Last month, ICC delivered a statement on behalf of world business to President Bush, who is hosting the Group of Eight summit at Sea Island, Georgia on June 8-10.  The statement was an appeal to the leaders of the G8 to use their upcoming meeting to address four key issues of interest to business: drawing developing countries into the global economy, bringing the Doha trade negotiations to a successful close, aiding security and cross-border business and protecting intellectual property.

"One of the biggest challenges facing government and business leadership is how to draw into the global economy those countries that still remain on the margins,” the statement said.  “ICC calls on the G8 to continue to emphasize the indispensability of good governance in promoting development and reducing poverty, and to work closely with countries who wish to undertake reforms.  Business is very ready to make its contribution to that process.”

The statement urged 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."

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.

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.” 

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Global Recovery Strengthening, But Uneven – The inaugural issue of the BIAC Economic Review, published by the Business and Industry Advisory Committee to the OECD, notes that growth is on a healthy upswing this year, but with wide divergences between major industrial nations.  Read the latest issue of the BIAC Economic review at: www.uscib.org/docs/biac_economic_review.pdf.