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The statement urges the G8 leaders to recognize the current dangers inherent in growing protectionist sentiment and in the ever-expanding practice of applying national laws extraterritorially.
ICC said it greatly regretted the failure of the WTO ministerial conference in Cancún last September to finalize the negotiating agenda of the Doha trade negotiations and set the round on course for completion by the agreed date.
"Fortunately, early this year governments took some tentative, and much-needed, steps to breath new life into the Doha round," the statement said. "As a result, ICC believes that some momentum has been restored and is hopeful that a window of opportunity has opened in which to make significant progress in the negotiations by the time summer arrives – paving the way for a WTO meeting at ministerial level to lock-in this progress."
"We call upon the G8 heads to renew their pledge to take the lead in bringing the round to a successful and early conclusion, and to commit themselves personally to that goal," the statement said.
On the subject of security, ICC stressed that new security measures must not obstruct world trade and that business needs global security standards that minimize costs.
The statement also recognized piracy and counterfeiting as a huge global phenomenon and put the estimated value of cross-border sales of counterfeit goods at $450 billion (U.S.), or approximately 6 percent of total world trade.
The ICC urged the G8 to take the lead in programs to combat intellectual property piracy. "In particular,” the statement said, “governments should give higher priority to fighting piracy and counterfeiting by gathering more accurate data on the extent of the problem, elaborating campaigns to raise public awareness of the damage it does, improving cross-border cooperation and training of national enforcement agencies, and exchanging information and best practice. Business stands ready to assist and support governments to the maximum in the development and execution of determined programs to combat such harmful activity.”
Many of the issues raised by the ICC's statement will be taken up at the 35th ICC World Congress in Marrakesh on June 6-9. The Congress theme is "Standing up for the global economy."
USCIB promotes an open system of global commerce. Its membership includes some 300 leading U.S. companies, professional services firms and associations whose combined annual revenues exceed $3 trillion. As American affiliate of the leading international business and employers organizations, including ICC, USCIB provides business views to policy makers and regulatory authorities worldwide and works to facilitate international trade.
Contact:
Jonathan Huneke, USCIB VP Communications
(212) 703-5043 or jhuneke@uscib.org
Full text of ICC statement to G8 leaders (ICC website)
ICC Marrakesh congress website
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