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JOURNAL OF THE UNITED STATES COUNCIL FOR INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS WINTER 2015 VOL. XXXVI, NO. 4

INTERNATIONALBUSINESS

Inside

International conference on nutrition 5

USCIB award gala 6

Spotlight on labor and human rights 16

Business and the UN Climate Talkspage 3

2 USCIB International Business Winter 2015 www.uscib.org

climate change, did reach its initial $10 billion capitalization target. But going from $10 billion to $100 billion depends on the mobilization of private invest-ment and innovation.

Negotiators must now work toward a 2015 Paris agreement with measures that enable markets and foster business investment – as well as government aid – aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions and adjusting to climate impacts. The UNFCCC should promote innovation through financially efficient and well-targeted support mechanisms to scale up new technologies and strong protection of intellectual property.

Private-Sector Engagement

If a global climate agreement doesn’t work for business, it won’t work. This was the message my colleagues and I delivered repeatedly in Lima. With so much riding on economy-wide transformational change that will rely on the private sector, the Paris outcomes must anchor the role of business in the UN climate agreement through actions to reduce emissions, pursue ef-ficiency, transform energy systems and build more resilient infrastructure.

We made some progress on this front. Our well-attended BizMEF Lima Dialogue won praise for engaging with key governments and other stake-holders in support of securing the private-sector commitment and expertise that can drive meaningful change. Given the wide impact that a UN agree-ment will have on markets, regulations and national competitiveness, an agreed and recognized structure is needed to provide business expertise and support.

UN negotiators should make space for a business consultative channel as a resource of technical and practical expertise for governments and the UNFCCC process.

So where does this leave us, with one year to go before the big Paris climate summit? The challenge of climate change is real on economic, environmental and social fronts, with opportunities for business in new mar-kets and for the global community to enable climate-friendly development and energy access.

Negotiators have a lot of work to do between now and next December. Have they bitten off more than they can chew? I think not, but getting this agree-ment past the finish line will clearly require pragmatic problem-solving and engagement with the private sector. Business innovates and invests in ways that the public sector can’t, and tapping into that innovation could well be the difference between success and the same old same old in Paris next year.

Contact Peter Robinson at (212) 703-5046 or [email protected].

Following another finish in “overtime,” the annual UN climate change con-ference wrapped up in Lima, Peru on December 13. This was the 20th Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, or UNFCCC, and one could be forgiven for a sense of déjà vu. After all, we have become accustomed to the inevitable cliff-hanger ending of these annual “COP” meetings, just as we have come to depend on a last-minute compromise.

The Lima meeting’s purpose was to set the stage for the home stretch of negotiations of a long-term inclusive climate agreement to be finalized next December in Paris. Yet despite a modest agenda, it proved extremely difficult for member states to agree to even a brief five page outcome document. In my view, this means we should not be too complacent as we look ahead to 2015. Much has changed since the international community negotiated the Kyoto Protocol in 1997, and business has a lot on the line.

Negotiators did make progress in framing commitments to lower green-house gas emissions and fund developing countries’ climate efforts. I attended alongside USCIB’s Norine Kennedy and many dozens of USCIB member executives and representatives of our global business network. Our colleagues from the International Chamber of Commerce played an important coordinating role, facilitating private-sector engagement across the board in Lima.

This was my fourth COP, and a major difference I noticed from prior meet-ings was while governments still face gaps and differences in opinion, positions put forward by business groups are converging in three key areas that are – in USCIB’s view – deal-breakers for the future of the agreement. (See our news report on COP20 on the next page.)

Commitments and Transparency

The climate agreement to be signed in Paris must provide a clear frame-work for international cooperative action, committing all large emitting economies to the measurement, monitoring and reporting of nationally pledged activities to control and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, such as those announced recently by the United States and China.

UN negotiators needed to reach agreement on credible measuring, report-ing and verification for all national commitments to ensure transparency and assess progress going forward. In Lima, China and a number of other, largely developing, countries resisted measurement and reporting tools to ensure that countries are living up to their commitments.

Financing and Investment

We need to leverage private investment if we are to have any hope of marshal-ling the $100 billion in annual financing that UNFCCC parties say is required to ensure adequate resources for climate mitigation and adaptation. Yet govern-ments seem stuck in the same old “aid, not trade” mindset. The UN’s Green Climate Fund, designed to finance developing countries’ efforts to combat

Peter M. Robinson, President and CEO, USCIBthe

first word What Has Changed on Climate Change?

If a global climate agreement doesn’t work for business, it won’t work.

USCIB International Business Winter 2015 www.uscib.org 3

After a scheduled two weeks of talks and an unplanned 36-hour weekend negotiating session, the 2014 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Lima, Peru finally drew to a close on December 14. Negotiations ended with member states agreeing to guidelines for cutting greenhouse gas emissions as countries work toward a final, long-term climate agreement to be hammered out in Paris in late 2015. This agreement, if approved, would be the first in history to commit all countries to reducing emissions.

USCIB represented American business interests in Peru, host to the 20th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP20) of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC), the UN body responsible for taking action on climate change. As governments hashed out an agreement, U.S. business saw an opportunity to design international climate cooperation that works with markets to deploy investment and innovation. USCIB President and CEO Peter Robinson and Norine Kennedy, vice president for strategic international engagement, energy and the environment, attended the COP20 meetings.

Signaling the political challenges of crafting a global climate agreement, the 194 governments at the Lima meeting struggled for consensus on a five-page declaration that would allow climate talks to continue to Paris. Conflicts between rich and developing nations bogged down efforts to

build a draft of the final agreement, in sharp contrast to strong interest by businesses and other stakeholders to be more substantively involved in action and consultation.

“Lima’s outcomes show the scale of the task before governments and society in limiting greenhouse gases,” said Kennedy. “USCIB is ready to continue to inform and support these vital economic and environmental deliberations going forward.”

Lima Business DialogueCommitted to forging a recognized consultative role for business in the United Nations climate agreement to be finalized next year in Paris, the Major Economies Business Forum (BizMEF), of which USCIB is a member, co-hosted the “Lima Business Dialogue” on December 7. Over 70 attendees participated in the dialogue, including high-level government officials and climate negotiators from the United States, Peru, New Zealand, the Netherlands, Japan and Poland; global business leaders; representatives of major national business organizations; and officials from the UNFCCC Secretariat.

BizMEF comprises national and regional business organizations representing millions of companies all over the world, and members

have participated in and shared views at meetings of the UNFCCC since COP15 in Copenhagen in 2009.

“Our goal is to encourage the creation of more effective engagement options for the business community in the UNFCCC,” said Robinson at the event. “Both by considering ways to do so and by demonstrating the value of enhanced, recognized participation.”

The Lima Business Dialogue discussed the value of engagement by the private sector in the UN’s climate agreement, tackled the market opportunities and challenges faced by the Latin American business community and reviewed the role the private sector plays in the UN’s technology mechanism and the UNFCCC’s Green Climate Fund.

The UN refers to businesses as “observer organizations” at the UNFCCC’s deliberations, but governments rely on the private sector to finance commitments on climate change. Business has limited opportunities to offer its technical expertise and policy advice to the deliberations. All would benefit from an enhanced role played by business in UN climate talks.

“The UNFCCC now has a once in a decade opportunity to anchor business in the Paris 2015 outcome,” Kennedy said at the dialogue. “And by doing so, to tap into business’s unique understanding of policy and markets, and its operational, technological, investment and management expertise to help design and implement the new international cooperative climate framework.”

The day after the Lima Business Dialogue, Robinson attended a press conference with Inter-national Chamber of Commerce leaders where he made a strong case for business engagement.

“If a global agreement on climate change doesn’t work for and with businesses, it just won’t work,” he said.

Anchoring Business in the UN Climate Talks

coverstory

“The UNFCCC now has a once in a decade opportunity to anchor business in the Paris 2015 outcome.”

– Norine Kennedy, USCIB

USCIB President and CEO Peter Robinson at a press conference in Lima, Peru on December 8.


G20 Leaders Commit to Ambitious Pro-Growth Agenda

The Business 20 (B20) business coalition welcomed Group of 20 (G20) com-mitments made at the November G20 Summit in Australia to implement an ambi-tious structural reform agenda that will lift global GDP by more than two per cent above expectations over the next five years and create millions of new jobs.

The B20 group provides global business leaders with a forum for producing policy recommendations to be delivered at the annual G20 meeting, reflecting the key role the private sector plays as a driver of strong, sustainable economic growth. The G20 is an international forum composed of the world’s 20 biggest economies designed to coordinate global economic policy.

During the G20 Summit in Brisbane, Terry McGraw, chair of USCIB and the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), joined a small group of business lead-ers in meetings with the G20 leaders and other senior ministers to discuss the B20 policy recommendations.

“The newly adopted work program is evidence that G20 leaders remain commit-ted to achieving the two percent growth targets set forward by finance ministers last summer,” said McGraw. “Business was especially pleased to see that the declaration endorsed a number of the B20 recommendations in the areas of trade, investment, energy and anti-corruption.”

Following the summit, G20 leaders released a final communiqué that included several items the B20 has actively promoted:

• B20 fully supports the G20 Global Infrastructure Initiative, a multi-year work program to increase public and private infrastructure investment, particularly the establishment of the Global Infrastructure Hub.

• On trade, B20 welcomed the G20’s commitment to build a stronger trading system based on a robust and effective World Trade Organization. Acceler-ating commitments on trade facilitation was a core recommendation of the

B20, so the recent breakthrough on implementation at the World Trade Orga-nization (see page 8) was welcome.

• Society will benefit from planned improvements to global supply chains and the reforms outlined in individual country growth strategies to facilitate trade by lowering costs, streamlining customs procedures, reducing regulatory bur-dens and strengthening trade-enabling services.

• The B20 was encouraged by the G20’s commitment to improve transparency in the public and private sectors, since corruption is a major obstacle to sus-tainable economic, political and social development.

The three legs of USCIB’s global network – ICC, the International Organization of Employers and the Business and Industry Advisory Committee to the OECD – all contribute to the B20 process, geared to raising global growth and delivering better living standards and quality jobs worldwide.

B20 Delegate David Thodey (Telstra Corporation) and ICC Chairman Terry McGraw (McGraw Hill Financial) at the 2014 G20 Summit in Brisbane, Australia (Credit: G20 Australia).

Global engagement for global challengesToday’s challenges require collective action to best facilitate a healthy, confident and growing global economy. Deloitte proudly supports the work of the B20 and its input into the G20 agenda, for 2015 under the leadership of the Turkey G20 presidency.


The Second International Confer-ence on Nutrition (ICN2) wrapped up in November, ending an inter-governmental ministerial aimed at addressing the twin global threats of malnutrition and obesity as countries pledged to align national policies with nutrition objectives.

USCIB attended the conference, or-ganized by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and World Health Organization at the FAO headquarters in Rome from November 19 to 21, as part of a private-sector delegation of over 90 people from more than 20 countries. USCIB and member companies were on the ground in Rome to make the case for the positive role the private sector plays in nutrition and agriculture.

“The private sector is an important ally in fighting hunger and malnutrition, therefore the FAO is committed to strengthening its partnership with the private sector,” said FAO Director General Jose Graziano da Silva. “There is a need for improved nutrition and coordination across sectors. This needs to be done in dialogue with non-state actors including the private sector.”

During ICN2 Helen Medina, USCIB’s senior director for product policy and innovation, chaired a bilateral meeting with U.S. and Canadian government officials.

“The meeting was friendly,” Medina said. “The private sector shared its main messages while gov-ernment officials reiterated how pleased they were to see a big private-sector delegation at ICN2.”

Throughout the conference Medina and other private-sector representatives engaged with delegates to promote business’s positive role in the nutrition space. Many governments supported business’s engagement in the dialogue.

ICN2 ended with participants agreeing that there is a clear need for a coordinated government ap-proach to nutrition. Looking ahead, there will be a push to include more nutritional targets in the UN’s Post-2015 Development Agenda. USCIB will continue to ensure that its members can engage with the FAO and relevant UN agencies as the ICN2 recommendations move forward.

Improving Nutrition is Everyone’s Business

Private-Sector Perspectives on Nutrition

Addressing Nutrition Globally

• Furthering nutritional goals depends upon on agricultural production and access, particularly to address the needs of women, children and the most vulnerable.

• Good nutrition promotes broad-based, diverse diets and allows for consumer choice.

• Innovation, research and education are essential to accelerating nutritional improvements.

Taking Action

• The private sector is needed to tackle nutritional challenges on a large scale.

• Expanding trade raises the standard of living in developing countries, which is necessary for combating global hunger.

• Empowering women is crucial for improving nutrition.

Private-Sector Engagement is Essential

• The private sector believes participation of non-state actors is essential and encourages future plans to engage them in action plans.

• The private sector is committed to public-private partnerships that support public health strategies.

Leveraging Partnerships to Combat Malnutrition

In October, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization hosted a dialogue in Rome about the critical role of public-private partnerships in fighting malnutrition. The well-attended event convened representatives from member states, the private sector and civil society to raise awareness of global nutrition issues and to catalyze support for partnerships. Dr. Nancy Stetson, special representative for global food security at the U.S. Department of State, noted that partnerships are necessary to reduce global hunger and malnutrition.

Louise Kantrow, the International Chamber of Commerce’s permanent representative to the UN, made a strong case for engaging the private sector as a full partner in deciding strategies for addressing malnutrition, since business is involved throughout the entire agriculture supply chain, from seeds to food processing to all the products farmers need to grow and distribute food.

“The UN has recognized that the problems confronting the global community now know no boundaries and all actors in society must come to the table and provide inputs,” said Kantrow, who also stressed the importance of trade and investment in the agriculture industry as it relates to economic development, empowering women, and innovation as areas where the private sector can contribute to the fight against malnutrition.

The UN Food and Agriculture Organization headquarters in Rome, Italy.


Government officials, business leaders, repre-sentatives from interna-tional organizations and staff and friends of USCIB gathered at the Four Sea-sons Hotel in Washington, D.C. on November 19 to honor the director general of the World Trade Organi-zation, Roberto Azevedo, and to celebrate a banner year for the multilateral trading system.

Coming on the heels of a breakthrough at the World Trade Organization on the implementation of the Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA), USCIB’s annual award dinner gave the American business community a chance to thank Azevedo for his stewardship of the Bali agreement, which was brokered in December 2013 and once fully implemented is estimated to add $1 trillion to the global economy and create 21 million jobs.

The atmosphere was warm and celebratory at the Four Seasons as over 240 guests congratulated Azevedo over cocktails and dinner. United States Trade Representative Michael Froman gave special remarks in which he commended USCIB for its support of President Obama’s ambitious trade agenda and happily remarked it was “a good week for trade,” given progress on the TFA, the Information Technology Agreement and the G20 Summit in Brisbane where leaders listed trade as one of the main drivers of economic growth (see page 4).

USCIB President and CEO Peter Robinson kicked off the dinner by welcoming USCIB’s guests and friends, and by formally thanking Azevedo for his commitment to realize the promise of the WTO’s Bali agreement.

“We are delighted to be honoring Roberto Azevedo of the WTO,” Robinson said. “Indeed, tonight is a celebration of global trade and investment, and their potential to contribute to better lives and help tackle shared global challenges.”

Although Azevedo could not be at the gala in person – he had withdrawn to the WTO’s headquarters in Geneva to oversee the TFA breakthrough – the director general recorded his acceptance speech a few hours before the event in a video that was shown during the dinner.

“I am extremely proud to receive your backing in this way,” Azevedo said of the International Leadership Award.

Following the acceptance speech, McGraw pre-sented Azevedo with the International Leadership Award, and he called on attendees to give their full support to the WTO. “We’ve got to do every-thing we can to elevate the prominence of the WTO,” he said.

With a new G20 agenda in which trade plays such an integral role, McGraw praised the progress on the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) and the Trans-Atlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP), and summed up the evening’s ethos by saying free trade “means more prosperity for our world, and that’s what we’re all about.”

After joking that building consensus among members at the WTO “is like herding animals: cats, frogs or venomous snakes, depending on the day,” Ambassador Froman commended Azevedo for his role in securing a meaningful outcome at the WTO’s ministerial in Bali last year. Froman noted that Azevedo’s persever-ance during those contentious negotiations was essential for a successful deal.

Froman listed the week’s many accomplishments: President Obama con-vened a productive meeting of all the TPP leaders, and he announced a major breakthrough with China to help pave the way for the Information Technology Agreement. And U.S. and EU leaders committed to moving forward with a high-standard TTIP.

USCIB Award Gala Celebrates Great Year for Trade

World Trade Organization Director General Roberto Azevedo accepts USCIB’s 2014 International Leadership Award: “I am extremely proud to receive your backing in this way.”

USTR Michael Froman speaks at USCIB’s award gala.

“The WTO is essential, it’s rules-based, and we’ve got to get behind it.”

– Terry McGraw

A Stellar LineupFive VIPs joined Ambassador Froman, USCIB President and CEO Peter Robinson and ICC Chairman Terry McGraw in thanking Azevedo for breathing new life into the multilateral trade agenda.

• John Danilovich, ICC secretary general

• Gil Kerlikowske, Customs and Border Protection commissioner

• U.S. Congressman Peter Roskam (R-IL)

• Guy Ryder, director general of the International Labor Organization (ILO)

• Bernhard Welschke, BIAC (Business and Industry Advisory Committee to the OECD) secretary general

continued on page 7


“It was a good week for trade,” Froman said. “I wish we could do that every week, but we’ll try and keep the momentum going.”

The dinner ended with congratulatory remarks from leaders of USCIB’s global network and a U.S. gov-ernment representative.

Many speakers urged attendees to communicate why world trade is so important to the general public. “The multilateral trading system needs to be

developed,” said Bernhard Welschke, secretary general of the Business and Industry Advisory Com-mittee to the OECD. “We need to explain why trade is so important to growth. It’s an important mission.”

Congressman Peter Roskam concluded the

evening’s speeches with a vigorous call to advo-

cate for free trade at every opportunity and make

the case for why multilateral trade liberalization

is good for us all. With so much inaction on Capi-

tol Hill, Congressman Roskam pointed out that

the U.S. trade agenda is one of the few areas

where there’s common ground on both sides of

the aisle. For those of us who firmly believe that

expanded trade will benefit all, we should take

advantage of that.

USCIB President and CEO Peter Robinson and Senior Vice President Rob Mulligan at the award gala reception.

“The stakes are huge…for the billions of people around the world that stand to benefit from expanding trade.”

– Ambassador Michael Froman

continued from page 6

“We need to make sure that the trade debate doesn’t stay in the echo chamber.”

– Congressman Peter Roskam


Trade Facilitation Agreement Back on Track

USCIB hailed the November announcement by the United States and India of a breakthrough to end the impasse over implementation of the World Trade Organization Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA).

“This is very welcome news and paves the way to bring the landmark TFA deal into effect,” said USCIB President and CEO Peter Robinson. “It will provide a big boost to the U.S. and global economies at a critical time. Coupled with the an-nouncement of an agreement with China to move forward on expanding the WTO’s Information Technology Agreement, this demonstrates the continued importance of multilateral trade liberalization in the 21st-century global economy.”

Robinson added: “We especially commend U.S. Trade Represen-tative Michael Froman and his team for their extraordinary, tire-less efforts to find a solution to this frustrating deadlock. This agreement shows again the unique power of American leadership to find creative solutions to some of the toughest problems facing the world today.”

USCIB has pushed hard for resolu-tion of the impasse, which arose in July when India blocked implementa-tion of the TFA in a dispute over its food security measures. It has also worked closely with the International Chamber of Commerce, the world business orga-

nization for which USCIB serves as the American national committee, to get the TFA back on track.

ICC Secretary General John Danilovich said: “Coming on the eve of the G20 Summit in Brisbane, Australia, this breakthrough is not only welcome but ex-tremely timely, laying the foundation for G20 leaders to forge ahead with a robust agenda for global growth and job creation.”

In November, USCIB honored WTO Director General Roberto Azevêdo at its International Leadership Award Dinner in Washington, D.C., for his stewardship

of the multilateral trading system.

Under the Trade Facilitation Agree-ment, which was concluded at the December 2013 WTO ministerial in Bali, Indonesia, WTO members com-mit to remove administrative and customs-related barriers to trade in order to speed shipment of goods across borders. Once implemented, the TFA is expected to spur global economic growth and create some 21 million new jobs – 18 million in developing countries – while adding $1 trillion to global GDP.

Robinson said the business com-munity was committed to helping developing countries implement the TFA. USCIB and ICC will hold a joint symposium on customs and trade facilitation this February in Miami.

President Obama with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the White House in September. (White House photo)

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Thousands of delegates from around the world gathered in Beijing, China from November 8 to 10 for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) CEO Summit, the most influential and high-level economic dialogue in the region. The summit brings together heads of state, business leaders and economic experts to share their views on how to promote free trade, innovation, growth and in-tegration in the Asia-Pacific.

USCIB President and CEO Peter Robinson and Helen Medina, senior director of product policy and innovation, attended the summit and met with USCIB members and government officials to discuss American business priorities.

Robinson hosted a bilateral discussion with Charles Rivkin, U.S. assistant secretary of state for economic and business affairs. Company representatives at the discussion raised several concerns, including the need to move forward on the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), the im-portance of bilateral investment treaties and the need to secure a high standard of intellectual property rights in TPP.

During the summit, President Obama delivered a speech on U.S. engagement with the Asia-Pa-cific region and the value of trade and economic integration, which USCIB vigorously supports.

“In the 21st century, the pursuit of econom-ic growth, job creation and trade is not a zero-sum game,” Obama said. “One country’s prosperity doesn’t have to come at the expense of

another’s. If we work together, and act together, strengthening the economic ties between our na-tions will benefit all our nations.”

Global Value Chains and Trade: Strengthening APEC’s Economic Integration

At the summit USCIB organized an event, “Global Value Chains and Trade: Strengthening the Backbone for Greater Economic Integration Across APEC,” through the U.S. APEC Business Coalition. The event convened government and business leaders to discuss the role global value chains (GVCs) play in bolstering Pacific Rim economies.

“In our highly interconnected world, participation in GVCs can produce considerable gains,” said Robinson. “According to a report last year by the OECD, WTO and UNCTAD, developing econo-mies with the fastest growing GVC participation have per-capita GDP growth rates two percent

above the average. Likewise, countries that at-tract more foreign direct investment tend to have higher GVC participation levels and generate more value added from trade.”

During the discussion, participants identified a number of obstacles that APEC economies must overcome in order to leverage the benefits of global value chains:

• forced localization requirements that impede the flow of goods and services;

• restrictions on cross border data flows, which limit cloud computing and e-commerce;

• differences in customs procedures, including duplicative document requirements and com-plicated administrative requirements, which result in multiplied costs and time to reach the market;

• lack of regulatory transparency and additional regulatory barriers for products or services from country to country.

Prior to the summit USCIB released its “2015 APEC Priority Issues and Recommendations,” which outlines policies that APEC economies can pursue towards freer trade, greater economic integration and easier movement of goods and services across borders. USCIB will continue to work within APEC with our business and gov-ernment partners in the Philippines host year to ensure that these issues remain on the agenda.

Championing Business Engagement at the APEC CEO Summit

Business Applauds APEC’s Work on Trade FacilitationThe U.S. private sector applauded APEC’s efforts to forge ahead on initiatives to accelerate trade and economic growth through the APEC Alliance for Supply Chain Connectivity (A2C2), amid challenges surrounding implementation of the World Trade Organization’s (WTO) Agreement on Trade Facilitation.

In 2010, APEC Leaders committed to achieve a 10 percent improvement by 2015 in the performance of the regional supply chain, as measured by reductions in cost, time and uncertainty. In 2014, APEC established the A2C2 to leverage outside expertise in helping developing economies improve supply chain performance through targeted, focused capacity building and technical assistance.

In a joint statement, USCIB and the National Center for APEC called the effort “a strong example of the kind of substantive work APEC is doing to improve supply chain performance and help economies implement the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement.”

Beijing, China

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Heads of Western Hemisphere ICC Chapters Chart Course for the FutureLeaders of the ICC national committees in the Americas convened in Bogota, Columbia in November to review issues and priorities with ICC Secretary General John Danilovich, and to discuss institutional development within the region. During the meeting, USCIB’s President and CEO Peter Robinson gave a presentation on the upcoming ICC and USCIB Customs and Trade Facilitation Symposium in Miami in February, which generated interest among attendees. He also covered the ICC’s program of action on trade and investment, supporting high standards in multilateral investment agreements, highlighting the importance of investor protections in trade agreements and stressing the power of national committee collaboration in promoting key issues like the World Trade Organization’s Trade Facilitation Agreement. He also noted the importance of business input into UN climate deliberations.

Business Calls for Extending the Internet Governance Forum In October, ICC-BASIS, which serves as the voice of global business in Internet governance forums, sent a letter to UN Deputy Secretary General Jan Eliasson urging an extension of the Internet Governance Forum’s (IGF) mandate beyond five years to better ensure its institutional viability. USCIB is a member of ICC-BASIS. The letter underscored the importance of preserving the IGF’s essential character as a bottom-up, all-inclusive multistakeholder mechanism for participation, and of upholding the forum as a neutral space for reviewing Internet policies.

International Chamber of Commercewww.iccwbo.org

Public Consultation on the OECD Corporate Governance PrinciplesThe OECD Corporate Governance Principles are intended to assist governments and regulators in their efforts to evaluate and improve the legal, regulatory and institutional framework for corpo-rate governance and provide guidance for stock exchanges, investors, corporations and others to foster good corporate governance. The principles are currently being reviewed, and the OECD is inviting public comments on the latest draft text. Based on the outcome of the public consultation, a revised draft will be discussed at the next OECD Committee meeting in February 2015. BIAC will continue to contribute all along the process, both during the public consultation and in the discus-sions at committee level.

BIAC Raises Concerns about Threats to InvestmentAt the October OECD Investment Committee meet-ings, BIAC emphasized the importance of OECD’s ground-breaking work on fostering an open and conducive investment climate as a fundamental prerequisite for job creation and economic growth. At the same time, business observed a prolifera-tion of restrictions on foreign direct investment as well as worrying developments in the area of investment protection. Of particular concern to business is that bilateral investment treaties and investor-state dispute settlement, which are crucial to mitigate risk in international investment decisions, have come increasingly under attack. Business needs the OECD to provide governments with objective and fact-based analysis, foster dialogue among member and non-member coun-tries and highlight the importance of investment protection. BIAC will continue to urge the OECD to address and underline market openness as a priority for growth and development.

Business and Industry Advisory Committee to the OECD www.biac.org


International Organization of Employers www.ioe-emp.org

Fighting Against Sectoral Exclusions in TPP’s Investment ChapterUSCIB along with other leading trade associations met with senior embassy representatives in key Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) partner embassies in Washington to underline business’s shared strong opposition to any sectoral carve-outs in the TPP investment chapter. Reaffirming our strong, long-standing position that a TPP agreement must be “ambitious, comprehensive, and high standard” across the board, Shaun Donnelly, USCIB’s vice president for investment and financial services, has emphasized the need to avoid carving out any sectors from access to any parts of the key investment chapter.

USCIB Talks Trade and Investment in the Americas at IDB Forum In October, the Integration and Trade Sector of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) hosted a forum on “The 21st Century Trade Architecture: Implications for Latin America and the Caribbean” for a discussion about the most pressing trade policy challenges, with an emphasis on Latin American economies. Rob Mulligan, USCIB’s senior vice president for policy and government affairs, participated in a panel on “Trends in Trade and Integration: Trading Against Headwinds,” in which he spoke about global value chains (GVCs), where companies move intermediate goods between countries in producing a final product, and of the benefits to be gained from the participation of Latin American economies in GVCs.

Forging Ahead on Trade FacilitationUSCIB met with officials from the office of the United States Trade Representative in November to discuss the most recent developments on the World Trade Organization’s (WTO) Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA), which saw a breakthrough on the impasse to implementation. Two WTO General Council decisions will be taken simultaneously: one on a clean protocol for the agreement, and one that addresses the food security issues raised by India in July, which caused the impasse. USCIB will continue to be a strong leader and voice for business in advocating for the ratification and implementation of the TFA throughout 2015.

Business Urges Congress to Pass TPA LegislationUSCIB joined 200 business and agricultural groups in signing a letter to Congressional leaders urging the passage of bipartisan legislation to modernize the Trade Promotion Authority (TPA). The Trade Benefits America Coalition, of which USCIB is a member, includes a wide range of associations and companies that are dedicated to the pursuit of U.S. international trade agreements that benefit American businesses, farmers, workers and consumers. The Coalition believes that passage of modernized Trade Promotion Authority (TPA) legislation is important to help ensure America continues to benefit from trade.

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IOE Unpacks Thorny Labor Migration ChallengesSometimes described as the “unfinished business of globalization,” labor migration raises complex and sensitive political, human rights, economic and social concerns, as well as an array of legal and regulatory challenges. Migration accordingly occupies a prominent place on both national and multilateral policy agendas and in public discourse. Against this backdrop the IOE has created a policy working group on international labor migration, chaired by USCIB’s senior counsel Ronnie Goldberg, charged with establishing the IOE position in the labor migration debate and with provid-ing guidance to members and companies. “Labor migration, particularly the movement of highly skilled personnel and intra-company transfers, are key issues for USCIB companies,” said Goldberg. “Through IOE, we have a seat at the table and an opportunity to make our case in the many international bodies discussing this issue.”

ILO Governing Body Tackles Differences Over Labor StandardsIn November during the 322nd session of the Inter-national Labor Organization Governing Body (GB), agreement was reached on a way to address the ongoing dispute over whether Convention 87 contains a right to strike. Following months of intensive consulta-tions and outreach by the IOE Employers’ Group, its package approach gained traction during the course of the two week session. The GB decided to convene a three-day tripartite meeting in February 2015 on the controversial Convention 87 and its relationship with the right to strike, as well as the modalities and practices of strike action at the national level. The February meeting will bring together the three constituencies of the ILO, tasked to produce a report on which the March 2015 session will base a decision on the need for a request to be made to the International Court of Justice for an advisory opinion on the interpretation of a right to strike in Convention 87.


Foreign direct investment (FDI) is a prime mo-tor of the global economy, boosting job growth and incomes in both home and host countries. Policy makers increasingly identify FDI as a critical element in financing and delivering in-novative solutions to shared global challenges, such as climate change and sustainable devel-opment.

In many ongoing trade and investment negotiations as well as other global forums, however, sensible policies to promote cross-border investment are increasingly under broad, politicized attack. To help set the record straight, USCIB has issued new “Policy Pillars on Foreign Direct Investment.”

“The time is right for a refresher course on the benefits of FDI,” stated USCIB President and CEO Peter Robinson. “Our members share a fundamental belief in the importance of cross-border trade and investment as engines of growth and human betterment. Yet many

fundamental tools to boost FDI are poorly understood or under assault.”

The nine-point USCIB paper, developed under the auspices of the Council’s Trade and Investment committee, presents essential lessons and reminders to policy makers, including:

• Clear, well-implemented government policies and strong investment agreements are essential to attract and retain high-quality FDI.

• Bilateral investment treaties must protect investments, open up host economies for foreign investment and provide effective rules to settle investment disputes.

• State-owned enterprises present a range of challenges to home and host countries in crafting effective FDI policies.

• Governments should provide effective support for both inbound and outbound FDI.

• National security concerns surrounding specific investments must be dealt with in a

clear, limited and non-discriminatory manner.

“Governments and the international community must take positive steps in order to promote and secure high-quality FDI,” said Robinson. “It is increasingly apparent that, in the 21st century, investment is a crucial component not just for the competitiveness of companies, or even of national economies, but for our global society as a whole as we confront a wide range of shared challenges.”

Release of the USCIB Policy Pillars follows participation by Robinson and Shaun Donnelly, USCIB’s vice president for investment policy, in the UNCTAD World Investment Forum in Geneva (see page 13), as well as a well-attended USCIB/OECD October conference in Washington, D.C. on new directions in trade and investment policies (see pages 14 and 15). It also comes as USCIB is actively presenting the views of business in the UN climate change negotiations and the ongoing elaboration of new UN Sustainable Development Goals.

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World Investment Forum Looks at Leveraging FDI for Development

USCIB and the International Chamber of Commerce brought a pro-busi-ness, pro-investment perspective to the three-day World Investment Forum, which took place in Geneva in October.

Organized by the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), the biennial forum gathers heads of state, global CEOs and civil society lead-ers for dialogues on the world’s emerging investment-related challenges. This year’s event had a special focus on leveraging in-vestment to support the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

On the forum’s first day, ICC leaders and Mukhisa Kituyi, the UNCTAD secretary general, co-chaired the 11th meeting of the Investment Advisory Council. During the open discussion, Shaun Donnelly, USCIB’s vice president for investment and financial services, made a strong pitch for bilateral investment treaties and free trade agreements, which was echoed by a range of business and government representatives. ICC and USCIB Chairman Terry McGraw and ICC Secretary General John Danilovich spoke at the forum’s opening plenary, where they were joined by senior government officials.

Mobilizing the Private Sector

On the forum’s second day, Robinson delivered plenary remarks, in which he discussed the four key elements that would crystallize private-sector support for sustainable development: good governance, economic growth, innova-tion and infrastructure. He noted that governments and businesses must work together to facilitate initial investments in least developing countries that lack basic infrastructure. Initial infrastructure funding can then help lever-age further investments, leading to a “virtuous cycle.” Robinson also made the case for investment protection.

“Let’s continue the dialogue and partnership to harness investment as a key driver of economic, sustainable and inclusive development,” Robinson con-

cluded. “And work together to create the virtuous investment circle, particu-larly in those countries that need it the most.”

In addition, Robinson and Donnelly took part in key panel discussions on the role of bilateral and multilateral investment agreements and on investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS), where they spent over four hours defending invest-

ment agreements and ISDS in a morning-long investment agreement session, the centerpiece dialogue during the final day of UNCTAD’s World Investment Forum.

With over 50 speakers limited to three-minute interventions, government and NGO representatives were often critical of invest-ment agreements and ISDS in particular, whereas business voices were scarce. Rob-inson explained the overall importance of international investment agreements, while Donnelly tackled the sensitive ISDS issue,

emphasizing the need for effective enforcement measures to truly incentiv-ize and protect FDI flows that are vital for economic growth, development and job creation. Donnelly also highlighted USCIB’s strong opposition to any industry carve-outs from ISDS protections.

Although too many government participants opposed ISDS, Michael Tracton, director of the investment office at the U.S. Department of State, voiced support for strong investment agreements and ISDS, citing the high standards and balance of the U.S. government’s bilateral investment treaty and free trade agreement investment chapters.

Unfortunately, opposition to ISDS from NGOs has shown no signs of letting up. “USCIB will continue to confront these pressures internationally at forums like UNCTAD and in free trade agreement negotiations, voicing our strong support for common-sense, pro-business investment policies,” Donnelly said. “We will continue to leverage our international networks BIAC and ICC to mobilize international business support for these policies.”

L-R: Peter Robinson (USCIB) and Mukhisa Kituyi (UNCTAD)

Global Employers Mobilize on Women’s Economic EmpowermentDedicated to tackling gender discrimination in the workplace, the International Organization of Employers (IOE) unveiled its first policy brief on women’s economic empowerment, demonstrating the business community’s commitment to promoting access to equal education, training and career opportunities for women; to encouraging women entrepreneurs and entrepreneurship and to contributing to the global effort to increase the participation and integration of women in the workforce.

“Issues surrounding women’s economic empowerment affect countries at every level of development and every company,” said Ronnie Goldberg, USCIB’s senior counsel who was involved with the IOE policy brief. “USCIB welcomes this IOE initiative, which promises additional platforms for advocacy, exchange of best practice and demonstration of the commitment of business to ensuring workplace equality.”


There has never been a more appropriate time for the business community to stand up for international trade and investment. With an impasse that lasted five months at the World Trade Organization on Trade Facilitation, increasing opposition to investment protections in regional trade agreements and disappointing setbacks on Capitol Hill regarding Trade Promotion Authority legislation, the moment is right for taking stock of the global trade environment and for reviewing which policies best promote economic growth, create jobs and lead to sustainable development.

It is against this backdrop that USCIB organized its first annual trade conference on October 30, “Exploring New Approaches to Trade, Investment and Jobs: Insight and Impact for Business from the OECD,” with a keynote dialogue from United States Trade Representative Michael Froman.

Hosted by the USCIB Foundation, the Business and Industry Advisory Committee (BIAC) to the OECD, and the OECD (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development), the full-day event at the St. Regis Hotel in Washington, D.C. convened government officials, trade experts, and representatives from the OECD and the World Trade Organizations to review the global trade environment and discuss how the OECD’s work impacts job creation and trade negotiations around the world.

During the keynote dialogue with USCIB Chairman Terry McGraw, Ambassador Froman said his priority is to close good deals on the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) with the EU and the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) with Pacific Rim countries. He explained that the United States strongly supports multilateral trade liberalization, but with the current TFA stalemate at the WTO, the United States will not hesitate to explore other, regional trade agreements if the multilateral option isn’t successful. He noted that bilateral and regional trade deals can lead to agreement on global higher-standard rules at the WTO.

“The final deal is crystallizing,” Froman said about TPP. “There’s a lot of momentum around the table on getting it done in the near-term.”

Froman echoed statements made by President Obama earlier this year that the United States will sign to any trade agreement provided it is a “good one.”

McGraw commended Ambassador Froman for his leadership throughout the Obama Administration for charging ahead on an ambitious and robust U.S. trade agenda: “It’s all about achieving higher levels of economic growth, it’s all about job creation, it’s all about prosperity.”

Continue reading for summaries of the event’s panel discussions.

Global Value Chains: How Can Trade Policy Catch Up with Trade Reality?

Businesses are adapting to political, technological and economic changes around the world by creating global value chains (GVCs), where companies move intermediate goods between countries in producing a final product. The path-breaking work of the OECD-WTO on Trade in Value Added (TiVA) finds that between 30 and 60 percent of G20 country exports are comprised of imported inputs, and services account for 42 percent of exports in value-added terms. Panelists discussed the impacts of GVCs on economic growth and the policies governments can pursue to reduce costs on companies that want to take advantage of GVCs.

Speakers included Cathy Novelli (U.S. State Department), Ken Ash (OECD), Ambassador Karan Bhatia (General Electric), Annabel Gonzalez (World Bank) and Rob Mulligan (USCIB).

Novelli stated that the statistical reality showcased in the OECD’s work hasn’t caught up to the reality on the ground. Traditionally, governments would focus on the end product in trade, but now GVCs make each intermediate step in the value chain just as important. GVCs are forcing policymakers to rethink how they approach trade and investment, and supply chains are critical factors when crafting trade policy.

Mulligan concluded the panel by summarizing policies that impose undue costs on businesses,

such as forced localization requirements, cross-border data flow restrictions, travel restrictions and poor governance. “We need regulators to understand that we can advance trade without sacrificing consumer safety,” he said.

Insights from the OECD’s Services Trade Restrictiveness Index (STRI)

Services are becoming an ever larger part of the global economy. However, regulatory barriers can increase the costs facing firms operating internationally and hold back growth and job-creation. The innovative OECD Services Trade Restrictiveness Index (STRI) released earlier this year documents the extent of restrictive measures on services, which generate a huge proportion of the wealth and jobs in the most advanced economies.

Speakers, which included Ambassador Fernando de Mateo (WTO), Crawford Falconer (OECD), Mark Linscott (USTR), Damien Levie (EU Delegation to the U.S.) and Rick Johnston (Citigroup), weighed in on the STRI and gave their perspectives on how trade restrictions impact services. “STRI is a great tool for trade negotiators,” Linscott summarized nicely.

Johnston urged regulators to understand that trade agreements are about more than just tariffs. To that end, the STRI can help trade negotiators accept the new realities of global commerce and contribute to the overall trade and investment debate.

First USCIB Trade Conference Spotlights 21st Century Challenges

L-R: Terry McGraw (ICC), Amb. Michael Froman (USTR), Amb. Fernando de Mateo (Mexican representative to the WTO)

continued on page 15


Why Investment Protections are Critical to Growth and Jobs

International investments foster growth, innovation and sustainable development, and these investments have been facilitated by strong protection for foreign investors in investment treaties. The OECD has developed a Policy Framework for Investment (PFI) that helps governments design and implement policy reforms to create an attractive robust, and competitive environment for domestic and foreign investment. At the same time, the OECD publishes an FDI Regulatory Restrictiveness Index that gauges the restrictiveness of a country’s FDI rules. These products are particularly relevant at a time when investor-state dispute settlement systems face increasing political opposition, especially in the context of the Trans-Atlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) negotiations.

Panelists included Daniel Price (Rock Creek Global Advisors), Pierre Poret (OECD), Heinz Hetmeier (German Ministry of Economic Affairs and Energy), Michael Tracton (U.S. Department of State), Shaun Donnelly (USCIB), and Kimberley Claman (Citigroup).

Donnelly captured USCIB member sentiment on the importance of investor protections in TTIP. “Personally, I find it hard to envision a comprehensive, high-standard and ambitious trade agreement absent strong ISDS provisions.”

Are Regional Trade Agreements Good or Bad for a Multilateral Trade Agenda?

With the uncertain future of the WTO’s multilateral trade agenda given last

year’s roadblocks on TFA implementation, many countries are looking to other regional and plurilateral trade agreements as alternatives. This panel considered whether regional agreements are a threat to the multilateral system, or whether they provide the stepping stones for preserving the

momentum towards more open trade and investment, setting global standards which will ultimately be multilateralized. OECD has looked extensively into the question of whether deep provisions in regional trade agreements can be multilateralized on a wide range of issues, from government procurement, to IP, transparency, competition, services and more. A synthesis of their findings has been published in a report entitled “Deep

Provisions in Regional Trade Agreements: How Multilateral Friendly?”

Speakers included the Honorable James Bacchus (Greenberg Traurig Global Practice), Ambassador Susan Schwab (Mayer Brown), Iza Lejarraga (OECD), Clifford Sosnow (BIAC) and Ed Gresser (Global Works Foundation).

Sosnow noted that although nobody believes that regional trade agreements are a bad thing, they do have a “dark heart” because they’re exclusionary, and they discriminate against least-developed countries that have the fewest options available to them with regard to trade. But Schwab pointed out that it is not at all likely that the WTO will close a multilateral trade deal in a timeframe that is relevant to the business community. In the meantime, regional trade agreements are the next best option.

L-R: Michael Tracton (U.S. State Department), Kimberly Claman (Citigroup) and Shaun Donnelly (USCIB).

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continued from page 14


In October, USCIB members and government officials gathered in Washington, D.C. for two days of meetings on human rights, labor policy, and corporate social responsibility, as USCIB’s Corporate Responsibility Committee and Labor & Employment Policy Committee met on consecu-tive days. Laura Rubbo (Walt Disney) acted as chair of the Corporate Responsibility Committee meeting, while Ed Potter (Coca-Cola) chaired the Labor & Employment Policy Committee meeting.

UN debates Ecuador proposal on human rights

One focus of discussion was renewed action in the United Nations on human rights and busi-ness. The ground is shifting, with the UN Human Rights Council recently voting, at the behest of Ecuador and a few other states, to pursue talks toward a binding UN instrument on business and human rights.

The United States and numerous other govern-ments voted against the Ecuador resolution, but their opposition was insufficient to prevent the measure from moving ahead. Members heard updates on this fast-moving topic from Jason Pielemeier, special advisor at the State De-partment’s Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor; Lene Wendland, advisor to the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights; and Amol Mehra, director of International Corporate Ac-countability Roundtable.

Myanmar open for business

Members also discussed new opportunities and challenges as Myanmar (formerly Burma) increas-ingly opens itself for business and foreign invest-ment. The Burmese government has expressed an interest in bolstering the country’s relationship with American businesses, and a number of US-CIB members operate in the country.

The steady growth of Myanmar’s garment manu-facturing sector has spurred U.S. and other for-eign investors to take stock of factory safety, in order to avoid a repeat of last year’s Rana Plaza disaster in Bangladesh, and to work closely with the International Labor Organization to improve working conditions in the country. Members cited greater ease in intergovernmental and private-sec-tor dialogue with the Burmese government then was experienced in Bangladesh, a positive sign for the well-being of workers moving forward.

Corporate responsibility updates

Members reviewed progress on a wide range of business and human rights issues, including a discussion on how and where to functionally em-bed oversight for human rights into a company’s organization, updates on the various regulatory measures related to conflict minerals, emerging trends in CSR and human rights reporting, and a recap of USCIB’s UN-business door knock event on

Focus on Labor and Human Rights as USCIB Committees Review Priorities

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continued on page 17


engaging the private sector with the UN Sustain-

able Development Goals (SDGs).

Bennet Freeman (Calvert Investments) gave a

presentation on evolving trends in CSR and hu-

man rights reporting for businesses. Respect

for human rights now constitutes a core part of

companies’ business models, as opposed to be-

ing limited to CSR or philanthropic activities, and

business is making steady progress in reporting

in this area. Freeman gave a similar presentation

at USCIB’s September conference on Engaging

Business and Human Rights in Atlanta.

On the UN SDGs, Ariel Meyerstein (USCIB) and

Tam Nguyen (Bechtel) reported on USCIB’s door-

knock event, “Practical Private Sector Engage-

ment in the UN Post-2015 Development Agenda,”

hosted at Pfizer’s New York headquarters. They noted that business is much more engaged with the UN’s Post-2015 Development Agenda than it was for the UN’s Millennium Development Goals, and that the private sector hopes that the UN takes into consideration existing CSR reporting mechanisms when formulating the SDG targets, so that companies won’t have to grapple with new and redundant sets of metrics and indicators.

All Set for Global Launch of ICC’s New Dispute Resolution Rules

The International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) launched its new 2015 ICC Expert Rules in January, with international events in three of the world’s major dispute resolution hubs. Entering into force on February 1, 2015, the Rules will be available in English, Spanish and French, helping to solve cross-border commercial disputes worldwide.

The 2015 ICC Rules set out new parameters for ICC expert ser-vices, clarifying how parties can use experts and neutrals to help resolve their cross-border disputes at each step of the way. They will be administered by the ICC International Center for Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR).

“The new set of rules clarifies the broad range of expert ser-vices the Center offers with a view to supporting companies and states all around the world to efficiently resolve their complex commercial disputes,” said Christopher Newmark, chair of the ICC Commission on Arbitration and ADR.

Drawing on ICC’s 40-year experience in cross-border dispute res-olution, and with specialist input from its membership in over 90 countries, the ICC Commission on Arbitration and ADR will replace the current ICC Rules for Expertise with three new sets of rules. Each covers a distinct area of ICC’s dispute resolution services: the Proposal of Experts and Neutrals, the Appointment of Experts and Neutrals and the Administration of Expertise Proceedings.

“International business has turned to ICC for many years to iden-tify the most suitable experts for the resolution of technical, finan-cial or legal issues,” said Peter Wolrich, head of ICC’s Taskforce for the Revision of the Expert Rules. “And will certainly continue to do so under the new sets of rules.”

The ICC Expert Rules were officially unveiled in New York on Janu-ary 27, 2015.

USCIB Bookstore: Training for Arbitration and Trade ProfessionalsThe USCIB International Bookstore, in partnership with Coastline Solutions, offers a suite of online training courses, which are based on the rules, standards and expert guidance developed by the International Chamber of Commerce and its network of industry experts, principally in the areas of international trade finance, trade practice (e.g., Incoterms®), and arbitration. New training programs include Going Global, for trade professionals, and ICC Arbitration Online Training.

Learn the revised 2012 ICC Rules of Arbitration: Gain insights into the ICC arbitration process

This 8 hour online course provides an overview of arbitration as a method of dispute resolution and examines how the ICC International Court of Arbitration and its Secretariat operate. The course discusses the application of the 2012 ICC Rules of Arbitration to the ICC arbitration process, and it consists of three modules, including eight interactive lessons providing a comprehensive review of the arbitration process; two interactive lessons providing insight into specific issues; and a final module to test your understanding of ICC Arbitration by means of an assessment.

Going Global: ICC Online Training on Trading Internationally

Going Global provides strategies to address the risks and challenges faced by trade professionals when dealing with international markets. Upon completion of the 40 hours of user-friendly modules, trainees will be conversant with trade documents, financing, commercial law and dispute resolution, e-commerce and intellectual property. Other key issues include transportation, customs, payment and finance structures. At the end of each trainee-controlled module, trainees can test their knowledge by completing an assessment, and will receive an ICC Certificate of Achievement detailing their personal results. Going Global is a must if you are going global.

Visit www.InternationalTradeBooks.org for more information.

Focus on Labor and Human Rights as USCIB Reviews Priorities continued from page 14


USCIB member

and staff news

Ed Potter, chair of USCIB’s Labor and Employment Policy Committee and Coca-Cola’s director of global workplace rights, has spent nearly half his life representing U.S. businesses at the annual International Labor Organization (ILO) Conference. Last summer, Potter attended his 33rd and final ILO Conference in Geneva, more than any other American business representative. He will retire in June 2015.

Potter’s unparalleled leadership at the conference – and the relationships he has brokered and nurtured along the way – have had a positive impact on the global landscape of international labor standards.

“Ed Potter’s record of achievement at the ILO speaks for itself,” said Guy Rider, director general of the ILO. “He served 17 years as the U.S. Employers’ delegate to our annual Conference. During that time, he took on the responsibility of spokesperson of the world’s employers in several key discussions.”

Last June, USCIB honored Potter’s 33 years of ILO service with a special farewell dinner in Geneva.

“It’s a humbling validation of my work with the ILO,” Potter said. “I’ve left the conference every year feeling proud of the fact that, in some

small way, we helped improve the lives of workers somewhere in the world.”

Staff Changes at ICC The International Chamber of Commerce Secretariat has announced the ap-pointments of Philip Kucharski as chief operating officer and Remi Faure as chief financial officer. Kucharski’s in-depth knowledge of ICC, and many of the team at the ICC Secretariat, will ensure that he is able to hit the ground running when he begins his tenure in January. Faure has shown true leadership of the fi-nancial areas of ICC in the past few months. “I am pleased to be able to promote internally for this position,” said ICC Secretary General John Danilovich.

New USCIB MembersWe are delighted to welcome the following companies and organizations as the latest additions to USCIB’s diverse membership:

To learn more about how USCIB membership can benefit your organization, contact Alison Hoiem (202-682-1291 or [email protected]).

Business Alliance for Secure CommerceDiscovery CapitalEricssonUnited Technologies Corporation

Coca-Cola’s Ed Potter Reflects on 33 Years at the ILO Conference

Ed Potter (Coca-Cola) in June 2014 at the special farewell dinner USCIB hosted in Geneva celebrating his 33 years representing U.S. businesses at the ILO Conference.

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ICC and USCIB Customs and Trade Facilitation SymposiumFebruary 22-24, 2015Miami, Florida

Limiting cross-border friction is increasingly vital to smooth the flow of trade and boost competitiveness for all business, especially for small and medium sized businesses and emerging industry sectors. This conference brings business, government, international organizations and operational customs and trade experts together from the world over for an important dialogue on the most effective means to ease the movement of goods and services between countries along supply chains. Topics will include best regional practices and global cooperation on single window initiatives, de minimis, intellectual property rights and supply chain solutions; balancing security and trade facilitation; and WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement implementation and challenges. Contact Diana Jack ([email protected]) for more information.

ICC’s International Commercial Mediation CompetitionFebruary 6-11, 2015ICC HeadquartersParis, France

The International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) International Center for ADR will celebrate the 10th edition of the International Com-mercial Mediation Competition from February 6 to 11, 2015. Universities and mediators can now apply to this unique event which will attract participants from all over the world. The Competition is the only moot devoted exclusively to international commercial media-tion and is open to law and business schools worldwide. It provides an excellent opportunity for the next generation of international lawyers and business professionals to hone their dispute resolution and mediation advocacy skills. With its incredible international out-reach and selective procedure, the Competition has become ICC’s biggest educational event and a must-go event for the commercial mediation community across the globe. A series of festive activities will also take place this year to celebrate the 10th anniversary. Contact Alexandra Akerly ([email protected]) for more information.

World Chambers CongressJune 10-12, 2015Torino, Italy

The World Chambers Congress is organized by the ICC World Chambers Federation. Held every two years in a different region of the world, the Congress is the only international forum for chamber leaders to share best-practices, exchange insights, develop networks, address the latest business issues affecting their communities and learn about new areas of innovation from chambers around the world. The Congress addresses how chambers can serve, strengthen, and support their member companies. This event assembles a global community of more than 12,000 chambers of commerce, their leading business members, and influential world leaders. It provides a unique opportunity for interaction between delegates from more than 100 countries. Contact Cindy Duncan ([email protected]) for more information.

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1212 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10036

january 2015

26 New York SICANA Roadshow Launch/USCIB Arbitration Committee Luncheon27 New York Launch of the ICC Expert Rules

february 2015

6 - 11 Paris, France ICC International Commercial Mediation Competition8 - 12 Singapore ICANN 5219 - 20 East Palo Alto, CA 5th Annual Pacific Rim Tax Institute22 - 24 Miami USCIB & ICC Customs & Trade Facilitation Symposium26 Washington, D.C. Investment Arbitration: The ICC Experience

march 2015

5 Malibu ICC Young Arbitrators Forum Event6 New York Vis Moot Practice Session10 Washington, D.C. USCIB/BIAC/OECD Conference on the Digital Economy12 - 26 Geneva 323rd Session of the ILO Governing Body17 - 18 Paris ICC Digital Economy Commission Meetings

april 2015

27 - 28 San Francisco Fifth Annual ICC Asia-Pacific Conference

june 2015

1 - 13 Geneva 104th Session of the International Labor Conference10 - 11 Washington, DC 2015 USCIB/BIAC/OECD International Tax Conference10 - 12 Torino, Italy ICC 9th World Chambers Congress13 Geneva 324th Session of the ILO Governing Body

september 2015

14 New York Tenth Annual ICC New York Conference

november 2015

1 - 3 Miami Thirteenth Annual ICC Miami Conference1 - 12 Geneva 325th Session of the ILO Governing Body

International Business is published quarterly by the United States Council for International Business. It is intended for infor-mational use only and should not be construed as an authoritative statement of USCIB views or policy.

We welcome your comments and submissions E-mail them to [email protected] or submit by mail to: Editor, International Business, United States Council for International Business, 1212 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10036.

Visit www.uscib.org or see our monthly e-newsletter, “What’s New at USCIB,” for the latest news and information from USCIB and our global business network. USCIB members may also visit our password-protected Members Only section to review materials from USCIB committees and other exclusive information.

How to subscribe: USCIB members may request this publication free of charge by con-tacting USCIB Member Services (212-703-5095, [email protected]). Non-members may subscribe to this and other USCIB print publications for a nominal fee by contacting USCIB Commu-nications (212-703-5063, [email protected]).

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