Sustainable Development Archives

USCIB Relaunches Geneva Week with Robust Program for Members

Published on May 7, 2025
USCIB with staff from the TRIPS Council at the WTO. L-R: Shira Graubart (FMC Corp.), Anton Aschwanden (Google), Kristen Kaufman (USCIB), Flora Okereke (BAT), Gerald Kunde (Ferrero), Jason File (USCIB), Norine Kennedy (USCIB), Alison Hoiem (USCIB), Damon Ansell (AB InBev), Johanna Hill (WTO), JN Hill (Deloitte), Emily Dickens (SHRM), Chenai Rusike Kirkpatrick (SHRM), Roger Kampf (WTO), Ashley Harrington (USCIB), Wolf Meier-Ewert (WTO).

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.  

Jason File with USCIB members and Partners at Baker McKenzie: Eva-Maria Strobel and Pablo Bentes

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.  

USCIB meets with US Mission. L-R: Ashutosh Chadha (Microsoft), Norine Kennedy (USCIB), Alison Hoiem (USCIB), Jason File), Damon Ansell (AB InBev), Flora Okereke (BAT), JN Hill (Deloitte), Tressa Finerty (US Mission Chargé d’Affaires), Gabriela Wurcel (FMC Corp.), Gerald Kunde (Ferrero), and Shira Graubart (FMC Corp.).

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.  

Chip Kunde (Ferrero) with USCIB staff Kristen Kaufman, Jason File, and Alison Hoiem

“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!” 

L-R: Norine Kennedy (USCIB); Italian Ambassador Vincenzo Grassi; Tressa Rae Finerty (US Chargé d’Affaires); Chip Kunde (Ferrero)

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. 

L-R: Anton Aschwanden (Google); Luke Hindlaugh (Cargill); Jason File (USCIB); Chip Kunde (Ferrero); Alison Hoiem (USCIB); Morten Enggaard Rasmussen (Novonesis); Ashley Harrington (USCIB); Kristen Kaufman (USCIB)

“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.” 

Baird Highlights Private Sector’s Critical Role in Economic Development at Forum in Bahrain; Meets With Leadership of WTO and ILO 

Published on May 1, 2025

Whitney Young Baird, President and CEO at USCIB, spoke about the importance of considering business perspectives in policymaking at the Bab Al-Bahrain Forum 2025 on April 29 in Manama, Bahrain. The Bahrain Chamber of Commerce organized the Forum with support from the World Trade Organization (WTO), the International Labour Organization (ILO), the International Organisation of Employers (IOE), the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), the Union of Arab Chambers (UAC), and the Federation of Gulf Cooperation Council Chambers (FGCCC). 

Baird’s panel, The Vital Role of the Private Sector NGOs in Economic Growth to Support Governments, in a region considered as a Global Option for Opportunities, dove into the role of the private sector in driving economic development, particularly through public private partnerships, and included topics such as AI and digital transformation, strong IP protections, and tariffs.  

“Trade tensions have a direct impact on where companies source and operate and, by extension, where jobs are created or disrupted,” said Baird. “Public policy is not a perfect science, but we can certainly optimize positive impacts if policies take into account inputs and feedback from the private sector.” 

Following her panel, Baird had one-on-one meetings with Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Director General of the WTO and Gilbert Houngbo, Director General of the ILO.  

USCIB Members and Staff Selected for B20 South Africa Task Forces and Leadership Roles 

Published on April 3, 2025

Congratulations to USCIB members and staff who have been selected to serve on various B20 South Africa Task Forces and leadership roles. Through these Task Forces, USCIB members and staff will help shape policy recommendations for G20 nations.  

The B20 is one of the most influential G20 Engagement Groups, bringing together business leaders from G20 member countries and beyond. Each year, the B20 provides a platform for companies and business organizations to share their perspectives on global economic, social and trade issues, ensuring the business community’s voice is heard at the highest levels of international governance.  

Congratulations to Rick Johnston (Managing Director, Global Government Affairs at Citi; Chair of Business at OECD (BIAC); Vice Chair of USCIB; and Chair of the USCIB Trade and Investment Committee), who was appointed to the B20 International Business Advocacy Caucus (IBAC). Congratulations also to Roger Martella (GE Vernova), and Charles Murito (Google), both of whom USCIB successfully endorsed as co-chairs for the Energy Mix & Just Transition Task Force and Digital Task Force, respectively. We also congratulate the many other USCIB members who advanced to B20 task force positions and leadership roles.  

USCIB staff are appointed to the following Task Forces: 

  • Digital Transformation: Cheryl Miller 
  • Employment & Education: Ewa Staworzynska, with Jose Arroyo as deputy  
  • Energy Mix & Just Transition: Agnes Vinblad & Arroyo  
  • Industrial Transformation & Innovation: Norine Kennedy 
  • Integrity & Compliance: Megan Giblin 
  • Trade & Investment: Alice Slayton Clark 
  • Sustainable Food Systems & Agriculture: Natalie Bidner 

“USCIB staff have historically participated in B20 Task Forces to advance member positions, and USCIB looks forward to continuing this tradition this year,” said Alice Slayton Clark, Senior Vice President for Trade and Digital Policy at USCIB. “We’re also grateful to our affiliates, Business at OECD (BIAC) and the International Organisation of Employers (IOE), who facilitate USCIB member and staff engagement in the B20.”  

The B20, which serves as the official G20 dialogue forum with the global business community, offers an important platform to provide the G20 with actionable policy proposals. Recognizing the OECD role in providing substantive support to G20 activities, BIAC has been a long-standing partner to the B20. IOE serves as the Secretariat for the B20 Employment Track.    

 

USCIB Participates in the OECD IEA Climate Change Expert Group Meeting 

Published on March 27, 2025

Last week, Agnes Vinblad, USCIB Director for Environment and Sustainable Development, served as the Global Lead Delegate for Business at OECD (BIAC) during the 2025 Spring session of the Climate Change Expert Group (CCXG) Global Forum on the Environment and Climate Change. The CCXG Secretariat is co-chaired by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the International Energy Agency (IEA). This session of the CCXG focused on discussions regarding technical adaptation indicators to measure progress on the implementation of the global goal on adaptation (GGA), and continued discussions on countries’ next nationally determined contributions (NDCs). Ahead of UN Climate COP30 later this year, the Brazilian COP Presidency has clearly indicated that adaptation, resilience, and to assure the delivery of strong next-round NDCs, are all key priorities.

During the meeting, Vinblad emphasized the need for governments to incentivize private investment, strengthen implementation efforts, develop comprehensive investment plans, and the need for utilizing both existing and innovative financial instruments to attract investment for Nationally Determined Contributions.

The purpose of the CCXG is to develop impartial technical analyses and research to support the international climate negotiations under the UNFCCC. Over the years, CCXG global forums have provided a valued informal convening space for countries to discuss key issues ahead of Climate COP each year. These exchanges and the technical analysis prepared by the CCXG Secretariat have helped inform and shape critical decisions adopted by the COP.

 

UN Biodiversity Talks Reached Conclusion in Rome

Published on March 6, 2025
16th Session of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity in Rome.

The 16th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP 16) has now finally reached conclusion with Parties adopting all remaining decisions during last week’s session in Rome, Italy. USCIB Director for Environment and Sustainable Development Agnes Vinblad was on the ground in Rome, representing members at this second resumed session—the previous session in Cali, Colombia in October 2024 did not conclude as negotiators could not reach agreement on several key issues.

USCIB had also actively participated at COP16 in Cali last year, engaging on key technical policy items such as the climate change and biodiversity nexus, resource mobilization and the financial mechanism, key indicators of the monitoring framework of the global biodiversity framework, digital sequence information (DSI), and the establishment of the Cali Fund.

“Last week’s session in Rome yielded agreement on a comprehensive strategy for resource mobilization and permanent arrangements for the financial mechanism,” said Vinblad. “The newly adopted resource mobilization strategy contains significant references to private finance flows, and the role of private sector. While the US is not a Party to the CBD, US companies operating trans-jurisdictionally continue to be impacted by CBD decisions.”

USCIB holds official observer status to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (UN CBD), representing US business in the CBD process and bringing delegations of USCIB members to key negotiation sessions under the Convention.

Norine Kennedy Begins New Leadership Roles at USCIB and The USCIB Foundation 

Published on January 6, 2025
Norine Kennedy

USCIB is pleased to announce that Norine Kennedy has taken on new roles as Senior Vice President for Global Strategy and United Nations Affairs, and Executive Director of The USCIB Foundation.   

“USCIB and the United Nations both celebrate 80th anniversaries in 2025, when international collaboration is essential to take on global challenges,” said Whitney Baird, President and CEO of USCIB. “In this newly created position focused on UN Affairs, Norine will leverage her decades of experience working with UN agencies to further advance USCIB’s advocacy on behalf of our members. She will also oversee The USCIB Foundation, the research and education arm of USCIB, moving forward projects like The Business Pact for the Future, a business initiative to accelerate implementation of the UN 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda.” 

 

USCIB Advocates for Alignment of UN Treaty with Guiding Principles at BHR Forum 

Published on December 5, 2024
Jose Arroyo (USCIB) and Ewa Staworzynska (USCIB) at the UN BHR Forum

USCIB Director of Corporate Responsibility and Labor Affairs Ewa Staworzynska attended the UN Forum on Business and Human Rights (BHR) in Geneva last week and spoke on a session titled, “Ten years of debates and negotiations on a legally binding instrument (LBI) on business and human rights: taking stock of progress and remaining challenges.” 

Staworzynska emphasized the need for the UN Treaty on BHR to align more closely with the UN Guiding Principles on BHR, which are the key framework in this field. Deputy Permanent Representative of Indonesia to the UN and other International Organizations in Geneva, Ambassador Achsanul Habib and the Permanent Representative of Ecuador to the UN and other International Organizations in Geneva and Chair-Rapporteur of the OEIGWG Ambassador Marcelo Vázquez Bermúdez joined Staworzynska on the panel. 

Staworzynska also cautioned that the strict liability provisions could lead to divestment from developing countries and emerging markets. She also expressed concerns about the draft Treaty’s promotion of extraterritorial jurisdiction, which could undermine the strengthening of legal systems and the rule of law at the national level. 

She urged governments to guide the negotiations in a more practical direction and to take essential steps to advance human rights globally, including through National Action Plans. 

Negotiations Are Continuing at UN Climate Talks (COP29) in Baku

Published on November 14, 2024
Agnes Vinblad at COP29

USCIB Director for Environment & Sustainable Development Agnes Vinblad represented the global Business and Industry constituency in a UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Dialogue with the Chairs of the UNFCCC Subsidiary Bodies (SB) at the UN Climate COP in Azerbaijan on November 14.

During this exchange, the SB Chairs provided updates on the negotiations thus far and welcomed input from the nine constituency groups, including business. Vinblad emphasized business support for a robust decision on the New Collective Quantified Goal on climate finance (NCQG), outlining the need for a strong and central public finance commitment at the core of the new climate finance decision. However – as almost half of climate finance today is provided by private sector – global business also calls for a constructive “outer layer” of the NCQG, to send the right investment signals to the private sector, and to align the global financial system with the Paris Agreement.

USCIB Convenes Side Event at Biodiversity COP on Corporate Biodiversity Reporting

Published on November 7, 2024
Alena Cierna (UN Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre), Mark Johnston (UK Business Biodiversity Forum & bp plc), Agnes Vinblad (USCIB), Fiorella Sanchez Monge (KPMG Europe, Middle East and Africa), and Whitney Baird (USCIB).

USCIB convened a technical discussion on recent policy developments and trends pertaining to corporate biodiversity reporting on October 23 in Cali, Colombia during the 16th UN Biodiversity Conference of the Parties (COP16). Speakers explored best practices and challenges faced by businesses as they work towards meeting an ever-increasing amount of environmental reporting compliance demands.

Following UN Biodiversity COP15—and the adoption of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KM-GBF) and its Target 15—pressure has been building for companies to measure and report on their biodiversity impacts, risks, and dependencies throughout their supply chains.

Speakers included Whitney Y. Baird, President & CEO at USCIB; Dr. Mark Johnston, Director at the UK Business Biodiversity Forum & Strategy lead for biodiversity at bp plc; Fiorella Sanchez Monge, Biodiversity Lead at KPMG Europe, Middle East and Africa, and co-leading the KPMG Global EU Deforestation-Free Regulations efforts; and Alena Cierna, Senior Programme Officer on Nature Economy at the UN Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre. Agnes Vinblad, Director of Environment & Sustainable Development at USCIB moderated.

“It is important that we don’t lose sight of implementation, and to recognize that reporting is only one small step in this process. When we talk about limiting biodiversity loss and nature impacts – there are no silver bullets,” said Baird during her opening remarks.

USCIB Represents US Business at UN Biodiversity Negotiations in Cali, Colombia  

Published on November 7, 2024
Agnes Vinblad and Whitney Baird

USCIB actively participated in the recently concluded the 16th UN Biodiversity Conference of the Parties (COP16) in Cali, Colombia. The conference ran from October 21 to November 2, with numerous USCIB member companies being present throughout the two weeks of negotiations. USCIB President & CEO Whitney Baird attended parts of the conference while Agnes Vinblad, USCIB Director of Environment and Sustainable Development, led the USCIB Delegation.  

COP16 marked the first Biodiversity COP since the historic adoption of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) at COP15 in December 2022. Expectations were high as representatives from over 190 countries, and numerous stakeholder organizations, descended on Cali to focus on technical negotiations to support the implementation of the GBF. The conference marks the largest UN Biodiversity COP to date with a total of 23,000 participants.  

While COP16 represents the first implementation-focused COP, and important progress was achieved, outcomes still fell short of expectations.  

“Perhaps most noteworthy, is the inability of Parties to reach agreement on the GBF monitoring framework – this item was hailed as one of the key deliverables for COP16. Leaving Cali without an adopted decision for the monitoring of implementation will likely cause delays for countries’ target setting in line with the GBF,” said Vinblad.  

The Cali talks did deliver steps forward on the highly debated multilateral mechanism on benefit sharing from the use of digital sequence information. COP16 also saw the establishment of a new “Cali Fund” to channel voluntary contributions from the private sector for the commercial use of genetic material derived from biodiversity. Importantly, the decision does recognize the need for further work to refine the operationalization of this fund.  

“Global business continues to have a critical role to play to support the process and ensure that fund fees are set at realistic levels, provides legal certainty for research and innovation, and has the potential to incentivize more funding for biodiversity,” Vinblad added.  

Important decisions on further strengthening collaboration across UN climate change and biodiversity conventions were also reached. 

The International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) brought a global business delegation of over 100 representatives to COP16, further solidifying the continued strong momentum for private sector engagement on biodiversity and nature considerations.  

COP16 ended with a delayed closing plenary, which had to be suspended in the early morning on November 2 as quorum was lost and the COP no longer had enough Parties present to make decisions. Along with a missing decision on the monitoring framework, Parties also failed to adopt a decision on resource mobilization and the financial mechanism – two additional items considered critical to be able to accelerate implementation of the GBF.  

COP16 will reconvene at a later date to close out key decisions. USCIB will continue representing our members in the UN Biodiversity process, ensuring that the US business voice is heard and considered.