Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold’s President and CEO, Richard C. Adkerson, participated as one of the speakers at the APEC CEO Summit 2009 which was held in Singapore from November 12-14. He was speaking at the sixth dialogue session which featured a discussion between Asia Pacific Economic Co-operation (APEC) government and business leaders. Moderated by Thomas J. Donohue, CEO of the US Chamber of Commerce, the panel also featured President Michelle Bachelet of Chile, Prime Minister John Key of New Zealand and Teng Theng Dar, CEO of the Singapore Business Federation.
Despite a note of caution sounded by all four leaders, all leaders expressed strong belief that APEC could add value, especially in promoting the expansion of trade and commerce through and across the Pacific in order to improve global economy.
Adkerson urged APEC to foster better business practices for companies through improved multinational and member country compliance standards. This should include fostering anticorruption and transparency initiatives.
Adkerson also moderated the question and answer session following a keynote speech by Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, or SBY as he is widely known, on Friday November 13. In his keynote address, SBY emphasized the critical necessity for global co-operation, good governance, and effective leadership in achieving the balanced growth needed to generate sustained prosperity for the world.
In proposing solutions to the current economic crisis, President Yudhoyono voiced his conviction that the answer was not big government, but good government. The three essential characteristics of good government, in his view, are responsiveness, accountability,and capability.
As one of the associate partners of APEC CEO Summit 2009 in Singapore, Freeport also set up a booth serving the Amungme Gold coffee from the region around its Grasberg operations. The theme for the booth was Core Assets, Core Values displaying FCX operation around the globe and also FCX commitments to making a positive impact in the communities where FCX operates as a sound business strategy and responsibility of a good corporate citizen.