APEC recently distributed the below communication to all APEC Business Ethics for SMEs Initiative partners, and the AEHA Steering Committee would now like to share it with the AEHA community.
Dear APEC Business Ethics for SMEs Initiative Partners:
With the world’s attention centered on COVID-19, our team hopes you are staying healthy and safe. We would like to update you on developments of the Business Ethics for APEC SMEs Initiative.
2020 APEC Business Ethics for SMEs Forum: We are actively monitoring the evolving COVID-19 situation and are in frequent contact with key partners across the APEC region. The Initiative plans to convene the Forum in Q3 or Q4 2020, but we are unable to confirm a date and location at this time. Should you need to block dates in your calendar at this stage, we recommend you block the week of 12-16 October 2020. We will continue to keep you updated on developments.
Vision 2025 – Final Call for Comments: This year marks the sunset of the Nanjing Declaration’s 2020 goals for the Business Ethics for APEC SMEs Initiative. A “Vision 2025” document is being developed with stakeholder input, which will include substantial updates and additions to the Initiative’s goals and activities over the next five years. As the draft nears completion, we welcome your review and input. Download to review the document, and please submit any comments you may have to apecethics@crowell.com on or before 15 April 2020. The document will then be prepared for final review and endorsement by the APEC SME Working Group and put forward for recognition by APEC SME Ministers.
Government Strategies to Encourage Ethical Business Conduct: The Initiative has documented government strategies to encourage ethical business conduct in an APEC Resource Guide, tabled for review and discussion at the 2019 APEC Business Ethics for SMEs Forum in Santiago de Chile. In February, the Guide was presented and discussed at the APEC Anti-Corruption and Transparency Working Group meeting in Putrajaya, Malaysia and received support from several APEC economies. In addition, Malaysia (as Chair) has added to the ACTWG work plan a public-private dialogue that will feature strategies from the Guide. The dialogue is planned for 10 August in Penang, Malaysia and will further promote awareness of the Guide and explore opportunities for interested APEC member economies to implement strategies. Should you have interest in learning more about this dialogue, please email apecethics@crowell.com
APEC SME Leaders in Ethics and Integrity Program (LEIP): The Initiative’s biopharmaceutical sector program has expanded its approach to capacity-building and training for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Starting in 2020, APEC SME LEIP pilot seminars will be conducted in partnership with industry associations to foster adherence to the APEC Mexico City Principles by targeting training to CEOs of individual companies to reinforce the effectiveness of establishing "tone at the top." The first pilot seminar will take place in Irvine, California in summer 2020 alongside the APEC SME Working Group meeting in Los Angeles. Please send an email to apecethics@crowell.com if you would like to learn more about APEC SME LEIP or if you would like to develop an APEC SME LEIP seminar for your association. You are also invited to nominate a biopharmaceutical SME based in California to attend the pilot seminar. We anticipate the next pilot seminar will take place later this year in China in collaboration with CCCMHPIE and others.
Impact Assessment on the Benefits of Ethical Business Conduct: The Initiative will prepare a white paper and literature review to outlay the cost of corruption for SMEs and work to identify leading research organizations with the capacity to undertake an impact assessment on the benefits to SMEs of adhering to (and operating within) an ethical business environment. If you have any research that you’d like to contribute toward the white paper, or an organization that you would like to nominate for the impact assessment, please send an email to apecethics@crowell.com The results of these efforts will be presented at the 2020 APEC Business Ethics for SMEs Forum.
Consensus Frameworks: Ten APEC member economies now have a consensus framework in place or in process (Canada, Peru, Vietnam, China, Japan, Australia, Philippines, Chile, Mexico, and Thailand), in addition to the Consensus Framework for Ethical Collaboration between Patients’ Organisations, Healthcare Professionals and the Pharmaceutical Industry. The Initiative will initiate a comprehensive update of the 2019 State Report on Consensus Frameworks in the APEC Region. The 2020 report will be presented at the 2020 APEC Business Ethics for SMEs Forum later this year. Consensus framework parties can expect requests for updates and testimonials. The draft Vision 2025 calls for universal consensus framework adoption in every APEC member economy, so if you do not see your economy listed above and you would like support to develop a consensus framework, please contact apecethics@crowell.com
New Websites: The medical device sector program and biopharmaceutical sector program launched fully refreshed websites in March 2020. The new platforms include photo galleries from previous events, industry code of ethics compendiums, consensus framework portals, a medical device distributors portal, and biopharmaceutical capacity-building portal (including a tool for enterprises to assess alignment with the APEC Principles). Importantly, the new websites will serve as your platform to register for future events. You can access the new sites using the same website links below. As they both serve as rich sources of information, we encourage you to add them to your internet favorites.
https://klprinciples.apec.org/ (Medical Device Sector)
https://mcprinciples.apec.org/ (Biopharmaceutical Sector)
If you would like to have additional representatives from your organization added (or removed) from these status updates, please email apecethics@crowell.com You are also welcome to forward this update across your networks. Thank you for your dedication to this Initiative, the world’s largest public-private partnership to strengthen ethical business practices in the medical device and biopharmaceutical sectors.
Kind regards,
Tricia Van Orden
Overseer, Business Ethics for APEC SMEs Initiative
International Trade Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce
Should you have any questions or comments regarding the above communication, please feel free to reach out to info@ethicalhealth.org.au