Plenary session:

Asian approaches to engaging the private sector in development cooperation

Involving the private sector in development cooperation is a priority today not only for many Western countries, but also for many Asian ones. Several Asian providers of development cooperation have vibrant private sectors who are expanding their sphere of influence and practice into development cooperation. Asian companies are often the implementers of infrastructure projects, whether through lines of credit or tied aid. At the other end of the spectrum many Asian multinationals are involved in corporate social responsibility and shared value initiatives in the region. This panel will explore how collaborative approaches with private sector in development are evolving in the Asian context and where further opportunities exist.

Plenary panel speakers:

Guo Peiyuan
General Manager, SynTao

Dr Guo Peiyuan, who holds a PhD in Management from Tsinghua University, is the general manager of SynTao and chairman of SynTao Green Finance. Dr Guo Peiyuan focuses on research and practice in corporate social responsibility (CSR) and socially responsible investment (SRI), with abundant experience on research, training and consulting services. SynTao has become a leading CSR consulting company in China with offices in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Chengdu and Washington, DC. Dr Guo Peiyuan has served for over one hundred companies, governments, and social organizations in China and abroad, including China Mobile, China Pacific Insurance, Amway China, Volkswagen, International Finance Corporation (IFC), and the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF). He has served as a judge in multiple CSR awards. He also teaches an MBA course on Business Performance and Sustainability in School of Economics and Management, Tsinghua University, and an international student course on Social Innovation and CSR in the School of Social Development and Public Policy, Beijing Normal University.

Jeon Hyunjin
Manager, Corporate Social Responsibility Team, LG Electronics HQ

Ms Hyunjin Jeon has worked at LG Electronics since 2010. She is currently a Manager in the Corporate Social Responsibility Team of LG Electronics where she works on creating and implementing social contribution projects in developing countries such as Ethiopia and Myanmar. In addition, she devises social contribution policy and guidelines for overseas subsidiaries to follow. Prior to her time at LG, Ms Jeon served in a leadership role in the UNEP National Committee for the Republic of Korea for five years, promoting awareness on the environment and its substantiality among children and youth under the cooperation of a diverse range of relevant actors such as the UN, Korean government, NGOs and the private sector. Ms Jeon received a BA in History and International Studies and a Master of Arts in International Development Consulting from the Graduate School of Pan-Pacific International Studies at Kyung Hee University. She is also a PhD candidate at the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Seoul National University.

Simon Cramp
Director of Private Sector Development, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade

Simon is the Director of Private Sector Development in Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. He has played a central role in the development of the aid program’s policy and strategy development on engaging with the private sector, in particular its Shared Value approach. He is also leading the development of a range of new innovative initiatives designed to support the new policies and the intersection between aid and trade, including on business partnerships and impact investing. Simon has worked in AusAID/DFAT for 14 years, the majority focussed on economic development and private sector development in Asia and the Pacific.

Prabodh Saxena
Principal Secretary, Government of Himachal Pradesh

Mr Prabodh Saxena, a career civil servant from the Indian Administrative Service, is currently Principal Secretary to the Government of Himachal Pradesh. Prior to this he was Senior Advisor to the Director for Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Lao PDR, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan at the Asian Development Bank. Previously, he served for two years as Joint Secretary in the Bilateral Cooperation Division of the Department of Economic Affairs in the Ministry of Finance, working on bilateral relations and dialogues with India’s major partners, including issues of economic diplomacy. He has also acted as Joint Secretary to the Multilateral Division, India’s interface with institutions such as The World Bank Group, the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the Asian Development Bank (ADB), and the African Development Bank (AfDB). This résumé has given him a rare first-hand exposure to both the bilateral and multilateral aspects of Indian engagement. Mr Saxena’s previous positions include Secretary of Home and Vigilance/Director of Vigilance to the Government of Himachal Pradesh, Chief Executive Officer of Himachal Energy Development Agency (HIMURJA), and Deputy Commissioner of Kangra and Mandi. When in India, he regularly teaches at national institutes such as the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration. Mr Saxena has published extensively on diverse topics in academic journals; recent examples include ‘Pathological Pace of Dispute Settlement in India: Implications of International Arbitration’ (Jindal Journal of Public Policy 2012). Mr Saxena obtained his Bachelor of Laws (LL.B) from Delhi University and his Master of Laws (LL.M) from the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE).