From the Executive Chairman

Welcome to our website where you can learn more about how the international community is assisting developing countries and other projects and issues that impact the global agenda and it’s outcomes. Each quarter we will focus on a topical issue such as the G20, security matters, privacy, intellectual property and how business is connected to them. I will be introducing thought leaders on important topics and our own experts will provide insight.

The Turkish G20 Contributions

Moving forward to China

While terror attacks in Beirut and Paris further the tensions of the refugee crisis, Turkey passes the baton to China with some unified resolve among members on what should be done on these latest challenges as well as the pre-planned agenda. The G20 has taken place at the coastal city of Antalya and the many issues on the agenda signal the challenges ahead. The economic downturn and the jobs crisis is seeing little improvement and most likely getting worse. But it’s the refugee crisis and its impacts on regional security that is towering above these because of its immediate impact and the potential for destabilizing Europe. This has been dramatically worsened by the terror events these past days. Among the big issues at the G20 Energy supply remained important. Commodities and oil prices have crashed and will lead to harder times for executives in these industries. The tears should however be spread around as pointed out at the recent joint press conference by the Secretary General of the UN and the head of the Red Cross who confirmed we are in the worst refugee situation since WW2. What is happening in the Middle East could see further disruption from the collapse of oil prices as the oil producers have falling revenues. I guess the bigger game has to take into account factors not only affecting the gulf region and the OPEC countries but the US and Russia. All of this is very real in Antalya, the G20 venue as it is close to Syria and the conflict going on is of geographic significance to Turkey. We need to understand what this is doing to business confidence and global trade as it is very clear there is a serious slow down everywhere including in China. The shipping giants like Maersk are experiencing as much as a sixty percent drop in profits and are laying off large numbers of workers as well as cancelling orders for new ships. This disruption is affecting the relatively peaceful era that we in the West have enjoyed since WW2. Of course this is only one of the massive disruptive waves that today are impacting developed and developing nations alike. The G20 is a powerful forum perhaps the most powerful, but it remains difficult for member states to achieve true consensus on the actions to be taken.

Executive Posts

April 8, 2016

by | Apr 8, 2016 |

Digitisation This is a big issue and seems to get a lot of mentions on the international calendar of events so I’m pleased to learn that the OECD will host a ministerial conference in CancunMexico in June this year. Our colleague and advisor John Dryden...

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March 14, 2016

by | Mar 14, 2016 |

South Sudan a crisis when there was hope Only a few years back the newest nation in the world South Sudan was expected to develop and thrive due to resources and international support- we had been involved in hosting one of the international events leading...

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February 24, 2016

by | Feb 24, 2016 |

Fond memories of Japan My travels to Japan are infrequent these days but this was not the case from the 1980s through until 2009 so I was very interested to find out that Keidanren the powerful Japanese business federation was active in Africa and doing...

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January 21, 2016

by | Jan 21, 2016 |

Business Europe at Davos This Brussels based Federation of European business organisations was among many of the international bodies prominent at Davos and producinguseful and constructive commentary on various issues of the global agenda from a euro...

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December12, 2015

by | Dec 12, 2015 |

On learning more about the B20 Coalition over the past months I realised there were participants at meetings I attended this year from many of the member federations including the Confederation of British Industry who had a charming young lady I believe...

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November 20, 2015

by | Nov 20, 2015 |

Turkey to China Following months of participation in B20 and related events in Istanbul and elsewhere it is evident that there are some good ideas being discussed but unfortunately little or no concrete actions or plans to tackle the major social and...

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JUNE 14TH 2015

by | Jun 14, 2015 |

Turin The ICC World Chambers Congress provided a great opportunity to hear from many business associations from around the world their concerns first hand about their future relevancy and in particular how our Trust Initiative could play a significant role...

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JUNE 6th 2015

by | Jun 6, 2015 |

Istanbul October The OECD G20 Investment Forum had the Secretary General admitting they and the business community got quite a bit wrong and reform fatigue had set in and that with a new Sheriff ( the UNITED SDGs) in town there was a universal challenge to...

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JUNE 1ST 2015

by | Jun 1, 2015 |

Paris June Meetings at the OECD and with B20 task forces were preceded by meeting the Japanese and American Deputy Secretary Generals. The OECD is generally an effective or should I say a more effective organization than many and this is clearly reflected...

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