The Good Governance Program (GGP) currently operates in seven Latin American countries. Former operations in Eastern Europe, Russia, and Central Asia ended in 2007 after sustainable business ethics programs were established. Please see the Containing Corruption and Reducing the Cost of Doing Business article featured in the April 2010 issue of International Trade Update.

Private-Public Partnerships:

The GGP promotes the establishment of private sector-led working groups and assists in the development of public-private partnerships and short, medium, and long-term action plans. Private-Public Partnerships have been created in: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Colombia, El Salvador, Georgia, Guatemala, Honduras, Kazakhstan, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Romania, Russia, Slovakia, and Uzbekistan.

Training:

The GGP has trained over 2,000 private sector representatives from program countries and continues to train more each year. The GGP provided four intensive, Train-the-Trainer Programs: three focused on business ethics with trainees hailing from Russia, the Newly Independent States, and Latin America, and one with a corporate governance focus for Russian participants. Trainees from the train-the-trainer programs have subsequently provided training to hundreds of individuals in program countries and developed corporate codes of conduct, corporate ethics and compliance programs. Please see the 2010 Program page for trainings offered this year.

Publications:

The GGP has produced and continues to make available a number of publications, including:

• Business Ethics: A Manual for Managing a Responsible Business Enterprise in Emerging Market Economies (available in English, Russian, and Spanish)
• The Russia Corporate Governance Manual
• Handbook on Commercial Dispute Resolution in the Russian Federation
• Basic Guidelines for Codes of Business Conduct

Click here to access all GGP publications.

Business Ethics Pacts:

In four program countries (Georgia, Nicaragua, Panama, and Paraguay), the private sectors, with support from the GGP and in cooperation with the government and civil society, have developed Business Ethics Pacts. These Business Ethics Pacts contain general ethical principles to which signatories must abide and a series of actions that signatories agree to take in concert with other local organizations to promote transparency in the marketplace. In Paraguay, the program has developed an independent non-profit organization and brand, PEC, (Pacto Etico Comercial or Business Ethics Pact) which is working to establish enforcement mechanisms. Currently, they require signatories to attend training and provide financial records to show compliance with Paraguayan law and tax requirements. With support from the Inter-American Development Bank, the PEC successfully implemented a certification system for its member companies, which reported benefits such as improved access to financial services, expedited customs facilitation, and higher employee retention rates.

Public Awareness Campaigns:

While all GGP program countries have undertaken efforts to raise awareness on the importance of a transparent and predictable marketplace, the Business Ethics Working Group in Guatemala, ProEtica, has developed a coordinated public awareness campaign that includes advertising, radio spots, and the development of a website. In 2007, ProEtica won an Effie award in the non-profit category for its business ethics publicity campaign.