Summary: Working Group on the Private Sector
Private sector - civil society: where is the border? What are the common interests and divergences? What are the main problems?
| Time: |
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18 July 2002, 14:00-15:30 |
| Location: |
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ICCG |
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Moderator(s): | | • Mr. Tony Hill, Non-Governmental Liaison Service (NGLS)
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Presenters/ Participants: | | • Ms. Lara Cataldi, Declaration of Bern (BD)
• Ms. Bettina Ferdman, Philias
• Mr. Peter Utting, United Nations Research Institute for Social Development (UNRISD)
• Ms. Gisèle Yitamben, Association for Support to Women Entrepreneurs (ASAFE)
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| Reporter: |
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Martha Tepepa (ICVolunteers) |
| Language: |
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English |
| Key words: |
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Corporate sector, Malpractices, Corporate Social
Responsability, Network, Companies, NGOs, Business sector,Civil society |
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In this session, speakers looked at the relationship between NGOs and the
private sector, in terms of common grounds and divergences. They agreed that it
is important to develop a dialogue between actors.
Mr. Peter Utting of the UN Research Institute on Social Development opened the session by stating that the debate on business and NGOs is a potential danger that may affect society as a whole. With respect to the relation between the private sector and the NGOs, he distinguished five analytical positions:
- Balance in the relation through confrontation and elaboration;
- Fact that partnerships are not enough to bring corporate social
responsibility;
- Voluntary initiatives;
- Better relation between civil society;
- NGOs and
trade unions;
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Awareness of the whole variety of tensions, which should be taken into account permanently by the several actors of the social
sphere.
According to Mr. Utting, power disperses and more complexity means to rely in more actors. Civil
society should pressure more the business and can complement more forms of
activities.
Ms. Lara Cataldi of the Bern Declaration provided a short history of her
organization, which monitors Swiss companies in a range of fields, mainly human rights, working conditions, patents, access to medicine, right to food and many others.
Ms. Cataldi talked about the "Clean Clothes Campaign", which monitors
a code of labour practices for the apparel industry. She further stressed that
the dialogue and partnerships between NGOs and the private sector were very important,
but also reminded the audience that one should not loose one's goals.
Ms. Bettina Ferdman of Philias presented her organization's mission, vision, objectives and
four thrusts. Her organization has 20 members, all corporations that
have programs to involve their employees in social issues. Philias also advises companies on citizenship strategies, working out solidarity programs.
Interesting questions
Several participants pointed out that it is important to make a clear distinctions
between civil society, the private sector and NGOs, as there is a difference
between for-profit and non-profit activities.
Conclusions
It is necessary to develop an open dialogue between civil society and the corporate sector. It appeared that it is indispensable to create guidelines enabling and maybe even force the state to regulate, and hold accountable those corporations that are not transparent or are considered to use malpractices.
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