Policy Areas Archives

USCIB Supports Female Economic Engagement in Africa

Published on April 16, 2015

africa_fruit_vendors_lo-resUSCIB joined other private-sector executives, non-governmental organization leaders and trade association representatives in supporting the long-term enhancement of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), an economic agreement between the United States and sub-Saharan Africa that supports African female entrepreneurs by increasing their access to global supply chains.

“Since its inception, the AGOA program has been designed to both fuel African economic development and advance good governance, democratic reforms, and economic inclusion, including for the women of the continent,” wrote USCIB President and CEO Peter Robinson and other senior representatives in a letter to Congress in support of the AGOA program.

African countries must meet eligibility criteria to participate in the AGOA program. USCIB and others urged Congress to create a new criterion focused on eliminating gender-based discrimination in the workplace. USCIB member companies UPS, Wal-Mart and GAP signed the letter and are actively engaged on African issues.

The AGOA program gives African businesses preferential market access in exchange for African government commitments on good governance and policies that increase trade and investment. The authors of the letter to Congress cited a United Nations report that shows that the gender gap in Africa, namely low female workforce participation, has limited the region’s economic growth.

“For this reason,” wrote the authors, “we strongly believe a renewed AGOA should ensure that beneficiary countries demonstrate progress on female economic empowerment.”

USCIB and others also urged U.S. policymakers to create incentives within AGOA to encourage African governments to fully implement the World Trade Organization’s Trade Facilitation Agreement, which will reduce the time, cost and complexity of trade and investment in sub-Saharan Africa.

Earlier this month, USCIB and the Business and Industry Advisory Council to the OECD released a report on Women’s entrepreneurship, “Putting ALL Our Ideas to Work: Women and Entrepreneurship,” which offers practical experience to policymakers in identifying best practices, addressing obstacles and implementing policies that will help unleash the potential for women’s entrepreneurship activities.

The AGOA program expires in September 2015 if it is not reauthorized.

“We encourage you to use this important opportunity to shape a bill with provisions that will enhance the participation of female entrepreneurs across the African continent by generating new opportunities, igniting growth and strengthening regional economic integration,” wrote Robinson and the other authors.

 

USCIB Hails Trade Promotion Authority Legislation

Published on April 16, 2015

capitol_scaffolding_loresNew York, N.Y., April 16, 2015 – The United States Council for International Business (USCIB) applauded the introduction of bipartisan legislation in Congress to re-establish Trade Promotion Authority (TPA), trade legislation that facilitates the negotiation and implementation of U.S. trade agreements.

“The United States needs TPA to secure international trade deals that create jobs and increase economic prosperity for all,” said USCIB President and CEO Peter Robinson. “We won’t be able to complete important agreements with Asia, the European Union and other trading partners without TPA. The business community is urging Congress to swiftly pass this legislation.”

USCIB and its member companies have been outspoken advocates for TPA and for an ambitious trade U.S. trade agenda, organizing two high-level policy conferences about the benefits of increased trade and investment: “Exploring New Approaches to Trade, Investment and Jobs” last October with a keynote by USTR Michael Froman, and the Customs & Trade Facilitation Symposium in February with Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Gil Kerlikowske.

As a founding member of the Trade Benefits America Coalition, USCIB also joined with other leading business groups to advocate for passage of TPA and educate the public about how U.S. trade agreements lead to prosperity for all. The coalition has worked with Congress and the Obama administration to build public support for the U.S. trade agenda. In addition, last month Robinson co-authored an Op-Ed in The Hill with former Rep. James Bacchus about the pressing need to pass TPA.

Robinson cited important recent progress on several trade pacts – including the Trans-Pacific Partnership, the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership, and the implementation of the World Trade Organization’s Trade Facilitation Agreement – as adding urgency to the need to re-establish TPA, which every president since FDR has enjoyed.

“Current trade negotiations could make our country the preferred location for global innovation and jobs,” Robinson said. “But first Congress must provide President Obama the necessary trade negotiating authority.”

About USCIB:
USCIB promotes open markets, competitiveness and innovation, sustainable development and corporate responsibility, supported by international engagement and regulatory coherence. Its members include U.S.-based global companies and professional services firms from every sector of our economy, with operations in every region of the world. With a unique global network, USCIB provides business views to policy makers and regulatory authorities worldwide, and works to facilitate international trade and investment. More at www.uscib.org.

Contact:
Jonathan Huneke, USCIB
+1 212.703.5043, jhuneke@uscib.org

 

Business Urges China to Halt Controversial Cyber Banking Regulations

Published on April 15, 2015

Computers_loresUSCIB joined a coalition of 31 trade associations from around the world urging the Chinese Communist Party to end banking regulations that require foreign technology companies to give source code and encryption keys to Beijing officials. The global business community has argued that the China Banking and Regulatory Commission guidelines discriminate against foreign providers of information and communications technologies (ICTs) and would effectively shut foreign firms out of  China’s banking sector.

In a letter sent to the Chinese Communist Party on April 13, USCIB and 30 other trade associations called on Chinese leaders to suspend the cyber banking guidelines and open up to stakeholder input.

“Sovereign interest in a secure and development-friendly cyber economy is best served, in any country, by policies that encourage competition and customer choice, both of which necessitate openness to non-indigenous technologies, as well as an ongoing dialogue between industry and government,” wrote USCIB and other associations in the letter. “Approaches that keep out certain technologies would likely render China’s affected industries slower to innovate, more costly to operate, and less capable of managing dynamic security threats leaving Chinese networks less secure.”

Officials from the U.S., the European Union and Japan have criticized the banking rules. U.S. officials say China is using cyber security as an excuse for protectionism.

UPDATE: China issued written notification on April 16, 2015 that it had temporarily suspended implementation of these regulations.

Global Business Calls on G20 to Ensure That Actions Match Words on Trade Protectionism

Published on April 15, 2015

FourthEd_Scorecard_Banner_150x50Washington, D.C., April 15, 2015 – On the eve of the 2015 World Bank and IMF Spring Meetings, the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) has called on G20 governments to do more to address the growing impact of protectionism on the global economy, according to ICC’s American chapter, the United States Council for International Business (USCIB).

The fourth installment of the ICC G20 Business Scorecard – which assesses the response of the G20 to recommendations put forward by the international business community – highlights that G20 governments have done a “poor” job in implementing their commitment to roll back trade restrictive measures introduced since the financial crisis.

Commenting on the launch of the Scorecard, ICC Chairman and co-chair of the B20 Trade Task Force Terry McGraw said: “There is a paradox right now at the heart of trade policymaking. On the one hand, we’ve got possibly the most robust negotiating agenda in two decades—with a range of deals on the table that, with the right political leadership, could provide a major stimulus to the global economy.

“But at the same time, we are seeing governments subtly employing regulatory measures – or non-tariff barriers – to restrict international trade. While the G20 deserves great credit for holding the worst protectionist excesses in check, action is needed now to curb the steady drip feed of measures which we have seen since the financial crisis.”

Research suggests that, despite G20 commitments, the global stock of protectionist measures has continued to increase over the past year. One recent study indicated that since 2008, over 70% of the changes to trade rules around the world have curbed trade, rather than spurring it.

ICC Secretary General John Danilovich added: “Protectionism is not just bad for business: it also has a significantly negative effect on job creation and consumer welfare. The G20 now needs to lead by example, as it has done in many other areas, and take action on its longstanding commitment to roll-back protectionist policies.”

“The IMF has just lowered its growth forecast for this year to 3.5 percent. What’s more, 200 million people remain unemployed across the globe. Trade policy needs to be viewed as the next economic stimulus. Implementing the B20’s four trade recommendations from 2014 could add some $3.4 trillion to global GDP.”

The release of the Scorecard also comes ahead of the anticipated introduction of so-called “fast-track” legislation in the United States – which would give President Barack Obama authority to negotiate free-trade deals with other countries under special rules.

USCIB President and CEO Peter Robinson said: “It is critically important for individual G20 member countries to keep moving forward on trade. We are delighted that the U.S. and many of its G20 partners are involved in ambitious, market-opening negotiations such as the Trans-Pacific Partnership and the Trans-Atlantic Trade and Investment Partnership.”

“We also applaud the imminent introduction of Trade Promotion Authority legislation in the U.S. Congress, which will be a very welcome sign of new wind in the sails of global trade liberalization.”

The full G20 Business Scorecard is available at: http://www.iccwbo.org/Global-influence/G20/Reports-and-Products/ICC-G20-Scorecard/

About USCIB:

USCIB promotes open markets, competitiveness and innovation, sustainable development and corporate responsibility, supported by international engagement and regulatory coherence. Its members include U.S.-based global companies and professional services firms from every sector of our economy, with operations in every region of the world. With a unique global network, USCIB provides business views to policy makers and regulatory authorities worldwide, and works to facilitate international trade and investment. More at www.uscib.org.

Media contact:

Jonathan Huneke, USCIB

+1 917.420.0039, jhuneke@uscib.org

 

Too much on the table? How businesses should approach the SDGs

Published on April 14, 2015

Devex – April 14, 2015

The proposed post-2015 development agenda currently consists of 17 goals and 169 targets. From a business standpoint, how should the private sector make sense of these? Watch this video interview with USCIB’s Norine Kennedy:

Too much on the table? How businesses should approach the SDGs

April 2015 USCIB Labor & Employment Policy Committee Meeting

Published on April 10, 2015

 

DCDATE: Friday, April 17, 2015

TIME: 9:00 am – 3:30 pm

LOCATION: Baker & McKenzie LLP

White House Conference Room

815 Connecticut Ave NW #900

Washington, DC 20006

 

9:00 – 9:15  Welcome & Announcements – Ed Potter (The Coca-Cola Company), Chair

 

9:15 – 10:00  Global Labor Issues – the View from the U.S. Government – Sarah Fox, Special Representative for International Labor Affairs (U.S. State Dept.)

 

10:00 – 10:40  International Labor Organization Update

 

10:40 – 11:00  Coffee Break

 

11:00 – 12:15 Forced Labor / Human Trafficking Update

  • Implementation by governments
    • Implications of the ILO 2014 Forced Labor Protocol –What Should Business’ Position Be on Ratification? (Special Action Program to Combat Forced Labor Highlights)
    • S. FAR/DFAR – Final Rule Analysis – Samuel Witten (Arnold & Porter)
    • S. government funded Verité Project on model compliance code – Declan Croucher (Verité)
    • Maloney Bill (“H.R.4842 – Business Supply Chain Transparency on Trafficking and Slavery Act of 2014”)
    • California Supply Chain Transparency Act Implementation Guidance
    • UK Modern Slavery Bill
  • Update on ABA Model Policy and toolkit {website – letter to CEO}

 

12:15 – 12:30  OECD Guidelines National Contact Point

 

12:30 – 1:15  Lunch & Dessert in Honor of Ed Potter

 

1:15 – 1:45  Access to Remedy – Mike Posner (NYU Stern Center for Business and Human Rights)

  • IPIECA’s Operational Grievance Mechanisms Report
  • CSR Europe Study on Company Grievance Mechanisms

 

1:45 – 2:30  Company Feedback on Shift’s Human Rights Reporting and Assurance Framework (RAFI) – Rachel Davis (Shift)

 

2:30 – 3:30  UN Guiding Principles Update

April 2015 USCIB Corporate Responsibility Committee Meeting

Published on April 10, 2015

DCDATE: Wednesday, April 15, 2015

TIME: 9:00 am – 5:30 pm

LOCATION: Baker & McKenzie LLP

White House Conference Room

815 Connecticut Ave NW #900

Washington, DC 20006

 

 

9:00 – 9:15  Welcome & Announcements – Laura Chapman Rubbo, Chair (The Walt Disney Company)

 

9:15 – 9:30  USCIB by the Numbers – a brief presentation of data on USCIB members’ CSR reporting (in the aggregate)

 

9:30 – 10:15  Overview of Developments –the neest reporting initiatives, regulatory frameworks and tools

  • European Legislation:
    • New Non-financial Reporting Disclosure Mandate in The EU
    • French bill on the duty of care in relation to subsidiaries and subcontractors of French companies

Additional background:  newest empirical research on human rights implementation by companies

 

10:15 – 10:30  Coffee Break

 

10:30 – 12:20  Roundtable of Experts on Corporate Sustainability Reporting – a variety of investment-side analysts and market players reflect on how CSR reporting is analyzed, quantified, ranked and used in investment decisions – and whether there is just too much of it!

 

12:30 – 1:30  Meet the Author: John Morrison, “The Social License to Operate” (via video conference)

 

1:45 – 2:20  Update on the UN Sustainable Development Goals Process
& Financing for Development – Tam Nguyen (Bechtel), Brian Lowery (Monsanto) and Ariel Meyerstein (USCIB

 

2:20 – 2:45  USCIB’s Business for Post-2015 Website & ways to get involved in the post-2015 sustainable development agenda – Ariel Meyerstein (USCIB)

 

2:45 – 3:15  IPIECA’s Operational Grievance Mechanisms Report – Gabriella Rigg Herzog  (Hess Corp.) (guidance on implementation drawing on seven pilot projects and other shared learning)

 

3:15 – 4:00  Update on Access to Remedy Initiatives – Matthias Thorns (International Organization of Employers)

  • Office of the High Commissioner Access to Domestic Remedy  Work Plan
  • ABA White Paper on the proposed international legally binding instrument on business and human rights

 

4:00 – 4:15  Coffee Break

 

4:15 – 4:30  Update on OECD Responsible Business Conduct Proactive Agenda Projects and other OECD Initiatives – Laura Chapman Rubbo (The Walt Disney Company) & Ariel Meyerstein (USCIB)

 

4:30 – 5:30  Briefing and Strategy Session on US National Action Plan on
Responsible Business Conduct – Laura Chapman Rubbo (The Walt Disney Company) & Tam Nguyen (Bechtel)

  • New York Consultation on the U.S. National Action Plan Breakout Session Summaries
  • Washington DC Consultation on the U.S. National Action Plan Agenda

USCIB Leads Business Interests in UNEP Chemicals Program

Published on April 10, 2015

Test_tubesUSCIB lead a multi-industry association effort urging the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) to make its Chemicals in Products (CiP) program initiative attractive to business.

“Many global industry sectors have well-established systems for suppliers to communicate relevant information on chemicals in products that they place on the market,” USCIB and other business associations said in a statement. “It is recognized that such systems, however, may not yet be fully realized or internalized in many developing nations. This poses the biggest challenge to standardizing global approaches on chemicals.”

Central to the modern economy, chemicals are traded widely across borders and are used in the production of thousands of different products, from pharmaceuticals to computer microchips.

The International Conference on Chemicals Management (ICCM) is an inter-governmental ministerial that convenes UN member delegates and stakeholders for discussions on chemicals management. Adopted by ICCM in 2006, the Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management (SAICM) is a policy framework aimed to foster the safe and sound management of chemicals. SAICM’s Chemicals in Products (CiP) program a voluntary initiative designed to give guidance on how to share relevant information on chemicals in products along the supply chain and throughout their life cycle.

In a letter submitted to UNEP, USCIB and nine other industry associations noted that in order for the Chemicals in Products (CiP) to achieve its objectives, it should acknowledge the array of existing company, industry and regional systems and programs for communicating reliable, relevant information on chemicals contained in products that are placed on the market.

USCIB will continue to monitor work on SAICM and provide regular updates to members. Medina will attend the fourth International Conference on Chemicals Management in September 2015.

Students Travel To D.C. To Discuss Antitrust Law With Federal Officials

Published on April 6, 2015

Duke Today – April 6, 2015

Duke university undergraduate students met with the chair of USCIB’s Competition Policy Committee, among others, during their visit to Washington, D.C. as part of their research into the politics of market competition in the global economy.

Students Travel To D.C. To Discuss Antitrust Law With Federal Officials

 

IOE: Big Think on Jobs Must Address Structural Reforms

Published on April 3, 2015

In his keynote address to the 2015 Economic and Social Council Integration Segment in New York on Monday, 30 March, International Organization of Employers (IOE) President Daniel Funes de Rioja underlined the urgency in addressing structural reforms and labor-market oriented training for increasing job opportunities, particularly for young people.

The opening panel, “The ‘Big Think’ on Jobs and Growth,” provided an overview of the current global economy within which an effective framework could be established for inclusive and balanced growth, with full employment as a macroeconomic policy objective.

While welcoming the successful labor market reforms undertaken by some governments, the IOE president called for the removal of regulatory barriers. He noted that greater workplace flexibility resulted in a win-win situation for both companies and the individuals they employed, with positive impacts on productivity, quality of work and employee retention.

Workplace flexibility also enhances the transition of enterprises from the informal to the formal economy, with higher employment rates being recorded in countries where companies, particularly SMEs, could adapt quickly to a rapidly changing world, Funes noted.

On the topic of ensuring adequate training systems, Funes said, “If there is a silver bullet to address youth unemployment, then it is high quality apprenticeship systems.”  Despite this, IOE research had found that in many countries there were still significant skills mismatches.

To address this challenge, USCIB’s global network initiated the Global Apprenticeships Network (GAN), launched to promote exchanges of experience and best practice in the area of training and work-readiness programs around the globe.

Funes highlighted the value of national GAN networks, such as those recently launched by the Turkish Confederation of Employer Associations (TISK). He urged governments to support such initiatives by enabling the institutional and regulatory environment for companies to engage in offering apprenticeships, including by involving companies and employers’ organizations in the design and implementation of VET systems, and by promoting excellence in STEM subjects in schools.