Mission

The mission of the Center for Business Ethics and Corporate Governance is to create social capital in the Russian Federation, the Independent States and Eastern Europe by helping to institutionalize ethical and transparent business practices. We believe that, working together, the private sector and non-governmental organizations in this region, are in an instrumental position to facilitate anti-corruption, the rule of law and good governance.

History

In 1998, the US management consultancy firm Sovereign Ventures, Inc., with support from the US Agency for International Development through the Eurasia Foundation, led a group of Russian businesses to create the Declaration of Integrity in Business Conduct in St. Petersburg. This declaration was institutionalized in October 2000, when Sovereign Ventures, its Russian subsidiary, Bronze Lion LLC, and the Ethics Resource Center of Washington, D.C., founded the non-profit organization, the “Center for Business Ethics and Corporate Governance”, in St. Petersburg.

Services and Projects

The Center performs the following services:
• Conducts seminars, workshops and trainings in the field of business ethics and corporate governance;
• Develops and disseminates toolkits that help company management adopt best practices of business ethics and anti-corruption;
• Assists in the development of codes of conduct;
• Provides research and analysis on company social responsibility and corporate governance performance;
• Conducts surveys and research on local business practices; and
• Legislation drafting, research and analysis and seminars for government officials on developing codes of ethics.

Currently, the Center is focused on the following projects:

Business Ethics: A Manual for Managing A Responsible Business Enterprise in Emerging Market Economies (Published May 2004)

The Center helped the US Department of Commerce research, write and translate this manual, which is designed to help private sector, NGO and government leaders in Russia, the Independent States and Eastern Europe adopt ethics strategies and programs. (Russian Edition to be Published December 2004.)

Corporate Governance Code for the Russian Federation

On April 4, 2002, the Russian Federal Commission for the Securities Market and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development issued the Russian Corporate Governance Code, a voluntary guide to international best practices for use by Russian private companies. A consortium of international experts, including the Center, helped write the Code, which provides recommendations regarding the rights of shareholders, the responsibilities of boards of directors and individual directors, the role of management, financial and disclosure obligations, dividend policies, and the position of corporate secretary.

Accountability for Improving Corporate Governance in Russia

The Center’s Accountability Project seeks to address significant obstacles to corporate governance reform in the Russian Federation. The Accountability Project aims beyond the standard approach to reform that focuses primarily on shareholder rights, to helping Russian companies and civil society stakeholders create an infrastructure to increase corporate social responsibility. This linkage helps companies develop a sustainable competitive advantage and address the interests of key stakeholders, including the communities in which they operate, in a more comprehensive way.

“Integrity Pact” in Construction Sector of Saint Petersburg

CBE is helping form an Integrity Pact in the Saint Petersburg construction sector that includes businesses, the local government and NGOs. The goal is to create the conditions for transparent tenders and procurement reform and attract further investment to St. Petersburg. The project has been endorsed by the St. Petersburg government and has led to creation of the Honest Builders’ Club, which consists of the CEO’s of the most reputable construction companies in the region. The project has received support from the Open Society Institute (Soros Foundation).

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Tel: (812) 324-67-06, (812) 449-47-46, fax: (812) 327-31-25,
www.cfbe.ru, www.ethicsrussia.org
office 22, 2, Shvedsky pereulok, St. Petersburg, Russia, 191186