WASHINGTON, DC - The Kenan Institute Study Group on Global Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) will host a briefing on October 30th from 12:00 - 1:45 p.m. in Rayburn Room 2261 to unveil 18 recommendations on ways the U.S. Government should give greater priority, focus and consistency to promoting global CSR. The briefing will be hosted by Congressmen Cass Ballenger (R-NC), Sam Farr (D-CA), George Miller
(D-CA), David Price (D-NC) and Melvin Watt (D NC). Members of the Study Group will speak at the event, which will be moderated by Paul Magnusson of BusinessWeek.

Americans are deeply divided over globalization and in particular, the roles and responsibilities of global corporations. Rarely can representatives of the business, NGO and labor communities, as well as government officials, find common ground on even some of these issues. But a diverse Study Group convened by the Frank Hawkins Kenan Institute of Private Enterprise, Washington Center agreed that the U.S. Government has a national and foreign policy interest in promoting global CSR. Moreover, in order to stimulate a discussion among policy-makers and the public on the role of the government in global corporate responsibility, the Study Group found common ground on 18 recommendations around the following themes (see www.csrpolicies.org for details):

• Promote transparency and disclosure practices;
  
• Encourage adherence to internationally accepted social and environmental standards;
• Offer resources to improve governance institutions worldwide;
  
• Strengthen U.S. Government coordination and capacity to promote global CSR;
  
• Convene multi-stakeholder dialogues to encourage and strengthen global CSR practices; and
  
• Provide incentives and use government procurement policies as tools to promote global CSR.

Bruce Moats, Co-Chair of the Study Group and Vice-President for Corporate Social Responsibility for Levi Strauss & Co.

Barbara Fiorito, Co-Chair of the Study Group and Chairperson of Oxfam America

Ron Blackwell, Director, Corporate Affairs, AFL-CIO

John Foarde, Staff Director, Congressional Executive Commission on China, U.S. Congress

Michael Gadbaw, Senior Vice President, General Electric (invited)

When: Thursday, October 30th
The event is open to the press. Press set up begins at 11:30 a.m. and the briefing will take place from 12:00 - 1:45 p.m.

Where: Rayburn House Office Building, Room 2261 Independence and South Capitol Streets, Washington, D.C.

RSVP: Please RSVP to James Reeves at 202-408-8105 or jreeves@kenan.org.

Interviews: One-on-one interviews with members of the study group can be scheduled in advance by contacting James Reeves at 202-408-8105 or jreeves@kenan.org.

About The Kenan Institute of Private Enterprise
The Kenan Institute of Private Enterprise is a unit of the Kenan-Flagler Business School of The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The Kenan Institute Washington Center works at the intersection of international business and international development, partnering with corporations to build the development rationale for trade, improve community involvement programming, and promote market-led growth in developing countries. The Global CSR Public Policies Project at the Kenan Institute Washington Center is directed by Dr. Susan Aaronson and James Reeves, and funded by grants from the Ford, UN, Levi Strauss Foundations as well as several major corporations. For more information visit our web site at www.kenaninstitute.unc.edu or contact James Reeves, Associate Project Director at 202-408-8105.

Kenan Institute of Private Enterprise

Kenan Institute of Private Enterprise

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