USCIB Updates Archives

Business at OECD Launches Responsible Business Conduct Committee, Co-Chaired by USCIB Member Laura Chapman-Rubbo (Disney)

Published on November 28, 2023
Laura Rubbo attends USCIB’s 2019 International Leadership Award Dinner
L-R: Peter Robinson (formerly USCIB), Laura Rubbo (The Walt Disney Company), Guy Ryder (formerly ILO), Terry McGraw (formerly USCIB & S&P Global)

Business at OECD (BIAC) launched the newly formed BIAC Responsible Business Conduct (RBC) Committee on November 8 in Paris. The rationale for establishing a dedicated RBC committee is rooted in the growing OECD RBC workstreams, which are expected to expand in the upcoming years. While the BIAC RBC Committee was previously housed under the same umbrella as the Investment Committee, close coordination between both committees will continue. In line with this, two previous vice-chairs of the Investment and RBC Committees now serve as the new co-chairs of the BIAC RBC committee: Laura Chapman-Rubbo from USCIB member The Walt Disney Company and Paul Noll from the Confederation of German Employers’ Associations (BDA).

USCIB was delighted to nominate Chapman-Rubbo as co-chair. She has extensive expertise in working with OECD matters, closely collaborating with BIAC on the review of upcoming OECD RBC guidance. As a leading voice in RBC topics, Chapman-Rubbo brings an American perspective, along with know-how from a worldwide transnational company to the table. USCIB members are committed to driving positive change while ensuring that American business interests remain represented at the OECD level.

“I am honored to co-chair this committee,” said Chapman-Rubbo. “We are building on decades of important work by BIAC, their member national business associations, and their member companies to advance responsible business conduct and the OECD’s Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises.”

The first BIAC RBC committee meeting was held on November 8 and now the committee is focused on a 2024 work plan and outreach.

USCIB Member Google Wins Prestigious ACE Award for Women’s Economic Security Work in Poland

Published on November 1, 2023
U.S. Ambassador to Poland Mark Brzezinski presents the award to Marta Poslad, Google Polska

USCIB member Google received the Department of State’s prestigious Award for Corporate Excellence (“ACE Award”) in the Women’s Economic Security category for the outstanding work Google of Poland (“Google Polska”) in promoting Women entrepreneurship, including among Ukrainian women refugees. Google was the only large U.S. multinational to win an ACE Award this year; the other four winners are small or medium U.S. enterprises operating in Africa. Secretary of State Antony Blinken hosted the annual award ceremony at the State Department on October 30.

Google’s win this year marks the 25th ACE Award win by a USCIB member company in the 24 years the Awards have been presented. Google Polska was recognized for setting the standard in promoting gender equality in the Polish and Central European workplace and supporting women in tech initiatives in Poland, Ukraine and the region. Women fill the large majority of senior leadership posts in Google’s very impressive Polish operations.

According to USCIB Senior Advisor Shaun Donnelly, who attended the award ceremony, Google Polska’s Director of Government Affairs and Public Policy for Central Europe Marta Poslad accepted the award on behalf of the Google team and delivered very heart-felt remarks. Google’s Head of Global Government Affairs and Public Policy Karan Bhatia represented Google corporate leadership. U.S. Ambassador to Poland Mark Brezinski, who had originally nominated Google Polska for the award, flew home from Warsaw to be at the ceremony and to present the award to Google.

Whitney Baird, USCIB’s new president and CEO, and previously a long-time senior State Department senior official, was one of the invited guests at the annual ceremony.

“I’ve worked behind the scenes on the ACE award ceremony and selection process for many years,” said Baird. “It’s always been a great event, but I enjoyed seeing it this year from a private sector perspective. I was delighted to see a great USCIB member company among the winners again this year. Google in Poland is a prime example of the critical work USCIB member companies are doing around the world, representing and nurturing American values, promoting innovation and economic growth, and showing how businesses—large and small—can be responsible citizens that can do good while doing well.”

USCIB was the only major U.S. trade association represented at the ACE Awards ceremony this year.

“We have worked over the years to support the State Department team organizing the program, the nomination and selection process and to bring more attention to this great program,” said Donnelly.

USCIB Voices Concern Over UN Treaty on Business and Human Rights

Published on October 27, 2023
Ewa Staworzynska

The “Open-Ended Intergovernmental Working Group on Transnational Corporations and Other Business Enterprises with Respect To Human Rights” convened in Geneva this week for its ninth session of negotiations on Legally Binding Instrument on Business and Human Rights. The Legally Binding Instrument, also known as the “UN Treaty on Business and Human Rights,” is in its fourth draft, as released on July 31st this year.

For years, the business community has been concerned about onerous requirements on business, liability risks and legal uncertainty the draft Treaty would create both for States and companies, and these challenges continue to persist based on the fourth draft. It also promotes extraterritorial jurisdiction and includes broad definitions, causing further questions about its viability and implementation feasibility.

“USCIB is firmly committed to respecting human rights and advancing responsible business conduct globally,” said Ewa Staworzynska, USCIB director of corporate responsibility and labor affairs, who represented USCIB during the negotiations. “This draft Treaty, in its current form, would create a severe level of legal uncertainty for governments and for business, and it would contribute to divestments and market exits, especially in developing countries. Unfortunately, the current draft Treaty takes us away from the well-respected UN Guiding Principles for Business and Human Rights.”

The negotiations progressed slowly, only covering three out of 24 articles with vast disagreements on what the scope of the Treaty should be. The governments ultimately adopted the session report, by consensus, and thus agreed to present a procedural decision to the Human Rights Council in 2024 to request additional resources for the process. In addition, intersessional consultations will be held, together with legal experts, ahead of the 10th negotiation next year.

USCIB Supports Joint Global Business Position on UN Treaty on Business and Human Rights

Published on October 27, 2023

USCIB joins in support of the Global Joint Business Position on the Draft Legally Binding Instrument on Business and Human Right.

The position paper responds to fourth Draft of the Legally Binding Instrument, also referred to as the “UN Treaty on Business and Human Rights,” prepared as the basis for the Ninth Session of the Open-Ended Intergovernmental Working Group on Transnational Corporations and Other Business Enterprises with Respect to Human Rights (OEIGWG).

According to USCIB Director for Corporate Responsibility and Labor Affairs Ewa Staworzynska, the Joint Business Position is the result of extensive inputs from USCIB member companies, as well as the International Organization of Employers (IOE), BusinessEurope and Business and OECD (BIAC).

Since the beginning of the negotiations of the Treaty, there have been fundamental concerns, and these continue to persist based on the content in the fourth Draft.

“At the core, the Treaty fails to address the root causes of adverse human rights impacts, such as weak governance, weak rule of law, corruption, lack of development and high levels of informality,” said Staworzynska. “Further, it blurs the differentiated roles of States and business when it comes to human rights, it promotes extraterritorial jurisdiction, and it would create severe liability risks and legal uncertainty if it were to be adopted in its current form.”

USCIB is committed to advancing responsible business conduct and encourages governments to take into account the legal implications and the feasibility of implementation and further urges governments to ensure that the Treaty is aligned with the well-respected and widely supported UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights.

The position paper can be accessed here.

Annual Engaging Business Forum Gathers Experts to Grapple With Complex Human Rights Challenges

Published on October 18, 2023
USCIB President and CEO Whitney Baird in Atlanta

USCIB, the International Organization of Employers (IOE) and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce hosted this year’s annual Engaging Business Forum (EBF) from October 11-12. As the largest business and human rights conference in the United States, the conference brought together nearly 500 public policy leaders from multinational companies, experts in human rights and sustainability, as well as representatives of civil society and government.

USCIB’s new President and CEO Whitney Baird reflected on the EBF’s unique value proposition for USCIB members and stakeholders.

“I am blown away by the business community’s engagement on human rights, labor rights and sustainability at large,” said Baird. “Our members are grappling with some extremely complex policy issues, which is why the discussions this week are so important; only when we come together to reflect on challenges and candidly share our perspective, can we effectively shape policies that work for all stakeholders.”

IOE Secretary General Roberto Suárez Santos, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk, and ILO Director-General Gilbert Houngbo were among this year’s speakers, along with prominent companies such as Disney, Walmart, Apple, Mondelez, among others.

Over the two-day conference, participants heard from experts about timely and critical topics such as corporate political responsibility and business and human rights, stakeholder right information, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and human rights, practical challenges of just transition and bringing living wage to life.

Hosted annually by Coca-Cola, EBF has become known for its innovative panels and eminent speakers, who have anticipated trends and helped shape industry-leading responsible business practice. The Forum is also unique in that it provides a platform for leaders from business and government to engage in candid discussions about practical solutions to complex human rights challenges.

“The business community is firmly committed to upholding the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights,” said USCIB Director for CRLA Ewa Staworzynska. “In order to advance global progress on human rights, States must protect human rights, and businesses must respect human rights.”

Translating Sustainability Vision Into SDG Action at the Halfway Point: Business for the 2030 Agenda 

Published on October 12, 2023

Last month in New York, the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA78) witnessed unprecedented participation with 40,000 attendees and over 2,000 bilateral meetings. Over 13,000 country delegates and 2,600 members of the media registered for the general debate and over 500 affiliated events1. Among the main events was the UN’s first-ever SDG Action Weekend, which marked a positive (but overdue) shift towards a more inclusive UN, providing a recognized space for the wide array of important non-governmental entities essential to implementation.  

The private sector played a significant role throughout UNGA78, emphasizing its contribution to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). USCIB’s UNGA78 High-Level Business Roundtable highlighted the private sector’s role in shared prosperity and sustainability. USCIB’s Moving the Needle (MTN) initiative shined a spotlight on the “what” and “how” of partnering for impact with business, following clear calls by Major Groups and Stakeholders that the international community is “halfway there, but nowhere near” to the 2030 Agenda. 

On September 18, USCIB launched two MTN solutions-oriented reports: Roadmap for Results and Business & the UN 2.0. These reports describe private sector tools, approaches, and partnerships for translating the 2030 Agenda’s vision into tangible progress, while working with and through the multilateral system to address multiple challenges. Read together, the reports offer ideas to strengthen the UN, helping it become more effective, resilient, inclusive, and transparent. 

Business & the UN 2.0 highlights an enhanced win-win partnership between businesses and the UN. It recognizes the massive investment required for the 2030 agenda, estimated at $5-7 trillion annually, with the potential to unlock $12 trillion in market prospects. 

Citing USCIB’s’ decades of experience as a responsible actor in inter-governmental forums, MTN envisions a revitalized UN system with private sector involvement at every level, from shaping agendas to advancing systems-thinking approaches to responding to natural disasters with the international community. 

Guy Ryder (UN) speaks at the USCIB High Level Roundtable during UNGA78
Guy Ryder (UN)

Roadmap for Results emphasizes private sector involvement beyond financing, spotlighting private sector innovation, scalability, leadership, knowhow and communication to accelerate action. Sustainability metrics, data analytics, AI, and partnerships are but a few private sector tools to catalyze SDG progress. The report discusses where public-private partnerships can advance science and solidarity as key to achieving the 2030 Agenda. 

With the UN Summit of the Future a year away, USCIB’s MTN initiative continues to make the case for closer connections and alliances with business in an international community that is being pulled apart by geo-political, economic, and domestic forces.  The time to move the needle in partnership with business is now. 

Arroyo Represents USCIB at Annual ICC Americas Regional Meeting

Published on October 11, 2023

The International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) held its annual Regional Consultative Group of the ICC Americas group in the first week of October. Hosted this year by ICC Argentina in Buenos Aires, the three-day event gathered representatives from nearly all countries in the region, including USCIB Policy Manager for Corporate Responsibility and Labor Affairs Jose Arroyo, who represented the U.S.

Jose Arroyo

According to Arroyo, the productive meeting allowed national committees to discuss key business trends and challenges and opportunities for collaboration to strengthen business development, trade facilitation, responsible business conduct, and economic integration in the region.

ICC Secretary General John Denton spoke at the meeting to address core issues relating to support for MSMEs, digitalization and sustainability.

“This meeting was a great opportunity to strengthen the engagement and relationships between USCIB and other countries in North and South America,” said Arroyo. “We look forward to advancing our collaboration with our fellow National Committees.”

 

Staworzynska Leads Negotiations on Digitalization in Retail at the ILO

Published on October 6, 2023

Last week, the International Labor Organization (ILO) convened a sectoral meeting on “Digitalization in the Retail Sector as an Engine for Economic Recovery and Decent Work.” The meeting brought together experts from around the world to discuss the rapid transformations in the retail sector and how to harness the potential of digitalization to advance post-pandemic recovery and decent work globally. The week-long meeting in Geneva resulted in a set of Conclusions, adopted by consensus.

USCIB Director of Corporate Responsibility and Labor Affairs Ewa Staworzynska served as the spokesperson on behalf of the Employers Group, representing business from all regions.

“Digitalization in the retail sector has brought new innovations and technologies and allowed for new jobs to be created,” said Staworzynska. “Digitalization is also facilitating formalization of work, which is important since many of the 420 million people employed in retail operate in the informal sector. Digitalization truly is a catalyst for economic growth and decent work,” she said.

According to Staworzynska, the negotiations were between employers, workers and government delegates, in line with the tripartite structure of the ILO. Several USCIB member companies were present as advisors to the employer delegation.

As a follow-up to the sectoral meeting, the ILO has been asked to continue promoting ratification of ILO instruments and providing technical assistance to Member States. The ILO was also asked to build capacities of its tripartite constituents to develop strategies for greater investment in digital technologies for enterprises and for the promotion of skills development programs, among others. They are also expected to share good practices and collect data on social inclusion and how harnessing digitalization can advance formalization and social dialogue in the sector.

USCIB Publishes Reports with Business Recommendations to Help Scale UN SDGs

Published on September 18, 2023
Guy Ryder (UN) speaks at the USCIB High Level Roundtable during UNGA78
Guy Ryder (UN) speaks at the USCIB High Level Roundtable during UNGA78

New York, N.Y., September 18, 2023 — With the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly in full swing, the United States Council for International Business (USCIB) announced the release of two highly-anticipated reports that provide recommendations to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Summit. The reports — Business & the UN 2.0 and Roadmap for Results — focus on inclusive and practical multilateralism that will help scale progress of SDG target action and focus on the role of business and other stakeholders.

The reports begin with a foreword by USCIB Board of Trustees Sustainability Champion and Novozymes CEO Ester Baiget. She writes, “As blueprints for action, Roadmap for Results walks the talk of inclusive multilateralism, offering pragmatic insights and business strategies and a focus on positive impact. Business and the UN 2.0 discusses interfaces between the private sector and the multilateral system.”

USCIB’s Moving the Needle (MTN) initiative launched the reports at a USCIB High-Level Business Roundtable. The Roundtable focused on sustainability, solidarity and shared prosperity and featured high-level speakers from AT&T, Bayer, Google, Microsoft, Salesforce, the U.S. Department of State, the UN, the International Organization of Employers (IOE) and many others. Discussion topics included innovative Artificial Intelligence (AI) for the benefit of people and planet and public private partnerships for innovation and infrastructure. Business leaders from USCIB member companies presented practical business recommendations highlighted in the reports, to ramp up implementation of the SDGs and strengthen the UN’s effectiveness and impact.

“USCIB has been a staunch supporter and committed partner to the United Nations since our founding,” said USCIB President and CEO Whitney Baird in closing remarks at the Roundtable. “As the only U.S. business organization at the UN, we take our responsibility seriously to provide solutions and showcase U.S. business leadership.”

About MTN
USCIB launched the MTN initiative during the 77th Session of the UN General Assembly to focus on three priorities identified by the UN President of the General Assembly: Solutions for Sustainability, Science, and Solidarity. Through multistakeholder roundtables, held around the globe in 2022-2023, which culminated in Business & the UN 2.0 and Roadmap for Results, MTN contributed insights to the ongoing deliberations concerning inadequate progress at the halfway mark towards the UN 2030 Agenda.

About USCIB
The United States Council for International Business (USCIB) advances the global interests of American business. We do so through advocacy for an open system of world trade, finance, and investment, where business can flourish and contribute to economic growth, human welfare, and environmental protection. We are the sole U.S. affiliate of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), Business at OECD (BIAC) and the International Organization of Employers (IOE). USCIB is also the only U.S. business organization with standing at the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), and is recognized at the UN Environment Program (UNEP), UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (UN CBD).

USCIB’s Staworzynska to Chair IOE Group on Human Rights & Responsible Business Conduct

Published on September 13, 2023

The International Organization of Employers (IOE) has just approved the nomination of USCIB Director for Corporate Responsibility and Labor Affairs, Ewa Staworzynska, as the new chair of the IOE Policy Working Group on Human Rights and Responsible Business Conduct (RBC).

“IOE’s Policy Working Group on Human Rights and RBC offers IOE members and corporate partners a space to discuss national and international policy developments, share businesses’ contributions to human rights and RBC policy matters, and collectively engage at the global policy stage,” said Staworzynska.

As the representative of employers at the ILO, and as the representative of business on social and employment policy issues in other multilateral fora, the IOE provides a vital business perspective to the many activities and initiatives that seek to advance the Business and Human Rights and Responsible Business Conduct agenda. IOE advocates on behalf of business for reasonable, realistic and workable solutions to the world’s myriad socio-economic challenges.

“Human rights and RBC is a priority for USCIB members,” added Staworzynska. “American companies’ are deeply committed to RBC and strongly value international policy engagements on these issues.”