10.14.2005 ET

(CSRwire) Business for Social Responsibility (BSR) is pleased to announce that Paul Wolfowitz, President of The World Bank Group, will be a featured keynote speaker at the BSR Annual Conference, "Questioning Assumptions -- Changing Frameworks," which takes place at the Omni Shoreham Hotel in Washington, DC, Nov. 1-4, 2005.

As the new President of The World Bank, Wolfowitz recently delivered his first policy speech to member countries, and elaborated on the role of business and corporate social responsibility (CSR) in fostering development. "Sustainable development depends as much on leadership and accountability, civil society and women, the private sector and the rule of law as it does on labor and capital," he said. Wolfowitz emphasized the role of the private sector, adding, "A vibrant private sector is the most important engine of growth and job creation."

Aron Cramer, CEO, said BSR is "exceptionally pleased" to welcome the President of the World Bank as a keynote speaker. "As 2005 has been a year in which poverty alleviation -- and the business contribution to this critical goal -- is center stage, there are few people who are more central to this debate than the President of the World Bank," Cramer said. "Paul Wolfowitz' perspective will be of great interest to all who are interested in advancing the agenda of sustainable development."

The 2005 BSR Conference is a unique convening that brings together over 1,000 business leaders from more than 40 countries and their colleagues in the independent and public sectors. The Conference will feature more than 30 instructive breakout sessions that interactively cover a range of CSR practice areas, including economic development, emerging issues, environment, governance and accountability, human rights, and integrating CSR.

Other keynote speakers include: McDonald's Vice Chairman and CEO Jim Skinner; BRAC Founder and Chairperson Fazle Hasan Abed (from Bangladesh); and Kathleen M. Bader, Chairman, President and CEO of NatureWorks LLC.

In addition, optional full-day Pre-Conference training sessions will be offered Nov. 1 (advance registration required), which include: CSR: A Practitioners Toolbox, Stakeholder Engagement, Supply Chain Management, and for the extractives industry, Working with Local Communities on Sustainable Development.

Registration is available online at www.bsr.org/conference, or call 415-984-3245 for more information.

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