BIAC announces Joint Workshop on Women’s Economic EmpowermentOn 2 February, BIAC, AmCham France, and the OECD will hold a joint workshop on The Business Case for Women’s Economic Empowerment at the OECD conference center in Paris. Organised as one-day invitation-only event, the joint workshop aims to provide a business perspective and best practice experience to the OECD Gender Initiative. Fostering private sector-led economic growth and development18 January 2012 – Against a backdrop of deteriorating global growth, weakened trade, and high rates of long-term unemployment in many countries, BIAC devoted its Annual Consultation with OECD Ambassadors on 18 January 2012 to discuss what is needed to foster private sector-led economic growth and development. We need tax policies that will foster sustainable growthFinancial Times – Letter by Mr Chris Lenon, Mr Theo Keijzer and Mr Krister Andersson 24 November 2011 – BIAC, ICC, and BUSINESSEUROPE Tax Chairs comment on the business community’s opposition to an introduction of a financial transaction tax (FTT). BIAC contributions to OECD G20-focused activitiesAhead of the G20 Leaders’ Summit on 3-4 November in Cannes, which shall mark the culmination of the French Presidency of the G20, BIAC provides an overview of various BIAC activities which have been carried out over the past year as input to the agendas of the OECD and G20: Bribery and Corruption; Commodity Price Volatility and Food Security; Development; Employment and Social Policies; Environment and Energy - Fossil Fuel Subsidies and Climate Finance; Financial Sector Reform; Framework for Strong, Sustainable and Balanced Growth; Green Growth; and Taxation. BIAC hosts International Green Economy Dialogue ConferenceOn 14 November, BIAC welcomed close to 100 experts from business, governments, OECD, UNEP and key academics to an International Business Green Economies Dialogue conference at the OECD Headquarters. The Paris conference was organised as the second part of a business-led series of discussions in North America, Europe, Asia and South America, in the run up to the Rio+20 Earth Summit in June 2012. Business’ message to G20 Labour Ministers: Restoring business confidence urgently needed to stimulate job creation27 September 2011 – 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.” BIAC-IOE Business Priorities Paper to G20 Labour Ministers Consultations is available here. |
BIAC participates in Forum on Tax Administration (FTA) meeting in Buenos Aires18-19 January 2012 – Leadership of the BIAC Tax Committee for the first time, participated in the meeting of the OECD’s Forum on Tax Administration (FTA), on 18-19 January in Buenos Aires. BIAC strengthens its work on development21 October 2011 – The Multi-Year Action Plan on Development, released at the Seoul G20 Leaders' Summit in November 2010, marked a shift towards a much broader conceptualisation of development beyond aid, to also encompass the important role played by the private sector. This Multi-Year Action Plan specifically mandated the OECD to carry out several different development-related activities, and thus paved the way for the OECD Development Strategy, which shall be presented in spring 2012. In light of this increased recognition of the role of the private sector in development, BIAC is now strengthening its contributions to OECD development activities. Industry Supports OECD and G20 Focus on Financial Consumer Protection15 October 2011 – The BIAC Finance Task Force, in co-operation with the BIAC Consumer Policy Task Force, supports financial consumer protection and believes that it can contribute to financial stability. However, a balanced policy approach is essential, and policymakers must resist taking drastic and burdensome policy measures that could negatively impact competition, innovation and consumer choice. Financial consumer protection is a shared responsibility of policymakers, industry and consumers, and it is therefore necessary to work together to develop suitable approaches. New BIAC Policy Manager welcomed3 October 2011 – At the beginning of October, Ms. Tabea Kölbel assumed the duties of BIAC Policy Manager replacing Mr. Peter Heller, who resigned in August. BIAC Secretary General addresses IOE European Meeting and BIAC’s Israeli member in Tel-Aviv15 September 2011 – BIAC Secretary General Tadahiro Asami participated as a special guest at the IOE European Members’ Meeting; hosted by the Manufacturers’ Association of Israel (MAI). BIAC hosts event on the role of science and technology in greening the economy with agriculture6 September 2011 – On the occasion of the FAO/OECD Expert Meeting on Greening the Economy with Agriculture, 5-7 September 2011 in Paris, BIAC took the initiative to host a side-event in the form of a luncheon panel discussion on the role of science and technology in greening the economy with agriculture. This event was generously sponsored by BIAC’s Associate Expert Group member, Croplife International, and successfully contributed an outside perspective to the discussions in the FAO/OECD Expert Meeting. |
