Confederation of Danish Industry (DI) is increasingly working to establish issue-based policy networks with its sister organisations in developing countries. While Business Membership Organisations (BMO) work for better and more predictable business environments, many of these issues have to be dealt with at a regional or international level. This is often a challenge for BMOs in developing countries.
One way to strengthen developing BMOs ability to make their voice heard internationally is to establish policy networks with BMOs from other countries, where experts meet to agree on common policy recommendations. When a grouping of BMOs is able to formulate and agree on a policy position on an issue of common concern, ithere are several advantages. Nationally, BMOs may use the joint efforts to show politicians that a certain recommendation is not a competitive disadvantage in relation to its neighbors and it may help to overcome the suspicion towards the business community that is sometimes prevalent in the developing countries. Internationally, such recommendations easily catch the attention of regional or global organisations that are always looking for pragmatic solutions that will satisfy the largest possible number of countries. Furthermore, working in networks can be done without the creation of any new institutions or structures.
Besides these advantages, there is also a strong capacity building component in networks. When the policy experts meet across nationalities and different organisational settings and capacities to work on specific policy issues, a substantial exchange of experience and action based learning takes place.
While the network approach may be beneficial to all types of issues, the following are particularly relevant: aspects of regional and international trade, the regional movement of goods, capital and labor, and all cross-cutting issues that affect the national business environments.
Confederation of Danish Industry (DI) also has a lot of experience making its own voice heard through such networks. Often through established forums like Business Europe, but also through issue based ad hoc networks. For instance, in February, DI gathered the leading business organizations from the US, Japan, China, India, Kenya, South Africa, Brazil, and Europe to agree on a common position on the future climate change agreement up to the COP 15 negotiations.
Bringing together BMOs to work on policy issues in networks is not the solution to all regional or international business environment problems, but it provides an easy manageable and cost-efficient way for developing and developed BMOs to work together to promote the interest of their members.
9 November 2009.