We are pleased to announce a webinar on Thursday 6 May, 17:00, on trade and environmental sustainability. This webinar will launch a series of events co-organised by the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) and the CCIG. It fits into the series of Geneva Business Dialogues organised by ICC Switzerland which the objective is to strengthen global prosperity and development through trade and investment.

More information as well as the possibility to register you find here. 

Model-WTO has carried out their 2021 conference over the past week with great success. Over 50 participants from 5 different continents came together virtually, spending a fruitful and informative week.

The Model-WTO international conference provides a unique opportunity for future decision makers to experience first hand the technicalities of the multilateral trading system, which ICC Switzerland is delighted to support!

13/04/2021

London and Kuala Lumpur

The Gulf of Guinea accounted for nearly half (43%) of all reported piracy incidents in the first three months of 2021, according to the latest figures from the ICC International Maritime Bureau (IMB).

IMB’s latest global piracy report records 38 incidents since the start of 2021 – compared with 47 incidents during the same period last year. In the first three months of 2021, the IMB Piracy Reporting Centre (PRC) reported 33 vessels boarded, two attempted attacks, two vessels fired upon, and one vessel hijacked.

Despite a drop in the number of reported piracy incidents for Q1 2021, violence against crew is on the rise in comparison to previous years. Since the start of 2021, 40 crew have been kidnapped compared to 22 crew in Q1 2020. A crew member was also killed in Q1 2021.

Gulf of Guinea

The Gulf of Guinea continues to be particularly dangerous for seafarers with 43% of all reported piracy incidents occurring in the region. In addition, the region accounted for all 40 kidnapped crew incidents, as well as the sole crew fatality, according to IMB.

“Pirates operating within the Gulf of Guinea are well-equipped to attack further away from shorelines and are unafraid to take violent action against innocent crews” warns IMB Director Michael Howlett. “It’s critical that seafarers remain cautious and vigilant when travelling in nearby waters and report all incidents to the Regional Authorities and the IMB PRC. Only improved knowledge sharing channels and increased collaboration between maritime response authorities will reduce the risk to seafarers in the region.”

The furthest recorded kidnapping occurred on 11 March 2021 when pirates kidnapped 15 crew from a Maltese flagged Chemical Tanker, 212nm south of Cotonou, Benin. In another incident, a fishing vessel hijacked on 8 February 2021 was used by pirates as a mother vessel to facilitate other attacks.

The IMB PRC commends the Coastal response agencies and independent international navies tasked in the Region for actively responding to reported incidents and encourages their continued efforts in making the GoG waters safer for the seafarers.

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New Arbitration Rules Webinar

24. March 2021, 16:30 - 17:30 CET

On 1^st December 2020, ICC Court of Arbitration launched its revised Rules of Arbitration (“2021 ICC Rules”), which entered into force on 1 January 2021.

We have the pleasure to invite you to an information and roundtable event on 24 March 2021, which will provide you with a brief overview of the relevant revision points and an in-depth practical insight into some key aspects of the revision topics.

Please feel free to forward this invitation to colleagues. Non-members are also welcome to participate.

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Please regsiter until 17 March 2021 at the latest.

Impact of export controls on Covid-19 vaccine supplies and the economic case for vaccine equity

Dear Commission President,

As the institutional representative and global voice of over 45 million businesses, I am writing to express the global business community’s concern at proposals – which we understand have been tabled by the Commission this week – to impose controls on the export of COVID-19 vaccines manufactured in the European Union.

While we, of course, appreciate that the draft regulation is ultimately well intentioned, I hope that you may be willing – together with your college of Commissioners – to reflect on the negative consequences of trade restrictions on the supply of vaccines for EU citizens when viewed in a broader context.    

In this connection, I would like to emphasise two important frames of reference. First, from discussions with businesses with experience operating within vaccine supply chains, we understand that the introduction of export restrictions risks creating artificial chokepoints in the manufacturing and distribution of COVID-19 vaccines – arguably undermining the core intent of the proposals to speed vaccine rollout across the EU.  

As you will be aware, vaccine supply chains are inherently global in nature – indeed, some inputs required for approved COVID-19 vaccinations can only be sourced in a handful of countries. In this context, our immediate fear is that the proposed EU export controls risk triggering retaliatory actions by third countries that could very rapidly erode essential supply chains. 

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Study shows vaccine nationalism could cost rich countries US$4.5 trillion

• Comprehensive economic modelling shows advanced economies stand to lose USD trillions through vaccine nationalism – more than previously thought

• Economic benefits of funding multilateral efforts to ensure equitable access to vaccines dwarf the costs

• Advanced economies with international linkages have the most to gain from global collaboration on vaccine access and distribution

Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General WHO:

“I believe the world faces a catastrophic moral failure in equal access to the tools to combat the pandemic. This research shows a potentially catastrophic economic failure. The progress made by the ACT Accelerator shows solidarity in beating this virus.

The longer we wait to provide vaccines, tests, and treatments to all countries, the faster the virus will take hold, the potential for more variants will emerge, the greater the chance today’s vaccines could become ineffective, and the harder it will be for all countries to recover.

Truly, no-one is safe until everyone is safe.” 

Read the full ICC press release in English, French and German.  The full study is availbale here.