Corporate Responsibility and Labor Affairs Archives

UN Forum on Business and Human Rights

The fifth meeting of the United Nations Forum on Business and Human Rights will bring together representatives and practitioners from civil society, business, government, international organizations and affected stakeholders to take stock of challenges and discuss ways to move forward on putting into practice the Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights – a global standard for preventing and addressing adverse impacts on human rights linked to business activity. The Forum was established by the Human Rights Council, and is guided by the United Nations Working Group on Business and Human Rights.

 

Business Engages With G20 on Employment

Published on November 7, 2016

youth_workingLeading governments and business organizations are redoubling their efforts to boost employment opportunities worldwide. On November 2 in Geneva, Linda Kromjong, secretary general of the International Organization of Employers (IOE), and Phil O’Reilly, chairman of Business at OECD (BIAC), attended an informal meeting of the G20 Employment Working Group.

That same day, USCIB president and CEO Peter Robinson took part in the inaugural meeting of the B20 (Business 20) Task Force on Employment and Education, of which he serves as a vice chair. The task force is chaired by Gerhard Braun, vice chairman of the German Employers Federation BDA. Key issues for Robinson in the task force include adapting to the future of work‎ and addressing youth unemployment.

In her remarks to the G20 working group, Kromjong highlighted the fresh approach that had been taken by China, during its year in the rotating G20 presidency, to rising global unemployment by focusing on innovation and entrepreneurship. She underscored that a number of important initiatives of the Chinese presidency, such as the G20 Apprenticeships Initiative and the G20 Structural Reform Agenda, have the potential to contribute to more dynamic labor markets.

O’Reilly commended the upcoming German G20 presidency on its plans to closely engage with social partners, including the business community. He said business supports many of the ambitious agenda items of the German presidency and that it is exciting that the “future of work” has been put on the G20 agenda.

Labor and Corporate Responsibility Committees Meet in Washington

Published on October 31, 2016

USCIB’s Corporate Responsibility Committee and Labor & Employment Policy Committee held the fall installment of their biannual meetings October 19-20 at the offices of Covington & Burling in Washington D.C. The meetings comprised a day and a half of panels, bringing in speakers from business, government and civil society, along with robust discussion on issues of business and human rights. The 2016 fall meetings set a new participation record for the committees, with attendance by over 60 representatives from 35-plus companies.

Laura Chapman Rubbo (Disney) chaired the meetings and facilitated discussions, with support from Tam Nguyen (Bechtel), who serves as vice-chair of the Corporate Responsibility Committee, and Ariel Meyerstein, USCIB’s vice president of labor affairs, corporate responsibility and governance.

The keynote address was given by Ambassador Patricia Haslach, principle deputy assistant secretary in the State Department’s Economic Bureau. Other State Department speakers included Andrew Keller, director of sanctions policy and implementation and Melike Yetken, senior adviser for corporate social responsibility and the U.S. “national contact point” for the OECD Guidelines on Multinational Enterprises. Keller and Yetken discussed the impact of sanctions and shareholder resolutions on human rights, and developments concerning the OECD guidelines, respectively. Other speakers included former State Department official Alan Larson (Covington & Burling), Arvind Ganesan, who leads Human Rights Watch’s private sector engagement, and Carolyn Fisher (PepsiCo).

A considerable part of the agenda was devoted to the issue of forced labor. One panel covered elimination of the consumptive demand exception under the Tariff Act of 1930’s ban on importation of goods made with forced/child labor, with updates from Ken Kennedy, labor affairs policy adviser at U.S. Immigration, Customs & Enforcement (ICE), Jerry Malmo of the commercial enforcement division at U.S. Customs & Border Patrol (CBP), and Megan Giblin, USCIB’s director of customs policy.

Other meeting topics included company efforts to combat forced labor, with presentations given by a variety of companies across a wide range of industries, and a discussion on the UN Guiding Principles Reporting Framework, led by Shift Project, who was heavily involved in the development of the Reporting Framework. The second day included a conversation with Deborah Greenfield, deputy director general of policy with the International Labor organization, on the ILO’s work plan following this past June’s discussion on “Decent Work in Global Supply Chains.”

USCIB’s Corporate Responsibility and Labor & Employment Policy Committees will reconvene in the spring of 2017.

Gender Workshop Spotlights Importance of Education

Published on October 31, 2016
L-R: Nicole Primmer (BIAC), keynote speaker Julia Goodfellow, Ronnie Goldberg (USCIB), former BIAC Chair Charles Heeter
L-R: Julia Goodfellow (University of Kent), Ronnie Goldberg (USCIB), former BIAC Chair Charles Heeter

On October 24 in Paris, Business at OECD/BIAC hosted its third workshop on gender equality, addressing the third “E” of the OECD Project on Gender — “Education.” The workshop presented business initiatives that promote lifelong training and education of women, explored questions related to soft skills and career preferences, and discussed the impact of the digital economy and developments in technology for women at work. This year’s workshop was sponsored by Deloitte and Dell.

The focus was on STEM education. Keynote remarks were delivered by Dame Julia Goodfellow, vice chancellor of the University of Kent, who discussed the differences in subjects studied by women and men at universities (almost 70 percent of students studying languages are female, while almost 80 percent of students studying computer science are men), as well as obstacles women face in the later stages of their careers.

USCIB Senior Counsel Ronnie Goldberg provided on overview from the business perspective. She recounted that the first BIAC gender equality workshop had focused on “Employment,” including the “leaking pipeline” of female leadership. The second BIAC workshop shifted its gaze to “Entrepreneurship,” addressing women in the ICT sector and key activities for companies around the world in supporting women entrepreneurs, such as providing finance, mentoring and leadership. Goldberg discussed how since these two workshops, progress on gender equality has not come as fast as desired. She said this is because changes involve not only policy, but also shifts in social and cultural attitudes.

The first panel was full of updates by ambassadors to the OECD from Canada, Germany and Chile, as well as from the OECD secretariat. They discussed the status of women at work in their respective countries, and outlined various initiatives taken by government to support girls and women in STEM fields. The second panel looked at soft skills, training and education, and how to leverage gender balance for business success. Speakers, including USCIB member Coca-Cola, discussed efforts to mitigate unconscious and implicit bias, the link between having female leadership to better understand consumers, who are often women, and once again, understanding the reasons for the “leaking pipeline” and how to prevent such leaks.

A working lunch was led by representatives from Deloitte, who discussed the lack of women in STEM subjects not related to healthcare, using the United Kingdom as an example, and how to change this outlook for women in STEM. Suggestions included starting in early schooling, by giving young girls greater exposure to female professionals working in STEM and mitigating unconscious reinforcement of gender stereotypes.

The last session centered on the impact of the digital economy — on women in ICT sectors, how companies are educating women on technology, and how both women and companies are using technology to grow professionally. ICT company representatives, such as USCIB members IBM, Google and Dell, emphasized the benefits of having female employees, and discussed individual company initiatives to encourage young women to enter digital careers. Speakers stressed the importance of encouraging young girls’ confidence about their skills in STEM subjects, and the importance of demystifying the actual skills needed to succeed in the digital economy.

BIAC will release a report of the workshop and the issues raised during discussions. Reports from the previous workshops can be found here.

Employers Participate in Forum on Impact of Major Sporting Events

Published on October 24, 2016

A male soccer player kicks a ball and soccer goalie jumping in motion for a ball while defending his gates on wide angle panoramic image of a outdoor soccer stadium or arena full of spectators under a sunny sky. The image has depth of field with the focus on the foreground part of the pitch. With intentional lensflares. Players are wearing unbranded soccer uniform.

The International Organization of Employers (IOE), part of USCIB’s global network, took part in the October 13-14 Sporting Chance Forum on Mega-Sporting Events and Human Rights in Washington, D.C.

Convened by the U.S. State Department, the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs, and the Institute for Human Rights and Business, this high-level gathering convened 100 leaders from a wide variety of relevant stakeholder groups to discuss strategies to prevent, mitigate, and remedy human rights and labor standards abuses associated with the life cycle of major international sporting events such as the Olympic Games or the FIFA World Cup.

Read more on the IOE website.

BIAC Workshop on Gender Equality and Skills: Preparing All our Minds for Work: Girls, Women and Learning over a Lifetime

This is the third BIAC workshop on gender equality, and will address the 3rd “E” of the OECD project on Gender: Education.  The workshop will present business initiatives that promote lifelong education and training of women, explore questions related to soft skills and career preference, and discuss how the digital economy and related skills are opening new pathways for women at work.   The workshop aims to deliver an evidence base from the business perspective contributing to OECD work in the field and to support the recommendations of the OECD Council Recommendation on Gender Equality. 

Participants will be from Business, Government and OECD.

BIAC Report:  The workshop will serve as a basis for a BIAC written report on gender equality education and skills.

USCIB SDGs Working Group Meeting

Meeting of the SDGs Working Group to discuss USCIB activities during UNGA Week relevant to the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, SDGs Indicators and Metrics, and next steps for USCIB Business and SDGs Roundtables.

Business for 2030 Website Crosses a Key Threshold

Published on October 14, 2016

Business for 2030 logo

Last month, the Business for 2030 website, which was launched in 2015 as a platform to demonstrate private-sector support for the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals and the 2030 Agenda, registered its 20,000th visitor.

“We’re really pleased with the growth thus far, and we know we’ve only uncovered the very tip of the iceberg of corporate activity related to the SDGs,” said USCIB Vice President Ariel Meyerstein, who conceived the website and has developed it in collaboration with numerous USCIB member companies and partner organizations. “It demonstrates the eagerness with which the private and public sectors are looking for ways to work together to achieve these critical global goals.”

The Business for 2030 portal features hundreds of real-world examples of company initiatives and public-private partnerships, organized in relation to over 50 of the business-relevant SDG targets.

The initiative picks up on UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon‘s exhortation for the private sector “to take its place at the table and plot a path forward for the next 15 years, reaffirming once again that responsible business is a force for good.”

Business for 2030 now covers 81 of the 169 targets with one or more initiative – for a total of 165 initiatives from 47 companies and organizations, in more than 150 countries. You can track future development of the initiative at www.businessfor2030.org/progress.

Execs Meet With Labor Secretary to Promote Apprenticeships

Published on October 7, 2016
US Labor Secretary Thomas Perez (second from right) at the Global Apprenticeships Network board meeting in Washington, D.C.
US Labor Secretary Thomas Perez (second from right) at the Global Apprenticeships Network board meeting in Washington, D.C.

Youth unemployment worldwide has reached crisis proportions. Businesses are often unable to find the skills they need among new graduates, and around the world 621 million youth are not engaged in employment, education or training. What’s more, 51 percent of millennials are underemployed, and student debt is growing.

Obtaining an apprenticeship as a first job allows the young person to benefit from “earning while learning,” which can lead to a lifetime of productive employment. U.S. Secretary of Labor Thomas Perez has called apprenticeship “the other college, except without the debt.”

A business-led coalition spearheaded by CEOs representing some of the world’s largest companies, employer associations, and major international organizations have come together through the Global Apprenticeships Network (GAN) to create skills for business and jobs for youth.

gan_group
Secretary Perez (front row, center) met with CEOs and other private-sector representatives, including USCIB President Peter Robinson and IOE Secretary General Linda Kromjong (first row, far right), and BIAC Secretary General Bernhard Welschke (second row, second from right).

USCIB President and CEO Peter M. Robinson joined GAN CEOs and Secretary Perez at a series of events on October 6 at the White House in Washington, D.C. Also present were Linda Kromjong, secretary general of the International Organization of Employers, and Bernhard Welschke, secretary general of Business at OECD.

Coincident with the GAN meetings in Washington, Adecco Group CEO Alain Dehaze published a column on LinkedIn entitled “Employment: A Call to Action for the Next President of the United States.”

Click here to read more about the days events. You can also view a recap on the GAN’s website.