Fta Asia Sustainability Symposium

Transcript

FTA Asia Sustainability Symposium “Promoting Responsible Business Practices in Asian Supply Chains” 3 & 4 October 2017 Colombo, Sri Lanka OVERVIEW The Foreign Trade Association (FTA) will convene a 2-day regional Sustainability Symposium in Colombo, Sri Lanka on Tuesday 3 and Wednesday 4 October 2017. This is the first such regional sustainability-focused events that the FTA would be looking to lead on an annual basis. FTA is the largest business association of international commerce that promotes a strong global economy of international trade together with sustainable and responsible supply chain management. Based in the heart of the European Union in Brussels, Belgium, our association represents over 2,000 retailers, brands, importers and national associations with a combined turnover in excess of a trillion euro. FTA has offices in Hong Kong, Dhaka, Mumbai and Istanbul, as well as eight contact groups across Europe. Through integrated services and holistic tools that target environmental, social and trade practices, we reach nearly 8 million people in the ASEAN region and the Indian subcontinent. We are looking to the future to create greater business value from a broader perspective to include not only profit but also for the planet and people living on it. The value that sustainability adds to a company’s bottom line may not be immediately apparent, but we strongly believe that it is essential for their longterm success and the overall growth, development and economic prosperity. Furthermore, the risks associated with human rights challenges in supply chains are very much at the forefront and face increasing global scrutiny. FTA believes that partnership and collaboration are key for implementing sustainability practices in global supply chains. By working together, actors can use and leverage their collective strengths to tackle challenges and accelerate improvements in their supply chains. BUSINESS AND THE SDGS EVENT OBJECTIVE In partnership with: With the adoption in 2015 of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the international community committed itself to 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Today, the world has a clear and compelling path towards ending poverty, reducing inequalities and protecting the environment. An effort of this magnitude will require active participation from the private sector, bringing its innovation, energy and dynamism to bear. It will also require a closer look at how businesses can work with government and civil society to strengthen human rights conditions. This symposium will stimulate discussion through the SDG lens as to how business activities and partnerships can service the needs of our planet and enhance markets both today and in the future. This regional Symposium will provide a platform for FTA members, FTA Sustainability participants, and their suppliers in sourcing countries, non-member companies as well as key stakeholders. Together, they will connect and share good business practices, and define solutions to key challenges of national and regional relevance. This event also aims to prioritize critical actions and create longer-term momentum for transformational change in the sustainability arena. It will look at ways to strengthen multi-stakeholder collaboration including with policy makers in supportive environments. EVENT PARTNERS TARGET AUDIENCE ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ Delegation of the European Union to Sri Lanka Ministry for Development Strategies and International Trade John Keells Holdings, Sri Lanka International Organisation for Migration (IOM) International Labour Organisation (ILO) UNDP Regional Office, Thailand Ceylon Chamber of Commerce This event intends to bring together around 50-80 representatives of the private sector, government, workers’ and employers’ organizations, UN agencies, regional organizations, partners for development, civil society organizations, academia, experts, and other actors supporting the aims to engage in high-level dialogues and interactive parallel sessions. The Symposium will welcome participants from its host country Sri Lanka, South and South-East Asia as well as China. Together they will unpack how responsible business practice can translate in to concrete actions at the supply chain level. PROPOSED FOCUS AREAS Enabling a culture of integrity in business: Business integrity and long-term sustainability are critical for the Asian region. The abuse of entrusted power for private gain, is the single greatest obstacle to economic and social development around the world. It distorts markets, stifles economic growth, debases democracy and undermines the rule of law. The role of businesses in preventing corruption cannot be understated, nor its unique ability to leverage its collective strengths to identify and share innovative ways to respond, deepen our shared understanding of the issues, and facilitate change. This session will explore how companies can engage governments to actively prevent and mitigate negative impacts related to their supply chains on matters related to human rights and labour rights, the environment and corruption; including good practices in corporate engagement with governments, eg-, to support changes in legal frameworks, enhance government supervision and monitoring. Why strong ties between Government and Business matter Close ties between business and government are a necessity. Strong economies need strong businesses and strong trade, and that requires good relationships with policymakers. Rather than pretending that this symbiotic relationship doesn’t exist or, worse, that it isn’t necessary, both business and government must err on the side of transparency and demonstrate a shared commitment to good governance and the rule of law. To maintain sustainable economic growth, Governments must enhance the enabling environment for business organizations through an enforceable legal and policy framework that is predictable, equitable and stable; and organizations must follow the laws of governments to ensure businesses run smoothly and on a level playing field. Promotion and respect for good governance and the rule of law pays dividends for everyone. This session will discuss and debate the expectations of both government and business and identify ethical pathways to align the interests of public policy makers with the public sector. Making the Business Case: The Private Sector Role in Strengthening Human Rights Consumers and shareholders are increasingly concerned by the impact of trade, FDI and business activity on human rights conditions in Asia. In response, governments 2 and leading private sector firms in the region are working together to devise new ways to mitigate the risk of abuse, strengthen remedies where appropriate, and realize sustainable business practices. Cooperation between government, business, and civil society is informed by the 2011 United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGP). This session will outline the key ideas driving the UNGP and its connections to the SDGs, while highlighting the various pathways towards stronger due diligence policies, among other operational considerations. Migrant Workers, Forced Labour and Human Trafficking in Supply Chains This is a key theme following on from the May 2016 Thailand Round Table led by the FTA and the ILO – regarding migration management and how to combat unacceptable forms of labour practices in the fisheries and food supply chains. This issue remains critical and timely for the region and the need to encourage long-lasting responsible business behaviour is indeed paramount. We will look to how companies can tackle issues around Migrant Workers, Forced Labour and Human Trafficking deep in supply chains as well as consider the importance of responsible recruiting. Driving Environmental Sustainability in Asia The Sustainable Development Goals adopted by the UN General Assembly in 2015 represent the global agenda for sustainable development up to 2030 and meeting the 169 associated targets will require concerted effort from everyone, in all regions of the world. This symposium will explore how Asia is taking up the challenge; with innovation, modern technology and cross-sector collaboration contributing to a growing trend in environmentally sustainable production in the region. Business leadership to end gender inequalities in Asian Supply Chains: From evidence to action The business benefits of protecting women’s rights and giving them the skills to progress are not unknown. However, ‘knowing makes no difference’ as very few businesses are taking real action to harness the potential that female workers present. They are too often subject to discrimination, sexual harassment and other forms of workplace work place violence. This coupled with the lack of professional advancement opportunities available to them and their exclusion from key decision-making processes – makes the plight of these women quite challenging and poses a growing threat to sustainable global value chains and retention of a skilled labour force. We will explore replicable approaches taken by companies to protect and empower women along the supply chain – and how empowering female workers and valuing their contribution, makes real business sense. China’s One Belt, One Road (OBOR) Initiative: What it Means to Business Since 2013, two global development frameworks have been born: the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and China’s ‘One Belt, One Road’ (OBOR) Initiative. The SDGs and OBOR are mutually supportive development agendas. Although OBOR is not explicitly an SDG initiative, it embodies many of the same principles that are needed for SDG implementation: long term planning, respect for human rights and the rule of law, cooperation between states, and the development of public-private partnerships. This event will examine whether OBOR can, and should, be made into the world’s first regional attempt to implement the SDGs. EVENT FORMAT VENUE ▪ ▪ Moderated panel discussion with the speakers, and Q&A with the audience. Conversational-style. No statements. Cinnamon Lakeside, Colombo, Sri Lanka 3 DAY 1 FTA Regional Sustainability Symposium “Promoting responsible business practices in Asian Supply Chains” Provisional Programme: 3 October 2017 10:00 – 11:00 - Registration with tea/coffee 11:00 – 11:15 - Welcome Address & Scene Setting Christian Ewert, Director General – Foreign Trade Association (FTA) 11:15 – 11:30 - Opening remarks Tung-Lai Margue, EU Ambassador for the EU Delegation in Sri Lanka 11:30 – 12:45 Panel Discussion: Creating Shared Value Across Asian Supply Chains Moderator: Christian Ewert – Director General, Foreign Trade Association (FTA) Panelists: ▪ FTA member company ▪ Simrin Singh, Country Representative, International Labour Organisation (ILO) Sri Lanka ▪ Lara White, Senior Labour Migration and Human Development Specialist, International Organization for Migration (IOM) ▪ Asian multinational enterprise that has shown sustainability leadership 12:45 – 13:10 13:15 – 14:30 Address by the Chief Guest Hon. Ranil Wickremesinghe, Prime Minister of Sri Lanka (tbc) - 14:30 – 15:15 Lunch Plenary Session 1: Why Strong Ties Between Government and Business Matter Moderator: Nikolas Zaimis, Adviser/GSP Monitoring and Investigations & EPAs and Sustainable Development, DG Trade, European Commission Panelists: ▪ Ambassador Chulamanee Chartsuwan, Royal Thai Embassy, Sri Lanka ▪ Government Representative from ASEAN ▪ Representative from FTA member company ▪ Hon.Malik Samarawickrema, Minister of Development Strategies and International Trade, Sri Lanka ▪ Krishan Balendra, Executive Director, John Keells Holdings PLC (tbc) 15:15 – 15:45 - Q&A 15:45 – 16:05 - Coffee/ tea break 4 16:05 – 16:50 - Plenary Session 2: Enabling a culture of integrity in business: Moderator: Thomas Thomas, CEO, ASEAN CSR Network Panelists: ▪ Roel Nieuwenkamp, Chair of the OECD Working Party on Responsible Business Conduct ▪ John Keells Group (tbc) ▪ Representative from FTA member company ▪ Asoka Obeysekera, Executive Director, Transparency International, Sri Lanka (tbc) 16:50 – 17:20 - Q&A 17:20 – 17:30 - Highlights from Day 1 and overview for Day 2 17:45 – 18:15 - Cultural Performance 18:15 – 19:15 19:15 - 21:00 Networking Reception - Dinner =============================================================== DAY 2 FTA Regional Sustainability Symposium “Promoting responsible business practices in Asian Supply Chains” Provisional Programme: 4 October 2017 8:30 – 9:00 - Welcome tea/ coffee 9:00 – 9:15 - Welcome Address Christian Ewert, Director General of the FTA 9:15 – 9:35 - Keynote Address (Title tbc) Livio Sarandrea, Chief Advisor to UN Development Programme on Business and Human Rights in Asia 9:35 – 10:35 - Opening Session Corporate Sustainability: Positive impact for the bottom line ▪ Dr.Indrajith Coormaraswamy, Governor of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka ▪ Business representative, Bangladesh ▪ Business representative from China ▪ Representative from Vietnam 10:35 – 11:00 - Tea/Coffee Break 5 11.00 – 11.45 Making the Business Case: The Private Sector Role in Human Rights Due Diligence in Asian Supply Chains Moderator: Livio Sarandrea, Chief Advisor, Business and Human Rights in Asia United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Panelists: ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ Prof. Aisha Bidin, Commissioner of Malaysian human rights agency, SUHAKAM Dr. Netithorn Praditsarn. Vice President, Group Sustainability and Communications, Charoen Pokphand Group (CP Group) tbc Philippines representative (tbc) Thailand representative (tbc) Vietnam representative (tbc) 11:45 – 12.00 Q&A 12.00 – 12.45 Migrant Workers, Forced Labour and Human Trafficking in Asian Supply Chains Moderator: Anisha Rajapakse, Senior Manager – Stakeholder Engagement, Foreign Trade Association (FTA) Panelists ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ Simrin Singh, Country Representative, ILO Sri Lanka Jonathan Martens, Regional Thematic Specialist, Migrant Assistance, IOM FTA member company Thai Producer 11:45 – 12:15 Q&A 12:15 – 13:30 Lunch 13:30 – 15:00 Session 1 (Room XXX) - Moderated Parallel Sessions - With Reporting Back in Plenary at 15:00 Driving Environmental Sustainability in Asia Moderator: Anouschka Jansen – Senior Manager, Environmental Programmes, FTA Panelists (TBC) ▪ Representative UNIDO ▪ Representative –China National Textile and Apparel Council (CNTAC) ▪ FTA member company Session 2 (Room XXX) Business leadership to end gender inequalities in Asian Supply Chains: From evidence to action Moderator: Anisha Rajapakse, Senior Manager – Stakeholder Engagement, (FTA) Panelists (TBC) ▪ XXXX India (tbc) ▪ Mahesh Amalean, MAS Group, Sri Lanka (tbc) ▪ FTA member company ▪ Mohamed Zahidullah ,Head of Sustainability, DBL Group, Bangladesh 6 Session 3 (Room XXX) China’s One Belt, One Road (OBOR) Initiative: What it Means to Business Moderator: Joyce Chau, FTA representative for China Panelists: ▪ XXXX ▪ XXXX ▪ Selina Yu, Novi Footwear International Co. Ltd. ▪ XXXX 15:00 – 16:00 - Reporting Back - By Representative of Each Breakout Session 16:00 – 16:30 - Tea/Coffee Break 16:30 – 17:00 - Wrap Up and Way Forward 17:00 – 17:10 - Vote of Thanks and End of Forum 7