Appointment comes as forum spotlights child labor’s challenges to global supply chains
New York, N.Y., March 4, 2009 – Adam Greene, vice president of labor affairs and corporate responsibility with the United States Council for International Business (USCIB), has been named by the National Academy of Sciences to serve on the NAS Committee on Approaches to Reduce the Use of Forced or Child Labor, an important element in the Department of Labor’s efforts to prevent imports of goods made with prohibited forms of labor.
“We’re delighted that the National Academy of Sciences has recognized Adam Greene’s important contributions to the cause of combating forced labor and child labor,” stated USCIB’s President and CEO Peter M. Robinson. “USCIB members take their responsibilities in this regard seriously and are working closely with Adam to ensure that forced and child labor are rooted out of global supply chains.”
The new committee will play an integral role in advising the Department of Labor on the framework for identifying those goods made with prohibited forms of labor. The department is charged with developing a public list of all such goods by January 15, 2010.
Last week in Atlanta, USCIB, in partnership with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the International Organization of Employers (IOE), and the International Labor Organization (ILO), held a one-day international business forum on “Engaging Business – Addressing Child Labor,” hosted by The Coca-Cola Company. Child labor experts from the ILO, business leaders and other key actors converged to share concrete experiences dealing with child labor from the local to the global levels as well as the growing business risks resulting from child labor in supply chains and how business can strengthen efforts to address child labor.
Speakers at the USCIB forum included Muhtar Kent, president and CEO of The Coca-Cola Company, Brent Wilton, deputy secretary general of the IOE, Ed Potter, director of global workplace rights with The Coca-Cola Company, and USCIB Executive Vice President Ronnie Goldberg, a member of the ILO’s Governing Body who moderated a panel on the impact of child labor on business.
USCIB is the primary forum through which American business advances its interests in the area of international labor policy. It works with the executive branch and Congress to develop trade policies that also promote sound labor practices. Serving as the U.S. affiliate of the IOE, which represents business in the International Labor Organization, USCIB was instrumental in the development of the ILO’s Declaration on the Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work.
In developing its list of prohibited goods, the Department of Labor will create a standard set of practices to reduce the likelihood that prohibited goods make their way into supply chains. The new committee will advise the department on the framework for identifying and organizing such practices.
Mr. Greene is responsible for USCIB’s activities on labor and corporate responsibility. He manages U.S. business participation in the development of international labor standards and advises companies on international and regional trends in labor and employment policy. He also coordinates USCIB involvement in the governing and standard setting bodies of the ILO and promotes the ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work. He serves as vice chair of the Business Technical Advisory Committee on Labor Affairs to the Inter-American Conference of Ministers of Labor.
USCIB promotes international engagement and prudent regulation in support of open markets, competitiveness and innovation, sustainable development and corporate responsibility. Its members include top U.S.-based global companies and professional services firms from every sector of the economy, with operations in every region of the world. With a unique global network encompassing leading international business organizations, including the IOE, USCIB provides business views to policy makers and regulatory authorities worldwide, and works to facilitate international trade and investment. More information is available at www.uscib.org.
Contact:
Jonathan Huneke, VP Communications, USCIB
Tel: +1 212.703.5043 (office) or +1 917.420.0039 (mobile)
E-mail: jhuneke@uscib.org
Agenda of February 25 USCIB forum, “Engaging Business: Addressing Child Labor”
More on USCIB’s Labor and Employment Committee
