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Business/NGO Engagement Conference: How to create win-win outcomes

Business/NGO Engagement Conference: How to create win-win outcomes

Published 12-07-04

Submitted by Reuters Events Sustainable Business

LONDON - Ethical Corporation magazine will hold a 2-day conference on 22-23 February 2005 in London which will focus on the crucial issues in Business/NGO engagement: partnerships and accountability.

Over two days, presentations from over 50 forward thinking companies and civil society organisations from all over Europe will focus on how the public and private sectors are increasingly working together for the benefit of both business and society at large.

Speakers will discuss how company and a civil society groups can both win from developing alliances while both maintaining credibility and reputation.

This conference will also address one of the biggest concerns of companies and civil society groups; the accountability debate. Civil society groups want corporations to be held fully accountable for their social and environmental impacts.
Equally, corporate managers increasingly want the NGOs they work and deal with to be subject to the same rules on disclosure as they are.

28 unique case study presentations and over 16 workshops will be included in the 2-day conference agenda.

These sessions will feature over 60 representatives from companies and NGOs/Unions presenting their work on a particular issue together, and will be facilitated by professionals who will make sure that the attendees in each group get engaged and share experiences.

In the opening keynote session of the conference, Robert Napier, CEO of WWF-UK andHSBC, International Corporate Social Responsibility Policy Manager, Amanda Combes will discuss why the partnership they have developed is working for both their organisations.

Following on from this, David Threlfall, CEO of npower and Greenpeace UK, Executive Director, Stephen Tindale will make a keynote presentation on what the risks for both sides are in engagement and what they've gained from working together.

Among other topics covered during the conference will be:

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  • What are the key ingredients of a successful partnership - and how do they really work?
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  • Is the role of the typical NGO changing - What movements are there towards greater transparency and accountability?
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  • What can we learn from partnerships that have gone wrong?
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  • What's the case against engagement - does it undermine the role of government?
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  • How should the rules of engagement be fixed so that Business/NGO disputes can be more easily resolved?
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  • How much coverage should companies give NGO/Civil society group agreements and partnerships in their reporting?
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  • Is it right to ask for the same accountability standards from civil society groups as companies?
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  • How have leading companies and civil society groups partnered to tackle practical issues around bribery and corruption?
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  • How major companies and volunteering-orientated NGOs are working together to produce cutting edge community-volunteering programmes

    In addition to those organisations detailed above, others from across the world confirmed to speak over the 2 days include:

    DHL*WWF* IFRC * Kraft Foods*Unilever * Marine Stewardship Council * Vodafone * Fauna and Flora * RWE Thames Water * Care International * Repsol * Codespa Foundation * H&M * Nike * European Trade Union Federation of Textiles, Clothing and Leather * Inditex * IPEDEPH * Royal Bank of Scotland * Princes' Trust * International Centre for Corporate Social Responsibility * Camelot Group plc * Global Action Plan * Rio Tinto * Earthwatch * Marks & Spencer * Ethical Training Initiative * Shell International * Institute of Public Affairs * Unilever * Forum for the Future * SustainAbility Ltd * Ashridge Centre for business and Society * Asia Pulp & Paper * Gap Inc * BASF * Christian Aid * Chiquita * Collaborative for Development Action * Good Business * Fundación Lealtad * German Technical Co-operation Agency * International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies*Camelot Group *GlaxoSmithKline*Coca-Cola Great Britain* European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) *International Secretariat for Water (ISW)

    Register before the 15th of January to save £200 on your conference registration.

    More details on the topics, speakers and agenda for the conference are online at: www.ethicalcorp.com/engagement.

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    Reuters Events Sustainable Business

    Reuters Events Sustainable Business

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