Reed Travel Exhibitions Meetings and Incentive Events

Charter for Responsible Meetings

CEO Summit EIBTM December 2008

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RTE Meetings & Incentive Events/The Right Solution /201008 Charter agreed following EIBTM CEO Summit November 2007

The proposal is for CEOs to sign up to the following:

Environmental issues 1. Commitment to ensure my organisation is as environmentally responsible as possible.

2. Appoint an environmental champion in my organisation to encourage and motivate everyones commitment.

3. Promote and educate all in environmental responsibility both within my organisation and the wider meetings industry.

4. Give preference to venues and suppliers that demonstrate equal commitment to sustainability or environmental responsibility.

Responsible tourism

5. Commit to the Ten Principles of the UN Global Compact (as attached).

6. Allocate a percentage of funds/resources for all groups and events to local projects in host destinations that will benefit the local population, such as schools, water treatment, vital infrastructure.

7. Commit to encouraging all groups and events taking place in host countries to allocate time to helping with local projects either educational, social or infrastructure.

8. Commit to allocation of 4 days a year as advisors to development of meetings and events tourism for emerging markets.

9. Commit when and where possible to use local staff, suppliers and hotels where a significant proportion of the revenue remains in the destination/country

10. Commit to Fair Trade.

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RTE Meetings & Incentive Events/The Right Solution /201008 Charter agreed following EIBTM CEO Summit November 2007

The Ten Principles of the UN Global Compact

1: Businesses should support and respect the protection of internationally proclaimed human rights

& 2:

Make sure that they are not complicit in human rights abuses

3:

Businesses should uphold the freedom of association and the effective recognition of the right to collective bargaining

4:

The elimination of all forms of forced and compulsory labour

5:

The effective abolition of child labour

6:

The elimination of discrimination in respect of employment and occupation

7.

Business should support a precautionary approach to environmental challenges

8:

Undertake initiatives to promote greater environmental responsibility

9:

Encourage the development and diffusion of environmentally friendly technologies

10: Businesses should work against corruption in all its forms, including extortion and bribery.
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RTE Meetings & Incentive Events/The Right Solution /201008 Charter agreed following EIBTM CEO Summit November 2007

Source: www.unglobalcompact.org

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RTE Meetings & Incentive Events/The Right Solution /201008 Charter agreed following EIBTM CEO Summit November 2007

Further Explanations of the Principles

Principle 1 The responsibility for human rights does not rest with governments or nation states alone. Human rights issues are important both for individuals and the organisations that they create. As part of its commitment to the Global Compact, the business community has a responsibility to uphold human rights both in the workplace and more broadly within its sphere of influence. A growing moral imperative to behave responsibly is allied to the recognition that a good human rights record can support improved business performance. Principle 2 "Complicity" is a difficult concept to appreciate and categorise, and understanding complicity in order to avoid complicity in human rights violations, represents an important challenge for business. As the dynamics between governments, companies, and civil society organisations is changing, so too does our understanding of when and how different organisations should take on responsibilities for human rights issues. Whilst recognising that the role of governments in ensuring respect for human rights continues to be extremely important, the changing operating context for business has prompted the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) to lead efforts to define what constitutes corporate complicity in human rights abuses.

Principle 3 Businesses face many uncertainties in this rapidly changing global market. Establishing genuine dialogue with freely chosen workers' representatives enables both workers and employers to understand each other's problems better and find ways to resolve them. Security of representation is a foundation for building trust on both sides. Freedom of association and the exercise of collective bargaining provide opportunities for constructive rather than confrontational dialogue, and this harnesses energy to focus on solutions that result in benefits to the enterprise, its stakeholders, and society at large. Principle 4 Forced or compulsory labour is any work or service that is extracted from any person under the menace of any penalty, and for which that person has not offered himself or herself voluntarily. Providing wages or other compensation to a worker does not necessarily indicate that the labour is not forced or compulsory. By right, labour should be freely given and employees should be free to leave in accordance with established rules Principle 5
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RTE Meetings & Incentive Events/The Right Solution /201008 Charter agreed following EIBTM CEO Summit November 2007

Child labour has occurred at some point in time in virtually all parts of the world as nations have undergone different stages of development. It remains a serious issue today in many developing countries - although it also exists (more invisibly) in the developed, industrialised countries where it occurs for example in some immigrant communities. Child labour deprives children of their childhood and their dignity. Many of the children work long hours for low or no wages, often under conditions harmful to their health, physical and mental development. They are deprived of an education and may be separated from their families. Children who do not complete their primary education are likely to remain illiterate and never acquire the skills needed to get a job and contribute to the development of a modern economy. Consequently child labour results in scores of under-skilled, unqualified workers and jeopardises future improvements of skills in the workforce.

Principle 6 The definition of discrimination in employment and occupation is "any distinction, exclusion or preference which has the effect of nullifying or impairing equality of opportunity or treatment in employment or occupation", and is made on the basis of "race, colour, sex, religion, political opinion, national extraction or social origin". Discrimination may also occur on the basis of physical or mental disability. Obviously, distinctions based strictly on the inherent requirements of the job are not discrimination. Principle 7 "In order to protect the environment, the precautionary approach shall be widely applied by States according to their capabilities. Where there are threats of serious or irreversible damage, lack of full scientific certainty shall not be used as a reason for postponing costeffective measures to prevent environmental degradation

Principle 8 The responsible and ethical management of products and processes from the point of view of health, safety and environmental aspects. Towards this end, business and industry should increase self-regulation, guided by appropriate codes, charters and initiatives integrated into all elements of business planning and decision-making, and fostering openness and dialogue with employees and the public. In order to protect the environment, the precautionary approach shall be widely applied by States according to their capabilities. Where there are threats of serious or irreversible damage, lack of full scientific certainty shall not be used as a reason for postponing cost-effective measures to prevent environmental degradation."

Principle 9

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RTE Meetings & Incentive Events/The Right Solution /201008 Charter agreed following EIBTM CEO Summit November 2007

Protect the environment, are less polluting, use all resources in a more sustainable manner, recycle more wastes and products, and handle residual wastes in a more acceptable manner than the technologies for which they were substitutes. Environmentally Sound technologies are not just individual technologies, but total systems which include know-how, procedures, goods and services, and equipment as well as organisational and managerial processes."

Principle 10 Corruption can take many forms that vary in degree from the minor use of influence to institutionalized bribery. Transparency International's definition of corruption is "the abuse of entrusted power for private gain". This can mean not only financial gain but also nonfinancial advantages. The OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises define extortion in the following way: "The solicitation of bribes is the act of asking or enticing another to commit bribery. It becomes extortion when this demand is accompanied by threats that endanger the personal integrity or the life of the private actors involved." Transparency International's Business Principles for Countering Bribery define "bribery" in the following way: "Bribery: An offer or receipt of any gift, loan, fee, reward or other advantage to or from any person as an inducement to do something which is dishonest, illegal or a breach of trust, in the conduct of the enterprise's business."

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RTE Meetings & Incentive Events/The Right Solution /201008 Charter agreed following EIBTM CEO Summit November 2007