News Stories Archives

40th Anniversary of the OECD Declaration on Multinational Enterprises

Published on June 1, 2016

investment_buildingsOn the occasion of its General Assembly, the Business and Industry Advisory Committee (BIAC) to the OECD will celebrate the 40th anniversary of the OECD Declaration on International Investment and Multinational Enterprises (MNEs), a policy commitment by adhering governments to promote an open and transparent environment for international investment and encourage the positive contribution multinational enterprises can make to economic and social progress.

The Declaration consists of four parts and is intended to balance public policy to promote an open international investment climate with a business commitment to responsible business conduct: the ‘national treatment’ principle, the commitment to minimize conflicting requirements, the commitment to cooperation in the field of international investment incentives and disincentives, and the OECD MNE Guidelines, the most comprehensive government-backed instrument for promoting responsible business conduct. The Declaration commits adhering countries to improve the investment climate, while companies are encouraged to apply the standards of responsible business conduct as set out in the Guidelines.

OECD Forum on Responsible Business Conduct

Published on June 1, 2016

responsibility1On June 8-9, members of the Business and Industry Advisory Committee (BIAC) to the OECD will participate in the OECD Global Forum on Responsible Business Conduct, which brings together representatives from governments, businesses, trade unions and civil society to discuss how to achieve actual impacts through responsible business conduct, to explore emerging supply chain issues, and to promote active contribution of the private sector to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals.

Debates will focus on addressing severe human rights impacts in global supply chains, taxation and responsible business conduct, the activities of National Contact Points since their establishment 15 years ago, the benefits of engaging in multi-stakeholder initiatives and the fiduciary duty in institutional investments, as well as responsibility in mega-sporting events and in the pharmaceutical industry.

Back-to-back with the OECD Global Forum, a series of consultations on responsible business conduct will be organized for which BIAC coordinates business input. The first consultation will take place on June 7 on the occasion of the first OECD Policymakers Roundtable on Responsible Business Conduct, to discuss policy coherence for effective implementation of responsible business conduct standards as well as the link between responsible business conduct and investment and development policy. On June 9, a separate consultation on a revised draft of the general OECD due diligence guidance will be organized during the Global Forum. A third consultation will take place on June 10 to contribute to discussions of the National Contact Points for the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises, to ensure balanced implementation of the MNE Guidelines and a common understanding of the NCP process.

USCIB Talks Poverty Reduction at Development Conference

Published on May 23, 2016
SDG Goal 1 End poverty in all its forms everywhere
SDG Goal 1 End poverty in all its forms everywhere

Eliminating poverty everywhere is the first goal of the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Its placement at number one underscores the importance given to poverty reduction by the international community and the urgent need to achieve it with respect to the subsequent goals. Ariel Meyerstein, USCIB’s vice president for labor affairs, corporate responsibility and corporate governance, spoke at a poverty reduction panel at the 2016 Annual Conference of the Society for International Development on May 23 in Washington D.C..

Meyerstein gave the business perspective on the challenges associated with achieving sustainable development and poverty reduction in low- and middle-income countries. The panel touched on a wide range of topics, including how metrics and indicators help civil society engage with the broader SDG process, which goals play a vital role in poverty reduction, which kinds of partnerships can be the most effective towards achieving the SDGs, and how the international community will fund and implement the UN’s ambitious goals.

Other panelists included Adolfo Lopez-Claros, director of the Global Indicators Group of the World Bank Group and Casey Dunning, senior policy analyst at the Center for Global Development.

USCIB has played a central role in marshaling business support for sustainable development. In September 2015, USCIB officially launched its well-received Business for 2030 web portal, a catalog of business engagement that showcases the private sector’s contributions to the SDGs. Business for 2030 features over 140 initiatives from 35 companies in over 150 countries of how businesses are helping to achieve 72 of the 169 SDG targets.

In addition to educating the business community about the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the SDGs, the website highlights concrete initiatives and public-private partnerships to inspire renewed trust in the private sector, and to catalyze sustained and active business engagement in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Through its blog and Twitter presence, the site also targets business perspectives to the UN community to sensitize them to business views on SDG priorities and implementation.

Business for 2030 features hundreds of case studies of business contributions to sustainable development through the filter of the SDGs. Three USCIB members – Dupont, Mastercard and Qualcomm – have contributed case studies under the End Poverty goal.

US Labor Secretary Talks TPP at USCIB Meetings

Published on May 9, 2016
(Photo credit: U.S. Department of Labor)
L-R: Ariel Meyerstein (USCIB), Laura Rubbo (Disney), Thomas Perez (US Labor Department), Ronnie Goldberg (USCIB), Kevin Coon (Baker & McKenzie) (Photo credit: U.S. Department of Labor)

USCIB members and government officials gathered in Washington, D.C. on May 3 and 4 to review several important upcoming events and initiatives regarding labor policy, business and human rights, and corporate social responsibility. Convening at the offices of Baker & McKenzie for the first of two yearly meetings, USCIB’s Corporate Responsibility Committee and Labor and Employment Policy Committee discussed member priorities and concerns about upcoming transnational regulatory events and initiatives throughout 2016.

On May 3, U.S. Secretary of Labor Thomas Perez briefed members on a wide range of international labor policy issues. He expressed support for the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), saying it has the strongest labor provisions of any trade agreement the United States has ever negotiated, and noted he expects TPP to pass, but not without continued advocacy and support from the business community. Perez also made a pitch for apprenticeships to help spur youth employment, saying apprenticeships are broadly applicable in many different sectors. The current administration has backed-up its belief in job training and skills development with a $175 million new grant-making initiative.  And he argued America needs to do more on progressive paid leave for mothers to include more women in the workforce to keep the United States competitive with its peers. USCIB is actively involved in all these areas at the global level, particularly on apprenticeships, which it has advanced by helping establish the Global Apprenticeships Network (GAN) through its global partner, the International Organization of Employers (IOE). Eric Biel and Mark Mittelhauser of the Bureau of International Labor Affairs accompanied Secretary Perez and remained on hand to answer member questions.

Laura Chapman Rubbo (Walt Disney) chaired the committee meetings while USCIB Vice President for Labor Affairs, Corporate Responsibility and Corporate Governance Ariel Meyerstein facilitated the discussions. On the first day of meetings, members reviewed developments at the International Labor Organization (ILO), including the update of the ILO Multinational Enterprise Declaration and the General Discussion on Decent Work in Global Supply Chains that will take place at this June’s International Labor Conference; legal developments related to the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights; international tax avoidance and how it relates to illicit financial flows and human rights and development, and future of work developments at the OECD. Other government guests included Lewis Karesh, assistant U.S. Trade Representative for Labor Affairs, who briefed members on TPP’s labor provisions.

On the second day, members listened to presentations about new empirical studies benchmarking company responses to human trafficking regulation, international policy developments and company initiatives around ethical recruitment, public-private partnerships with USAID on labor rights capacity-building, partnerships with the U.S. Department of Labor’s International Labor Affairs Bureau, and new software for issues management, benchmarking and stakeholder engagement. Government guests included Bama Athreya of USAID’s s Center of Excellence on Democracy, Human Rights and Governance and acting division chief of labor and employment rights; Prairie Summer of USAID’s Global Development Lab; Ana Aslan, global coordinator of the Better Work Program at the U.S. Department of Labor; and Josh Kagan, senior labor advisor for trade policy at the U.S. Department of Labor.

USCIB’s Labor Policy and Corporate Responsibility Committees will reconvene in early Fall 2016. The Committee will also have a substantial role in the upcoming 9th Annual Engaging Business Forum in Atlanta, hosted by the Coca-cola Company. For more information on the committee’s work and meetings please contact Ariel Meyerstein at ameyerstein@uscib.org.

 

Forum on Responsible Mineral Supply Chains

Published on May 2, 2016

Gold Rush Fuels DR Congo CrisisThe OECD Due Diligence Guidance for Responsible Supply Chains of Minerals from Conflict-Affected and High-Risk Areas provides detailed recommendations to help companies respect ‌human rights and avoid contributing to conflict through their mineral purchasing decisions and practices. The guidance has been developed with the active participation of business.

Members of the Business and Industry Advisory Committee (BIAC) to the OECD will participate in the upcoming Forum on May 10-12, which will focus on compliance and implementation of the OECD Due Diligence Guidance and other initiatives to enable responsible mineral supply chains. The agenda as well as the OECD Due Diligence Guidance are available on the OECD website.

USCIB Participates in World Day for Safety at Work

Published on April 29, 2016

Work-related accidents are among the top five leading causes of death around the world. Every year, 2.3 million workers die from injuries sustained on the job. Two million of these deaths are due to diseases including stress.

To respond to this challenge, the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development has set a specific target on promoting safe and secure environments for all workers. On April 28, the UN convened a special event in New York to discuss global initiatives for addressing safety at work.

Ronnie Goldberg, USCIB senior counsel, was a speaker at the event along with Reinhard Krapp (German Mission to the UN), Nata Menabde (World Health Organization), Edmundo Werno (International Labor Organization) and Alison Brown (Cardiff University). The panel was moderated by Vinicius Carvalho Pinheiro, ILO special representative to the UN.

Goldberg gave the business perspective on work-place safety, noting that occupational safety is a key business issue as it is inked to productivity and the competitiveness of enterprises. She said that proper and adequate supply chain management is a priority for companies, and hundreds of sector-specific initiatives exist to promote workplace safety along the supply chain.  Capacity building is also of critical importance to improve working conditions, she said, both for government institutions and companies.

“Employers recognize that creating a culture of prevention is a win-win for all parties,” Goldberg noted. “The IOE is committed to continue participating in the discussion on improving working conditions in supply chains as well as the development of the Vision Zero Fund.”

USCIB Statement: Setting the 2030 Sustainability Agenda In Motion

Published on April 20, 2016

un_headquarters_lo-resNow more than ever, business and the global community share a common goal of advancing economic development and sustainability while effectively addressing climate change. This week in New York, governments, business and civil society are gathered to move forward on the landmark decisions of 2015. Through USCIB’s Campaign2015, USCIB and its members supported and informed the decisions of Addis, Paris and New York.  This week our message is clear — it is time to get to work!

Together we have an opportunity to design and carry out promising solutions for the world’s economy and governments, reflecting the UN 2030 Development Agenda and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) – and the conviction that business and governments should work together to address global challenges.  These universal agendas speak to everyone, including the business community. USCIB will approach these imperatives holistically, working with our global business network, the U.S. and other governments, and numerous other partners.

USCIB members are committed to advance the vital outcomes of Addis, New York and Paris, both those that have been decided, as well as those requiring further discussion and elaboration.

Addressing the challenges of sustainability demands new ways of working together, through partnership and enhanced engagement between governments and business.  We understand that the real effort is now beginning, as governments determine working details and put commitments into action.  In business, we too are moving to define priorities for further elaboration and what it will take to mobilize and scale up business investment, innovation and action going forward.

Our joint priorities should include:

  • Strengthening specific and distinct business interfaces to the UN system, such as the Private Sector Coordinating Group for FfD, the HLPF and to the UNFCCC and its bodies, such as the Technology Mechanism and Green Climate Fund
  • Tapping business expertise to catalyze and design enabling frameworks for, among other things, research, development, deployment and management of efficient and low-carbon technologies, investment, trade, finance, MRV, adaptation, risk management, and frameworks to promote effective, inclusive and efficient results.

We welcome the UN’s willingness to work in partnership with business so that we can build solutions to energy security, lower carbon development and sustainable economic growth together. USCIB’s platform, Businessfor2030, highlights the fundamental role business will play in helping to achieve the SDGs and 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development

USCIB and its members are ready to demonstrate what we are ready to bring to this global effort, and look forward to working with governments, the UN community and society as a whole.

Read more about USCIB’s 2015 activities in support of the UN 2030 Development Agenda

UN 2030 Development Agenda Week

Published on April 18, 2016
Norine Kennedy and Peter Robinson speak at a press conference on December 9 at COP21 in Paris.Norine Kennedy and Peter Robinson speak at a press conference on December 9 at COP21 in Paris.

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Norine Kennedy and Peter Robinson speak at a press conference on December 9 at COP21 in Paris.

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L-R: Amina Mohammed (UN), Peter Robinson (USCIB), Alex Thier (USAID). Shawn Miles (MasterCard) and moderator Matthew Bishop (The Economist).

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Ronnie Goldberg unveils the Business for 2030 website at the Global Employers’ Summit in Bahrain.

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Business & Climate Summit 2015, ICC Secretary General John Danilovich.

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Business & Climate Summit 2015, ICC and USCIB Chairman Terry McGraw.

L-R: John Danilovich (ICC), Christiana Figueres (the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change) and Terry McGraw (ICC).L-R: John Danilovich (ICC), Christiana Figueres (the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change) and Terry McGraw (ICC).

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L-R: John Danilovich (ICC), Christiana Figueres (the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change) and Terry McGraw (ICC).

As United Nations members gather in New York to sign the Paris Climate Agreement and discuss follow-up on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) agreed last year, we thought it timely to recap some of the activities USCIB and its global network undertook in 2015 in support of these pivotal initiatives:

Read USCIB’s Statement: “Setting the 2015 Sustainability Agenda In Motion”

North American Regional Consultation on Climate Change

USCIB convened the North American Business Consultation  on Climate Change on June 23 in Washington, D.C.; this session, organized with the International Chamber of Commerce, the Canadian Chamber of Commerce and the International Emissions Trading Association, highlighted U.S. and Canadian business priorities for the U.N. climate agreement to be finalized in Paris this December.

In his opening comments to the day-long conference, with over 80 participants including government officials, business leaders, United Nations delegates, and academics, USCIB’s President and CEO, Peter Robinson stated: “USCIB has followed climate change for 20 plus years, and while the issues have evolved, become broader, been through ups and downs in the U.N. negotiations, it has remained a priority for member companies.  And en route to Paris, we see it evolving again, to include a strong element of corporate citizenship and social equity.”

Financing the Sustainable Development Goals

Last year, the United Nations agreed to an ambitious 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda, a grand vision for sustainability that will reshape the practice of development globally, as well as the private sector’s role in building a more prosperous, healthy world. USCIB is deeply engaged in all aspects of Agenda 2030, advocating for good governance and the rule of law, inclusive economic growth, investment in infrastructure, enabling environments to foster innovation, strong public-private partnerships and above all, an open channel for business input into policy negotiations and implementation at the international and national levels.

USCIB has played a central role in marshaling business input into the UN’s Financing for Development process, having worked actively with members and our global network to ensure that the private sector’s voice was heard at the Third International Conference on Financing for Development last July, where UN member states established a new financing framework to support sustainable development for the next 15 years – the Addis Ababa Action Agenda. The new financing framework is generally positive for business, with policies that include an emphasis on governance and domestic resource mobilization, support for blended finance and a move away from an overly-narrow focus on official development assistance. USCIB is also actively engaged in the first follow-up and review of this new framework Financing for Development conference, participating in several high-level events during the ECOSOC Forum on Financing for Development in New York, April 18-21. USCIB also raised and continues to monitor intellectual property and tax concerns as part of the financing for development process.

Business for 2030

In September 2015, USCIB officially launched its well-received Business for 2030 web portal, a catalog of business engagement that showcases the private sector’s contributions to the SDGs. Business for 2030 features over 140 initiatives from 35 companies in over 150 countries of how businesses are helping to achieve 72 of the 169 SDG targets. In addition to educating the business community about the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the SDGs, the website highlights concrete initiatives and public-private partnerships to inspire renewed trust in the private sector, and to catalyze sustained and active business engagement in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Through its blog and Twitter presence, the site also targets business perspectives to the UN community to sensitize them to business perspectives on SDG priorities and implementation.

USCIB Represents Business at Cool Earth Forum in Tokyo

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.

At High-Level Summit, Business Representatives Urge Ambitious Climate Pact

Private-sector representatives from around the world endorsed the conclusion of an ambitious and comprehensive worldwide agreement to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and strengthen resilience, while advancing energy access and security in the context of sustainable development.

During a December meeting at the headquarters of the French business federation. MEDEF, company executives and business federation officials from more than 20 countries agreed on a joint declaration stating: “Climate change is a common responsibility for all stakeholders, including for businesses in every part of the world, of every sector and every size, large groups and SMEs.”

United Nations Paris Climate Agreement (COP21) 

In December 2015, the United Nations concluded what was possibly the most important environmental meeting in history, when 194 countries agreed to a long-term climate treaty designed to curb global greenhouse gas emissions. The climate negotiations in Paris (COP21) saw unprecedented support and involvement from the business community, with USCIB and member companies on the ground at COP21 to demonstrate their commitment and stake in the accord.

Thanks to sustained advocacy from USCIB and other business organizations, the final climate agreement recognizes the need for enabling investment frameworks in global markets, as well as policies necessary to mobilize business innovation across all borders. Innovation, enabling frameworks for cost effective and scientifically sound policy design, and the need to work with business in partnerships are priorities for USCIB’s ongoing involvement in UN environmental work.

ILO Will Review MNE Declaration

Published on March 24, 2016

The International Labor Organization’s (ILO) 1977 Declaration of Principles concerning Multinational Enterprises and Social Policy (MNE Declaration) provides guidelines for regulating the conduct of global businesses and defines the terms for their relations with workers and host countries in the developing world. The ILO Governing Body has recently discussed the possible review of the declaration, which was last updated in 2006, with some groups pushing for a full revision of the text that could include additional burdens and obligations on businesses.

While the business community, represented within the ILO by the global employers’ group facilitated by the International Organization of Employers (IOE), supports the MNE Declaration and recognizes the importance of updating it to reflect recent developments – such as the endorsement of the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights – the employers’ group does not believe a more comprehensive revision of the declaration would be needed.

During a meeting of the ILO Governing body this week, the employers’ group warned against any excessive revision of the declaration for the following reasons. First, any major changes to the declaration could create a conflict between it and other international regulatory texts, such as the OECD Guidelines on Multinational Enterprises, which has a chapter on Employment and Industrial Relations that is already carefully aligned to the existing text of the MNE Declaration. Significant changes to the MNE Declaration  could create confusion for OECD member states and the companies subject to the Guidelines’ recommendations, which were substantially revised in 2011 after much multistakeholder discussion. Second, the employers noted it is unrealistic to believe that the text can be fully updated in just one year, in time for the 40th anniversary of the declaration in 2017. Finally, the employers’ group argued that given the ILO’s limited resources, money should be invested in essential work in the field, rather than formal bureaucratic procedures in Geneva.

Although the employers called for a limited revision of the declaration to be executed by the ILO Secretariat, the ILO governing body agreed to undertake a full revision of the Declaration through a tripartite working group over the coming year, with the aim of completing the update in time for the text’s 40th anniversary. However, the employers’ group was able to negotiate a clause in the text regarding the structure of the tripartite working group, which underlines that the tripartite working group will make its decisions by consensus. This provision will give the employers considerable leverage as the process unfolds.

More information on the ILO’s decision can be found on the IOE’s website.

USCIB Webinar Series: Bretton Woods II, March 23

Published on March 10, 2016

Globe with Money UnderneathUSCIB will host a webinor on Bretton Woods II, New America’s multi-stakeholder platform for reducing global volatility, which will take place Wednesday, March 23 from 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. EST. This will be the third webinar in the USCIB Corporate Responsibility series; please see below for further information on the series.

To register, please fill out the registration form here.

The non-partisan BWII, led by Tomicah Tilleman, is working with a large coalition of organizations – including the White House, the World Bank, McKinsey, Gates Foundation, and a range of long-term asset holders – to demonstrate that large long-term financial actors (institutional investors like pension funds and sovereign wealth funds) can significantly increase their long-term returns by dedicating a percentage of their holdings to investments that address root causes of volatility, i.e. poverty, corruption, poor governance and the lack of rule of law. Such directed investments can also improve investment climates in countries throughout the world in ways that have a multiplying effect for multinational enterprises. BWII also presents an opportunity for companies with unique competencies to lend their talents to this important endeavor.

Featured speaker

Tomicah Tillemann is a leader in the fields of social impact, civic innovation, and diplomacy. He currently serves as Senior Fellow and Director of New America’s Bretton Woods II.

Between 2010 and 2014, Tillemann served under Hillary Clinton and John Kerry as the Secretary of State’s Senior Advisor for Civil Society and Emerging Democracies. Tillemann led a team of experts that operated like venture capitalists in translating promising ideas and technologies into successful foreign policy. He also established and chaired the State Department’s Global Philanthropy Working Group and the State Department’s Federal Advisory Committee on civil society.

Tillemann joined the State Department in 2009 as Secretary Clinton’s speechwriter and collaborated with her on over 200 speeches. Previously, he spent four years on the professional staff of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee as an advisor to Chairmen Joe Biden and John Kerry. Tillemann’s other professional experience includes work with the White House, five U.S. Senate and Congressional campaigns, Reuters New Media, and the World Bank.

Tillemann is a co-holder of four patents on advanced clean technologies and a co-founder of IRIS Engines. He serves on the Advisory Board of BitFury, the world’s largest provider of blockchain infrastructure, and has helped launch and lead numerous civil society organizations and foundations. He received his B.A. magna cum laude from Yale University and holds a Ph.D. with distinction from the School for Advanced International Studies at Johns Hopkins University (SAIS). He has lectured at Yale and Princeton and testified repeatedly before Congress. He is a frequent guest on the BBC, NPR, and other news outlets.