USCIB Trade Event Registration Instructions

Published on August 4, 2014

Exploring New Approaches to Trade, Investment and Jobs

Insight and Impact for Business from the OECD

Registration Information

Online Registration:

If you received an email invitation from USCIB to one of our events, you already have an Events Portal Account. To activate your account, go to register online and click the “Forgot Password” link to receive your password via email. Then login and register.
If your e-mail address is not recognized, you will have to create an account with USCIB, by filling out the Online Events Registration Login Request form.

Click here to register online.

Please contact Diana Jack at 202-617-3156 or djack@uscib.org if you experience problems registering online.

Registration Form:

If you prefer register by fax, email or standard mail, please click here to fill out the registration form.

Confirmation emails are sent to registrants shortly after the registration has been received.

If you think you have registered but have not received a confirmation email, please contact Diana Jack at (202) 617-3156 or djack@uscib.org to confirm that your registration has been processed.

Global Apprenticeship Network Makes Strides Against Youth Unemployment

Published on August 4, 2014

Founded last year in response to the global youth unemployment crisis, the Global Apprenticeships Network (GAN) is a coalition of companies that offers apprenticeships to young workers and shares youth employment best practices with other companies and labor administrations.

Developed jointly by USCIB’s affiliate networks – the International Organization of Employers and the Business and Industry Advisory Committee to the OECD – the GAN aims to create job opportunities for young people and ensure that businesses can tap employees with the right skills for the future.

Last week, the GAN took an important step forward by becoming an independent non-profit Swiss association. The IOE appointed José María Álvarez-Pallete, Chief Operating Officer of Telefónica, as the network’s chairman.

“I am honoured to take on the role of chair of the GAN and very committed to leading this association,” said Álvarez-Pallete. “Our vision is that corporations – big and small – can work together to address the difficult education-to-work transition faced by young people when they access the labor market.”

The GAN is committed to advocating work readiness programs by sharing best practices, establishing GAN National Networks with employer federations and developing practical toolkits.

USCIB Deeply Disappointed by Failure to Implement WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement

Published on July 31, 2014

Washington, D.C., July 31, 2014 – The United States Council for International Business (USCIB) expressed dismay at the failure of World Trade Organization members to begin implementing the landmark WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA). Final agreement on a protocol to implement the TFA was blocked by objections from India and a few other developing countries.

“This is incredibly disappointing, a huge blow to prospects for continued global recovery, most notably in the least-developed countries,” said USCIB Senior Vice President for Policy and Government Affairs Rob Mulligan. “Implementing the TFA could have significantly boosted economic growth by adding $1 trillion to the global economy, and creating as many as 21 million jobs, 18 million of those in developing countries.”

Mulligan added: “This failure undercuts the credibility of the World Trade Organization. It also will put a halt to efforts led by Director General Azevedo to develop a post-Bali work plan for completing the Doha negotiations. We hope the governments can find a way to resurrect the Trade Facilitation Agreement and somehow get the WTO back on track.”

Earlier this week, USCIB President CEO Peter Robinson sent a letter to U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman expressing deep concern over developments at the WTO. This followed urgent action by the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) and its global network to highlight the adverse consequences of missing the deadline to implement the TFA, and an appeal to G20 trade ministers by USCIB and other U.S. business groups urging swift implementation of the TFA.

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 encompassing leading international business organizations, including ICC, USCIB provides business views to policy makers and regulatory authorities worldwide, and works to facilitate international trade and investment. More at www.uscib.org.

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

More on USCIB’s Trade and Investment Committee

More on USCIB’s Customs and Trade Facilitation Committee

India’s Mandate Will Require Firms to Spend 2 of Profits on CSR

Published on July 30, 2014

Last year the Indian government passed the Indian Companies Act, a law which went into effect on April 2014 requiring Indian companies to contribute 2 percent of their annual profits to social and charitable causes.

India’s Ministry of Corporate Affairs recently released a circular that clarifies which companies fall under the law’s purview, as well as what qualifies as a corporate social responsibility (CSR) contribution.

Companies worth more than $80 million will be required to establish a CSR committee that formulates a CSR policy to contribute at least 2 percent of profits to causes such as the eradication of extreme poverty and hunger, the promotion of gender equality and education, environmental sustainability and government-run funds for socio-economic development such as the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund. The Indian Companies Act also states that companies that refuse to comply must explain their reason for doing so in their annual financial statements.

India’s CSR mandate, often referred to as the “2 percent requirement,” makes India the first country in the world to require that qualifying companies make obligatory corporate social responsibility expenditures.

Key Aspects of India’s Corporate Social Responsibility Mandate Clarified (India Briefing)

Staff contact: Ariel Meyerstein

USCIB Marshals Business Input for the UN Sustainable Development Goals

Published on July 28, 2014

The United Nations Post-2015 Development Agenda will be an ambitious, internationally endorsed and holistic framework for achieving global prosperity. At the core of this new UN-wide program, the “Sustainable Development Goals” (SDGs) aim to address sustainable development, lifestyle and equity issues through international commitments, finance and partnerships.

Last week, the UN concluded the final session of its SDG Open Working Group process, delivering an outcome document that proposes 17 goals and no less than 170 targets. Member states were generally pleased with the targets but remained concerned about certain items. Louise Kantrow, the International Chamber of Commerce’s permanent representative to the United Nations, coordinated business input during the process through the Global Business Alliance for Post 2015.

Broadly, the UN SDGs are designed to complete the unfinished business of the UN’s earlier Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) as well as to respond to new challenges and catalyze the action of non-state actors such as business.

Unlike the MDGs, the new goals are being negotiated with a broad consultation, and they apply to all countries, not just developing ones. The goals are defined as inspired global targets, with each government setting its own national targets, taking into account particular capabilities and circumstances.

The Post-2015 Development Agenda process will culminate in September 2015, during a summit where heads of state will adopt the agenda, including the SDGs.

“USCIB maintains that in order for the SDGs to succeed, governments must build in a strong business role in the UN deliberations on sustainable development,” said USCIB’s Norine Kennedy, vice president of strategic international engagement, energy and environment. “Effective partnership and substantive dialogue with the private sector are indispensable.”

USCIB in partnership with the International Organization of Employers (IOE), the Business Council for Sustainable Energy (BCSE) and others, will convene a business UN “Door-knock” meeting in New York on September 26 with participants from government, business and NGOs. This unique business-organized event will demonstrate private sector experience and knowhow in addressing sustainability and development challenges. It will underscore the need for the right enabling frameworks to catalyze business contributions to advancing sustainability through good governance, innovation, infrastructure investment and economic growth and empowerment.

The proposed UN Sustainable Development Goals:

End poverty in all its forms everywhere

End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition, and promote sustainable agriculture

Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages

Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote life-long learning opportunities for all

Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls

Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all

Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all

Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full of productive employment and decent work for all

Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation

Reduce inequality within and among countries

Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable

Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns

Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts

Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development

Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss

Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels

Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the global partnership for sustainable development

Staff contacts: Norine Kennedy and Ariel Meyerstein

More on USCIB’s Environment Committee

More on USCIB’s Corporate Responsibility Committee

Forum on Responsible Business in the Garment Sector

Published on July 28, 2014

The tragic collapse of the Rana Plaza garment factory in Bangladesh last year, which killed over 1,000 people and injured many more, put a spotlight on the garment industry and the safety of the millions of workers, factory owners and consumers that make up the entire supply chain of textiles and garments.

The garment sector has been high on the agenda of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), which issued a statement this month on “One Year After Rana Plaza,” calling for increased action on guidelines for multinational enterprises operating in the textile industry.

At this year’s OECD Global Forum, an informal Ministerial meeting between OECD government representatives resulted in a call for a joint ILO-OEC Roundtable on Responsible Supply Chains in the Textile and Garment Sector, which will be held at the OECD headquarters in Paris on September 29-30, 2014. The roundtable will convene many government and OECD officials, and provides an opportunity for business to have its voice at the table, as well as allow a diverse array of stakeholders and policymakers to have fruitful discussions and share their viewpoints.

The roundtable, which is organized with active input from the Business and Industry Advisory Council to the OECD and the International Organization of Employers, will provide a forum for dialogue between representatives of governments, the private sector, trade unions and civil society organizations on building responsible supply chains in the textiles and garment sector, taking into account the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises. The roundtable will also identify challenges and areas for future collaborative action.

Staff contact: Ariel Meyerstein

More on USCIB’s Corporate Responsibility Committee

Worrying Rise in Coastal Sea Hijackings

Published on July 25, 2014

Globally, 116 incidents of piracy and armed robbery against ships were reported to the Piracy Reporting Center of the International Chamber of Commerce International Maritime Bureau (IMB). The center raised concerns over a worrying trend of small tanker hijacks during the first half of 2014.

In Southeast Asia, reports indicate at least six coastal tankers were hijacked for their cargoes of diesel or gas oil, sparking fears of a new trend in pirate attacks. Before these hijackings, the majority of attacks in the region had been aboard mainly anchored vessels boarded for petty theft.

“The recent increase in the number of successful hijackings is a cause for concern,” stated IMB Director Pottengal Mukundan. “These serious attacks have so far targeted small coastal tankers. We advise these vessels to maintain strict anti-piracy measures in these waters, and to report all attacks and suspicious approaches by small craft.”

In 2014, 10 vessels have been hijacked, seven fired upon and 78 boarded. Two hundred crewmembers were taken hostage, five were kidnapped and two were killed, according to the IMB report.

Action on Global Tax Reform

Published on July 22, 2014

As part of the project to rewrite global tax rules, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) released commentary on Common Reporting Standards, a milestone in the effort to help countries implement an automatic exchange of information (AEOI) regime. AEOI would allow governments to automatically collect financial data from banks for tax purposes.

USCIB and the Business and Industry Advisory Council (BIAC) support OECD and G20 efforts to ensure taxpayers pay what they owe and appreciate the need for automatic exchange of information. The OECD must continue working with the private sector to ensure that the costs borne by businesses are taken into account and that business will need time to adapt systems to the AEOI requirements.

In September 2013, G20 leaders committed to AEOI as the new global standard of cooperation between tax administrations and supported the OECD’s work aimed at presenting a single global standard. Progress made on that front this year will go a long way toward implementing the policies necessary for identifying customers’ tax residences and exchanging relevant information between tax authorities.

Countries’ implementation guidance must also provide business with sufficient time to implement the significant new obligations that will be imposed on business by the common reporting standard.

“BIAC is particularly pleased that the business community, the OECD and its member governments were able to engage in a consistently frank and open dialogue that led to a result that reduced the potential burdens on business while achieving the OECD’s tax compliance objectives,” said Will Morris, chair of BIAC’s Taxation and Fiscal Policy Committee. “This dialogue must continue if the CRS is to be implemented consistently by the adopting jurisdictions.”

The Common Reporting Standard is based on a similar information-gathering program developed by the United States, the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA). That U.S. policy acted as a catalyst for the move towards AEOI in a multilateral context.

Staff contact: Carol Doran Klein

More on USCIB’s Taxation Committee

Innovation Recognized as Key for Economic Growth

Published on July 22, 2014

“The innovation sector has the largest multiplier effect of all on job creation,” said John Danilovich, secretary general of the International Chamber of Commerce, at a Business 20 panel discussion in Sydney, Australia. At the panel he unveiled the 7^th edition of the Global Innovation Index 2014 and addressed how G20 targets can be fulfilled by developing the knowledge and innovation sectors.

A leading reference on innovation, the Global Innovation Index ranks world economies according to innovation capabilities and results. This year’s theme, “Human Factor in Innovation,” explored the role of individuals and teams behind the innovation process. The 2014 index features data for 143 countries, with Switzerland at the top of the ranking and the United Kingdom in second place.

“The G20 is looking for all possible drivers of economic growth, including trade and investment in particular.” Danilovich said. “Innovation is a critical engine of business growth and job creation in large and small firms alike.”

Danilovch also stressed the importance of business to support innovation: “Business investment in knowledge-based capital makes a considerable contribution to productivity.” He said. “Market competition requires companies to innovate. The private sector can be a key partner in helping governments find solutions to development challenges, and can accelerate the achievement of core development objectives.”

ICC is actively engaged in encouraging innovation and the development of the knowledge economy through the work of its Commission on Intellectual Property. The commission gathers over 300 business executives and private practitioners from 50 countries to formulate ICC’s intellectual property policy.

On a related note, USCIB’s next Intellectual Property Committee meeting will be held at USCIB’s Washington, D.C. offices on September 11 from 10-12 p.m.

ICC Advises Against Exit Taxes

Published on July 17, 2014

As some European countries consider adopting exit taxes to increase revenue, the International Chamber of Commerce issued a policy statement warning that exit taxes could seriously disrupt international business restructurings and movements of capital.

The ICC statement strongly advises against exit taxes regimes which generally seek to tax unrealized gains the moment a company’s seat or assets leave the country. USCIB contributed to the development of this statement.

“While the international community is currently debating a fundamental restructuring of the international taxation system, we see that as a means to increase their revenues more countries are considering levying additional taxes, such as exit taxes,” said Chirstian Kaeser, global head of tax at Siemens and chair of the ICC Commission on Taxation. “These taxes increase the risk of double taxation and thereby negatively impact investment and growth at a time when economic recovery is still fragile,”

The revised policy statement acknowledges recent developments, most notably the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) Base Erosion and Profit Shifting Project (BEPS) initiated by the G20. USCIB plays a leading role in OECD global tax discussions and recently held its annual International Tax Conference on BEPS.