The Beneficial Ownership Transparency Working Group provides a safe environment where business and civil society can meet under ‘Chatham House’ rules to openly discuss the most effective ways of driving beneficial ownership transparency, from the unique perspective of both sectors; sharing ideas, listening and learning from each other.

The opportunity for a working group that would bring these partners together to jointly work on Beneficial Ownership Transparency was first identified in the summer of 2014 and the inaugural meeting, chaired by Dr Mo Ibrahim, was held in September 2014. The Working Group now meets monthly and members include Natura, Unilever, Transparency International, Global Witness, Global Financial Integrity and OpenCorporates, with more members from both business and civil society expected to join in early 2015.

Early on the working group identified making that making the business case for Beneficial Ownership Transparency would be critical for success and the group has developed a report to be released at the World Economic Forum in Jan 2015 to engage a broader business community on this topic.

Throughout 2015 the working group will further shape a strategy for The B Team to drive beneficial ownership transparency as a means to increase good governance and promote clean business.