2005 Sino-European CSR International Forum

 Responsible Competitiveness & Harmonious Society

Beijing     September 7-8, 2005

       Five years ago, the European Union (EU) set the strategic goal of making the EU the world’s most dynamic and competitive knowledge-based economy, driving economic growth and job creation while building on sustainable social and environmental policies. Several hundreds of large medium and small companies in Europe - actively engaged within the pan-European business network CSR EUROPE – are integrating social responsibility into the mainstream of their business and begun to take the lead in the world in realizing harmonious development of economy, social responsibility and environmental protection.

       The goal of construction a harmonious society was set on the CCP'S Forth Plenary Session of the Sixteenth Central Committee, and meanwhile "sticking to human-centered development and endeavoring to build a harmonious socialist society." was set on the central government's economic work conference as a major working task in 2005. Chinese President Hu Jintao has pointed out that China is going to build a socialist society that is democratic and law-based, fair and just, trustworthy and friendly, full of vigor and vitality, secure and orderly, and in which man and nature are in harmony. However, in the course of construction a harmonious society, what role should China's pioneer enterprises play? CSR is of great importance in construction a harmonious society. This is the experience we learned from European enterprises.

       The Beijing International Forum of CSR and Construction of Harmonious Society will be held on September 7-8, 2005. The forum is initiated by following organizations:

l         China WTO Tribune

l         CSR EUROPE

l         China International Center For Economic And Technical Exchanges

l         China Institute of Industrial Relations

l         Institute of the Chinese Economy and WTO Studies at Beijing University

Topics for discussion are as follows:

1. For a sustainable and competitive enterprise: how can the Sino - European visions of business mutually contribute to more responsible markets, sustainable growth and harmonious societies?
2. Corporate responsibility in the mainstream of business management and practice
3. Implementing CSR in the supply chain: building solutions on the basis of international & regional standards, conventions, guidelines and tools (e.g ILO labor standards, SA 8000).

The Manifesto of “Corporate Social Responsibility: Building China into a Harmonious Society” will be issued on the Forum.

------ The utmost effect of CSR is to realize the harmonious coexistence of corporation and society.

The development of enterprises should be closely related to that of the whole society. Accordingly, on the one hand, a corporation can make profit and at the same time involve factors of society and environment in its long-term development and thus push forward the development of harmonious society. On the other hand, a harmonious society guarantees the precondition and favorable working environment for the long-term and sustainable development of corporation. In a project called “Auto Version”, Volkswagen Group endeavored to improve the living and working environment in the places where there are their automobiles. Seven years later, these places turned out to become vital and attractive cities, and Volkswagen also greatly benefited from it.

------ The ultimate objective of CSR is to make a corporation more internationally competitive

CSR includes environmental factors, which combine with corporate economic factors to form a new form of international competition. Future internationally competitive corporation would be those who possess advanced technology and management, who are responsible for society and able to involve the responsibility of society, environment and corporate interested party in their corporate strategy, organization structure and commercial pursuit. European multinationals – such as BASF Germany, DANONE France, BP Britain, Telecom Italy and ABB Switzerland -- have successively carried out exploration into and practiced CSR in aspects of community, environment, supply chain, sustainable products and service, participation of interested party, equal opportunities, working places, etc. In order to boost the movement of innovative corporate management and practice, CSR EUROPE just launched a European 2010 Roadmap for Businesses “Towards a Sustainable and Competitive Enterprise”.  

------ Construction of China CSR will directly push forward the development of Chinese export oriented corporations.

It is estimated that on the multinational product supply chains, at least eight thousand Chinese corporations have passed CSR evaluations in various forms. What’s more, over fifty corporations passed the SA8000 Auditing which is demanding for Chinese corporations. However, more Chinese corporations need to make special effort in building social responsibility in order to be competitive in the international market.