The Global Business Coalition calls for international cooperation

Paris, November 29, 2016 – The Global Business Coalition (GBC) increases its efforts to speak with a joint business voice

• B20 Coalition rebrands into The Global Business Coalition
• Crucial that business communities share intelligence and foster mutual understanding
• GBC to provide governments with comprehensive and pragmatic solutions

In times of uprising inward-looking movements worldwide, the Global Business Coalition (GBC), formerly B20 Coalition, stands for one important value: international cooperation. Playing a leading role in fostering international cooperation between national business communities, the GBC is therefore reinforcing its capacities in crucial times. Through well-established networks, each business association that is a GBC member, represents the views of enterprises in its respective market and leads critical dialogues with governments in order to promote policies that foster sustainable & inclusive growth, job creation and competitiveness. With a unique understanding of the trends, challenges and aspirations that are at stake across each of its members’ market, the GBC is committed to deepening its mandate to build consensus and develop common positions on issues critical for enterprises worldwide.

Commenting on these renewed ambitions, Ulrich Grillo, President of the Federation of German Industries (BDI), the organisation assuming the Presidency of the GBC since June 2016 said, “In a complex, uncertain and fast evolving world, it is key that the business communities work together, share intelligence and foster mutual understanding, to provide governments with comprehensive and pragmatic positions in a common voice’’.

By ensuring the link between governments, relevant international institutions and business communities, the GBC will continue to look at playing an instrumental role in supporting the G20/ B20 process, notably by ensuring continuity over successive country Presidencies, while looking at increasing its commitments in voicing the views of enterprises within major international fora.

Mr. Grillo added: “While currently assuming the Presidency of the Global Business Coalition, BDI, along with BDA & DIHK, is also coordinating the B20 Germany agenda. We are pleased to count on the active involvement of the GBC within the B20 Germany taskforces, notably the Digitalization and the Energy, Climate & Resource Efficiency ones. With the Coalition’s 2015/2016 and 2016/2017 priority topics “digital economy” and “resource efficiency”, I am sure that we will be successful in introducing constructive and tangible contributions to the 2017 G20 agenda’’.

This statement is issued by the Global Business Coalition members, in
Berlin, Brasilia, Brussels, Buenos Aires, Istanbul, Johannesburg, London, Madrid,
New Delhi, Ottawa, Paris, Rome, Seoul, Sydney, and Washington, D.C.

ABOUT GBC

The Global Business Coalition (GBC) brings together
leading independent business associations from the major world economies and
advocates on behalf of more than 6.8 million small, medium and large companies.
GBC, established in 2012, operates as a worldwide platform of exchanges
between national business communities, and aims at building consensus and
developing common positions on issues critical for enterprises.
Through its broad-based representation, GBC engages policy-makers at a global scale and advocates policies that contribute to growth and job creation at regional and international levels.
By providing a unique link between governments, relevant international institutions
and business communities, GBC has become instrumental in representing
the voice of enterprises within the G20 process and other major international fora.

GBC MEMBERS

Ai Group, Australia — BDI, Germany — BUSA, South Africa
BusinessEurope, Europe — CBI, United Kingdom — CCC, Canada
CEOE, Spain — CII, India — CNI, Brazil — Confindustria, Italy — FKI, South Korea
MEDEF, France — TÜSİAD, Turkey — UIA, Argentina — US Chamber, USA