WORLD SUMMIT FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT 9/2002
BUSINESS AS PARTNERS IN DEVELOPMENT – PRESS BRIEFING
JOAN VEON AT WSSD - 2002
JV: NEW SEEING NEW ALIGHMENT BETWEEN NGOS AND CORPORATIONS—THEY WILL
BE USED IN MAJOR CAMPAIGNS TO PUBLICALLY CHANGE THE MINDS OF THE CONSUMER.
JV: When did the various ingredence of people, cultures, etc. begin
to get inter-mingled? When public-private partnership was launched
in 1996 in Istanbul. That became the new pattern for a new global society—we
all work together. We all become one body instead of being independent.
It forms the basis for “global society.”
Bjorn Stigson:
Joint call for action with governments to create an international framework
to deal with the risk of climate change, which we believe, is in the interest
of business and humanity as such. We believe that this is the very
innovative step between governments and business. One of my colleagues
said, “This is on sustainable development when Nixon went to China.
We are taking a strong step to work together and link with others.
Sir Mark Moody-Stuart
I have on numerous occasions on renewable events chaired events with Green
peace and the body Shop. Green peace has been a program encouraging
consumers to take up action. That is something which business is aware of
because consumers are our customers.
Technology transfers—Bjorn—Report on developing countries and corporations,
which we put together with UNIDO. “Technology transfer—and local capacity
building make sustainable development possible in developing countries.”
This is not about colonization.
Question: Private investment—from OEC/North to non-OECD south—when
look at Africa – today Africa is not having private investment. What
will be your contributions?
Answer—Moody
That is what we were trying briefly to describe and I think that NEBPA is
a heightening of the event and under the leadership of Canada and the UK
there is considerable commitment from the G8 countries to make it work.
This is in additional to what African leaders are going to do to get out
of poverty, decline ill-health, under investment—they think the issues of
aid is certainly needed and the need for private investment and the pre-condition
for both of those is to get better governance and better governance means
that people know that in these countries that the rule of law, sanctity of
contract and the conditions which make investment successful as well.
It is not GOOD ENOUGH FOR THE NORTH TO SAY TO AFRICA “TO DO THIS” IT HAS
TO BE DONE IN PARTNERSHIP. I THINK MBEKI HAS LED COURAGEOUSLY.
IN THE NORTH—BUSINESS HAS TO WORK WITH OTHER STAKEHOLDERS TO CREATE THE CONDITIONS
IN AFRICAN COUNTRIES WHERE INVESTMENT BECOMES A MORE ATTRACTIVE OPPORTUNITY.
THE FACT THAT AFRIFCAN LEADERS HAVE TAKEN THIS INITIATIVE TO LET US WORK
WITH THEM AS WE ARE, TO TRY AND REVERSE THE DECLINE YOU TALKED ABOUT.
Bjorn
Many countries with operations in South Africa, which are profitable, are
giving them up. Why are they giving them up, because the risk of something
going wrong is prevalent? If something goes wrong, you get absolutely
crucified and the balance between risk and performance is just not worth
it so you say that you will go to other areas where you say “nothing will
go wrong.” I think that is a tragedy. I am opposed to it.
That is why you need partnerships and constructive support in our activities
to build better businesses and have better contributions to society. /
Question: support the framework but doing it in a local and national
context. What are your opinion of a transnational framework where that
is possible and your attitudes? 200 countries are under the umbrella
BAST with some of them working on sustainable development How deal with the
companies—many large MNC who are not here and how do we make sure that they
involve themselves in these processes.
Bjorn: We have a limited number of organizations and describe ourselves
AS A CATALYST FOR CHANGE. There is power in good examples. The
business community is a broad church just like any other part of society
like a local village, some for and city, you have some against and some that
are not on issues. Unless you can present a strong business case for
sus development, you will see slow progress. There are a number of
things you can do inside companies that makes perfect bus. Sense. There
are a number of things where if you say, we do this we will improve our profitability,`
we will do better. And we are trying to bring those case stories out.
BUT THERE IS ALSO THE NEED FOR THE RIGHT FRAMEWORK FROM SOCIETY IF SOCIETY
WANTS TO SEE MORE PROGRESS. THERE IS A NEED FROM THE FINANCIAL SECTOR:
HOW PRICE CAPITAL, PRICE RISKS AND VALUE COMAPNMIES. WE CAN SEE FROM
NEW INDEXES LIKE THE DOW JONES SUS. INDEX AND THERE SEEMS TO BE A CORRELATION
BETWEEN THOSE COMPANIES THAT ARE DOING GOOD THAT ARE ENGAGED ON THESE ISSUES
AND THEIR FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE AND WHEN WE SEE MORE OF THAT EVIDENCE WE
WILL SEE FAR MORE COMPANIES GETTING INVOVLED.
If you want to gage it, it has to be based on a good business sense.
Moody
ACCOUNTABILITY
Plan—business is in support of business being accountable of having transparency
and accountability. Question is where and against what background and
where it hits all business-not just international business. Many
have said “where are the little businesses?” You can’t spend a week
here. We have a strong voice. I think the place to negotiate,
to be sure, to work with others to build responsibility is in countries,
if people in business are doing improper things, you can get to the internationals
through the court of public opinion and the world courts and you can damage
them that way. Until we have world governance, world accountability
will be difficult to achieve.
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