Business-Managed Democracy

• Introduction

• National Government

• International Coercion

• Privatisation

• The Trade Agenda

• Trade in Services
• GATS
  • Implications
  • Telmex Ruling
  • Offers and Requests
• Early Business Lobbies
  • American Express
  • CSI
• Financial Services
  • Gaining Support
  • Business Lobbying
  • Ongoing Goals
• Business Coalitions
  • British Invisibles/ LOTIS
  • Financial Leaders Group
  • European Services
  • Global Services Network
  • Lobbying Networks
• Business Strategies
  • Targeted Services
  • Front Nations
  • Encouraging Offers
  • Touting Benefits
  • Access
• References


 

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Business-Managed Democracy » Government » Trade in Services » Business Coalitions

Business-Managed Government

Business Coalitions

Reference: Dean R. O'Hare, 'Introductory Remarks', Paper presented at the Services 2002 Conference, Washington D.C., 5 February 2002, p. 2 .

The Coalition of Service Industries (CSI) demonstrated the power of business coalitions in setting the agenda and influencing the outcomes of trade negotiations during the Uruguay Round and the subsequent FSA negotiations. In fact it inspired similar service industry coalitions in other countries that hope to profit from access to markets in foreign countries. These include:

• the Australian Services Roundtable,
• the Irish Coalition of Service Industries and
• the Hong Kong Coalition of Service Industries.

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In addition, research centres catering to these new lobbies have blossomed. For example, the Australian National University has established a Services Industries Research Centre to provide research and distribute information relevant to the services sector. But CSI did more than provide a model to emulate. It also actively took part in the formation of later coalitions. Harry Freeman from American Express, and the CSI itself, played a major role in the formation and running of some of these business coalitions, including the MTN (Multilateral Trade Negotiations) Coalition,

the Financial Leaders Group and the Global Services Network. CSI was also, for a time, one of the Associate Expert Groups for the Business and Industry Advisory Committee (BIAC) to the OECD (see diagram).

Business and Industry Advisory Committee (BIAC)

Reference: 'eBIAC: The Voice of the Business Community at the OECD', Business and Industry Advisory Committee to the OECD (BIAC), 28 May 2003; ‘BIAC Priorities for the WTO Doha Negotiations and Recommendations to the OECD’, Paris, Business and Industry Advisory Committee to the OECD, 20 February 2003, p. 3 ; ‘Priorities for OECD and WTO Work: BIAC Submission on Trade-Related Issues to the OECD’, Paris, Business and Industry Advisory Committee to the OECD, June 1998, p. 2 .

In addition, existing business coalitions and groups aided in the lobbying efforts. For example the Business and Industry Advisory Committee (BIAC) to the OECD has a Trade Committee which plays an active role in the WTO negotiations, ‘identifying areas for further liberalization by governments’. The committee is chaired by Nancie S. Johnson, Vice President of DuPont Government Affairs (US) (who also chairs USCIB’s trade policy committee).

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