USCIB will participate in three events next week about corporate responsibility and human rights. For more information and registration details, please contact USCIB Vice President Ariel Meyerstein (ameyerstein@uscib.org).
The Corporate Counsel Innovation Summit
Monday, December 7, 2015
New York
The Financial Times’ Innovative Lawyers General Counsel Summit will build on the success of last year’s inaugural summit and focus on the implications of a changing landscape. For in-house lawyers, most often at the forefront of innovation, how should related challenges be met and how will the in-house role change as a result? Meyerstein will speak on a panel about the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs)
The UNGPs are a global framework for preventing and addressing the risk of adverse impacts on human rights linked to business activity. John F. Sherman III, General Counsel, Company Secretary and Senior Adviser at the Shift Project, will lead a panel to discuss what this global framework means for GCs and the responsibilities it places on lawyers.
The Human Rights First Summit
December 9, 2015
Washington, D.C.
Modern-day slavery is a global problem that taints many of the products we use every day. How can the United States work with businesses and other governments to eradicate human trafficking from supply chains?
More than 14 million people are exploited for labor worldwide, many of them buried deep within the supply chains of global businesses. Nearly four years ago California enacted a law that requires retailers and manufacturers to disclose if they have policies to prevent trafficking in their supply chains. Yet these policies aren’t adequately compelling companies to ensure that their suppliers protect vulnerable workers.
There are, however, a few successful non-regulatory initiatives. The Electronics Industry Citizen Coalition (EICC) has a progressive code of conduct that all members must follow. The Fair Labor Association has pulled responsible businesses, civil society and universities together to establish better policies to protect vulnerable workers in supply chains. The International Finance Corporation (IFC) incentivizes suppliers who score well on sustainability standards—including preventing forced labor—by offering lower lending rates. Are these models sustainable? Could they be applied more broadly within their own industries or scaled up and replicated in other industries? What can the United States do to ensure that the gains from these programs are sustainable? Meyerstein will moderate a panel discussion that addresses these questions.
Registration and the full program agenda is available here.
OECD In-Depth: G20/OECD Principles of Corporate Governance
December 11, 2015
Washington, D.C.
In a landmark decision, the G20 Leaders endorsed the G20/OECD Principles of Corporate Governance as an indispensable and globally recognized standard for assessing and improving corporate governance. The Principles have been developed under the auspices of the OECD, convening the expertise of policy makers, regulators, business and other stakeholders from around the world.
USCIB will co-host an informal roundtable discussion of the Principles and a conversation about how corporate governance in today’s equity markets can facilitate corporate access to finance, unlock investment, and boost sustainable economic growth.
