IBLF, The Conference Board and Harvard University made a commitment to the Clinton Global Initiative to encourage businesses to make a better contribution to development issues.
Through a series of events in 2005 and 2006, IBLF and its partners identified examples of corporate good practice in international development and explore opportunities for greater collaboration between businesses that operate in emerging economies.
Business as a Partner in Overcoming Malnutrition
Malnutrition is one of the world's most serious health problems and, according to the World Bank, investments in proven technologies and interventions to tackle malnutrition potentially offer very high economic returns.
Following a leadership dialogue in June 2006, IBLF, The Conference Board and Harvard University's Corporate Social Responsibility Initiative produced a report which showed how the private sector can create new opportunities for business expansion and help progress towards the Millennium Development Goals by tackling the malnutrition crisis.
Read Business as a Partner in Overcoming Malnutrition: An Agenda for Action
The Role of Business in Society
In October 2006 Niall FitzGerald, former chairman and chief executive of Unilever and the current chairman of Reuters, took part in a discussion on the role of business in society at a seminar at the London Business School.
The seminar was organised to promote a report written by Niall FitzGerald and Mandy Cormack, former head of corporate responsibility at Unilever, entitled The Role of Business in Society: An Agenda for Action. In the report, FitzGerald and Cormack explore why the role of business in society is on the agenda of the Chief Executives and Boards of leading international companies, and what they can do about it.
Read The Role of Business in Society: An Agenda for Action
Business as a Partner in Strengthening Public Health Systems in Developing Countries
IBLF and its partners organised a leadership dialogue in May 2006 in New York, which was hosted by Pfizer, in order to share examples of how companies can strengthen public health systems. Following the meeting, IBLF, The Conference Board and Harvard University produced Business as a Partner in Strengthening Public Health Systems in Developing Countries.
The report examines the role of the business community in helping governments to develop better health systems, and demonstrates that there is a strong case for business engagement in this area - and not just from pharmaceutical and healthcare companies.
Read on Business as a Partner in Strengthening Public Health Systems in Developing Countries: An Agenda for Action
Business and the Millennium Development Goals
This event took place at Harvard University in Boston on 8-9 May and was attended by some 70 corporate social responsibility professionals - from companies, multilateral agencies, development organisations and NGOs.
The event included a dinner on 8 May, followed by a one day workshop focused on examples of collective business-led models that are supporting poverty alleviation projects, enterprise development and health projects, with sessions on measuring the impact of such partnerships and ensuring their accountability and good governance.
IBLF Chair, Travis Engen gave the keynote address over dinner on the first evening, on the theme of 'Business & the Millennium Development Goals'. Read the speech
Business action to rebuild enterprise and communities after disasters
This event was hosted by Walter Shorenstein in San Francisco on 11 April 2006. It consisted of a roundtable discussion during the morning, followed by a luncheon.
Drawing on lessons from IBLF’s business-led Tsunami Recovery Task Force and other collective corporate efforts in the area of post-disaster recovery, the roundtable focused on specific proposals for increasing the scale and effectiveness of business leadership in post-disaster situations.
At the event IBLF launched a revised version of the report, Best Intentions, Complex Realities: lessons from the tsunami.
Read more on the meeting
Corporate profitability and responsibility: what is the relationship?
This event was hosted by London Business School and IBLF, with suppport from Nestle, in London on 16 March 2006.
An audience of more than 80 participants gathered to discuss the link between corporate responsibility and corporate profitability, particularly in regions where there is weak government.
The debate was led by a panel comprising: Paul Bulcke, Executive Vice President for the Americas at Nestle (pictured); Constantino Casabuenas, Oxfam's Regional Policy Advisor for Latin America; Craig Smith, Senior Fellow in Marketing and Business Ethics at the London Business School; Marc Pfitzer from The Foundation Strategy Group; and Daniel Graymore, from the UK Department for International Development.
Jane Nelson from the IBLF and Harvard, chaired the meeting, which was followed by a small dinner to discuss conflict resolution work in Africa and the opportunities for increased corporate engagement on this issue.
Download the event report
More on The Nestle concept of corporate social responsibility as implemented in Latin America - a publication launched at the meeting
Business action to combat youth disaffection and extremism
Hosted by IBLF in London on 2 February 2006, this dialogue explored different ways that companies are supporting efforts to combat youth disaffection and extremism, with a particular focus on youth enterprise projects and dialogues between Islamic and Western youth.
The more than 40 participants included chief executives, chairmen, presidents and other senior executives of major multinational companies and also some leading companies from the Middle East and Asia, as well as leaders of NGOs active in the areas of youth development and inter-faith dialogue. Following the meeting, IBLF is exploring the establishment of a network of corporate human resource directors to develop further collective activities in this area. It is also publishing a set of good practice examples of business support for youth enterprise in the Middle East.