First Regional Conference of the Alliance for Integrity in Latin America

12.11.2015

On November 12, 2015, Alliance for Integrity, together with the German Chambers of Commerce (AHK) and the local Global Compact Networks in the Mercosur region, hosted its first regional conference “Setting the Stage – Collective Action against Corruption in South America” in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. More than 90 participants representing companies, trade associations and civil society from various Latin American countries and Germany, took part in the conference.

The conference was kicked off by Sergio Boanada, President of the AHK Rio de Janeiro, Harald Klein, German Consul in Rio de Janeiro and Noor Naqschbandi, Director of the Alliance for Integrity , who welcomed participants to the event. Key note speaker Thomas Lösler, from Allianz SE, set the tone for the rest of the day, by emphasizing the need to change corporate culture and “join forces” to collectively deal with corruption and strengthen compliance systems that lack effectiveness.

The speakers of Panel I, “Parallel Universes or Melting Horizons? Public and Private Sector Contributions to Compliance in the Corporate Sector”, discussed how to enhance cooperation between both sectors to strengthen compliance. Highlights in this regard were the exchanges between Hamilton Fernando Cota Cruz, from CGU, and Marcio Campanelli, from Petrobras, representing different sides of the spectrum, as well as from Carsten Schmitz-Hoffmann, from GIZ, Mark Pieth, from the Basel Institute on Governance and Renata Welinski da Silva Seabra, from the Global Compact Network Brazil, who illustrated examples of how collective action and the engagement of civil society strengthens compliance and reduces corrupt tendencies.

The question raised in Panel II was of how global supply chains can become more transparent. Panelists Guillermo Jorge, from the University of San Andres, Reynaldo Goto, from Siemens, Caio Magri, from Instituto Ethos and Luciana Servija, from Embraer,

explored the significant business risk posed by corruption in supply chains, the need of due diligence by corporate leaders to avoid such risks, the existence of more stringent corporate liability laws and the cultural differences that represent a key challenge for corporation with global supply chains.

The following panel, “Talk AND Action – Implementing Business Integrity on the Ground”, dealt with the topic of strengthening compliance systems with the DEPE approach, whilst ascertaining that the initiative can make a sustainable contribution to corruption prevention. DEPE trainers Debora Dansker, from Sandoz SA, Fernanda Nan, from SOWITEC group GmbH and Juliano Berton, from Neoenergia, gave insight and exchanged their experiences interactively.

Lastly, Panel IV considered the growing strenght of chambers in corruption prevention. Composed of Anne Decrue Reichel, from the DIHK, Jan Thorsten Kötschau, from AHK Uruguay, and Alexandre Sadler, from FIRJAN the panel exchanged their ideas on their capabilities of knowledge-sharing and tackling compliance differently than companies, through their extensive network of contacts and their characteristic neutral position between companies and competitors.

Hanno Erwes, Director of the AHK Rio de Janeiro and Noor Naqschbandi, Project Director of the Alliance for Integrity, ended the conference by wishing participants much success in 2016 in achieving cooperation and synergies between stakeholders towards the common goal of corruption prevention.

One day earlier, trainers of the Alliance for Integrity’s capacity building programme ‘De empresas para empresas’ (DEPE) had the opportunity to meet and discuss the programme. Read more

©Photos: German Chamber of Industry and Commerce in Rio de Janeiro (AHK – RJ)

 

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