Business In Society Archives

In Davos, USCIB Chairman Unveils Clean Water Initiative

Published on January 26, 2007
USCIB Chairman William J. Parrett of Deloitte (right) with Kurt Soderlund of the Safe Water Network.
USCIB Chairman William J. Parrett of Deloitte (right) with Kurt Soderlund of the Safe Water Network.

At this week’s World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, USCIB Chairman William J. Parrett, chief executive officer of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu, announced a joint project between his firm and the Safe Water Network to develop small-scale, community-based solutions to bring safe water to neglected populations.

The 12-month program will target several countries and regions – potentially including Bangladesh, China, India, Sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America – where distributed water purification technology solutions are expected to improve community access to clean drinking water.

Mr. Parrett and Kurt Soderlund, the Safe Water Network’s chief operating officer, said the objectives of the program for the next 12 months include:

  • Empowering local communities to improve their living conditions through the deployment of distributed water purification technology
  • Demonstrating alternative models to deploy water purification solutions, including micro-enterprise programs that establish local water entrepreneurs, and social investment programs such as supplying water purification to local health clinics
  • Developing plans that support broad scale deployment of solutions to materially improve the health and living conditions for the millions afflicted by water-borne illnesses.

“Many communities face severe water shortages that hinder their development,” Mr. Parrett said.  “Deloitte member firms are proud to work with the Safe Water Network to help bring what we see as practical solutions to local communities.  The Deloitte network of member firms, including approximately 135,000 people in nearly 140 countries, can bring knowledge and expertise to define local needs, and help deliver technology and other solutions to deliver clean water.”

Nearly 1.1 billion people do not have access to safe drinking water, and 90 percent of deaths from water-related diseases in the developing world today occur in children under five years of age.  “In different ways, at different ages, access to adequate water and sanitation services influences everybody’s health, education, life expectancy, well-being and social development,” noted Mr. Parrett.  “Water is fundamental to human life, community development, and long-term sustainability.”

More on USCIB’s Health Care Working Group

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Deloitte website

China’s Labor Law

Published on October 19, 2006

The New York Times

October 19, 2006

Letters to the Editor, page A26

China’s Labor Law

To the Editor:

Re “China Drafts Law to Empower Unions and End Labor Abuse” (front page, Oct. 13):

American companies support high labor standards in China. Indeed, we are troubled that such fundamental rights as freedom of association are forbidden under current Chinese law and not provided for in the draft law.

As a first step, current Chinese labor law needs to be enforced, which your article rightly notes is rarely done and targets supposedly deep-pocketed foreign companies when it is.

But American businesses believe that the draft law is too rigid and will lead to slower job growth. Making matters worse, ambiguities in the draft law would have to be sorted out in a judicial system that does not always operate fairly or predictably.

And since both foreign and domestic employers need a predictable investment climate, it should come as no surprise that an ambiguous and unpredictable law would give investors pause.

Adam B. Greene

New York, Oct. 13, 2006

The writer is vice president of labor and corporate responsibility for the United States Council for International Business.

 

More on USCIB’s Labor and Employment Committee

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World Employers Applaud Nobel Peace Prize Selection

Published on October 16, 2006
Muhammad Yunus
Muhammad Yunus

The International Organization of Employers has welcomed the recognition given to Muhammad Yunus, the Bangladesh economist and founder of Grameen Bank who pioneered micro-lending, by the Nobel Prize Committee.

Speaking from Geneva, IOE President Abraham Katz praised the work of the Grameen Bank in enabling innovators and entrepreneurs to have access to finance so as to turn business ideas into reality.

“It is this type of innovation and thinking that is needed, particularly in the developing world, to fill the gaps of commercial lending and thereby allow local people to develop their own means to work out of poverty, or to provide employment opportunities to others,” said Mr. Katz, a retired U.S. diplomat who served as USCIB’s president from 1984 to 1999.

IOE, part of USCIB’s global network, serves as the voice of employers worldwide, in particular at the International Labor Organization, promoting policies that support growth, employment and entrepreneurship.

Mr. Katz also congratulated the Nobel Prize Committee for recognizing the work that Mr. Yunus and the Grameen Bank have done, which he said would encourage others to explore micro-finance solutions both in South Asia and elsewhere.

“The IOE supports efforts by the International Labor Organization and lending institutions to build on this innovation, and through micro-finance encourage local actors to establish and expand business as a core means of working out of poverty” he said.

“The awarding of the prize to the business sector shows a healthy recognition of the contribution of business as a means to drive economic and social development.”

Staff contact: Ariel Meyerstein

More on USCIB’s Labor and Employment Committee

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Terry A. Cullum of General Motors to Lead USCIB Work on Environment

Published on October 5, 2006

New York, N.Y., October 5, 2006 – The United States Council for International Business (USCIB), a leading pro-trade group, announced today that Terry A. Cullum, director for corporate responsibility and environment & energy with General Motors Public Policy Center, has been named the chair of USCIB’s Environment Committee.

“We are delighted that Terry Cullum has agreed to lead USCIB’s dynamic environmental affairs activities,” said USCIB President Peter M. Robinson.  “Working with a team of dedicated members and staff professionals, we look forward to continuing to help business play a major role in international environmental policy discussions.”

USCIB’s Environment Committee promotes appropriate environmental protection within an open trade and investment system, and advances environmental protection and economic development as fundamental to sustainable development.  As chair of the USCIB committee, Mr. Cullum succeeds George Carpenter, director for global sustainable development with Procter & Gamble, who retired at the end of September.

“We are very grateful to George Carpenter, who has helped define the whole idea of corporate sustainability, for his outstanding work on behalf of U.S. business in promoting greater awareness of environmental matters and of the many efforts by companies to improve environmental performance,” said Mr. Robinson.

Mr. Cullum began his career in General Motors’ Cadillac division as a project engineer.  He held positions dealing with selection of materials, validation testing, and specification development before joining the corporate environmental staff in 1994.  He received his Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Michigan.  Mr. Cullum is a member of the Society of Automotive Engineers and serves on a number of academic advisory boards.

General Motors Corp. (NYSE: GM), the world’s largest automaker, has been the global industry sales leader for 75 years.  Founded in 1908, GM today employs about 327,000 people around the world.  With global headquarters in Detroit, GM manufactures its cars and trucks in 33 countries.

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.

Contact:
Norine Kennedy, Vice President, Environmental Affairs, USCIB
(212) 703-5052 or nkennedy@uscib.org

 

More on USCIB’s Environment Committee

ICC Website

U.S. Business Urges Revision of European Chemicals Guidelines

Published on September 13, 2006
Proposed EU chemicals legislation could impact downstream users as well as importers.
Proposed EU chemicals legislation could impact downstream users as well as importers.

New York, N.Y., September 13, 2006 – The United States Council for International Business, which represents America’s top global companies, has voiced concern to European Union authorities over proposed implementation guidelines for EU legislation, known as REACH, to regulate over 30,000 chemicals and products made from them.

REACH, which stands for “registration, evaluation, and authorization of chemicals,” is slated to undergo its second reading in the European parliament this fall. As currently drafted, the proposed legislation would affect downstream users and importers as well as chemical manufacturers.

USCIB submitted comments on a draft REACH implementation project or (known as RIP 3.8) that sets out guidance for manufacturers in the implementation of the draft chemicals legislation. It said its comments aimed to help contribute to the workability of rules laying out the obligations under REACH for industries that use chemicals in the manufacture of their products.

“The workability and proportionality of REACH has been raised as a top priority by both the European Commission and Council,” said Andrea Fava, USCIB’s manager of environmental affairs. “However, we are concerned that these guidelines are neither workable nor proportionate.”

USCIB recommended the revision of the proposed guidelines, saying its members are concerned about the workability of the draft from both the compliance and enforcement perspectives. USCIB has also expressed concern that the guidelines go beyond the scope of the draft chemicals legislation.

“We urge that further input be considered and that the guidance for articles be revised to ensure it is consistent with the intent of the draft REACH legislation,” said the USCIB statement.

In 2003 and 2004, USCIB submitted comments to the European Commission on the economic and environmental impact of the REACH proposal. Since then the EU has undertaken an extensive revision of the proposed legislation and is now pushing to finalize REACH in the near future.

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 leading U.S. companies, professional services firms and associations whose combined annual revenues exceed $3 trillion. As American affiliate of the leading international business and employers organizations, USCIB provides business views to policy makers and regulatory authorities worldwide and works to facilitate international trade.

Contact:
Helen Medina
(212) 703-5047 or hmedina@uscib.org

USCIB comments on on REACH Implementation Project 3.8

More on USCIB’s Environmental Committee

Business Asks for Realistic Approach on OECD Corporate Governance Principles

Published on February 24, 2004

During February’s meeting of a key steering group of the 30-nation Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, negotiations on the newly revised OECD Principles on Corporate Governance reached a crucial stage.  The principles are to be finalized for adoption at May’s OECD ministerial meeting in Paris.

Commenting on the negotiations of the government experts, members of the OECD’s Business and Industry Advisory Committee(BIAC) asked their governments to sustain the notion that “one size does not fit all” in corporate governance standards.

Every national regulatory system has to find its own balance between regulation by governments and self-regulation, BIAC members said.  A level of diversity is necessary for the maintenance of an internationally competitive environment, and companies welcome the new emphasis given to the effective enforcement of existing corporate governance rules.  Business believes, however, that having clear, concise and understandable OECD principles is necessary for their effective enforcement.

The 38 business federations from all the OECD countries belonging to BIAC – and the companies they represent – will continue to take the discussions on corporate governance seriously and participate actively in the elaboration and revision of corporate governance laws and codes in their countries.

Staff contact: Ariel Meyerstein 

BIAC website

More on USCIB’s Corporate Responsibility Committee

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New editor takes over ICC corporate governance website

Published on June 11, 2003

Paris, June 11, 2003 – ICC’s Corporate Governance website moved into top gear today with up-to-the-minute coverage of developments of vital interest to companies across the world.

Stories include moves by the European Commission to set new rules billed as “a model for the rest of the world” as well as a report from New Delhi about controversial new government proposals to strengthen the role of independent directors.

Also on the site is an account of the implications for Australian companies of new disclosure rules introduced by the Australian stock exchange and a report under a London dateline about heightened public interest in boardroom pay – and the repercussions for companies.

With more than 8,000 member companies in over 140 countries, ICC is the largest, most representative private sector association in the world. It is represented in the U.S. by the United States Council for International Business (USCIB), its American national committee based in New York.

From Manila comes a story on efforts by the Asian Development Bank and the OECD to bring about swift improvements in corporate governance across Asia. An OECD White Paper just issued maintains that the most serious corporate governance challenge facing the Asian region is the “exploitation of non-controlling shareholders”.

The ICC Corporate Governance website was introduced a year ago with a mission to assist companies, and especially small and medium-sized enterprises, in achieving the highest standards of corporate governance. At the same time, it seeks to keep abreast of relevant government and private sector initiatives.

Taking over as the site’s editor is Australian writer and broadcaster Colin Chapman, a former Director of Television for the Financial Times. In the last 18 months, Mr Chapman has been course director on financial and political reporting for the Commonwealth Press Union, the British Council, and USIS. He has also acted as a visiting lecturer at the University of Beijing, where among other subjects he lectured on corporate governance.

Julian Kassum, site manager, said: “The site takes a strong ‘how to’ approach and will be especially useful to companies that are overhauling their corporate governance provisions.”

One of the big issues that will shortly be analysed in a full-length feature is whistle-blowing, and safeguards for employees who draw attention to irregularities.

USCIB promotes an open system of global commerce. Its membership includes some 300 leading U.S. companies, professional services firms and associations whose combined annual revenues exceed $3 trillion. As American affiliate of the leading international business and employers organizations, USCIB provides business views to policy makers and regulatory authorities worldwide and works to facilitate international trade.

Contacts:
Bryce Corbett, ICC Communications
(011-33-6) 20-47-32-52 or bryce.corbett@iccwbo.org

Jonathan Huneke, USCIB Communications
(212) 703-5043 or jhuneke@uscib.org

The ICC Corporate Governance Website

More on USCIB’s Financial Services Committee 

Industry Boosts Efforts on Governance Issues

Published on March 3, 2003

Responding to highly-publicized cases of poor corporate governance and the need to restore confidence in the global financial system, multilateral institutions and the business community are beefing up efforts to provide international guidance and possibly new rules in the area.

Leading the charge is the OECD, which this month begins a review of its Principles of Corporate Governance.  Adopted in 1999, The non-binding principles were intended to serve as a reference point for countries’ efforts to evaluate their own legal, institutional, and regulatory frameworks.  They have become a global guidepost for the largest institutional investors around the world and for organizations like the World Bank.

At their annual meeting in May 2002, OECD ministers authorized the review of the 1999 principles.  With three years of experience upon which to build, the OECD will seek to evaluate gaps in the present systems of corporate oversight and identify areas that could be strengthened.  Corporate governance is also expected to be high on the agenda of the next Group of Eight summit of leading industrial nations in Evian in June.

USCIB member Edwin Williamson (Sullivan and Cromwell) will chair an ad hoc group in the Business and Industry Advisory Committee (BIAC) to the OECD to advance business views on issues, recommendations and procedures for implementing governance principles.

To help meet this challenge, USCIB is forming a corporate governance working group to formulate and coordinate USCIB positions on the issues.  A major early challenge in the effort will be implementation – assuring investors that governments have adopted the highest standards of governance, and that those standards are being implemented.  What should be done where standards fall short and implementation is found wanting?

It is also anticipated that some governments and NGOs will seek to broaden the OECD review to embrace other issues such as human rights, labor rights and environment, issues that are more appropriately dealt with elsewhere.  Both BIAC and ICC have argued against weighing down what has thus far been a very valuable multilateral exercise with non-governance issues

Staff contact: Ariel Meyerstein 

More on USCIB’s Trade and Investment Committee

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 OECD Principles on Corporate Governance (PDF file)