International Forum on Business Ethical Conduct Holds Precedent-Setting First Meeting
AIA member companies joined their private sector European counterparts, non-governmental organizations and NATO representatives to discuss global industry ethics standards at the first International Forum on Business Ethical Conduct (IFBEC) on Jan. 13 in Berlin, Germany.
 Allan Cook and Robert Stevens endorse the Global Principles |
A series of joint presentations by U.S. and European signatories to the Global Principles of Business Ethics for the Aerospace and Defense Industry explored the origins of the principles and their content. The attendees then considered similar European and U.S. initiatives that informed the negotiation of the principles (the EU’s Common Industry Standards and the U.S. Defense Industry Initiative on Ethics and Business Conduct). Representatives from NATO, DOD and Transparency International also spoke.
IFBEC expanded the formal dialogue started by the October 2009 endorsement of the Global Principals by Robert Stevens of Lockheed Martin on behalf of AIA, and Allan Cook of Cobham on behalf of the Aerospace and Defense Industries Association of Europe (ASD). All of the member companies of the Executive Committee of AIA’s Board of Governors have since signed on to the Global Principles of Business Ethics, setting the stage for other U.S. companies to follow suit.
AIA President and CEO Marion C. Blakey endorsed the important work the attendees were engaged in at IFBEC: demonstrating the industry’s commitment to ethical business conduct, fostering a level playing field among all exporting companies and engaging in a fruitful exchange among stakeholders from international and non-governmental organizations.
IFBEC participants agreed the conference should be continued on a periodic basis and will alternate locations between the United States and Europe. AIA and ASD will serve as co-chairs in organizing the conference. Both organizations agreed to prioritize expanding participation in this dialogue to include colleagues in the International Coordinating Council of Aerospace Industries Associations such as Brazil, Canada, Japan (which sent a representative to IFBEC) and eventually beyond.
AIA Source: PJ.Hart[at]aia-aerospace.org
