Policy Areas Archives

ICC Calls for Collaboration to Tackle Climate Challenge

Published on November 16, 2015

 

ICC Secretary General John Danilovich at the G20 Summit in Antalya, Turkey
ICC Secretary General John Danilovich at the G20 Summit in Antalya, Turkey

With less than two weeks to go to the United Nations Conference on climate change (COP21) and the conclusion of the G20 last weekend, the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) continues to engage its network in more than 130 countries to advocate for a climate deal that engages business to fully address the climate challenge.

“ICC has underscored the need for the G20 to show leadership in engaging and collaborating with the private sector in an unprecedented way to tackle the climate challenge,” said Kersten-Karl Barth, chair of the ICC commission on the environment and energy.

As energy investment is expected to be the largest single area of overall infrastructure investment over the coming decades requiring $1-2 trillion per year over the coming decades, engagement of the private sector will be critical.

As the lead business representative to the UN climate talks, ICC supports an ambitious global agreement which works with business to speed emissions reductions and build climate resilience.

Invited by French Foreign Affairs Minister Laurent Fabius to speak on behalf of business and industry NGOs at the pre-COP meeting involving in Paris last Sunday, ICC Secretary General John Danilovich said: “Businesses are already innovating to develop the technological, organizational and financial solutions needed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and to adapt to changing climate patterns.

“But to scale up these solutions we need enhanced collaboration between business, and more importantly, between the public and private sectors.”

Danilovich led a business delegation at the G20 Summit in Antalya, Turkey in what was an important staging post ahead of COP21.

Norine Kennedy, USCIB’s vice president for strategic international engagement, energy and environment, attended the pre-COP and the Bonn negotiating sessions.

ICC national committees all over the world will also be promoting an ambitious global climate agreement which works with business with a series of events throughout the month of November:

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.

USCIB Represents Business at Cool Earth Forum in Tokyo

Published on November 9, 2015
USCIB President and CEO Peter Robinson at a press conference in Lima, Peru on December 8. “If a global agreement on climate change doesn’t work for and with businesses, it just won’t work,” he said.
USCIB President and CEO Peter Robinson at a press conference in Lima, Peru on December 8. “If a global agreement on climate change doesn’t work for and with businesses, it just won’t work,” he said.

As the world prepares for the pivotal Paris COP21 summit meeting on climate change, the role of innovation – and the proper policies to catalyze the dissemination of greener technologies around the world – is emerging as a critical issue.

USCIB attended the 2nd Innovation for Cool Earth Forum (ICEF2) on October 6-7 in Tokyo.  ICEF2, convened at the initiative of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, focused on promoting technological innovation as a means to address climate change. The two-day forum brought together 1,000 researchers, business representatives and policymakers from around the globe to present a broad range of innovative technologies, and discuss what innovative measures should be developed, how the innovation should be promoted, and how cooperation and public private partnership should be enhanced.

USCIB, as part of the Major Economies Business Forum (BizMEF), worked with the Japanese business organization, Keidanren, to attract business participation, and ensure private sector views were reflected.

USCIB President and CEO  Peter Robinson was invited to address the ICEF2 Plenary. Norine Kennedy, USCIB’s vice president for environment, energy and strategic international engagement also attended the Tokyo meetings. Robinson stressed the importance of strengthened enabling frameworks for innovation in the global marketplace – in policy, markets and institutions, both inside and outside the United Nations. In particular, a successful outcome in the UN climate negotiations would demonstrate work in synergy with trade, markets and intellectual property right protection.

Robinson emphasized that a successful UNFCCC (UN Framework Convention on Climate Change) implementation for greenhouse gas reduction and societal adaptation and resilience would need to rely on innovation from business, across every sector and from multiple energy sources, in both developed and developing countries, from companies large and small.

At another ICEF2 session on business engagement, Robinson spoke about institutional evolution underway in the UNFCCC, which has changed significantly in the 20 years since its inception, especially in its interactions with business and other stakeholders.

Robinson said: “The challenge in Paris at COP21 is how to also reflect and integrate these non-state actor resources – in other words, can the Paris outcomes promote institutional innovation that features private sector engagement.”

He commented on the worrying absence of references to business in the current Paris outcome negotiating text, and highlighted the necessity for recognized business involvement in implementation and policy consultation.

While in Tokyo, Robinson also represented U.S. business at the 3rd meeting of the Paris Business Dialogue on technological innovation, convened by Laurence Tubiana, climate envoy, France and Gerard Mestrallet, CEO, Engie.

USCIB Weighs in on Future of Trade at OECD Global Trade Forum

Published on November 9, 2015
Mulligan_trade_forum_copy
L-R: Joakim Reiter (UNCTAD) and Rob Mulligan (USCIB)

The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) held its global trade forum on November 3 in Paris, convening representatives from government, business and the OECD for a discussion on the prospects of future trade flows and the impact of government policy on economic growth.

Rob Mulligan, USCIB’s senior vice president for policy and government affairs, spoke on a panel at the global trade forum about alternative approaches to trade policies. He and other panelists discussed which polices will ensure that trade and investment continue to lead to growth and jobs. Other speakers on Mulligan’s panel included Ambassador Jonathan Fried, Canada’s representative to the World Trade Organization and Joakim Reiter, deputy secretary general of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD).

The day-long trade forum sought to take stock of changing global trade patterns and determine what can be done about the recent slowdown in trade growth. At the multilateral level, WTO negotiations remain stalled, while countries focus on regional and plurilateral initiatives to open markets among a smaller number of interested economies. The advent of the major emerging economies, as well as global value chains which have fragmented production around the world, have also contributed to dramatic shifts in trade patterns in recent decades.

Speaking on behalf of the Business and Industry Advisory Committee (BIAC) to the OECD and of USCIB member companies, Mulligan gave a business perspective on the future of trade.

“It is critical for governments to keep in mind the need for businesses to be adjusting, and often very quickly, in order to stay competitive and grow,” Mulligan said. “Government policies can have a significant impact on the moves by business positively or negatively.”

He explained that international companies have built global value chains to establish a framework for accessing foreign markets in a flexible and cost-efficient way. When constructing these global networks, companies consider a range of factors such as the potential market for their products, rule of law, strong infrastructure, skilled workforce and localization rules, and it is important for governments to understand how these factors drive the way companies pursue global markets.

Mulligan suggested that the same principles that the business community has advocated in the past will still apply in the future. Government should avoid unnecessary regulation, and when it is necessary, it should be designed as the least trade-restrictive approach that accomplishes the policy objective. He also stressed that governments should coordinate with each other to ensure that regulations are consistent across countries, as coherent regulatory regimes make it easier for companies to grow and create jobs.

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!

Digital Economy’s Driving Role in Meeting the 2030 Development Agenda

Published on October 30, 2015
L-R: Raul Echeberra (Internet Society), Jacqueline Ruff (Verizon), Robert Pepper (Cisco), Ellen Blackler (Disney) and Elizabeth Thomas-Raynaud (ICC)
L-R: Raul Echeberra (Internet Society), Jacqueline Ruff (Verizon), Robert Pepper (Cisco), Ellen Blackler (Disney) and Elizabeth Thomas-Raynaud (ICC)

On October 21 in New York, the International Chamber of Commerce, jointly with the South Korean Mission to the United Nations, and the UN Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL), held a forum for some 100 UN delegates, legal experts and business executives to examine e-commerce in the context of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The event, which featured a number of USCIB members, aimed to enhance awareness of the significance of the digital economy and dispute resolution, especially in the context of the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda.

Featuring opening remarks by Oh Joon, South Korea’s permanent representative to the UN, and Miguel de Serpa Soares, UN under secretary general and legal counsel, panel sessions focused on how to maximize the potential of the digital economy to advance the SDGs, as well as emerging legal and economic issues affecting e-commerce.

While in New York, representatives of ICC’s BASIS (Business Action to Support the Information Society) initiative spoke at an October 19-22 UN stakeholder consultation in New York on the review of the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS). They shared the priorities for global business in ensuring that the Internet and ICT innovation can deliver on their potential to drive sustainable economic and social development.

December 2015 marks the 10th anniversary of the WSIS, which aimed to bridge the global digital divide by improving access to the Internet and its benefits in the developing world. ICC BASIS and its cross-sector membership of businesses and associations from around the world were active contributors both during the WSIS Summits which took place in Geneva (2003) and Tunis (2005) and in post-WSIS processes and forums.

Read more on ICC’s website.

Progress Made on Enhancing Accountability at ICANN Meeting

Published on October 26, 2015

Digital GlobeAs the Internet community prepares for the transition of the Internet’s stewardship from the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA) of the U.S. Commerce Department to the global multi-stakeholder community, stakeholders made progress on enhancing accountability at the latest annual meeting of the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN).

At the week-long meeting, which wrapped on October 22 in Dublin, some 1,800 participants from government, business, civil society and the technical community rallied around a proposal to develop an ICANN accountability mechanism to replace the “backstop” function currently provided by ICANN’s contract with U.S. Commerce Department’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA). Barbara Wanner, USCIB’s vice president for ICT policy, represented USCIB member interests at the meeting.

Since NTIA announced in March 2014 that it would transition key Internet functions and domain names to the global multistakeholder community, USCIB and other stakeholders have underscored that any new model of domain name system (DNS) management must include mechanisms that ensure it is accountable to the global stakeholder community. USCIB further has emphasized that the transition process must be thoughtfully conceived so as to not in any way compromise principles set forth by NTIA for the IANAN transition. These include supporting and enhancing the multistakeholder model, maintaining the security, stability, and resilience of the Internet DNS, meeting the needs and expectations of the global customers and partners of the IANA services, and maintaining the openness of the Internet.

“The proposal developed at the Dublin meeting marked an important step in developing a mechanism that will effectively empower business and other stakeholders to hold ICANN accountable. We have repeatedly said that accountability mechanisms must be in place before the IANA transition takes place,” said Wanner.

Mathieu Weill, co-chair of the Cross-Community Working Group on Enhancing ICANN Accountability (CCWG-Accountability), concurred. “What I think we can take away from this week is the wonderful and amazing way in which we have brought together in the same room people from different [stakeholder] groups to work in a collaborative manner – and that makes a difference and brings progress,” he said, noting that stakeholder collaboration is being embedded in ICANN’s accountability framework.

According to Wanner, ICANN’s work on accountability is helping to build the case for a multistakeholder Internet governance model, which is preferable to a government-controlled alternative. “Participants proposed that the CCWG-Accountability’s work demonstrates to critics who advocate inter-governmental organization jurisdiction over Internet governance issues that a multistakeholder model, although occasionally ‘messy,’ is effective and produces important results,” she said.

In addition to discussions about the enhanced accountability mechanism, the Dublin gathering featured some over 300 separate sessions on topics as diverse as “Women in ICANN, Internet and ICTs,” “Universal Acceptance of TLDs [top-level domains like .com and .org],” and “The Role of Voluntary Practices in Combating Abuse and Illegal Activity,” which reflected the substantive breadth of the policy and technical issues considered by ICANN.

USCIB is a member of the Business Constituency, a stakeholder group representing the private sector in discussions with ICANN on Internet governance.

Call for Participation: USCIB-NYU Human Rights Summer Fellowship

Published on October 23, 2015

SustainabilityIn order to run companies sustainably, business leaders must have an awareness of human rights and corporate social responsibility issues and an understanding of how to confront them. Students in MBA programs across the country have recognized these as permanent features of a globalized business landscape. Yet there are still far too few outlets for students to gain practical experiences in corporate responsibility, including sustainability and human rights issues.

To address this gap, USCIB has partnered with the NYU Stern Business School to offer a summer fellowship program to students seeking professional learning opportunities in corporate responsibility, sustainability and human rights. USCIB is inviting member companies to participate in the 2nd year of the Business & Human Rights Summer Fellowship for Summer 2016. The fellowship program matches talented NYU Stern MBA students interested in corporate responsibility with USCIB members willing to provide a hands-on summer internship opportunity.

The fellowship also has a training component in which USCIB and Stern will cover major corporate responsibility and human rights issues and related skills, like human rights due diligence and corporate reporting. The training will introduce the fellows to expert practitioners so fellows can provide even more added value to companies upon arriving at the start of the summer.

Last year, two fellows interned with USCIB members PepsiCo and DirectTV Latin America. The fellows discuss their experiences in blog posts here and here, as well as in the video below:

The fellows had very substantive experiences, completing tasks through their internships that contributed directly to key business operations and strategy in the area of CSR, sustainability and human rights, which included:

  • Developing more than 100 indicators tracking Public Relations, Institutional Relations, Anti-Piracy and Corporate Social Responsibility for a metrics dashboard created to quantify team’s impact across 10 countries in the quarterly management report;
  • Creating a business case for a company educational initiative to transition into a 501c(3) entity. Built financial model and offered recommendations in areas of costs, new markets entry and partnerships;
  • Analyzing inter-departmental work flows at the corporate and country operational level to forecast team budget until 2020 and propose plan for sustained growth;
  • Developing metrics and reporting on new corporate function dedicated to supply chain visibility and responsible sourcing;
  • Managing external relationships and produced guidance materials for internal stakeholders to facilitate change management agenda in global procurement and operations; and
  • Identifying and recommended sources of competitive advantage through benchmarking analysis of strategic peers and buyers on voluntary reporting and publicly disclosed sustainability efforts.

Companies willing to host a fellow for a 10-week, paid position working on corporate responsibility, human rights or sustainability issues should contact Ariel Meyerstein.

More information is available in this FAQ about the fellowship.

USCIB Members in Vanguard of White House Climate Action Pledges

Published on October 21, 2015

White_HouseOn October 19, the White House announced a set of new commitments from 81 companies – including dozens of USCIB members – under the American Business Act on Climate Pledge, which aims to rally support in the business community for action on climate change and the conclusion of strong United Nations climate agreement in Paris this December.

USCIB President and CEO Peter Robinson welcomed the announcement. “USCIB has consistently focused on the necessity of ensuring that international action on climate works in harmony with the global economy,” he said. “These commitments demonstrate that the American business community is stepping up to help turn that ambition into reality. Leadership actions like these underline why a successful outcome in Paris must anchor and recognize business engagement and consultation going forward.”

Vice President Joe Biden gave closing remarks at the White House climate summit on Monday, during which government officials and business leaders convened for panel discussions about how the public- and private-sectors can work together on addressing climate change on the road to the UN climate agreement in December. Several USCIB members participated in the discussions.

With USCIB’s longtime climate, energy and environment expert Norine Kennedy on the front lines in Bonn, Germany for this week’s final negotiating session in advance of the Paris conference, Shaun Donnelly represented USCIB at the White House climate Summit.

USCIB is the U.S. affiliate of the International Chamber of Commerce and a U.S. partner of the Major Economies Business Forum (BizMEF).  It has represented U.S. business interests in the UNFCCC since 1993.  Please check its climate change website for continuing updates of its climate change positions and plans for the UN climate agreement in December (COP21).

USCIB will hold a COP21 Preparatory Meeting for U.S. Business in Washington DC on November 17.  This meeting will update U.S. business representatives on the latest political developments in the UN negotiations, review opportunities for business activities and engagement at COP21 and highlight business priorities for the Paris outcomes.  Contact Norine Kennedy for more information.

Read the White House fact sheet.