International Center for Corporate Accountability

The International Center for Corporate Accountability, or more officially Sethi International Center for Corporate Accountability, Inc. (SICCA), describes itself as a "think tank based at the Zicklin School of Business" which undertakes "cutting-edge research, and public policy advocacy in the area of enhanced corporate accountability through voluntary corporate codes of conduct in the national and international arenas."

It was founded in 2003 by Prakash Sethi, a Professor of Management at the Zicklin School of Business at the City University of New York and a consultant to a range of companies, industry groups, government agencies and non-government organisations on corporate social responsibility related issues. One of the companies that he is a consultant to is the toy-maker Mattel.

Activities and services
SICCA states that it "is dedicated to enhancing voluntary conduct, accountability and transparency by multinational corporations." Activities include:
 * Assisting companies in formulating voluntary principles and standards of conduct.
 * Evaluating a company or an industry's internal systems and procedures for implementing the organization's corporate social responsibility programs and voluntary codes of conduct.
 * Providing research on policies and procedures, strategies and standards that will assist large corporations, journalists, scholars and policymakers in the rapidly changing areas of working and living conditions of workers in poorer countries, protection of human rights, and harnessing of natural resources with due regard to the rights of indigenous people, environmental protection, and sustainable development.
 * Creating informed public dialogue on all aspects of business ethics, corporate social performance and accountability.

Personnel
As of November 2010:

Board Members

 * Rev. David Lowry, President, an Episcopal priest and rector of Christ Church, Manhasset, New York.
 * S. Prakash Sethi, Chief Executive Officer, deals with international corporate codes of conduct.
 * Nathaniel C. Bickford, Board Member, attorney with the firm of Windels Marx Lane and Mittendorf representing investment and hedge fund managers, institutional and individual investors, entrepreneurs, and privately-held corporations.
 * Sidney I. Lirtzman, Board Member, former vice president of Baruch College of the City University of New York

Research Fellows

 * H. Jack Shapiro, Senior Research Fellow, professor emeritus of management at Baruch College, CUNY.
 * Emre Veral, Senior Research Fellow, Professor of Operations Management at Baruch College, Zicklin School of Business.

Administrative and professional staff

 * Charles A. Riley II, Director of Communications, a journalist and author who has covered regulatory and political issues for business publications, including Fortune magazine.
 * Chris Koutsoutis, Secretary-Treasurer
 * Ashita Singhvi, Deputy Director of Project Services, works on research projects with Prof. Sethi and oversees the systematic content analysis of Corporate Social Responsibility - Sustainability reports of 1300+ companies.
 * Olinda Anderson, Office Manager and Website Administrator

Links page
The SICCA resources or links page has the following:
 * The Kenan Institute, part of the Kenan Flagler Business School, works on the relationship between business and development and business and public policy.
 * Oxfam GB, a development, relief, and campaigning organization that works with others to find lasting solutions to poverty.
 * Ethical Globalization Initiative, EGI brings key stakeholders together in new alliances to integrate concepts of human rights, gender sensitivity and enhanced accountability.
 * Brooklyn Bridge Connections to the Future, a knowledge broker, specializing in Triple Bottom Line or Social Responsibility.
 * International Labor Rights Fund, ILRF is an advocacy organization dedicated to achieving just and humane treatment for workers worldwide.
 * Freedom from Hunger, fights chronic hunger and poverty.
 * Fund for Peace
 * Investor Responsibility Research Center, an independent research firm on corporate governance and social responsibility issues.
 * Verite, an independent, non-profit social auditing and research organization to ensure that people worldwide work under safe, fair and legal working conditions.
 * Business for Social Responsibility, (BSR) provides information, tools, training and advisory services to make corporate social responsibility an integral part of business operations and strategies.
 * Global Ethic Monitor, a news service for business and financial professionals.
 * Center for Social Markets, (CSM) organization dedicated to making markets work for the triple bottom line - people, planet and profit.
 * Corporate Social Responsibility Newswire, (CSR Wire)
 * Carnegie Council on Ethics and International Relations, forum for research and education in ethics and international policy.

Contact details
Sethi International Center for Corporate Accountability, Inc. Baruch College 135 E. 25th Street New York, NY 10010 Tel: (646) 312-2230 Fax: (646) 312-2231 Email: info AT sicca-ca.org Website: http://www.icca-corporateaccountability.org

Related SourceWatch articles

 * Corporate Citizenship Research Unit
 * Corporate social responsibility
 * Ethos Institute for Business and Social Responsibility

External articles

 * Jonathan Dee, "A Toy Maker's Conscience", New York Times, December 23, 2007.