Convention details

African Corporate Citizenship Convention, September 21 and 22, FNB Training Centre, Sandton

The second African Corporate Citizenship Convention was held on the 21^st and 22^nd of September 2004 in Johannesburg, South Africa. Hosted by the African Institute of Corporate Citizenship (AICC), in partnership with the UNISA Centre for Corporate Citizenship, the Convention attracted over 200 delegates representing business, government, non-governmental organisations and civil society groups from across the globe. Speakers included local and international experts comprising senior representatives from SustainAbility;; NEPAD Secretariat; International Institute for Sustainable Development; African Centre for Corporate Governance; Mwengo; International Standards Organization (ISO); Kenya Human Rights Commission; UN Global Compact; South African Department of Environment and Tourism; EU Presidency on Corporate Social Responsibility; Small Business Project; and JSE Securities Exchange Social Responsibility Index.

The theme for the Convention, “Driving Responsible Growth and Competitiveness in Africa” highlighted the AICC’s intention to ensure that economic development in Africa incorporates principles of responsibility and accountability and, in so doing, improves the economic competitiveness of companies, sectors and countries in line with a broader sustainability agenda. The identification of this overarching theme reflected the outcomes of the first convention held in April 2002 entitled the “Business of Business in Africa.” The second Convention sought to move the debate beyond theory and to engage around some of the key issues in more depth.

The discussions that took place throughout the Convention were extremely timely. The global agenda around corporate citizenship is moving at a rapid pace and it is crucial that it reflects African experiences and views. The Convention contributed to an emerging African voice on these issues. In addition, new global initiatives are increasingly looking to the continent. The Commission for Africa was launched in February 2004 and has set out to “seize 2005 as an opportunity to make a difference for Africa.” At the same time, 2005 will see the coincidence of the United Kingdom’s chairmanship of both the G8 and, in the second half of the year, the European Union, with Africa high on both agendas.

Within this context, the Convention constituted a valuable forum where the views and experiences from Africa could be shared in order to begin identifying the linkages between corporate responsibility in Africa and the international policy agenda. But there is much work to be done in this regard. In many ways, the Convention personified some of the fundamental problems that corporate citizenship encounters in Africa. Corporate citizenship agendas devised in the North and exported to the African context do not necessarily reflect the realities, nor engage with the specific challenges, that this continent faces. In this way, the second African Corporate Citizenship Convention reinforced many of the outcomes of its predecessor – that the realities of Africa, its place in the world, its diversity, its history and the unique aspirations of its communities necessitate a distinctly African version of the corporate citizenship agenda. It is apparent that, in many ways, Africa is still grappling with these debates.

The Convention has offered the AICC an important milestone along its journey – an opportunity to look back on the progress that has been made, while also looking ahead to the obstacles that must be overcome. Approaching fundamental questions from an African perspective continues to be an important aspect of the journey. What is the relationship between responsibility and competitiveness in Africa? How do these concepts relate to the fundamental problem that continues to plague Africa’s growth and development – poverty? How do we ensure that corporate responsibility does not marginalise the foundation of most African economies further – the SMME sector? What role should governments play? Do we need to design distinct models of corporate citizenship for companies with high social and environmental impacts, such as tobacco and mining, considering their economic importance in much of Africa? How do we define and implement corporate citizenship in conditions of violent conflict or corrupt governance?

The building and strengthening of networks across Africa remains a crucial task in engaging with these fundamental questions. The Convention sought to bring people together who are prepared to find African solutions to these challenges. Initiatives such as the Africa Corporate Sustainability Forum, which was launched during the Convention, will be a crucial step in moving these discussions forward. Through a multi-stakeholder platform, the Forum will provide an opportunity for business, government and broader civil society to discuss and act on corporate sustainability policy and practice in Africa.

The second African Corporate Citizenship Convention has provided an opportunity to celebrate some of the achievements that have been made in moving the corporate citizenship agenda forward in Africa, while also shedding light on the challenges that lie ahead. Please return to the AICC website to read a full version of the Second African Corporate Citizenship Convention Report due to be released in December 2004. It will provide a comprehensive overview of the Convention proceedings, as well as delve further into some of the most pertinent issues facing corporate citizenship in Africa.