House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Richard E. Neal (D-MA) released the following statement upon the conclusion of the congressional delegation to Stuttgart, Germany, and Geneva, Switzerland:
“Our time in International Geneva has strengthened our perspective and deepened our relationships with key partners. From meeting with the ILO’s Director-General Gilbert F. Houngbo on his fourth day in office to an always warm reception by WTO’s Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, we affirmed the Congress’s commitment to our international community and our support for their multilateral work in Geneva.
“With the ILO’s Director-General Houngbo, we emphasized our work in addressing forced labor and thanked the ILO for its unwavering commitment to raising labor standards around the world. Under the USMCA’s Rapid Response Labor Mechanism and with the help of the ILO, multiple worker complaints have been successfully resolved at the GM Silao plant in Mexico.
“During our visit to the WTO, the delegation congratulated Director-General Okonjo-Iweala on her leadership at a successful 12th Ministerial Conference and underscored our commitment to the WTO. We discussed the many strengths of the organization that have made way for deeper global cooperation, but acknowledged that meaningful reform is needed.
“A common theme from our bilateral conversations was how our unity is our strength. The Ways and Means Committee will use any tool under our purview to further isolate Russia and Belarus from the global economy to hold them accountable for the unconscionable war against Ukraine.
“While visiting the World Economic Forum, our members discussed the United States’ role in ushering in a post-pandemic era that focuses on workers and underserved communities with Founder and Executive Chairman Klaus Schwab and President Børge Brende. Their deep knowledge gave our delegation fresh perspectives on some of the most pressing issues of today, and for what lies ahead.”
In Geneva, the delegation visited the International Labour Organization, the World Trade Organization, and the World Economic Forum, as well as held bilateral meetings with trading partners.
Original source can be found here.
