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Conference Agenda

Conference Day 1 - April 27th 2005

9.45 Chairman's Address and Conference Opening
INEM, Board Member, Matthias Gelber

10.00 - 10.45 Framing the debate: The Chinese governance framework and investor concerns

Presentation: The China Syndrome: Is corporate responsibility incompatible with a high growth developing economy?

This presentation will address the conflict between central government pronouncements and local province incentivisation to attract foreign investors:
  • The national versus local power nexus: Why Beijing makes announcements, but the regional bosses rule the roost on law enforcement
  • CSR and the local Capos: What do Chinese entrepreneurs think about labour and environmental issues?
  • China's regulatory bodies: Tightening up on corporate governance and the environment or talking the walk?
  • Moving inland: Myth or reality? Is central and northern China the place to be?

Access Asia, Publishing Director, Paul French

Paul French is a veteran China business analyst and long-time Shanghai resident. He writes a regular column on business in China for Ethical Corporation
10.45 - 11.15 Exhibition, Coffee and Networking

11.15 - 12.45 Workplace issues: Getting them right

Presentation: Multi-stakeholder initiatives in China: Assessing progress to date
  • Get valuable insights into how the FLA views its role within China and the challenges it has come up against
  • What impact will the end of the Multi-Fibre Arrangement (MFA) have in China? With the elimination of textile import quotas will more work mean less rights for Chinese workers?
  • The trouble with China's trade unions: Find out how the FLA views the legal monopoly of the ACFTU
  • Plus, what genuine progress has been made on workers' rights initiatives and creating sustainable change?
Fair Labor Association, President and CEO, Auret van Heerden

Presentation: Labour and freedom of association in China: The ILO perspective

  • The promotion of core labour standards in Chinese facilities - what are the key difficulties?
  • An update on the ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work. Adopted in 1998, what specific areas in China is the ILO focusing its efforts on to bolster the principles?
  • What is the way forward on labour issues within China? What role should companies and NGOs play in the debate around progress on workers' rights?
International Labour Organisation (ILO) London, Director, Bill Brett

Case Studies: Corporate Responsibility in action in China - progress made in apparel and technology manufacturing

  • Discover how high profile brands are implementing new strategies to address labour and environmental issues in China
  • Do Chinese workers think about better conditions and reduced hours, or do they just want more money?
  • Enforcing labour law in China: Find out how HP and Phillips van Heusen are dealing with the problem of widespread falsification of records by their suppliers
  • Does the development of common industry codes help or hinder implementation of effective and workable policies in apparel and technology supply chains?
  • How far down the chain should responsibility go? What are the limits to your brand's role in dealing with the social and environmental impacts of your supply base?
Case Study:
Phillips Van Heusen, VP Human Rights Programs, Marcela Manubens
Case Study:
Hewlett-Packard, CSR Manager, Ken Larson
12.45 Networking Lunch and Exhibition
TRACK 1 - SUPPLY CHAIN ISSUES TRACK 2 - EHS ISSUES TRACK 3 - GETTING BUSINESS DONE
2.00 Breakout Session:
Rolling out your global code of conduct to your supply base in China

Hear how you can ensure that your company's values are understood and implemented across an ever increasing network of suppliers in China

Learn how you can balance local sensitivities with company-wide norms

The role of auditors in citing violations to code enforcement. Where does their responsibility begin and end?

Hear an update on the Electronic Industry Code of Conduct: Are sector-specific initiatives the way forward?

Code of conduct implementation: Hear how to resolve problems of high workforce turnover in your Chinese facilities

Hewlett-Packard, CSR Manager, Ken Larson
BASF, Director, Sustainability Center, Lothar Meinzer
 2.00 Breakout Session:
How to improve environmental management in your Chinese facilities

Water scarcity and its effect on business in China: What companies can do to limit their water usage

Applying international environmental standards to Chinese business: Does it make sense - and what's best practice?

What does environmental management mean to Chinese business managers? Is it viewed in largely negative terms? How can you push the positives?

Educating workers on the benefits of eco-efficiency. Learn what real benefits this can bring

Greening the supply chain in China: Hear which incentives work best to persuade factories to improve their environmental standards

International Institute for Management Development, Research Associate, Oliver Salzmann
Amec, Environmental Affairs, Frances Allen
SKF, Corporate Sustainability, Mike Abbott
 2.00 Breakout Session:
How do you deal with the realities of legal enforcement in China?

It's widely accepted that problems with business law in China stem from lack of enforcement rather than lack of legislation

What must you know about the relationship between Beijing and the Provinces in order to make enforcement easier?

Get best practice examples of how companies are applying their own brand of self-enforcement to suppliers in China

Learn how to ensure that, in sensitive cases, you minimize your brand's exposure and get engagement with pressure groups right

Intellectual property law in China: Hear how to make sure you know where your brand stands and what legal options you have to fall back on

GlaxoSmithKline, Senior Counsel, China, Antony Braithwaite
3.30 Exhibition, Coffee and Networking
4.00 Breakout Session:
Promoting participatory approaches and collaboration to improve working conditions in China

Hear tips on how can you improve internal communication systems in your factories - and get better output as a result

How to build critical mass, consistency and sustainability in Chinese factories through partnering with other brands

The latest multi-stakeholder initiatives: Hear how teaming up can make a real difference in China ... and which organisations you should be working with

Brand collaboration: Can common industry standards solve all workplace problems in China - or is this unrealistic?

Foreign Trade Association, Secretary General, Jan Eggert
Phillips Van Heusen, VP Human Rights Programs, Marcela Manubens

Fair Labor Association, President and CEO, Auret van Heerden

Karstadtquelle, Head of Social Affairs, Maren Boehm

 4.00 Breakout Session:
How to improve workforce education and healthcare in your operations in China

What specific healthcare and education challenges must you be aware of in China?

How to implement global employee healthcare standards at local level

Find out which Chinese grassroots groups can help you to coordinate your efforts - and guarantee great results

What benefits will improved worker education bring to your facilities - and how well do better healthcare systems pay off?

Karstadtquelle, Senior Audit Manager, Esther Tse
BASF, Director, Sustainability Center, Lothar Meinzer
 4.00 Breakout Session:
How to identify and manage ethical risk in China

Hear how to assess the range of ethical risks that your company is exposed to in China

Learn what investors focus on in their assessment of corporate risk in China

Find out which aspects of your business in China require most time and resources to minimize your risk exposure

Get the inside track on sectors most open to risk in China. Hear what you need to be doing to eliminate the biggest risk factors

Bank Sarasin, Sustainability Analyst, Makiko Ashida

Reputex, CEO, Laurel Grossman

Danish Institute for Human Rights, Advisor, Human Rights & Business Project, Marie Busck
5.30 End of Day 1 - Networking Drinks

Conference Day 2 - April 28th 2005

TRACK 1 - SUPPLY CHAIN TRACK 2 - EHS ISSUES TRACK 3 - GETTING BUSINESS DONE
9.15 Breakout Session:
Working hours and wage levels in China: Getting your strategy right

With the end of the Multi Fibre Arrangement, The World Bank reports that 1 out of every 2 pieces of apparel will be made in China

Hear the latest on the labour shortages in South China. Find out how your business may be affected

How do you strike a balance between responsible company policy on overtime with Chinese worker demands for it?

Learn how your company can meet workplace challenges head-on by encouraging worker participation in factory procedures

Impactt Ltd, Director, Rosey Hurst

Guangdong Academy of Social Sciences, Assoicate Professor of Sociology, Janne Liu

 9.15 Breakout Session:
Raising awareness of HIV/AIDS in China: What is the role of business?

Tackling discrimination and stigma: How can you establish guidelines and policies for the treatment of HIV-positive workers?

Strength in numbers: Discover the do's and don'ts of creating national level partnerships to aid in local capacity building Rolling-out education and training programmes in China: Hear the best ways to ensure you get the right results

Learn about the role of advocacy and leadership in HIV/Aids awareness in China

World Economic Forum, Director, Global Health Initiative, Francesca Boldrini

Global Business Coalition on HIV / Aids, China Representative, Felicia Pullam

 9.15 Breakout Session:
Tackling corruption in China: How to maintain your company's ethical standards

Find out the risks which can result from corrupt employees, agents, joint venture partners and sub-contractors in China

How to assess the risks of corruption; and how to communicate the benefits of anti-corruption to your workforce

Where exactly can effective policies make a difference - and how should you implement them for maximum impact?

Plus an update on the IBLF anti-corruption working group

IBLF, Director - Corporate Policy and Practice, Jonas Moberg
Transparency International, Project Director, Construction & Engineering, Neill Stansbury
10.45 Networking Break
11.15 Breakout Session:
Promoting sustainability to buyers at home: How do you get them to properly understand the issues you face?

What impact do the buying decisions made in your corporate HQ have on your sourcing base in China?

Getting buyers to buy-in: How to improve coordination between corporate responsibility departments and buying departments

Hear how leading brands are implementing communication strategies in their own companies to address sustainable sourcing issues

How do you convince colleagues about the importance and benefits of buying from China with ethics in mind - and that cheapest isn't always best?

Decathlon, Social Compliance Manager, Celeste Cornu
Access Asia, Publishing Director, Paul French
Sainsbury's, Socially Responsible Sourcing Manager, David Meller
 11.15 Breakout Session:
Local capacity building in China: How companies can make a positive contribution

Strategies for capacity building on a local level: What's the best use of your company's time and money?

How multinationals can engage with grassroots NGOs for positive impact in China

How do you guarantee effective delivery of your programmes in most vital areas?

Find out which groups in China will help you get the right associations with governmental and civil society organisations

Guangdong Academy of Social Sciences, Assoicate Professor of Sociology, Janne Liu

The Rights Practice, Director, Nicola Macbean
12.45 Networking Lunch:
2.00 ALL DELEGATES RECONVENE FOR FINAL CONFERENCE CONCLUSIONS
2.00 - 4.00 Discussion featuring expert summary conclusions from the three conference tracks

In this final session, all conference delegates will come together in a single room. Here, expert summarisers will help you review the main points taken from discussion and debate in the twelve earlier breakout sessions. This will be an Open House format - giving you plenty of time to get the questions you want answered. You'll leave the Conference with many concrete conclusions on how you can improve your corporate responsibility initiatives in China - we guarantee it!
Conference Ends

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