10 May 2004

Business delivers appeal to G8 leaders

The following article is excerpted from the International Chamber of Commerce web site, on 7 May 2004.

ICC today delivered a statement on behalf of world business to US President George W. Bush, who will host the G8 Summit at Sea Island, Georgia on 8-10 June.

The statement is 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.

The ICC statement said: "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. 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 urges 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 Cancun last September to finalize the negotiating agenda of the Doha trade negotiations and set the round on course for completion by the agreed dated.

"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 ICC urged the G8 to take the lead in programmes to combat intellectual property piracy. …

Many of the issues raised by the ICC's statement will be taken up at the 35th ICC World Congress in Marrakesh on 6-9 June 2004. The Congress theme is: "Standing up for the global economy".