BRUSSELS DECLARATION
On 19th November 2010 during the 7th International Leadership Symposium on Ethics in Business, participating leaders together with the World Forum for Ethics in Business adopted the Brussels Declaration for strengthening Ethical Business for Shared Value and Shared Benefits.
Recognising that:
- In the wake of the global financial and economic crisis, ethical behavior in business has never been more important.
- Responsible business-led growth is critical to global economic recovery, as well as to ensuring sustainable impacts on the environment, local communities, good governance and the poor.
- Collective action across the private sector, civil society and government is essential to establish ethical foundations of business in a globalised world.
This pledge serves as the foundation for the following guiding principles of the World Forum for Ethics in Business:
Get Concrete: Act to promote shared value and ethical leadership at the individual, organisational, sectorial and global levels: WFEB can help deliver concrete results in a few high priority areas (such as anticorruption, extractives, and procurement) by fostering multi-stakeholder coalitions for collective action at global, sectorial, and country levels, anchored around credible codes of conduct, self-reporting, and verification mechanisms.
Serve as models of ethical and socially responsible behavior to inspire current and future generations of leaders across business, civil society and government.
Mainstream corporate social responsibility into current business practices and education: WFEB can deepen its impact by helping firms to mainstream CSR into their corporate strategy, by facilitating knowledge exchange among firms (e.g., WFEB award winners, governments and networks helping to change the corporate culture through innovative leadership programs (TLEX); and recognising success with awards
Facilitate global dialogue and foster cooperation among the private sector, the academic world, government agencies, international organisations, the media, spiritual as well as secular communities and all other stakeholders with the end in view of fostering decency, maximising human values and building wider public trust in business;
Share inspiring examples of the intersection of ethics and profitability to build wider public trust in business. Acknowledge and celebrate positive individual and organisational role models
Recruit the broadest possible support for trends, initiatives and projects that would encourage or enhance ethical and/or value-based motivations, practices, norms and goals in the business world.
Broaden Partnerships & Engage Emerging Players: Engage and partner with key individuals, forums, corporate sector organisations and initiatives to leverage our collective ability to deliver transformational impact: WFEB is well positioned to broaden partnerships to complementary forums and organisations and engage emerging markets
Nurture and develop the skills of transformational and ethical leadership in the youth of the world, by imparting tools, techniques and knowledge to build the character of leadership for the future
Recognise and address current trends and needs in the society and assimilate initiatives in those directors in the Key-WFEB agenda
Provide a platform for the promotion and defence of ethical approaches to business enterprise and corporate governance: Assume responsibility for continuing the International Leadership Symposium on Ethics in Business.
Monitor and report on our progress at every annual conference of the World Forum for Ethics in Business