Focus Areas

Creating jobs, growth, and innovation are goals shared by people, companies, and economies everywhere. Yet these universal goals are routinely undermined by non-compliance with the rule of law, violations to intellectual property, and unfair competition. CREATe.org builds on the trailblazing work done by the fair labor and environmental movements of the 1990s and 2000s. We aim to use the reach and power of multinational companies’ global supply chains to promote responsible enterprise and trade practices as the basis of a growing and sustainable global economy.

To achieve CREATe.org’s mission, we are focused on using global supply chains to promote:

Intellectual Property, Anti-Counterfeiting and Anti-Piracy

Intellectual property (IP) is the foundation for innovation and growth, while theft and misappropriation of IP pose an acute threat to economies and jobs. In the EU, for example, copyright-based creative industries such as software, book and newspaper publishing, music and film, accounts for approximately 1.4 million small and mid-sized companies, representing 8.5 million jobs.

Piracy, counterfeiting and the wider abuse of IP rights erode incentives for individuals and businesses to invest in research and innovation. Companies that place a high value on protection of their own IP have an obligation to take basic measures to ensure their suppliers respect not only their own intellectual property, but also the IP of others. Information technology (IT) is particularly integral to driving productivity, improving competitiveness, and enabling innovation, that ignoring IT theft and piracy will jeopardize a critical source of global growth. Failure to vigorously defend all IP not only leaves companies open to both legal and reputational risk but also erodes the foundation of trade and commerce in general.

Anti-Corruption and Anti-Bribery

All types of corruption, including bribing and receiving bribes, fundamentally undermine economies and penalize companies and individuals who play by the rules. Corruption also deters trade and investment, stunts economic development and job creation, and inflicts costs on society as a whole. The United Nations Global Compact estimates an annual loss in global GDP worth $1.5 trillion, or 5 percent, due to corruption.

Projections suggest up to 90 percent of all global growth will come from emerging economies over the next five years. Corrupt practices are often most widespread in these same economies, and so eradicating corruption and bribery is increasingly important for law-abiding companies that want to compete and expand in these high-growth markets.

Responsible Trade and Fair Competition

International trade and investment are widely recognized as drivers of growth and economic opportunity when conducted freely by responsible participants who adhere to international rules and laws. Governments have a responsibility to create a level playing field for all companies to compete under the same rules, while companies have a duty to adhere to internationally-accepted trade agreements and competition laws. Protectionism and unfair government procurement practices undermine foreign direct investment. Equally, tolerance of irregular or illegal trade and business practices stifles fair competition, punishes responsible companies, and imposes costs on consumers, workers, and the economy as whole.

Compliance, Standards, and Financial Integrity

Adhering to established rules, regulations, laws, codes of conduct, or standards is the basis of all commercial activity. Legal compliance facilitates transactions between business partners and engenders trust in businesses by customers, employees, and the general public. Yet, companies in many parts of the world display disrespect for the rule of law and fail to meet even the most basic levels of compliance.

As supply chains continue to become more global, health and safety standards are becoming increasingly universal. Implementing and enforcing such standards is critical in ensuring the safety of consumers and workers, and engendering trust in a fair and responsible international trading system.

Financial integrity, including accurate record keeping, good accounting practices, and professional audits, is a prerequisite for building strong companies and economies that foster growth and investment. Together with corporate governance, they encourage accountability and facilitate good decision making. Failures in governance and integrity have led to the collapse of companies and curtailed entire industries, with destructive consequences for employees, shareholders, and consumers.

Governance, Ethics, and Transparency

The general public and investors increasingly offer a premium to businesses that operate ethically and transparently. Organizations that demonstrate their alignment with social priorities and good internal management practices engender trust and confidence among capital markets, customers, and employees. Conversely, there are countless examples of the hazards faced by companies and their suppliers when operating opaquely or without an ethical framework.