CBLF successfully held its launching conference and the 1st Interim Steering Committee meeting

   Working closely with the Program Coordinator, the Renmin University of China, CBLF successfully held its first Interim Steering Committee meeting and a launching conference on Tue, March 8 at the university''s international conference center.

   At the Interim Steering Committee meeting, the members revised the mission statement to better reflect the program objectives.  CBLF''''s mission is now read "To enable companies operating in China to work as partners to ensure sustainable improvement in the standards by which business is conducted." The committee agreed on its role which is to govern the program, determine priorities, formulate and approve workplan, review progress and advise the Program Coordinator.  IBLF will continue to serve as an advisor and facilitator of the program.  The committee also approved the workplan for year one and the process to take the activities forward.

   The launching conference was attended by 72 participants representing about 50 foreign and domestic companies, organizations, chambers of commerce and media. The overwhelming interest confirmed that CBLF is hitting the right issue at the right time.  The attendees listened to the Chinese and foreign companies'' perspectives on improving business practices and learned of CBLF''''s background and roles & activities. With CBLF''s success in securing necessary funding for the initial three-year periodjointly by five companies and the British Foreign & Commonwealth Office Global Opportunities Fund-Economic Governance Program, participants were encouraged to take an active role in program activities by sharing knowledge & experience and materials & expertise, and committing to improvement.

   The successful launch of CBLF was the result of wide-ranging consultations over a two year period with various companies/organizations on the issue of collective action to improve the business climate in China.  A solid foundation has now been laid for a business-led and locally managed initiative designed to mobilize the business community in China around the challenges of transparency and corruption.  CBLF has carefully built consensus and support among both foreign and domestic companies and has found the platform from which engagement with government can be built. CBLF''''s key task now is to deliver actionable solutions to the corporate governance issues identified by the participants including cross-cultural understanding, tendering & procurement, recruitment, approvals & licensing (transparency & consistent enforcement), company performance (quality & integrity, transparency, standards), health & safety at work and research (benchmarking practice).