Business' message to G20 Labour Ministers: Restoring business confidence urgently needed to stimulate job creation

In a meeting Monday with Labour Ministers from the G20 countries, BIAC called for strong action by governments to avoid the devastating effects a “double-dip” global recession would have on employment.

“Without decisive action, we risk prolonging record levels of long-term unemployment and having millions more young people enter adulthood without the prospect of meaningful work,” said BIAC Chairman Charles P. Heeter. “This would be tragic for the individuals involved, their families and our societies.”

OECD-BIAC conference highlights need for public-private co-operation to address rising health care costs and challenges of ageing populations

“Governments and the private sector need to work together to offer innovative solutions for health promotion, disease prevention and treatment that will help address the rising health care costs and challenges presented by ageing populations,” stated Ms. Nicole Denjoy, Chair of the BIAC Task Force on Health Care Policy. “We need to move from sick care to health care.”

Speaking to over 100 senior policymakers, business figures and academics at the OECD 50th Anniversary Health Conference on meeting the challenges of ageing and multiple morbidities, co-sponsored by the Business Industry Advisory Committee (BIAC), Ms. Denjoy highlighted the business case for greater collaboration with governments to generate improved health outcomes and greater efficiency in the future.

Public-private efforts needed to tackle extreme price instability in food and agricultural commodity markets, says BIAC

An international co-ordinated public-private effort is essential to address extreme price instability of food and other agriculture commodities, according to a new Business and Industry Advisory Committee (BIAC) paper. Released to the OECD in advance of the first meeting of the G20 Agriculture Ministers, on 22-23 June 2011 in Paris, the BIAC paper highlights several policy recommendations for mitigating and managing price volatility in agriculture commodity markets.

“Extreme food price volatility creates uncertainty and undermines investor confidence, which is damaging for society and bad for business,” says Mr. Niels Nordgaard, Chair of the BIAC Food and Agriculture Committee. “This is particularly damaging given that, at the same time, the food and agriculture sector is facing the long-term challenge of continuing to increase investment in order to boost production to meet rising food demand.”

Business calls on OECD to promote updated Guidelines for MNEs in non-adhering countries

"Convergence of corporate social responsibility standards between countries adhering, and those not adhering, to the OECD Guidelines for Multi-National Enterprises must be reached in order to create a true level playing field in the markets where multi-national companies operate," said Mr. Winand Quaedvlieg, Chairman of the BIAC International Investment and MNE Committee.

 Speaking on the occasion of the 2011 OECD Ministerial Council Meeting, Mr. Quaedvlieg highlighted the OECD business community's views on Ministers adoption of the update of the OECD Guidelines. BIAC has been actively involved in the discussions since the beginning of the update. Many different stakeholder views have been expressed, and the final text represents a balanced outcome that BIAC can accept.

Business calls on G20 and OECD to Address Solicitation of Bribes

“Fighting public officials’ solicitation of bribes must be a priority in order to combat corruption,” says Mr. Jean Monville, Chairman of the BIAC Task Force on Bribery and Corruption. “BIAC is committed to creation of a clean global business environment and the goals of the G20 Anti-Corruption Action Plan; this will necessitate deeper co-operation between business and Governments.”

Business calls for better investment climate in Africa to improve people's lives and foster social stability

Dakar, Senegal – “Creating favorable conditions for foreign and domestic private investment in Africa is essential to provide new engines of growth and employment, which will help improve social conditions”, says Ms. Marie Gad, Chair of the Africa Group of the Business and Industry Advisory Committee to the OECD (BIAC).

Much of Africa has experienced strong growth over past years, but increasing food prices, a lack of jobs (particularly among young people), pervasive corruption and ageing infrastructures pose a risk to stability and development. These problems need to be tackled if Africa’s development is to be sustained and strengthened.

BIAC Celebrates the OECD's 50th Anniversary in Budapest

On the occasion of BIAC’s General Assembly, over 120 international business, OECD, and Hungarian government policy decision makers met today to explore and discuss how the OECD and the international business community have, since the Organisation’s founding 50 years ago, worked together to promote open markets and job creation.

 “Today’s generation of business and government leaders have faced no challenge more daunting than helping their societies adjust to and reap the potential rewards of globalisation,” stated BIAC Chairman Charles P. Heeter.

G20 Leaders are convening in Seoul on 11 and 12 November with the primary aim of achieving a G20 Framework for “strong, sustainable and balanced growth”. International business supports these efforts and wishes to reaffirm the key role of the private sector in this endeavour.

IOE and BIAC, the world’s lead representative business organisations, are committed to working with governments on policies necessary to support sustainable economic growth through private sector job creation.

Speaking to OECD Health Ministers on 7 October 2010, BIAC urged governments to work closely with the private sector to maximise the efficiency of health care systems with limited resources, and to obtain better value for money while improving quality of health care and patient outcomes.

Speaking at the OECD Ministerial Meeting 27-28 May 2010, BIAC urged governments to implement policies enhancing employability, innovation, green growth, and open trade and investment. Unwinding stimulus measures and returning to private sector-led growth is the only long run sustainable path to economic recovery and employment creation.

WTO Ministers, at their Seventh Ministerial Conference, in Geneva, announced that the eight-year-old Doha Round negotiations should be concluded quickly. BIAC applauds this statement as it has long called for a conclusion of the Doha Round trade negotiations.

“In the face of the current financial and economic crisis, lack of access to credit continues to negatively impact companies’ ability to create jobs and ease the jobs crisis,” said BIAC Secretary General Tadahiro Asami in advance of the OECD Employment and Labour Ministerial meeting taking place this week in Paris. “While Government stimulus measures have had positive impacts, long term recovery will not be achieved though continued subsidies, income support or public sector job creation alone. The goal must be a return to sustainable enterprise creation, which is the necessary basis for sustainable job creation.”

As leaders continue to face the challenges of addressing the global financial and economic crisis, Business leaders will address OECD Ministers today and tomorrow in support of the expected OECD Green Growth initiative as well as to urge the Organisation to develop “exit strategies” from crisis-related government measures.

As global leaders continue to face the challenges of addressing the global financial and economic crisis, over 150 international business and government policy decision makers met today to explore and discuss how the OECD and the international business community are working together to promote open markets and job creation.

"Business remains committed to addressing climate change as a top priority and supports governments’ efforts for a successful outcome of the Copenhagen climate change conference,” said BIAC Secretary General Tadahiro Asami in advance of travelling to Syracuse, Italy for a 22 April consultation with G8 Environment Ministers.

International business urges the G20 leaders to take credible action to keep markets open for international trade and investment and through this contribute to global economic recovery.

In anticipation of the 5th World Water Forum to be held in Istanbul, March 16-22, business leaders from BIAC and one of its Turkish member organisations, TUSIAD, called on policymakers to swiftly develop and implement fact-based and data-driven policy measures to meet the rapidly growing investment needs of water infrastructure and services.

International business urges the political leaders of the economies represented in the G20 to prevent a further accentuation of the world economic crisis by working to keep markets open and avoiding trade and investment protectionism.

Thomas Bata, owner of global shoe corporation that bears his name and life-long business advocate for the development of countries, has died in Toronto only weeks before his 94th birthday. Business and government leaders from around the world expressed sadness and regret at the news of Bata’s passing on 1 September, recalling his vitality, energy and dedication as the key factors for his success.

Ministers have taken the important step to reaffirm the principles from the 1998 OECD Ottawa Ministerial that allowed a platform for electronic commerce to evolve into a platform for all aspects of life over the last 10 years,” declared Mr. Peter Robinson, President and CEO of the United States Council for International Business.

Business stresses the needed policy framework conditions and stakeholder consultation that are required to foster greater economic growth, communication, and understanding across all societies.

U.S. President George W. Bush praised a new era in US-European ties in a speech delivered at the headquarters of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).

“Governments must avoid hastily conceived new regulations on sovereign wealth funds (SWFs) in their efforts to diminish recent rising public criticism against these investment vehicles,” said Mr. Tadahiro Asami, Secretary General of the Business and Industry Advisory Committee to the OECD (BIAC). “Increased international co-operation, transparency and governance are the keys to successfully alleviating fears and building the trust necessary to permit the positive contributions that SWFs can provide to our economies.”