The 2023 Forum on Business and Democracy

8:30 am-12:30 pm – Deputy Secretary of Commerce Don Graves will represent the U.S. government at a Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS)-hosted half-day Forum spotlighting the importance of the private sector to democracy and the commitments that companies are making to advance it. This official Summit side event will feature senior government officials, corporate executives, and civil society leaders, who will speak to the influence companies can have on democratic resilience through their business practices, corporate leadership, and engagement with workers, communities, and other stakeholders. Building on the Summit’s themes of countering authoritarianism, combating corruption, and promoting human rights, and in alignment with the State Department’s February 3 Call to the Private Sector to Advance Democracy, the Forum will focus on how forward-thinking private sector leaders are strengthening democracy around the world, including by: countering the misuse of technology, fighting corruption, protecting civic space, and advancing labor rights.