Upcoming Events: USCIB Engaged on Corporate Responsibility, Human Rights

Photo credit: UN, Pierre Albouy
Photo credit: UN, Pierre Albouy

USCIB will participate in three events next week about corporate responsibility and human rights. For more information and registration details, please contact USCIB Vice President Ariel Meyerstein (ameyerstein@uscib.org).

The Corporate Counsel Innovation Summit
Monday, December 7, 2015
New York

The Financial Times’ Innovative Lawyers General Counsel Summit will build on the success of last year’s inaugural summit and focus on the implications of a changing landscape. For in-house lawyers, most often at the forefront of innovation, how should related challenges be met and how will the in-house role change as a result? Meyerstein will speak on a panel about the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs)

The UNGPs are a global framework for preventing and addressing the risk of adverse impacts on human rights linked to business activity. John F. Sherman III, General Counsel, Company Secretary and Senior Adviser at the Shift Project, will lead a panel to discuss what this global framework means for GCs and the responsibilities it places on lawyers.

The Human Rights First Summit
December 9, 2015
Washington, D.C.

Modern-day slavery is a global problem that taints many of the products we use every day. How can the United States work with businesses and other governments to eradicate human trafficking from supply chains?

More than 14 million people are exploited for labor worldwide, many of them buried deep within the supply chains of global businesses. Nearly four years ago California enacted a law that requires retailers and manufacturers to disclose if they have policies to prevent trafficking in their supply chains. Yet these policies aren’t adequately compelling companies to ensure that their suppliers protect vulnerable workers.

There are, however, a few successful non-regulatory initiatives. The Electronics Industry Citizen Coalition (EICC) has a progressive code of conduct that all members must follow. The Fair Labor Association has pulled responsible businesses, civil society and universities together to establish better policies to protect vulnerable workers in supply chains. The International Finance Corporation (IFC) incentivizes suppliers who score well on sustainability standards—including preventing forced labor—by offering lower lending rates. Are these models sustainable? Could they be applied more broadly within their own industries or scaled up and replicated in other industries? What can the United States do to ensure that the gains from these programs are sustainable? Meyerstein will moderate a panel discussion that addresses these questions.

Registration and the full program agenda is available here.

OECD In-Depth: G20/OECD Principles of Corporate Governance
December 11, 2015
Washington, D.C.

In a landmark decision, the G20 Leaders endorsed the G20/OECD Principles of Corporate Governance as an indispensable and globally recognized standard for assessing and improving corporate governance. The Principles have been developed under the auspices of the OECD, convening the expertise of policy makers, regulators, business and other stakeholders from around the world.

USCIB will co-host an informal roundtable discussion of the Principles and a conversation about how corporate governance in today’s equity markets can facilitate corporate access to finance, unlock investment, and boost sustainable economic growth.

 

Staff Contact:   Ewa Staworzynska

Director, Corporate Responsibility and Labor Affairs
Tel: 212.703.5056

Ewa Staworzynska is USCIB’s Director of Corporate Responsibility and Labor Affairs. Staworzynska brings to USCIB her extensive policy experience from both public and private sectors. Prior to joining USCIB, she led DoorDash’s policy efforts in international markets and was in charge of diplomatic relations. Before her position at DoorDash, Staworzynska was an officer at the International Labor Organization (ILO), where she worked multilaterally to advance support for decent work and related policies at UN headquarters. Staworzynska began her career in New York working for a real estate start-up. Staworzynska will be based in USCIB’s New York office and will work with Jose Arroyo, USCIB policy associate on corporate responsibility and labor affairs, on a wide range of issues, including human rights and industrial policy, responsible business conduct, and the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). She was born and raised in Norway and has a B.A. in Economics and M.A. in International Relations, with a specialty in International Business, from New York University.
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