The Future Role of Civil Society report and KPMG 

Michael Andrew, Global Chairman KPMG International

One of the key themes out of Davos, is how to create a better future civil society going forward. Much has changed since the Global financial crisis. Business needs to restore trust. Employees need to feel that they work for a transparent organization which is contributing to the higher public good. And finally business needs to recognize that there is a broader set of stakeholders these days who impact the business operations. Whether it be investment flows or it be a license to operate or it be in terms of their global brand. They need to understand the changes that are happening in civil society and respond accordingly.

The Future Role of Civil Society report and KPMG

Lord Michael Hastings, Global Head of Citizenship KPMG International

This report is incredibly important for us in KPMG. It showed us partnering up with the World Economic Forum to look at the nature of what is the real strength of societies into the future. We’ve watched in the course of the last couple of years massive disruptions in countries. The European Union at one edge with Greece at another edge with Italy, wondering about how can democracy continue to survive? We’ve watched North Africa leading into the Middle East, we’ve got big changes in China and the United States and we’ve watched all of that, the public becoming more and more disruptive and anxious and getting their voice more prominently heard because the power of social media means nobody can be silent any longer. There is a big new global community and in all of this business has sought to play a place where its trust has been seemed to be seen as eroded away because of confidence in the market slipping in the last couple of years, but wanting to be back on the front foot saying, actually as businesses we feel we have a really important place in providing employment, in providing secure labour and making sure supply chains are sustainable, in ensuring responsible behavior amongst the providers and looking after human rights in protecting people’s security when disaster strikes and not just the simple fact of cash resources when we’re asked by charities or when disaster happens. So the place of all of these actors together has been a vital part of this inquiry and this discovery. And it’s been a proud place for us to participate with the World Economic Forum, shaping one of the biggest ideas about the way in which our world will be framed in the future.

What are KPMG’s Next Steps?

Lord Michael Hastings, Global Head of Citizenship KPMG International

 The path forward for us is a fascinating opportunity to grab the conclusions and the thinking that has gone into this report. Over 200 critical inputs, over 80 vital interviews people from every sector of society and vitally from business alongside government and traditional NGOs. So we have the chance to lead the implementation of how this report is done. The advantage for KPMG is we’re sitting in over a 150 countries , we’ve got senior partners , we’ve got heads of citizenship, we’ve got people who are responsible for relationships with different sectors and we are going to aim to coordinate all of that effort together, running workshops in country, bringing about a better and new effective consensus. And looking at ways in which some of these intractable difficult issues which sit on the World Economic Forum year by year by year, the agenda dominated by these issues around water security and food security and about stability in the world. About a place of safety let alone of regulation about security for business and sound financing and new markets that are emerging. All the places we wish to work in as KPMG. We are going to make sure that we implement this by driving it from the bottom up. And that gives us a chance of course to take a leadership position on this issue.