Dubai to host 2nd Middle East Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Summit
June event to be staged under the patronage of HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum
March 21, 2005
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and its importance for the region's growth and long-term development will be the focus of attention for Middle East business leaders gathering in Dubai, from June 5 to 8, 2005 to attend the 2nd Middle East Corporate Social Responsibility Summit.
The event which will be staged in June under the patronage of HH General Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and UAE Defence Minister, and is supported by Shell, Dubai Development and Investment Authority (DDIA), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), will serve as a forum for the region's key industry leaders, government officials and representatives of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to discuss the necessity and benefits of implementing CSR, while outlining the frameworks in which to do so.
"Middle Eastern business leaders are becoming increasingly aware that CSR is not just a passing trend, but is vital to the continued viability and success of enterprises in the region," said Christianna Tsiterou, Conference Manager, IIR Middle East.
The main topics to be examined at this year's event will include the obligations and opportunities that corporate social responsibility presents and measuring its cost and benefits, business regulations in the Middle East and the mounting pressure on corporations to account for their environmental and social performance. In a nutshell, there will be no hiding for irresponsible business!
"Business in this region need to realise that their responsibilities towards the communities in which they work should be at the top of their agenda," said Zeyad Al Majed, Manager Policy Development, DDIA. "A number of companies in this region take the concept of CSR very seriously and are making valuable and lasting contributions to society.
"However, we want companies to regard corporate social responsibility as a business principle. They need to realise that by implementing socially responsible and sustainable programmes that bring long term benefits to society and raise the standard of living, they are also helping to make their businesses sustainable long term," added Al Majed.
"Following the high level success the maiden event enjoyed in April 2004, Shell is pleased to be supporting the 2nd Middle East Corporate Social Responsibility Summit in Dubai, as part of its commitment to Sustainable Development in the region" said Hussain Al Mahmoudi, External Affairs Manager at Shell, the event's main sponsor.
"Shell has long been a leading light in the field of CSR and has allocated a substantial budget for supporting social causes around the world. Our sponsorship of this event underscores once again the importance Shell attaches to CSR/Social Performance as a key element of good corporate governance," he added.
"Our company recognises the importance of developing specific products and strategies to support companies, especially those that operate on a global level, through the adoption of sound CSR practices," said Mahmoudi.
The 2005 Middle East CSR Summit, which targets chief and senior company executives, legal experts, senior managers and department heads, will present delegates with the opportunity to hear about successful CSR strategies from regional and international corporations, and to learn about practical CSR solutions that can be applied to organisations. It will also provide networking opportunities with key decision makers from across all industries and peers from around the world.
A pre-Summit workshop titled 'The A to Z of CSR Implementation' will be held on June 5 to focus on international standards of sustainability. It will present an explanation of each of the core elements as well as the evidence needed to conform to a proposed Code of Conduct. The workshop will be conducted by Julian Roche, Vice President, MHC International, UK.
A post- Summit workshop titled "Ethics Management and CSR" will be held on June 8 to focus on organisational ethics and social responsibility. It is designed to show the steps to design and implement an ethics management programme. This workshop will be conducted by Santiago Zorzopulos, Manager of Programmes, Dubai Ethics Resource Center, UAE.
35 prominent speakers will be taking the podium at the Summit to present papers on a broad range of topics, including "Effectively Introducing CSR to your Organisation", "The Importance of (Employee) Buy-In", "Cost v Benefit: Measuring the Value of CSR" and "Applying Global Expertise in the Development of Local CSR Strategies."
The Summit will include eightfocus sessions, pre- and post-Summit Workshops and a Gala dinner at the end of Summit Day One (June 6).
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