The Gorbachev Foundation hosted a two-day conference on corporate governance and transparency for doing business and investing in the transitioning economies of the Former Soviet Union and Central and Eastern Europe. Participants included an international group of academics, business practitioners, and government and nonprofit-sector officials. A major mission of the Gorbachev Foundation is to foster democracy around the world. Effective corporate governance practices and the surrounding infrastructure of legislation and judicial and administrative enforcement are consistent with democratic principles of openness, fairness, access to information, and informed decision making. All of these promote trust and ethical business behavior, which are supportive of democratic principles and action.