International conference to raise regional standards of corporate
social responsibility
Posted: 4 November 2003
DDIA and Shell announce ME’s first sustainable development
forum
The Middle East’s first forum on sustainable development
– a concept that could change the way business regards its
responsibilities towards society - was announced today by the Dubai
Development and Investment Authority (DDIA) and Shell, the world-leading
energy corporation.
The forum, a conference on “Corporate Social Responsibility”,
will be held in Dubai on 25 – 26 April next year under the
patronage of HH General Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown
Prince of Dubai and UAE Defence Minster.
Its aim is to encourage business across the region to take responsibility
for its actions in the interests of both the community and the future
of business itself.
“Businesses 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 Salem Bin Dasmal, Deputy Director General
of DDIA. “A number of companies in this region take the concept
of corporate social responsibility very seriously and are making
valuable and lasting contributions to society. But 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”
Underlining the importance that Shell attaches to the conference
will be a keynote speech by Walter van de Vijver, Chief Executive
of Shell’s Exploration and Production Business and a member
of the Committee of Managing Directors of the Royal Dutch/Shell
Group of Companies with special responsibility for the Middle East.
Iain Everingham, Shell’s Country Chairman, Dubai & Northern
Emirates, said: “As an organisation with global reach, we
believe that we will only remain profitable in the long term if
we meet people’s expectations and work with them to address
their concerns. More and more people are making purchase decisions
based - at least partly - on the corporate social responsibility
track record of the manufacturer.
“Corporate social responsibility is not, however, something
companies can turn on and off with short term initiatives for short
term gains. Society rapidly sees through that kind of practice and
it can easily backfire on the company. Short term projects can also
often do more harm than good and so the accent must be on sustainable
commitment.
“That is why Shell has developed its response to the challenge
of “sustainable development” which is about meeting
present needs without compromising future prospects.”
In the UAE, for example, Shell supports a wide range of social
and environmental activities. These include the Emirates Businesswomen
Award which was founded last year to give recognition to outstanding
women, nationals and non-nationals, in
commerce, industry and the professions and thus encourage more women
to enter the business world in this country. The company also backs
the annual Better Environment Awards and Higher Colleges of Technology
as well as the Intilaaqah-Abu Dhabi programme which prepares young
nationals to start their own businesses.
Subjects to be tackled at the conference range from the obligations
and opportunities that corporate social responsibility presents
and measuring its cost and benefits, to business regulation in the
Middle East and the mounting pressure on corporations to account
for their environmental and social performance.
The conference will discuss case studies of the best and worst
examples of corporate behaviour and also include practical workshops
on how companies can make themselves good corporate citizens.
Salem Bin Dasmal continued: “We are currently in the planning
stages for the conference but it already promises to attract prominent
speakers from around the globe, from business, from world bodies
and institutions and from NGOs.
“The DDIA is delighted to be associated with Shell in this
important conference because Shell is held up as a prime example
of corporate social responsibility worldwide. Dubai wants its business
community to follow that example and to act with a high degree of
regard for the real needs of society.
“And we want to convince more of that kind of corporation
to invest in Dubai, in projects such as the DDIA’s newly launched
Dubai Land scheme. If Dubai can become a hub of corporate social
responsibility, led by companies that are already here, it will
make this emirate, an even more attractive investment destination.”
Iain Everingham concluded: “We believe that this conference
will have a significant effect in persuading many business leaders
in Dubai and the Middle East to enhance their corporate social responsibility
action programmes because they realise it is the right thing to
do for society and for their businesses.”
For more inforamation see www.shell.com.
Posted by Richard Price,
Editor Pipeline Magazine
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