Companies trading with poorer countries are often viewed with suspicion. Over recent decades development NGOs and Trade Unions have highlighted perceived unethical standards in industries such as the sportswear sector, agricultural commodities and beyond. Expectations of customers, employees, and governments followed suit, and during the 1990s progressive companies became increasing aware of the business case for action.

Many businesses responded to the challenge through the development of ethical codes of conduct and began to monitor the ethical performance of companies in their supply chain. 1998 then saw the founding of the UK-based Ethical Trading Initiative (ETI) which provided a multi-stakeholder platform for businesses, NGOs and Trade Unions to explore what such codes of conduct should include, and how improvements in labour standards might best be achieved.

The debate on the role of corporate supply chains has continued into the 21st Century. Innovative new partnerships are now being developed between business and development-focused organisations to develop commercial supply chains that not only have good labour standards, but also increase the international development impacts of trade, for example through local private sector development.

The event

 Objectives:

• Inform UNA-UK membership, and those working in (or with) business, of corporate supply chains in international development, the issues and challenges facing organisations keen to ensure ethical trading.

• Stimulate dialogue and debate on what more multinational companies, development agencies, NGOs, western and developing country governments, can do to increase the international development impact of corporate supply chains.

• Illustrate ways in which event attendees/ UNA-UK members can encourage and support organisations to scale up the contribution towards the MDGs of international trade, as employees, consumers and citizens.