Caux Round Table
Encyclopedia
The Caux Round Table is an international organization of senior business executives aiming to promote ethical business practice. It was founded in 1986 by Frits Philips
, president of Philips
, and Olivier Giscard d'Estaing
, along with Ryuzaburo Kaku, president of Canon. Frits Philips
had been alarmed to hear from reliable sources that the Japanese were dumping their products on the western market and he feared a growing trade war. He saw the need for trustbuilding between international executives and for Corporate Social Responsibility
practices. The CRT’s Principles for Business were published in 1994, incorporating western concepts (human dignity...) and Japanese ones (kyosei, interpreted as “living and working together for the common good”). An international code of good practices written by such senior industrialists from such varied backgrounds remains exceptional today. It was presented to the UN Social Summit in Copenhagen in 1994. It has since become a standard work, translated into 12 languages, and has been used as basis for their internal ethical assessments by international companies such as Nissan.
The CRT's principal activities are an annual meeting and the publication of best-practice guides for various types of organization. Every three years, the annual meeting is held at Caux, Switzerland
, where the original initiative took place in 1986. Its chief executive is Stephen B. Young; it has set up chapters in many regions of the world.
Frits Philips
Frederik Jacques "Frits" Philips was the fourth chairman of the board of directors of the Dutch electronics company Philips, which his uncle and father founded...
, president of Philips
Philips
Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. , more commonly known as Philips, is a multinational Dutch electronics company....
, and Olivier Giscard d'Estaing
Olivier Giscard d'Estaing
Dr. Olivier Giscard d'Estaing, born in Paris, December 30, 1927, is chairman of the Committee for a World Parliament. The brother of former president Valéry Giscard d'Estaing is the Founding Dean and Director General of the INSEAD business school and Governor of the Atlantic Institute.He has served...
, along with Ryuzaburo Kaku, president of Canon. Frits Philips
Frits Philips
Frederik Jacques "Frits" Philips was the fourth chairman of the board of directors of the Dutch electronics company Philips, which his uncle and father founded...
had been alarmed to hear from reliable sources that the Japanese were dumping their products on the western market and he feared a growing trade war. He saw the need for trustbuilding between international executives and for Corporate Social Responsibility
Corporate social responsibility
Corporate social responsibility is a form of corporate self-regulation integrated into a business model...
practices. The CRT’s Principles for Business were published in 1994, incorporating western concepts (human dignity...) and Japanese ones (kyosei, interpreted as “living and working together for the common good”). An international code of good practices written by such senior industrialists from such varied backgrounds remains exceptional today. It was presented to the UN Social Summit in Copenhagen in 1994. It has since become a standard work, translated into 12 languages, and has been used as basis for their internal ethical assessments by international companies such as Nissan.
The CRT's principal activities are an annual meeting and the publication of best-practice guides for various types of organization. Every three years, the annual meeting is held at Caux, Switzerland
Caux, Switzerland
Caux is a small village in the Canton of Vaud, Switzerland. It looks out over Lake Geneva from an altitude of 1000 meters.The former Caux-Palace Hotel in the village is the home of Initiatives of Change's conference centre, which can accommodate up to 450 people...
, where the original initiative took place in 1986. Its chief executive is Stephen B. Young; it has set up chapters in many regions of the world.