Businesspeople Across 60 Countries Issue Statement Calling for an Ethical Response to Today’s Economic Crisis at the Global Ethics Conference, United Nations, Geneva Global Ethics Forum

United Nations, Palais des Nations, Geneva, Switzerland – July 2, 2009

EBBF (www.ebbf.org) the European Bahá’í Business Forum, an international NGO dedicated to inspiring responsible business practices, is an associate partner at the first Global Ethics Forum (www.globalethicsforum.org)

Approximately 600 global business leaders, NGOs, international institutions and experts converge at the United Nations in Geneva today to explore and discuss alternative ways to cope responsibly with the global socio-economic environment.

At the conference, EBBF released a statement entitled, An Ethical Perspective on Today’s Economic Crisis. EBBF suggests the current global financial crisis is fundamentally one of trust and integrity, and therefore ethical in its foundation, requiring an ethical response at all levels: the individual, the corporation and the government and regulatory entities.

"The European Baha'i Business Forum recognizes in this situation an opportunity to reshape the fundamental concepts and structures that will not only lift us from this crisis but set us on a road towards a new set of institutions and behaviours which will enable humankind to prosper." said Daniel Truran, Secretary General of EBBF.

The EBBF statement promotes and welcomes engagement with the widest possible community to develop together the new framework. Stating that given the importance of the business community in the world, we should draw on its special capabilities and resources, in collaboration with governments, international organisations and NGOs, to design the institutional framework and the guiding principles of the new economic system.

EBBF is calling on peoples from all businesses, countries, and walks of life to work together to build a new economic system based upon equity and justice.