OUR PRINCIPLES
About the World Forum for Ethics in Business
The World Forum for Ethics in Business (WFEB) is a registered public interest foundation based in Belgium (N° 822.216.342). The mandate of the Forum includes all manners of pursuing and establishing the indispensable ethical foundations of business in a globalised world through building awareness, creating ethical leaders and changing the rule of the game by pushing for collective action for transparency. WFEB works towards a just society and inclusive growth. It aims to support and showcase organisations which are profitable yet focus on sustainability and values and create shared value
Among the organisation’s main objective are:
- Providing a platform for the promotion and defence of ethical approaches to business enterprise and corporate governance
- Facilitating global dialogue and fostering cooperation among the private sector, the academic world, government agencies, international organisations, the media and all other stakeholders
- Foster the creation of responsible business networks, promote sharing of innovative experiences and practices across companies and regions, recognise and confer awards for good ethical business practice, seek convergence on standards and codes of conduct, support ethical capacity building programs for businesses, and promote coalition building among businesses and between businesses and government, civil society and other stakeholders for action and results at the country level
- Through the International Leadership Symposium on Ethics in Business and satellite conferences around the world, the WFEB brings together leaders from all sectors of society to dialogue on the pressing need to strengthen human values and ethics in private and public sector and on new leadership styles that support inclusive and sustainable development while ensuring profitable businesses. It provides a platform for leading minds to share their experiences and expertise on the value of an ethics-based approach to deal with today’s challenges in the global markets. It also examines the impact of this approach on the bottom line.The Symposium was first launched in 2003 in Bangalore, India, and the venue moved to the European Parliament in Brussels in 2006 as one of its main advocacy platforms.
BRUSSELS DECLARATION
Recognizing that:
- In the wake of the global financial and economic crisis, ethical behavior in business has never been more important.
- Responsible business-led growth is critical to global economic recovery, as well as to ensuring sustainable impacts on the environment, local communities, good governance and the poor.
- Collective action across the private sector, civil society and government is essential to establish ethical foundations of business in a globalised world.
This pledge serves as the foundation for the following guiding principles of the World Forum for Ethics in Business:
Get Concrete: Act to promote shared value and ethical leadership at the individual, organisational, sectorial and global levels: WFEB can help deliver concrete results in a few high priority areas (such as anticorruption, extractives, and procurement) by fostering multi-stakeholder coalitions for collective action at global, sectorial, and country levels, anchored around credible codes of conduct, self-reporting, and verification mechanisms.
Serve as models of ethical and socially responsible behavior to inspire current and future generations of leaders across business, civil society and government.
Mainstream corporate social responsibility into current business practices and education: WFEB can deepen its impact by helping firms to mainstream CSR into their corporate strategy, by facilitating knowledge exchange among firms (e.g., WFEB award winners, governments and networks helping to change the corporate culture through innovative leadership programs (TLEX); and recognizing success with awards
Facilitate global dialogue and foster cooperation among the private sector, the academic world, government agencies, international organisations, the media, spiritual as well as secular communities and all other stakeholders with the end in view of fostering decency, maximizing human values and building wider public trust in business;
Share inspiring examples of the intersection of ethics and profitability to build wider public trust in business. Acknowledge and celebrate positive individual and organisational role models
Recruit the broadest possible support for trends, initiatives and projects that would encourage or enhance ethical and/or value-based motivations, practices, norms and goals in the business world.
Broaden Partnerships & Engage Emerging Players: Engage and partner with key individuals, forums, corporate sector organisations and initiatives to leverage our collective ability to deliver transformational impact: WFEB is well positioned to broaden partnerships to complementary forums and organisations and engage emerging markets
Nurture and develop the skills of transformational and ethical leadership in the youth of the world, by imparting tools, techniques and knowledge to build the character of leadership for the future
Recognise and address current trends and needs in the society and assimilate initiatives in those directors in the Key-WFEB agenda
Provide a platform for the promotion and defence of ethical approaches to business enterprise and corporate governance: Assume responsibility for continuing the International Leadership Symposium on Ethics in Business.
Monitor and report on our progress at every annual conference of the World Forum for Ethics in Business
WFEB Governance:
Ms. Rajita Kulkarni, President, World Forum for Ethics in Business
Mr. Nirj Deva, Former MEP & Vice-President of the Development Committee in the European Parliament, Co – Founder & Board Member, WFEB
Mr. Jo Leinen, Former Member of the European Parliament, Board Member, WFEB
Dr. Sanjaj Pradhan, CEO, Open Government Partnership
Mr. Madhu Rao, Vice Chairman, Shangri-La Hotels
Mr. Ram Lakhina, Chairman, Netherlands – India Chamber of Commerce and Trade (NICCT), Co – Founder & Board Member, WFEB
Mr. Roland Glaser, Former CEO Minerva Schools Switzerland, Board Member, WFEB
The Executive Management
Mr. Christoph Glaser, Director, WFEB
Mr. Ewald Poeran, Director, WFEB
Strategic Partner Organisations
The World Bank Group
International Association for Human Values
The Earth Charter Initiative