
USCIB’s annual Geneva Week has returned!
USCIB staff and a select delegation of members traveled to Switzerland May 5-9 to meet with policymakers, influential decision-makers from government, and high-level officials from key Geneva-based UN Agencies. This year’s Geneva Week program coalesced around pertinent policy topics for US business related to innovation, IP protection, international public health, and public-private sector collaboration.
USCIB members and staff met with representatives from the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), the World Health Organization (WHO), the TRIPS Council at the World Trade Organization (WTO), the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), the International Organisation of Employers (IOE) and UN Missions, namely Australia, Brazil, Italy, Singapore, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

USCIB member Baker McKenzie hosted a “Friends of IP” reception. The reception focused on global IP issues on the horizon and gave USCIB members a chance to meet with IP attachés from Japan, Singapore, South Korea, the UK, and the US in an informal setting.
The USCIB Foundation also organized a “Business Pact for the Future Symposium: New Pathways for UN Impact for Business,” which USCIB member Microsoft hosted.

The relaunch of Geneva Week this year is especially relevant because it coincides with the new Administration setting the course on international policy for the next four years. Additionally, USCIB and the UN are marking their respective 80th anniversaries.

“Ensuring business continuity in a challenging global environment is a priority for Ferrero,” said Chip Kunde, Senior Vice President, Institutional Affairs & Corporate Communications at Ferrero North America, and USCIB Board member. “USCIB recognizes this imperative and restarted ‘Geneva Week’ at a critical time. The relationships we cultivate at these vital global institutions are essential to our future. We’re grateful USCIB is investing in long-term with us!”

Geneva—a hub for technical, economic, and policy bodies within the UN system—provided an ideal setting for members to build relationships and gain unique access to officials. Members and staff also demonstrated opportunities for cooperation between business and various multilateral institutions and showcased their commitments to shared global goals, such as the SDGs.

“USCIB’s Geneva Week offers a vital platform for advancing employer perspectives in global policy conversations,” said Emily M. Dickens, Chief of Staff, Head of Public Affairs & Corporate Secretary at the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), and a USCIB Board member. “At SHRM, we know that workplace issues don’t stop at borders—so neither can our advocacy. Engaging with international institutions through Geneva Week strengthens SHRM’s ability to champion people-centered policies that empower employers and workers alike, ensuring workplaces around the world are equipped for the future of work.”