icc-albania

18 March 2021 On Thursday 18 March, ICC Albania launched a new working group which primary focus of work will be the Sustainable Development Goals. This initiative names as Commission on Sustainable Development and Integrity will have as purpose to build dialogue and expertise among representatives from private and public sector, civil society and academia and youth to reinforce responsible business conduct and integrity in their business model. The Commission will focus on three main areas of work; i. Sustainability, ii. Integrity and iii. Circular Economy. This initiative is supported by international partners who have the sustainability agenda central to their

13 March 2021 ICC looks forward to working with Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Secretary-General-designate Mathias Cormann to address the world’s pressing policy challenges. After an extensive multi-candidate selection process, Mathias Cormann, Australia’s former Finance Minister, has been confirmed as the next OECD Secretary-General. Since the OECD was founded 60 years ago, ICC has contributed the voice of business to OECD discussions, papers, and policy positions. On Mr Cormann’s appointment, ICC Secretary General John W.H. Denton AO said: “From global trade to the digital economy to environment and energy – the OECD has the tools and resources to inform policymakers

11 March 2021 ICC and Mastercard will work with stakeholders from civil society, business, and government to create an environment that encourages the development and proliferation of interoperable digital health pass solutions to accelerate the global recovery. Today, governments are mostly relying on a range of paper-based processes to determine the COVID-19 test results and vaccine status of travellers. In many cases, these paper certificates can be easily falsified, are difficult to validate, and inconvenient for people to use. ICC and Mastercard believe trusted technology should be at the heart of strategies for reopening societies and bringing travel back safely. To

10 March 2021 ICC has published the latest edition of the ICC Innovation Principles, a guide to the policy frameworks that create and nurture robust innovation ecosystems. The ICC Innovation Principles provide an overview of the policy framework that businesses of all sizes need to innovate. The principles focus on Innovation Ecosystems, in recognition of the complex and interconnected nature of innovative activity. A call is made for multistakeholder conversations in all policy forums that affect these ecosystems, allowing businesses to show the inner workings of innovation. Those innovation ecosystems have been transformed in recent years. From an increased focus on data, to the

10 March 2021 ICC and Finastra join forces to develop a financing marketplace for micro-, small-, and medium-sized enterprises. ICC and Finastra have committed to a strategic initiative to tackle the growing trade finance gap. Both organisations are orchestrating an ecosystem and exploring the development of a financing marketplace that will provide micro-, small, and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with access to a broader set of alternative finance resources in order to help keep the global economy moving forward. The ICC TRADECOMM™ marketplace, powered by Finastra, will reduce trade finance barriers for SMEs and enable all parties to benefit from improvements in matching supply

9 March 2021 ICC Trading Thoughts speaks with Cecilia Malmstrom, the former EU Commissioner for Trade and one of the final OECD Secretary-General candidates. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) is celebrating it’s 60 anniversary this year. Since entering into force in 1961, the OECD has played a critical role in advancing multilateral solutions to global challenges. As the world continues to grapple with the COVID-19 crisis and other policy challenges, like climate change and global inequality, the OECD is in the process of selecting its next Secretary General. ICC speaks with Cecilia Malmstrom, the former EU Commisoner for

9 March 2021 As part International Women’s Day 2021, ICC’s employees are choosing to challenge and call out gender bias and inequality. In recognition of this year’s #ChooseToChallenge theme, ICC employees and staff from around the world are raising their hand to call out gender inequality and celebrate women’s achievements. Shinta Widjaja Kamdani, ICC Executive Board member and CEO of Sintesa Group, joined World Trade Organization (WTO) Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala to discuss the importance of ensuring women equitable access to vaccines and trade finance as part of the WTO’s event on Women in Leadership: Achieving an equal future in a COVID-19 world. International Women’s

4 March 2021 ICC Secretary General John W.H. Denton AO has issued the following statement in response to breaking news that Italy has used EU export controls to block the export of COVID-19 Astra Zeneca vaccines to Australia. Mr Denton said: “While we understand the political pressures at play within Europe, blocking exports to meet domestic vaccination targets is a very dangerous card for policymakers to play. Vaccine manufacturing within the EU relies on an inherently global supply chain that – as we’ve repeatedly warned – is vulnerable to any escalation of retaliatory trade measures. These global production networks are already

4 March 2021 Eduardo Silva Romero, Co-Chair of Dechert’s International Arbitration Global Practice, was elected as Chair of the ICC Institute of World Business Law last year. Having stepped into his role officially in January, he has an ambitious agenda for the global think-tank. We sat down with Mr Silva Romero to learn about his plans to prioritise diversity and expand the focus of the Institute to ensure it remains a driver of world business law excellence. Eduardo Silva Romero, Chair of the ICC Institute of World Business Law; Co-Chair of Dechert’s International Arbitration Global Practice Prioritising diversity and inclusion ICC: What

2 March 2021 ICC Secretary-General John W.H. Denton AO and Henrietta Fore, Executive Director of UNICEF, have penned a joint op-ed highlighting the urgency of addressing barriers to the distribution of COVID-19 vaccines. Recognising UNICEF’s role as the procurement partner for the Global COVAX Facility, leading the largest vaccine procurement and supply operation in history, the ICC and UNICEF chiefs have called on world leaders to address the “rounding error” presented by the US$659 million funding gap needed to support UNICEF’s role in the delivery of all COVID-19 tools and vaccines, country preparedness and roll out in communities. The op-ed references