurisdiction, while businesses, both foreign and domestic, are responsible for respecting these rights throughout their operations. The principles also propose a framework for greater access to effective remedy for human rights victims.

Prior to the forum, the business community issued a statement supporting respect for human rights as a critical component of implementing the UN’s recently adopted Sustainable Development Goals. USCIB co-signed the document along with nine other business organizations.

Ariel Meyerstein, USCIB’s vice president for labor affairs, corporate responsibility and corporate governance, is attending the forum in Geneva along with USCIB members. On November 16, he participated in a business pre-meeting hosted by the Canadian Embassy with other business associations including the International Chamber of Commerce, the International Organization of Employers, the UN Global Compact and many more. Also on Monday, Meyerstein spoke at a panel on “Unpacking the Guiding Principles in Investment Disputes.”

On November 17, Meyerstein will moderate a panel about “SME’s, Informality and Human Rights: Challenges and Solutions,” as well as serve as a panelist on a discussion about “Measuring and Tracking Businesses’ Implementation of the Guiding Principles” and another on “Access to Remedy – Roles and Responsibilities of States Concerned in Crossborder Cases.”

Videos of some of these panels will be made available on UN TV. More information will be forthcoming after the conclusion of the forum.

IOE Welcomes Global Business & Disability Network Charter

Published on November 6, 2015

disability_sign_low_resSeveral major international companies came together at the International Labor Organization (ILO) in Geneva on October 28 to further formalize their commitment to promoting and including persons with disabilities throughout their operations.

All members of the Global Business & Disability Network, Accor, Adecco, AXA, Carrefour, Casino, Dow, L’Oréal, Michelin, Orange, Sodexo and Standard Bank were among the first signatories to the new ILO Global Business & Disability Charter and several more companies have expressed their intention to join them.

The network was created in 2010 by the ILO Bureau for Employers’ Activities (ACT/EMP) and the ILO Disability Team, with the goal of conducting international, regional and national level meetings and initiatives to promote the inclusion of persons with disabilities in businesses and to disseminate best practices. It has produced a tool for companies to self-assess their performance in a number of disability-related areas.

The Charter signed last week covers key areas such as non-discrimination, providing equal treatment and opportunities, job retention, accessibility and confidentiality. It also focuses on the importance of giving proper attention to all types of disabilities.

As a next step, the Charter will be provided to national employers’ federations and national business and disability networks as a channel for promoting the inclusion of people with disabilities in their own workforces and within member companies, large and small.

International Organization of Employers (IOE) Secretary General, Linda Kromjong, said, “Employers know from experience that inclusive and diverse workforces create a win-win situation for businesses and employees. Companies are encouraged to assess if signing this Charter will complement their overall strategy. The 11 companies signing today have already made this assessment.”

IOE Vice President for North America and USCIB Senior Counsel Ronnie Goldberg is a member of the Global Business & Disability Network’s steering committee.

USCIB at the United Nations

Published on November 1, 2015

un_headquarters_lo-resHere in New York, September was a high-profile month, not only for heads of state, but also for business where USCIB, along with our colleagues at the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), was in the thick of things during the United Nations General Assembly.

Prior to the opening of this year’s session, country leaders and other important actors gathered for two events of critical importance for business: UN Climate Week and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Summit. After two years of slow-moving and intricately detailed negotiations, countries agreed the UN 2030 Development Agenda, which includes 17 Sustainable Development Goals. They also highlighted the critical importance of a successful outcome at this December’s UN Climate Summit in Paris.

In both these arenas, USCIB has been involved every step of the way. It is clear that both initiatives will impact the private sector, while also providing many opportunities for business to contribute. Because of this, our stepped up advocacy and communications activities this year on both climate change and the SDGs have been carefully planned and strategically managed under our Campaign 2015 initiative.

Our key messages have been consistent – as well as insistent. Both in the negotiations leading to the SDGs and in the climate change negotiations, we have underscored the need for business to be embedded in the process. This is necessary to leverage the full resources that we can bring to the table – through investment, innovation and know-how. We have also sought to ensure that expectations of the private sector’s contributions are reasonable, and in line with business and economic realities. I believe this steady drumbeat of private-sector messaging is beginning to pay off.

Business for 2030 showcases company initiatives

I am especially proud of the launch of our Business for 2030 web portal, which makes a critical contribution to the 2030 Agenda by showcasing corporate programs and initiatives supporting each of the 17 SDGs (see page 3). Co-sponsored by Bechtel, MasterCard and IFPMA, our event attracted a diverse, standing-room only crowd of corporate, governmental, IGO and NGO representatives. We were honored to have UN Ambassador Amina Mohammed, the architect of the Sustainable Development Goals, as our opening speaker. Another leading figure in international development, Erik Solheim, executive director of the OECD Development Committee, delivered closing comments.

The Business for 2030 portal has already received widespread acclaim, and it has been designated by the UN as an official portal for identifying corporate contributions to the SDGs. This is a remarkable contrast to the “cold shoulder” business got in the development of the Millennium Development Goals 15 years ago.

All eyes now on implementation – and on Paris

USCIB has worked closely with the UN system, the U.S. government and other business groups to shape the SDGs, and has identified priority issues for business attention and engagement. To date, however, the access and involvement afforded business in the deliberations has not been commensurate with the high expectations for private-sector resources and action. We are working to change that as attention now shifts to putting the SDGs into practice at the national level.

I have been extremely impressed with the commitment and determination shown by USCIB members to help guide and inform the UN’s work on the 2030 Development Agenda. Special thanks and recognition go to Ann Condon of GE, chair of USCIB’s Environment Committee, and to Tam Nguyen of Bechtel and Brian Lowry of Monsanto, co-chairs of our SDGs Working Group.

The new UN agenda will shift the terrain for much of USCIB’s work, and we appreciate the encouragement and support we have received to continue to take a pro-active role, expressing USCIB’s vision and raising USCIB’s visibility. We will continue to work hard to inject business views into the implementation phase, especially at the national level, utilizing USCIB’s unmatched global business network.

We are now gearing up for the next critical step in the Campaign 2015 program: the COP21 climate negotiations in Paris. In October, I helped represent U.S. business in Tokyo at the Second Innovation for Cool Earth Forum (ICEF2), a high-level conference organized by the government of Japan for business, government and academics to discuss the important role of innovation and technology in addressing climate change. While in Tokyo, I also participated in the High Level Business Dialogue organized by Laurence Tubiana of the government of France; the invitation to join this influential consultation with government ministers on technological solutions and their deployment is further recognition of USCIB’s reputation and expertise in the process. We also participated in the final round of UN climate negotiations in Bonn.

And now it is on to Paris!

USCIB Provides Business Voice at UN Discussion on Informal Economy

Published on October 19, 2015
Ariel Meyerstein
Ariel Meyerstein

USCIB Vice President Ariel Meyerstein participated as a lead discussant at a panel at the United Nations on “Promoting Inclusive Growth: Transitioning from the Informal to the Formal Economy” on October 16. Meyerstein provided the private sector perspective on the challenges associated with informal employment. The panel followed this year’s earlier release of the International Labor Organization’s (ILO) Recommendation on Transitioning from Informal to Formal Economies.

Formalizing employment is of strategic significance for millions of workers and enterprises around the world who are working and producing in precarious and vulnerable conditions.  It is estimated that half of the global labor force and 90 percent of small businesses operate in the informal economy, with women and youth disproportionately engaged.

The panel discussion provided a platform for governments and development partners to explore how the transition from the informal to the formal economy could contribute to enhancing productivity, innovation and achieving inclusive growth and decent work for all. Panelists explored how the ILO recommendation can contribute to the fulfillment of the UN Sustainable Development Goals and identified the policies needed to promote the transition from the informal to the formal economy.

Meyerstein addressed how the ILO recommendation is important to the business community and what the role of the private sector is in ensuring formalization.

(Meyerstein’s presentation begins at 1:27:00.)

“The employers actually proposed this recommendation,” Meyerstein said. “You can see this emphasis on economic growth and job creation expanding the attractiveness of the formal sector. That’s something we were pushing for and it’s good that it’s in the recommendation.”

Meyerstein provided examples of how businesses can facilitate the transition from the informal to the formal economy, including USCIB member Mastercard’s partnership with Egypt to provide all citizens with a national ID, thereby expanding financial inclusion. He noted that part of the solution to addressing informality is making the formal economy more attractive to businesses. He concluded by saying that employers can also help by addressing youth unemployment and the skills mismatch, and he mentioned the Global Apprenticeship Network, a project by the International Organization of Employers designed to teach youth the skills they need to join the formal economy.

USCIB Promotes Women’s Empowerment in the Food Supply Chain

Published on October 12, 2015

africa_fruit_vendors_lo-resThis week delegates from around the work will be reviewing world food security policies at the 42nd session of the Committee on World Food Security (CFS) at the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).  A record-setting 126 private sector representatives from 39 countries have registered to attend the 42nd plenary session taking place from October 12 to 15 in Rome. CFS is one of the most inclusive intergovernmental platforms that allows stakeholders to work together and ensure food security and nutrition for all.

In an effort to catalyze political will and focus around food security, USCIB supported an event on October 9 in Rome about “Women’s Empowerment: Solutions at the Nexus of Agriculture, Nutrition and Enterprise,” co-chaired by Cherie Blair, president and founder of Cherie Blair Foundation for Women, and Irene Khan, director general of the International Law Development Office. The event convened high-level representatives from business, government and NGOs for a dialogue about women’s access to productive resources (finance, tools, technology, land), women’s contributions to health and nutrition and the role of women in fostering food security.

Shaun Donnelly, USCIB’s vice president for investment and financial services, participated in the broad-based roundtable discussion, which included business leaders, 12 FAO ambassadors and representatives from leading NGOs. There was  broad agreement about the challenges faced by women and the importance of having multi-stakeholder partnerships to  empower women in agriculture and supply chains. Empowering women would improve food security and nutrition, as well as create a positive ripple effect in raising the standard of living for their families and strengthening their communities.

Many agreed that when women have more control over household assets and income, they invest more in their families’ food, health, education and children’s well-being. Thriving families are better positioned to contribute meaningfully to their communities, and a well-nourished population is better able to participate in the workforce. By empowering women in agriculture and supply chains, the world can make significant gains toward realizing the FAO’s Strategic Objectives and several of the broader United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), such as:

USCIB Unveils “Business for 2030” Portal at Global Employers’ Summit in Bahrain

Published on October 8, 2015
Ronnie Goldberg (USCIB) unveils the Business for 2030 website at the Global Employers’ Summit in Bahrain.

The International Organisation of Employers (IOE) joined forces with its member the Bahrain Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI) to organize the first Global Employers’ Summit in Bahrain from October 6 to 7 under the auspices of Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa. At the summit, IOE leaders signed the Bahrain Deceleration, underscoring the business’s commitment to the United Nations 2030 Development Agenda.

Organized around seven panel sessions, high-level speakers led the interactive debates on several topics including the free movement of workers, trade and jobs, global youth unemployment, and business and human rights. Also high on the agenda was an exploration of how business can contribute to the realization of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) recently adopted by the UN General Assembly.

USCIB Senior Counsel Ronnie Goldberg attended the summit and unveiled USCIB’s Business for 2030 website, designed to showcase the private sector’s contributions to the UN SDGs. Part informative resource, part catalogue of business engagement, Business for 2030 features over 120 examples from 30 companies in over 100 countries of how businesses are helping to achieve 70 of the 169 SDG targets.

The Summit concluded with the signing of the Bahrain Declaration by BCCI Chairman Khalid Abdulrahman Almoaymed, and IOE President Daniel Funes de Rioja, reflecting the concrete commitment of the global employer community towards:

  • Fostering job creation
  • Creating labor market opportunities for young people and women
  • Ensuring employment is safe and occurs in the formal economy
  • Making labor migration a win-win situation
  • Strengthening implementation of international commitments

The declaration acknowledges the role business plays in contributing to the concerted global effort towards achieving shared progress and prosperity.  It further reinforces business support for the SDGs, and represents a clear expression of readiness to cooperate at national and international levels to reach the global development targets.  It goes on to mark a renewed commitment to engage with trade unions and all other stakeholders to contribute to more and better jobs, growth and prosperity, and provides reaffirmation of the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, as a means to guide businesses as they seek to respect human rights throughout their operations.

In addition to contributions as speakers and moderators at the Summit, delegates from the International Organisation of Employers, including Goldberg, met in private session with Prince Salman to discuss the key role of business in the economic and social development of Bahrain.

See the summit’s declaration, summit and photos.