Manifesto for a Global Economic Ethic

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In the declaration Manifesto for a Global Economic Ethic fundamental principles and values of a global economy are set forth, according to the Declaration toward a Global Ethic issued by the Parliament of World Religions [1] (Chicago 1993). In 2009 the Manifesto for a Global Economic Ethic was presented at a joint event with the UN Global Compact at the UN headquarters in New York. First signatories [2] include renowned international leaders such as Mary Robinson, former president of Ireland, and Archbishop emeritus Desmond Tutu, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate.

Contents

Content of the Manifesto [3]

The Manifesto lays out the fundamental principles and values of a global economy. The goal of the manifesto is to start a dialog. It aims to address all stakeholder groups in the business world, to create a cultural and ethical framework across borders. [4] All players should respect and protect the internationally accepted codes of conduct for business, and contribute to realizing them within their sphere of influence. The signatories commit themselves to be guided by both the letter and the spirit of this declaration in their day-to-day business decisions, actions, and conduct.

Fundamental principle: Humanity

The principle of humanity must be the ethical yardstick for all economic action.

Basic values for global economic activity

The following basic values for doing business globally further develop the principle of humanity. They make suggestions for decisions, actions, and general behaviour in the practical sphere of economic life.

Publications

Related Research Articles

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Humanist Manifesto Humanist worldview

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Klaus M. Leisinger

Klaus M. Leisinger is a social scientist and economist. Klaus M. Leisinger is founder and president of the Global Values Alliance in Basel. Until 2012 he was Managing Director and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Novartis Foundation in Basel, Switzerland.

Human rights and development

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Economic ethics Application of ethical principles to economic phenomena

Economic ethics is the combination of economics and ethics that unites value judgements from both disciplines to predict, analyze, and model economic phenomena. It encompasses the theoretical ethical prerequisites and foundations of economic systems. This particular school of thought dates back to the Greek philosopher Aristotle, whose Nicomachean Ethics describes the connection between objective economic principles and the consideration of justice. The academic literature on economic ethics is extensive, citing authorities such as natural law and religious law as influences on normative rules in economics. The consideration of moral philosophy, or that of a moral economy, is a point of departure in assessing behavioural economic models. The standard creation, application, and beneficiaries of economic models present a complex trilemma when ethics are considered. These ideas, in conjunction with the fundamental assumption of rationality in economics, create the link between economics and ethics.

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