2008 Program

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2008 Engaging Business Forum Conference

2008 ENGAGING BUSINESS: ADDRESSING FORCED LABOR

Sponsored by the U.S. Council for International Business, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce,
and the International Organization of Employers in Cooperation with the International Labor Organization

Hosted by The Coca-Cola Company
One Coca-Cola Plaza
Atlanta, Georgia

February 20, 2008

Overview

To be successful, business needs to manage risk. These risks are not static. New ones can emerge at any time through the actions of companies themselves, their suppliers or other social actors. In companies, ranging from clothing to food processing; from steel to electronics, reputational and business damage is arising from allegations relating to forced labor, human trafficking and child labor.

The issue of forced labor is hardly new. It is the subject of widely ratified core Conventions of the International Labour Organization and is one of the principles of the 1998 ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work. Many company, sectoral and global codes of conduct, including the UN Global Compact, as well as International Framework Agreements and supplier contracts, reference forced labor. But until recently, relatively little sustained business attention has been given to addressing it.

With growing investment in and sourcing from developing country markets, business risk from forced and prison labor is increasing. Civil society and human rights groups, in particular, are now paying it more attention, often within the wider debate on human trafficking and child labor.

Forced labor is therefore, a significant risk, requiring immediate business attention. Yet, this issue is often misunderstood or minimized. What forms does it take? How can it be identified? How should it be addressed? The answers are not readily available.

This one-day meeting explored these questions, including a focus on experiences of companies that, independently or in coalition with others, are actively engaged in eliminating forced labor within their spheres of business. The meeting drew on the experience and knowledge of participants in helping to formulate a practical program for employers that can be used to identify forced labor, to provide means for its elimination and to give guidance on its remediation.

25th February
Time
Agenda

9:00 - 9:15 AM

1

Welcome and Opening Comments from The Coca-Cola Company&Meeting Overview and Objectives

Welcome from The Coca-Cola Company

Meeting Overview and Objectives

  • Brent Wilton, Deputy Secretary General, International Organization of Employers(IOE)
  • Ed Potter, Director Global Workplace Rights, The Coca-Cola Company

9:15 - 10:15 AM

2

Key Note Speakers – The Forced Labor Issue

“The Impact of the Forced Labor Issue on Business, in the context of current Labor and Human Rights Issues”

Moderator: Ronnie Goldberg, Executive Vice President, U.S. Council for International Business (USCIB)

  • Christine Bader, BP & Advisor to John Ruggie, the Special Representative to the UN
    Secretary General on Business and Human Rights
  • Roger Plant, Special Action Program Against Forced Labor, International LaborOrganization
  • Donna E. Chung, Ph.D., Sandler, Travis & Rosenberg, and former Department of Labor Analyst on Child Labor, Forced Labor and Human Trafficking

10:15 - 10:30 AM

3

BREAK

10:30 AM - 12:00 PM

4

Forced Labor Case Studies—Innovative Approaches Against Forced Labor: What Works and Why?

Moderator: Robert Corcoran, Vice President, Corporate Citizenship, General Electric

Summary of Forced Labor Case Studies
John Morrison, Business Leaders Initiative on Human Rights

  • Pig Iron and US Car Manufacturers
  • China Prison Labor
  • Textile Imports to the US from Jordan (Export Zones under the Bilateral TradeTreaty)Commentators
  • David Schilling, Director, Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility
  • Jorge F. Perez-Lopez, Executive Director, Fair Labor Association
  • Adam Kanzer, Managing Director & General Counsel, Domini Social Investment

12:00 - 1:15 PM

5

Lunch – Guest Speakers
  • “Governments Expectations of Business in Addressing Forced Labor” Amb. Mark P. Lagon, Director, Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons, U.S. Department of State
  • “Government and Business Synergies to Combat Forced Labor” Jeff Krilla, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, U.S. Department of State

1:15 - 2:00 PM

6

Facilitated Table Discussions

Table Discussions: Focus on key questions regarding Forced Labor

  • How has Forced Labor been addressed? Which business strategies have been effective in addressing Forced Labor? What challenges have you encountered?
  • What tools/information do you consider relevant and useful to identify and combat Forced Labor?
  • What role should employer/business organizations play to support the efforts of business in combating the issue of Forced Labor at a national/international levels?

Session facilitated by Jan Beaves, Group Human Resources Director, The Coca-Cola Company

2:00 - 2:15 PM

7

Table Discussion Report

2:15 - 3:15 PM

8

Implementing Business Strategies to Address Forced Labor

Moderator: Mike Eastman, U.S. Chamber of Commerce (USCC)

  • Bonnie Nixon-Gardiner, Global Program Manager for Social and Environmental Responsibility Hewlett-Packard
  • David Arkless, Senior Vice President, Corporate Affairs, Manpower International

Questions & Answers

3:15 - 3:30 PM

9

BREAK

3:30 - 4:30 PM

10

Engaging Business at the National and International Levels on Forced Labor&Comments, Q&A and Plenary Discussion

Engaging Business at the National and International Levels on Forced Labor

  • Brent Wilton, IOE
  • Ronnie Goldberg, USCIB
  • Mike Eastman, U.S. Chamber of Commerce

Comments, Q&A and Plenary Discussion

  • Discussion facilitated by Ed Potter and Jan Beaves
  • Speakers serve as panel for discussion

4:30 - 5:00 PM

11

Conclusions and Next steps

Human Rights of Logistics

Shipping, trucking, and air freight are critical to all global value chains. But the human rights risks in logistics are among the least visible and explored for most companies. This panel will examine the most salient logistics-related human rights risks and practical ways for companies to identify and address them.   

Charting the Unseen: Sub-tier HRDD

Stakeholders and regulators expect increasingly rigorous and responsive human rights due diligence focused on workers and communities in the sub-tier supply chain. This panel will discuss the practical challenges (and potential solutions) for global companies planning and executing sub-tier human rights due diligence, including hurdles related to (i) visibility, (ii) leverage, and (iii) prioritization.

Circularity & Human Rights

The circular economy is a key driver of corporate sustainability ambitions and programs. While often seen as environmental initiatives, circularity programs can have salient impacts on workers and communities in different parts of the value chain—from those affected by shifting supply chains to informal waste workers involved in recycling and reuse. This panel will explore human rights risks for workers and communities affected by circularity strategies and how companies can address them.  

What’s Heightened about hHRDD?

Heightened human rights due diligence (hHRDD) is critical to respect human rights in conflict-affected and post-conflict contexts. This panel will discuss the meaning of hHRDD; specific elements of hHRDD; how the process differs to traditional human rights due diligence approaches; and the practical implications for businesses seeking to integrate conflict-related issues into their policies and programs.

Risk Prioritization in the Age of CS3D

Corporate human rights law is fundamentally reshaping enterprise-level risk prioritization. The CS3D tracks the Guiding Principles to focus on salience. The CSRD elevates double materiality. Still other laws and fiduciary duty privilege materiality. This panel will consider how these different regimes interact and how companies can practically navigate the overlapping imperatives.

Environment and Human Rights: Allies or Frenemies?

Companies are increasingly required by stakeholders to identify and address both their human rights and environmental risks. This discussion will focus on how businesses should consider, weigh, and address human rights risks and environmental risks, such as climate change, especially in situations where the two may conflict.

CS3D & UNGPs: Only Room for One Now?

The CS3D not only redefines the landscape of corporate responsibility within the European Union, it also has far-reaching implications for global companies outside Europe. This discussion will highlight the similarities and differences between the CS3D and the UNGPs, as well as the future of the UNGPs, given the hardening and deepening obligations for companies mandated by the CS3D.

SME Perspective on Human Rights Challenges

Respect for human rights is an expectation of large and small businesses alike, but SMEs may face differing challenges in developing and executing their human rights strategy. This discussion will focus on those challenges, e.g., those relating to resources, capacity and leverage, and explore potential solutions and points of collaboration for SMEs.

Future of Audits and Certifications

Effective corporate human rights due diligence is expected to be expansive—covering all rights and all stakeholders across the whole value chain; dynamic—providing ongoing, real-time insight; and integrated—woven into enterprise risk management. This panel will explore the value of audits and certifications in meeting these expectations, as well as practical steps the industry can take to ensure they are fit for purpose.