Competitiveness and Innovation Archives

ICC Identifies Business Priorities for Digital Economy

Published on October 23, 2014
L-R: Eric Loeb, chair of USCIB’s ICT Committee and chair of ICC’s Task Force on Internet and Telecommunication, and Christoph Steck, co-chair of ICC”s Task Force on Internet and Communications.
L-R: Eric Loeb, chair of USCIB’s ICT Committee and chair of ICC’s Task Force on Internet and Telecommunication, and Christoph Steck, co-chair of ICC”s Task Force on Internet and Communications.

Gathering 34 business experts representing companies and organizations leading the International Chamber of Commerce’s (ICC) policy work on information and communication technologies (ICTs), the biannual meeting of the ICC Commission on the Digital Economy identified next steps on priority topics for global business including Internet governance, privacy and cyber-security, and trade facilitation – and linking these specific priorities to overall strategic ICC messages. The event took place at ICC global headquarters in Paris on September 30 and October 1.

In remarks to the commission, ICC Secretary General John Danilovich said ICC plays a leadership role on behalf of world business in the Internet Governance Forum (IGF) through the ICC Business Action to Support the Information Society (BASIS).

“While attending the last IGF in Turkey, I was able to see first-hand some of the issues carried by this commission and how, through your work and that of the BASIS initiative, ICC is able to lead global business engagement in the forum,” he said.

In the context of a strategic discussion on Internet governance, Alhadeff and Eric Loeb, chair of the commission’s Task Force on Internet and Telecommunications and chair of USCIB’s ICT Committee, suggested that the preparation of the commission’s Global Action Plan – a compilation of business positions on digital economy policies – should strive to highlight the relevance of these issues to all sectors, as well as their relevance to the work of other ICC commissions and top-line business messages.

Staff contact: Barbara Wanner

More on USCIB’s Information and Communications Technology Committee

Leveraging Partnerships to Combat Malnutrition

Published on October 15, 2014

4861_image002As part of a series of public discussions leading up to the Second International Conference on Nutrition (ICN2), the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization hosted a dialogue on October 14 in Rome about the critical role public-private partnerships in fighting malnutrition. The well-attended event convened representatives from member states, the private sector and civil society to raise awareness of global nutrition issues and catalyze support for partnerships. Dr. Nancy Stetson, special representative for global food security at the U.S. Department of State, noted that partnerships are necessary to reduce global hunger and malnutrition.

Louise Kantrow, ICC’s permanent representative to the UN, made a strong case for engaging the private sector as a full partner in deciding strategies for addressing malnutrition, since business is involved throughout the entire agriculture supply chain, from seeds to food processing to all the products farmers need to grow and distribute food.

“The UN has recognized that the problems confronting the global community now know no boundaries and all actors in society must come to the table and provide inputs,” said Kantrow, who also stressed the importance of trade and investment in the agriculture industry as it relates to economic development, empowering women, and innovation as areas where the private sector can contribute to the fight against malnutrition.

USCIB will attend ICN2 in November at the FAO’s headquarters in Rome.

Read the event summary on the FAO’s website.

Staff contacts: Louise Kantrow and Helen Medina

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USCIB Observes Nutrition Conference Negotiations

Published on October 13, 2014
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L-R: Katy Lee (Private Sector Mechanism), Ann Steensland (Global Harvest Initiative), Nico Belzen (International Dairy Federation), and Helen Medina (USCIB)

The United Nations and World Health Organization will convene the Second International Conference on Nutrition (ICN2) next month to address the persistently high twin threats of hunger and malnutrition around the world.

In the lead-up to ICN2, member states met in Rome at the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) from October 10 to 12 to negotiate the final outcome documents for ICN2 – the political declaration and the framework for action. The meeting was a continuation of negotiations in Geneva last September where member states made progress finalizing the political declaration.

The ICN2 outcome documents will provide key priorities and technical assistance to governments and other stakeholders for improving people’s nutrition.

During the Rome meeting, USCIB partnered with the Global Harvest Initiative to represent U.S. business interests at the negotiations. USCIB’s Helen Medina, senior director for product policy and innovation, attended the meeting. Watch her summarize the meeting’s key takeaways for business.

Prior to the negotiations, private sector representatives were concerned with outstanding issues in the political declaration for ICN2. The document contained some language on “culturally acceptable food” that might have produced negative trade implications. Business believes that the document should focus on nutrition and leave discussions about trade policy to the World Trade Organization. Private sector representatives sought to eliminate language that could create potential trade barriers.

Business also paid attention to other areas of concern in the Framework for Action, including policies that deal with food pricing incentives, marketing and labeling regulations, language the puts a pejorative spin on processed food, and policies that are not inclusive of the entire agriculture industry.

“There are some good winds for the private sector,” Medina said at the end of the meeting. Negotiators deleted language in the political declaration that would have had a negative impact on trade. However issues remain with the Framework for Action, which recommends policies in international trade and investment that would be problematic for business. The U.S. government has reserved its position on the framework’s paragraphs about recommended trade and investment action, and USCIB is planning a follow-up meeting with USG to learn about any remaining issues with the framework before ICN2.

ICN2 will take place in Rome from November 19 to 21.

Staff contact: Helen Medina

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USCIB Remembers Richard M Hammer Longtime Steward of Tax Policy

Published on October 10, 2014
4850_image001
Richard M. Hammer

It is with great sadness that we mark the passing of Richard M. Hammer, who served for 13 years as USCIB’s international tax counsel following a 40-year career at Price Waterhouse, one of the predecessor firms of PricewaterhouseCoopers. While at PW, he also chaired USCIB’s Taxation Committee for many years. Hammer passed away on October 7 at age 84.

“Dick Hammer was a leading light in global tax policy,” said USCIB President and CEO Peter Robinson. “He brought a career’s worth of insight into the intricacies of multinational tax practice, the details of tax treaties and the importance of the multilateral structures that uphold them. What’s more, he was a true friend and mentor, especially to the USCIB staff members who worked with him and came to trust his wisdom and guidance.”

For 16 years, Hammer chaired the Taxation Committee of the OECD’s Business and Industry Advisory Committee (BIAC), through which the business community provides input to the OECD and its member governments on vital international tax issues. He advised the governments of Kazakhstan and the Russian Federation on the modernization of their tax systems, and he made major contributions to China’s tax law and regulation, serving as an advisor to the Chinese government from 1981 to 1993. He also acted as consultant to the Barbados ministry of international trade and has served as president of the International Fiscal Association, the premier global tax think-tank.

Memorial services were held for Hammer today in New York. He is survived by his wife Ellen, by his son Jeffrey and Jeffrey’s wife, Heidi, and by three grandchildren. Friends and colleagues of Dick Hammer are encouraged to sign an online guest book.

ICC Brings Antitrust Compliance Advocacy to China and Brazil

Published on September 30, 2014
ICC updates Chinese agencies on its antitrust compliance and advocacy work.
ICC updates Chinese agencies on its antitrust compliance and advocacy work.

With the rapid growth of antitrust legislation around the world in recent years, many businesses struggle to comply with laws that punish anticompetitive behavior. To help companies embed a culture of compliance within their operations, last year the International Chamber of Commerce issued its Antitrust Compliance Toolkit, which provides tools and advice for companies of all sizes seeking to create or strengthen an antitrust compliance program.

In August 2014, ICC met with competition authorities in China and in Brazil to discuss the toolkit and related compliance advocacy. To date, ICC has unveiled the toolkit through workshops in several countries, including the United States.

The ICC Commission on Competition gathers over 300 competition law experts from 40 countries. The commission launched the Task Force on Antitrust Compliance and Advocacy in 2011, an initiative that has developed practical toolkits on antitrust compliance and contributes to deepening the discussion and thought leadership with all stakeholders.

ICC Meets Competition Authorities in China

In China, the ICC Task Force on Compliance and Advocacy met with several Chinese agencies, accompanied by a delegation of ICC corporate members and representatives from ICC China and from the University of International Business and Economics of Beijing. Anne Tubbs, co vice-chair of the task force, said “ICC is delighted by the very positive welcome it received and the level of interest Chinese agencies showed in the Toolkit and related compliance advocacy work.”

Tubbs noted that the Chinese government is aware of the challenges companies face in mitigating compliance risks through internal controls. “A proactive focus on compliance, as a means of preventing anti-competitive conduct, can help embed a strong compliance culture across all markets, to the ultimate benefit of consumers,” she said. “ICC will continue to explore means of contributing to such efforts in China with assistance from local experts and advocates.”

Tubbs noted that the Chinese government is aware of the challenges companies face in mitigating compliance risks through internal controls. “A proactive focus on compliance, as a means of preventing anti-competitive conduct, can help embed a strong compliance culture across all markets, to the ultimate benefit of consumers,” she said. “ICC will continue to explore means of contributing to such efforts in China with assistance from local experts and advocates.”

The Chinese agencies – which included the Anti-Monopoly Bureau of the Ministry of Commerce, the national Development and Reform Commission, and the State Administration for Industry and Commerce – invited ICC to prepare a Chinese version of the Antitrust Compliance Toolkit and to remain in close contact for the future launch of such materials, as well as other initiatives including the development of guidance tailored to SMEs.

ICC Participates in High-Level Seminar on Compliance Law in Brazil

Hosted by the Center of Social and Economic Law Studies and the Brazilian Administrative Council for Economic Defense (CADE), ICC participated in a seminar from August 28-29 in Sao Paulo to address competition law and policy and corporate compliance initiatives. The event brought together legal experts and representatives from the private sector, competition authorities, and national and international organizations.

Both private sector and agency speakers recognized the ICC Antitrust Compliance Toolkit as an invaluable benchmark for corporate compliance initiatives, serving the antitrust community worldwide. Much attention was also given to SMEs, noting that they deserve particular consideration as limited resources make it harder to develop and embed a successful competition culture. Simone Pieri, one of the contributors to the ICC Antitrust Compliance Toolkit, announced at the seminar that ICC will soon be rolling out an SME version of the toolkit.

As for the promotion of a competition culture, it was acknowledged that companies and lawyers have an important role to play. Speakers stressed that competition agencies should also promote competition culture through their decisions. The need to promote the globalization of competition compliance legislation and build international consensus and coherence on how to treat compliance programs garnered considerable attention from participants.

Staff contact: Rachel Spence

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USCIB Represents American Business During the ICN2 Outcome Documents Negotiations

Published on September 22, 2014

4839_image001Global hunger and malnutrition remain stubbornly high, with over two billion people suffering from nutrient deficiencies. To address the worldwide double threat of undernourishment and obesity, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) spearheaded the International Nutrition Conference in 1992, aimed at alleviating hunger and malnutrition while encouraging countries to develop national strategies to address unhealthy diets, obesity and other nutrition-related diseases. Although progress has been made, more needs to be done to combat global hunger and malnutrition.

To reach that goal, the Second International Nutrition Conference (ICN2) will take place this November, and in the lead-up to the conference the FAO and the World Health Organization (WHO) have organized an Open Ended Working Group on September 22-23, hosted at the WHO in Geneva, to approve the final drafts of the ICN2 Political Declaration and a Framework for Action, documents that are meant to provide key priorities to governments and other stakeholders for improving people’s nutrition in a sustainable way.

Helen Medina, USCIB’s senior director for product policy and innovation is currently attending the working group, along with other non-state actor representatives and Member State delegations. USCIB was among two U.S.-based associations representing American business interests at the working group. The meeting marked the first time USCIB has been invited to attend a negotiating session at the WHO.

Last month, USCIB submitted comments to the FAO consultation on the framework identifying several problems with the draft’s language, particularly clauses that either ignored or downplayed industry’s contributions to alleviating malnutrition. As USCIB’s comments were taken into consideration, Medina is attending the working group negotiations to ensure that stakeholders acknowledge that the private sector plays a positive role in addressing nutritional issues.

“We want to make sure that the discussion acknowledges that the private sector is part of the solution,” Medina said.

USCIB maintains that increased trade in agriculture and food increases the standard of living in developing countries and improves the performance of national economies. Given the positive role industry plays in combating malnutrition, it is important that the FAO’s framework support policies that do not inhibit international trade and investment.

During the working group meeting, USCIB working with other private sector representatives will have the opportunity to engage with U.S. and foreign government officials to further the following messages:

  • Industry has a positive role in addressing nutritional issues;
  • It is important to employ “knowledge and evidence-based programs” to combat global hunger and nutrition-related diseases;
  • Any roles and responsibilities given to the various multilateral organizations involved in addressing global malnutrition should be clearly defined;
  • Increased trade, particularly in agriculture and food, increases the standard of living in developing countries and improves the performance of national economies;
  • Empowering women is crucial for improving nutrition, and therefore promotes policies that help women become farmers, traders and business owners;
  • Fiscal policy is complex and often has unintended consequences, therefore taxes should not be used as incentives for healthy diets; and
  • It is essential that all stakeholders work together to develop holistic, impactful, and sustainable solutions.

The political outcome document and the framework for action are supposed to be finalized during the working group meeting with the view of being adopted at ICN2 in November.

Watch Helen Medina summarize key business takeaways from the ICN2 negotiations in Geneva.

Staff contact: Helen Medina

More on USCIB’s Food and Agriculture Working Group

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OECD Releases First Set of Deliverables on BEPS Project

Published on September 17, 2014

4833_image002Launched last year to revisit the rules applicable to the taxation of cross-border enterprises, the OECD (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development) project on “base erosion and profit shifting” (BEPS) aims to prevent incidences of non-taxation by developing a single, coherent and fair set of rules that ensure companies pay what they owe without creating unnecessary costs or double taxation.

Yesterday, the OECD released its first set of BEPS recommendations to the G20.

The Business and Industry Advisory Committee (BIAC) issued the following media release:

BIAC broadly welcomes the first set of BEPS consensus reports and recommendations released by the OECD on seven areas of the BEPS Action Plan.

The OECD released yesterday its first recommendations for a co-ordinated international approach to combat tax avoidance under the OECD/G20 Base Erosion and Profit Shifting Project (BEPS).

We welcome the acknowledgement from the OECD that the proposals contained within the seven deliverables are not yet formally finalized as they may be impacted by some of the decisions taken with respect to the 2015 deliverables with which they interact.

We also fully support the OECD’s recognition that rules should not result in double taxation, unwarranted compliance burdens or restrictions to legitimate cross-border activity, which is more important than ever to protect and grow our global economy.

With the release of the seven 2014 deliverables, we caution against governments acting too rapidly to implement recommendations into domestic tax legislation until further implementing guidance has been provided and the interactions with future action items is understood. This would risk creating a series of disparate rules that could negatively impact trade and investment.

BIAC looks forward to continuing its close and constructive work with the OECD on its BEPS project throughout 2015, representing the important views of the international business community.

Staff contact: Carol Doran Klein

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USCIB Rolls Out ICC Antitrust Toolkit in the United States

Published on September 9, 2014
(L-R) Anne Riley (Shell), Brent Snyder (U.S. Department of Justice), John Taladay (Baker Botts), Jennifer Patterson (Kaye Scholer LLP)
(L-R) Anne Riley (Shell), Brent Snyder (U.S. Department of Justice), John Taladay (Baker Botts), Jennifer Patterson (Kaye Scholer LLP)

Antitrust laws – which are designed to control anti-competitive practices such as price-fixing and dividing markets – have proliferated rapidly around the world in recent years, reflecting society’s increasing ethical expectations about the governance of business conduct. Managing the growth of these legal compliance requirements is challenging for all businesses without the right tools to foster a compliance culture.

Designed by business for business, the ICC Antitrust Compliance Toolkit provides valuable guidelines for small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) and larger companies wishing to build or reinforce a robust compliance program.

On September 9, USCIB and the International Chamber of Commerce co-sponsored a program for the official rollout of ICC’s Antitrust Compliance Toolkit. The Compliance Toolkit received acclaim in many jurisdictions and has been unveiled in 8 other countries: Austria, Belgium, Canada, France, Malaysia, Netherlands, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. Hosted by Kaye Scholer in New York City, the U.S. event featured keynote speaker Brent C. Snyder, deputy assistant attorney general for criminal enforcement at the antitrust division of the U.S. Department of Justice.

The following antitrust experts also served as panelists during the event: John M. Taladay, partner at Baker Botts and chair of the USCIB Competition Committee, Anne Riley, group antitrust council at Shell International, Charles Webb, senior director of international antitrust compliance at Wal-Mart, Aimee Immundo, senior counsel of competition law and compliance at General Electric, Scott Hemphill, law professor at Columbia Law School, and Jennifer Patterson, partner at Kaye Scholer LLP and vice chair of the USCIB Competition Committee.

Participants discussed the importance of business executives committing to a solid and credible antitrust compliance program, regardless of the company’s size. Following Snyder’s keynote address, Riley presented the ICC Antitrust Compliance Toolkit. Attendees then participated in a case study exercise designed to assess the anticompetitive risks of a hypothetical company in three different jurisdictions. The event concluded with a panel discussion on corporate compliance programs, with input from USCIB members.

Keynote speaker Brent Snyder (DOJ) explained that the purpose of having an effective compliance program is to be a responsible corporate citizen.
Keynote speaker Brent Snyder (DOJ) explained that the purpose of having an effective compliance program is to be a responsible corporate citizen.

“Effective Compliance Programs Prevent Antitrust Violations”

As the Department of Justice’s top authority responsible for antitrust laws against cartels, Brent Snyder gave keynote remarks about the importance of crafting an effective antitrust compliance program that prevents violations from happening in the first place. He stressed that a business’s senior management must be committed to antitrust by cultivating a culture of compliance within the organization. CEOs must lay the foundation for a corporate culture of compliance in order for such a program to work.

“The best way to stop a crime is to stop it before it happens,” said Snyder. “Effective compliance programs prevent antitrust violations.”

Snyder noted that the consequences for violating antitrust laws are severe, and that businesses should be aware of the liabilities at stake if an employee breaks antitrust laws. He said that businesses need to be proactive about their compliance programs and that they should pay special consideration to how they approach violators.

He concluded by urging businesses not to think about compliance programs as a “stick” or as a punishment. Rather, “the purpose of having an effective compliance program is to be a good and responsible corporate citizen.”

Snyder explained that the consequences of ineffective antitrust compliance are within the company’s power to control. To that end, the ICC Toolkit is a valuable resource.

“They’re very good tools,” Snyder said about the toolkit. “They’re excellent.”

ICC AntitrustICC Antitrust Compliance Toolkit

The ICC Toolkit, presented at the event by Riley, offers useful guidelines for businesses big and small on how to create an antitrust compliance program and how to strengthen an existing program.

“What this is about is behaving ethically and doing business ethically,” she explained.

The toolkit also covers the importance of getting senior management to support the compliance program, and suggests that a company’s antitrust officers consult with finance departments to help identify areas where there is legal risk of antitrust violations.

Riley noted that “compliance know-how” is a must for business executives, and that companies should make clear why it is in their interest to champion and comply with antitrust rules. All businesses need a consistent, ongoing commitment to compliance from both management and employees, she concluded.

The ICC Toolkit is available for download in English and French at the ICC website. It will soon be translated into several other languages as well.

(L-R) Aimee Immundo (General Electric), Scott Hemphill (Columbia Law School), Charles Webb (Wal-Mart)
(L-R) Aimee Immundo (General Electric), Scott Hemphill (Columbia Law School), Charles Webb (Wal-Mart)

Corporate Compliance Programs

Following a case study exercise that asked participants to assess a hypothetical company’s anticompetitive legal risks, the event concluded with a panel discussion about corporate compliance programs. Panelists included Charles Webb, senior director of international antitrust compliance at Wal-Mart, Aimee Immundo, senior counsel of competition law and compliance at General Electric and Scott Hemphill, law professor at Columbia Law School.

Webb explained that large corporations like Wal-Mart are interested in knowing how to implement “a world class antitrust program,” and he used the ICC Toolkit to that end.

Immundo stressed that the human aspect of compliance is hugely important but difficult to quantify. She warned that people have gone to jail for antitrust violations and that it is crucial for businesses to carefully monitor their horizontal relationships so that executives don’t wander into potentially dangerous anticompetitive territory with their peers.

A recurring theme throughout the event was that it is challenging to get business people interested and fired up about antitrust compliance. Hemphill suggested that companies provide vivid examples to employees about the personal risks and consequences of violating antitrust rules. He lauded the ICC Antitrust Toolkit for helping to generate interest in compliance.

Staff contact: Justine Badimon

More on USCIB’s Competition Committee

USCIB Calls to Strengthen Improve the Internet Governance Forum

Published on September 5, 2014

Digital Globe

When the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights 60 years ago, negotiators had no idea that Article 19 would speak directly to Internet governance years later: “Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and important information and ideas through any media regardless of borders.”

The annual Internet Governance Forum (IGF) is a conference under UN auspices that serves as a neutral space for all stakeholder groups to discuss policies affecting the Internet. The IGF gives stakeholders the chance to understand how to maximize Internet opportunities and address common challenges.

Nearly 3,500 stakeholders from business, government, civil society, the technical community and academia representing 135 countries gathered in Istanbul for the 9th Internet Governance Forum. Barbara Wanner, USCIB’s vice president for ICT policy, attended this year’s IGF along with USCIB members and global business colleagues under the aegis of the International Chamber of Commerce’s BASIS (Business Action to Support the Information Society) initiative.

The global business community supports extending the authorization of the IGF beyond its five year mandate. Business also called for improvements to the IGF aimed at preserving its essential “DNA” as a unique multistakeholder laboratory for thoughtful, useful and non-binding considerations of increasingly complex Internet governance issues. The week culminated with strong endorsements from virtually all stakeholders for the continuation of an IGF that is evolving to address the challenges of an ever-changing Internet.

The business community’s main messages and initiatives are summarized below.

IFG is not NETMundial

The 9th IGF found itself at an important inflexion point coming as it did four months after Brazil’s well-received NETMundial meeting — which produced negotiated, non-binding Internet governance (IG) principles. Some stakeholder groups have urged remaking the IGF in the NETMundial mold, but the business community maintains that the IGF does not lend itself to producing unitary, negotiated outcomes.

While the NETMundial is focused on two objectives, the IGF enables discussion of dozens of different Internet governance issues yielding tens of dozens of different recommendations. ICC-BASIS emphasized that while IGF improvements might include tangible deliverables, such as best practices and more “portable” capacity-building lessons, the IGF was not designed to be a forum for negotiated outcomes.

Letter to the UN General Assembly

Another important initiative that evolved during the week was the development of a multistakeholder letter to the UN Secretary General. The letter advocated an “open-ended mandate” for the IGF, which would facilitate the strengthening of IGF procedures, enable participants to secure long-term funding for projects, and support the IGF Trust Fund.

ICC-BASIS supported the concept of the letter. However, BASIS withheld formally signing on pending further work on language that business believes will offer a more compelling message to the UN Secretariat. The letter ultimately went back to the drawing board to address the concerns of business and other stakeholders.

Financial Support for the IGF

On September 1, the Internet Society (ISOC) announced the launch of the IGF Support Association. This organization will support the continuation of the IGF through increased funding. It will also seek and promote exchange and collaboration with national and regional IGFs, among other initiatives. USCIB Members Cheryl Miller (Verizon) and Virat Bhatia (AT&T) were elected to the Executive Committee.

Bolster Regional and National Internet Governance Forums

Participants largely agreed that an important means of bridging the digital divide and bringing the Internet to “the next 500 billion users,” is fostering more robust Internet governance discussions at both national and regional IGFs. BASIS concurred, urging an “omni-directional dialogue” across national and regional IGFs.

Workshops

USCIB Members made important contributions to several workshops focusing on topics as diverse as evaluating multistakeholder mechanisms, privacy and trust, ICTs and trade, and the potential of cloud computing for emerging economies.

Read full reports of IGF workshops.

ICC BASIS also weighed in at other sessions of interest, which addressed issues such as IGF intersessional work, net neutrality, the transition of the stewardship of IANA Internet domain name management functions, and enhancing the institutional accountability of ICANN.

More coverage of the Internet Governance Forum (ICC website)

Staff contact: Barbara Wanner

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ICC Antitrust Compliance Toolkit Workshop

Published on August 28, 2014

4820_image002Compliance laws have proliferated rapidly around the world in recent years, reflecting society’s increasing ethical expectations about the governance of business conduct. Managing the growth of these legal compliance requirements is challenging for businesses without the right tools to foster a compliance culture.

Compliance has become particularly important in the field of antitrust law. Sanctions for antitrust violations are often substantial, with potentially massive reputational damage to companies resulting from adverse antitrust findings. To date there is no international consensus among antitrust enforcement agencies on how to support businesses in their genuine antitrust compliance efforts.

Therefore, the ICC Antitrust Compliance Toolkit and the September 9 Toolkit Workshop come at a critical time. The International Chamber of Commerce and USCIB seek to foster understanding between business and antitrust agencies through the toolkit and the upcoming program.

ICC Antitrust Compliance Toolkit Workshop
September 9, 2014 – 1:30pm – 4:30pm
Kaye Scholer LLP 425 Park Avenue
New York, NY  10022-3598

To register, please email Rachel Spence at rspence@uscib.org with your name, title and organization.

Many companies already have antitrust compliance programs in place to help protect themselves and their shareholders. In order to support business in these efforts, ICC has developed practical tips, guidance and advice to assist companies in building and reinforcing credible antitrust compliance programs, taking into account both the risks these companies face and the resources available to them.

This global toolkit complements materials produced by antitrust agencies and other sources of guidance by focusing on practical steps companies can take internally to embed a successful compliance culture. The toolkit has been produced by the ICC Task Force on Antitrust Compliance and Advocacy following suggestions from a number of antitrust enforcement agencies.

Organized by the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) and the U.S. Council for International Business (USCIB), the event will be hosted by Kaye Scholer LLP from 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. in New York City immediately following the Joint USCIB Competition Committee and ICC Competition Commission Meeting.

Workshop Agenda

1:00 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. – Registration

 

1:30 p.m. to 1:35 p.m. – Introductory remarks

John M. Taladay, Partner, Baker Botts

1:35 p.m. to 2:05 p.m. – Keynote Speaker

Brent C. Snyder, Deputy Assistant Attorney General for Criminal Enforcement, U.S. Department of Justice

2:05 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. – Presentation of the ICC Antitrust Compliance Toolkit

Anne Riley, Group Antitrust Counsel and Associate General Counsel, Shell International Limited

2:30 p.m. to 2:45 p.m. – Coffee Break

 

2:45 p.m. to 3:45 p.m. – Case Study on the Risk Assessment

This session will begin with a presentation of the case study, which will be provided to participants prior to the meeting, and follow with discussion groups that will be facilitated by the organizers.

3:45 p.m. to 4:25 p.m. – Panel discussion on corporate compliance programs

Charles Webb, Senior Director, International Antitrust Compliance, Wal-Mart
Aimee Immundo, Senior Counsel, Competition Law and Compliance, General Electric
Scott Hemphill, Professor of Law at Columbia Law School, Former Antitrust Bureau Chief for the New York Attorney General

4:25 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. – Conclusions

Jennifer B. Patterson, Partner, Kaye Scholer LLP

4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. – Cocktail Hour

Staff contact: Justine Badimon
 
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