FOCUS

FOCUS I - The NCP at the fourth edition of "Dal dire al fare"

The NCP took part in the fourth edition of "Dal dire al fare" ,("From saying to doing"), the national fair exclusively dedicated to the Corporate Social Responsibility, held on the 24 and 25 September 2008, in Milan, promoted by Milano Metropoli Agenzia di Sviluppo, BIC La Fucina, Provincia di Milano, Regione Lombardia, Fondazione Sodalitas e Koinetica and addressing, this year, the issue of sustainability. This edition has been hosted in the prestigious rooms of the Milan University, so as to highlight the strong links between the Fair and the academic world and its characterisation as an event for promoting the entrepreneurial culture, but also to stress the need to follow and protect the youth entrepreneurship and to bring to it the message of the sustainability. Of particular interest, among the activities the NCP' carried on therein, was the thematic laboratory held on Wednesday, devoted to the presentation of the Protocol of Understanding undersigned by the Ministry of the Economic Development - OECD National Contact Point and the - Lombardy Region - General Directorate for Handcraft and Services . Guidelines in Lombardy in the sector of the small and medium enterprises, handcraft and services and to the illustration of the related operational plan. This agreement is aimed to develop the diffusion and widespread process of the Guidelines in that Region, also by means of pilot projects among the SMEs and the artisan enterprises.

Interview to Primo Barzoni (Chairman and C.e.o. of Palm S.p.A.)

What does Corporate Social Responsibility mean for your enterprise?

At the base of our understanding of the role of the entrepreneur and of the enterprise in the territory there is the creation of value for the firm itself, for the workers, for the customers and for the context in which we operate, with a view of a continuous improvement. This setting induced us to voluntarily promote many initiatives aiming at valorising the people and the product quality, and the quality of the territory and the environment on which we depend. Corporate Social Responsibility for an enterprise means to take charge of the impact that its business activities have on the surroundings, in the widest meaning. Indeed, we believe that in the global economy the real challenges to face are the social fairness and harmony, and the safeguard of the world we live in. Everybody must take charge of the "Earth-system's sustainable development in order to allow ourselves, our sons and the future generation to keep on "living". This path, oriented towards the Corporate Social Responsibility values, has gradually evolved in Palm in the last thirty years, through a series of investment choices not taken for granted in a small enterprise, overcoming many hurdles, but also reaping a lot of benefits, prizes and acknowledgments.

PMI Etica - Project of APIndustria Parma, API Forli Cesena, Eurostudio and Centro Servizi Piccole Medie Industrie

In 2007 APIndustria Parma, API Forli Cesena, Eurostudio and project to spread the awareness of CSR among SMEs in the territory and to further the conditions for the adoption of responsible behaviours. Financed by the Regione Emilia Romagna - Councillorship for the Productive Activities, the plan contemplated, in 2007, three main actions:a  survey on the local context, aimed at defining, by means of a questionnaire, the degree of acquaintance of the CSR policy and instruments and to spread ethical behaviours on the territory of Parma and Forlí Cesena; a cycle of seminaries and the realization of a best practices handbook; the creation of the www.pmietica.it , as a tool to offer specialised information services and, on the other side, as a network and place of dialogue for all the interested subjects.

New website of the Province of Milan on the CSR

The Province of Milan has activated a website The website supplies information on the initiatives and on the competent administrative offices, links to the sites of the institutions, professional associations, organisations, main fairs of this sector, press releases and a multimedia area including videos and interactive games. The site also offers a glossary and the text of the Ethical Code that the Public Administration subscribes with the supplying firms for the purchase of goods and services, in compliance with the principles of the sustainable development. Moreover, a space is dedicated to two important initiative of the Province of Milan in this field: the Suppliers' Register and the project "Close to the Enterprises" aimed at spreading the culture of the Corporate Social Responsibility.

2009 CSR Forum "Corporate and stakeholder responsibility: "from theory to practice"

27 - 28 January 2009 ' Rome. The 2009 CSR Forum "Corporate and stakeholder responsibility: 'from theory to practice'" organised by ABI[www.abi.it] will aim to compare and contrast the knowledge and experience gained with a view of their concrete application. The brand new co-building sessions will be parallel interactive sessions lasting approximately one hour, in which core groups of participants from the worlds of banking, academics, entrepreneurial and associations will be able to compare and share opinions and experiences on the key issues of CSR:



•accountability

•stakeholder engagement

•certification;

•assessment of CSR in companies;

•intangibles;

•environmental credit risk



The 2009 CSR Forum will open with a Plenary Session entirely dedicated to financial inclusion and migrant banking, coordinated by ABI with the participation of institutions, organizations, banks and companies. In the afternoon of the 27th, an in-depth workshop stimulated by university and banking experts, complementing the co-building sessions, will revisit certain key topics. Finally the Closing Plenary Session, scheduled for the morning of the 28th, will present the principal facts arising from the parallel sessions and will illustrate the evolution of CSR with the assistance of the main stakeholders from the worlds of politics,  entrepreneurial and science. The provisional programme and the registration form will be available in the middle of November on the sites www.abi.it e www.bancariaeditrice.it..

Meeting entitled: "Social responsibility. A development and competitiveness lever for the Country"

14 October 2008. - Rome - It took place the meeting entitled: "Social responsibility. A development and competitiveness lever for the country The role of the enterprises, of the institutions and of the professional associations", sponsored by Operandi Fondazione British American Tobacco Italia Onlus, in collaboration with ALTIS - Alta Scuola Impresa e Società of the Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore and Fondazione Nomisma Terzo SettoreS. On that occasion the outcomes of the survey "CSR Policies promoted by the institutions and the entrepreneurial associations in Italy. Work and life quality" were illustrated. Afterwards, a roundtable allowing representatives of the institutional, industrial, trade unions', academic and no-profit world to debate on the survey's outcomes will take place.

Course entitled: "Promoting the health of workers, occasion of socially responsible growth for companies and operators

3 October 2008 - Rome. The course entitled: "Promoting the health of workers, occasion of socially responsible growth for companies and operators", was held at the Istituto Superiore Prevenzione e Sicurezza sul Lavoro (ISPESL). It was targeted to the psychologists and to the experts in charge for prevention such as: employers, doctors, and prevention specialists. As to the corporate social responsibility, in particular, the course was aimed  to promote and provide the "equality in health" by reducing discriminations and assuring opportunities and resources for everybody.

Roundtable: "The dimensions of the corporate social responsibility: state of the art and future perspectives"

19 September 2008 - Rimini. The roundtable: "The dimensions of the corporate social responsibility: state of the art and future perspectives", sponsored by Operandi Fondazione British American Tobacco Italia Onlus, in cooperation with ALTIS - Alta Scuola Impresa e Società of the Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore and with Fondazione Nomisma Terzo Settore. took place. at the Aula Magna of the University of Bologna, Rimini's office. It aimed to make the point on the social responsibility, also at local level, involving the institutional bodies interested to this issue, as, for instance: the Province of Rimini, the Municipality of Rimini, the Chamber of Commerce of Rimini, Assindustria's Figli del Mondo - Rimini, Eticredito, the Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio di Rimini, the Diocese of Rimini and the enterprises.

Peru's adherence to the OECD Declaration on International Investment and Multinational Enterprises

Peru has become the 41st adherent to the OECD Declaration on International Investment and Multinational Enterprises, in recognition of its impressive progress in pursuing investment policy reforms to improve the country's business climate and reduce poverty. These initiatives have helped drive robust economic growth and vibrant foreign direct investment flows. As an adherent to the Declaration, Peru commits to treating foreign investors in the same way as domestic investors and to promoting responsible business conduct. The country in turn benefits from similar assurance from the other adherents to treat Peruvian investors abroad fairly and to encourage their multinational enterprises operating in the country to contribute to economic, social and environmental progress. Implementation of the Declaration also involves the establishment by Peru of a National Contact Point to be located in Peru's Private Investment Promotion Agency (ProInversión), responsible for promoting observance of the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises, an integral part of the OECD Declaration. As an adherent, Peru will participate in the work of the OECD Investment Committee with the ten other emerging economies that are adherents to the Declaration: Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Egypt, Estonia, Israel, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania and Slovenia. Peru's adherence provides further international support for the principles of sound investment policy and corporate responsibility laid down in the Declaration. Peru's adherence is the result of a thorough review of its investment policies carried on by the OECD.

Presented the Fourth Edition of the OECD Benchmark Definition of Foreign Direct Investment 

Survey of the George Mason University: the environmental best practices can be a helpful entrepreneurial means for profit

This is the conclusion of a survey carried on by Prof. Nicole Darnall of the George Mason University over more than 22600 manufacturing firms operating in seven different countries and published on the Public Administration Review. The study shows that there is a real link between a more rigorous environmental regulation and a decrease of the profit of the regulated firms. But it also shows that the enterprises adopting measures aiming at improving their environmental performances can compensate and even nullify the burden due to these regulations, thanks to the financial advantages brought about by this re-organization and revision of the productive processes, waste reduction, development of echo-compatible products etc... Therefore, a more stringent environmental regulation, together with a proactive adaptation of the enterprises can turn into a win-win relation, advantaging the society as well as the enterprises.

Report "Measuring Sustainable Development" of the Joint UNECE/Eurostat/OECD Working Group on Statistics for Sustainable Development

The Joint UNECE/Eurostat/OECD Working Group on Statistics for Sustainable Development published the Report "Measuring Sustainable Development". The group - including more than 90 members from 48 countries and international organizations - was established in 2005 to identify good concepts and practices to assist national governments and international organizations in the design of sustainable development indicator sets. In particular, the task of the Working Group was to:



• articulate a broad conceptual framework for sustainable development measurement with the concept of capital at its centre; consider other approaches to the extent the capital approach is found insufficient from a conceptual standpoint



• Identify the broad domains that good indicator sets should span;



• Develop a menu of good sustainable development indicators in order to help governments and international organizations when they are designing indicator sets;



• Identify a small set of indicators from the menu that might become the core set for international comparisons;



• Identify basic data systems necessary for a small set of indicators and identify their possible sources (existing or new statistical surveys, administrative records, information derived from environmental monitoring systems); and



•Discuss the relationship between integrated environmental and economic accounts and sustainable development indicators.



The Report is the result of such work.

COSMO 2008 Small Business Conference - Conference in Skopje organised by "COSMO Innovate Center"

27 and 28 November 2008 - Skopje. COSMO 2008 Small Business Conference" (COSMO 2008 SBC), organised by COSMO Innovate Center, a Macedonian international consulting company offering consulting services for producing, services and trade enterprises. COSMO 2008 Small Business Conference is a place where over 150 representatives of the public sector, small and medium enterprises from the Republic of Macedonia and the South-East Europe region, as well as experts from EU will meet. The conference consists of an educative part, as well as a discussion forum and workshop for exchanging knowledge, experiences and ideas for technical, economic and legal issues which are a challenge for the Sustainable Entrepreneurship Networking of the private sector of the Republic of Macedonia with regional and EU business companies and organisations. The Conference will be devoted to the issue of the "Sustainable Entrepreneurship Networking". Launched in 2008 by the European Commission, the "Enterprise Europe Network" offers easy access and proximity to local services for SMEs, thus creating regional business gateways. Business actors are encouraged to share, define and disseminate best practices in fields such as the innovation, the expansion to new markets, the improvement of the market position, etc..

OECD/ITF Global Forum on Sustainable Development: Transport and Environment in a Globalising World

10-12 November 2008 - Guadalajara. The OECD/ITF Global Forum on Sustainable Development: Transport and Environment in a Globalising World, organised the OECD, by the International Transport Forum (ITF) and by the Mexican Environment Ministry, aims to consider major transport trends - both in large urban areas and in a globalising economy - with a special focus on developments in Latin America and to address challenges caused by these trends - for the environment at large and for human health in particular. One of the main challenges is to combine the underpinning effects that transport activity has on economic and social development, allowing efficient allocation of resources and mobility for people and the need to protect the environment, also in the light of an increasing urbanisation and of a further globalisation Therefore the Forum aims to bring together politicians and experts working on transport and environment issues in public authorities and academia, representatives of the transport industry and of environmental NGOs, especially from Latin-American countries, to share information about effective and efficient policies that can reduce these negative impacts.

Sixth Edition of the CSR Asia Summit

3-4 November 2008 - Bangkok, Thailand - The CSR Asia Summit one of the most relevant Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) event in Asia, amidst a growing call for companies to engage with CSR initiatives, reach its sixth edition. The Summit is targeted at global and Asian experts and practitioners in the fields of social, environmental and corporate governance issues. In particular, the Summit puts together 24 cutting-edge CSR issues in the Asia-Pacific region organised under six different themes:



• Partnerships for Sustainable Development:



• Supply Chain Challenges:



• Community Investment, Social Innovation and Poverty Reduction:



• The Regulatory Environment: Soft Laws and Standards:



• Measuring and Monitoring CSR:



• Environment and Biodiversity:



In 2007, the event successfully attracted 220 delegates from 17 countries and regions, most of them high profile companies and organisations who have enormous influence in shaping the CSR landscape in the Asia-Pacific.

International conference on Competitive Cities and Climate Change

9 - 10 October - Milan. The International Conference on "Competitive Cities and Climate Change", organised by the OECD, by the Province of Milan and by the City of Milan in cooperation with the Fondazione Eni Enrico Mattei and with the Club of Madrid addressed the environmental dimension of city competitiveness. It focused on the relationships between urbanisation and climate change, within the framework of a series of conferences organised by the OECD to examine the challenges faced by large cities concerned with improving their economic competitiveness while providing the social and environmental conditions that are also necessary in order to retain and attract skills and investment. This event took place at the Palazzo Clerici in Milan, Italy, and brought together ministers, mayors, and regional leaders as well as eminent personalities from the Club of Madrid (former Head of States and governments), high-level representatives from international organisations, major local government networks and prominent experts.

Latin-American Regional Conference: Commitment and Co-operation in the Fight Against Corruption and Transnational Bribery

29-30 September 2008 - Mexico City. The Latin-American Regional Conference: Commitment and Co-operation in the Fight Against Corruption and Transnational Bribery sponsored by the OECD and by the Mexican Government, with the participation of the Inter-American Development Bank and the Organisation of American States, took place in Mexico . This event aimed at reasserting the Region's commitment in combating bribery and complying with international standards, feeding the exchange of information and to developing cooperation. In the course of the Conference, the following topics were tackled: "Global and regional challenges in combating bribery of foreign public officials in international business transactions"; "International and regional co-operation for mutual legal assistance and extradition"; "Fighting bribery in public procurement"; "The OECD's work against corruption"; "Corporate liability in the fight against transnational bribery"; "Enhancing the efficacy of law enforcement mechanisms to fight foreign bribery in Latin America"; "Detecting transnational bribery through whistleblowers and the media".

With NCP's interventions on the Guidelines

• NCP's participation at the "Salone dello Studente"

19-21 November 2008 - L'Aquila
Aim of the event: to carry on the spreading of the OECD Guidelines and of the NCP's activities.

• NCP's participation at the COM-PA, the European Exhibition of Public Communication and Services to the Citizen and Business

21-23 October 2008 - Milan
Aim of the event: to carry on the spreading of the OECD Guidelines and of the NCP's activities.

These and other events are published on the site of the National Contact Point National Contact Point