Prof Daniel Malan, Associate
Professor in Ethics and Governance at the University of Stellenbosch Business
School, has recently been appointed as co-chair of the Business Twenty (B20)
Integrity and Compliance Task Force for 2020.
The B20 is the official
business dialogue with the Group of Twenty (G20) and represents the global
business community across all G20 member states, accounting for more than 80%
of global GDP. Formed in 2010, it was the first official engagement group of
the G20, which brings together the leaders of both developed and developing
countries. South Africa is the only African member of the G20.
The taskforce recently met
in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. According to Prof Malan, the taskforce will work in close
cooperation with the G20 Anti-Corruption Working Group.
“The appointment is a huge
honour for me personally and is significant global recognition for USB. The key
contribution of B20 is the development of policy recommendations. B20 member
countries are currently focusing on increased integrity and compliance across
all industries. We look forward to collaborating with the other taskforces, as
well as with the G20 structures, to advance integrity across all member states,” he said.
The six task forces of the
B20 mostly comprise business leaders, with only a few representatives from
academia. “This is not a theoretical exercise”, said Prof Malan. “The focus is on
policy recommendations and, more specifically, the implementation of those
policies, which will determine the success of B20 activities.” Areas that may
be focused on include the role of technology, public procurement and
state-owned enterprises, all of which are especially relevant in South Africa
today.
The taskforce will meet a
few times during the year to develop policy recommendations and implementable actions for the G20, and conclude its activities with the formal
presentation thereof to the G20 leaders at the
annual B20 summit
in Riyadh during October 2020.