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Asian Region Summit of UN
Global Compact
Mr Muthuraman lauds the
role of UN Global Compact |
70% of the world’s hungry are women and children;
1.2 billion people live on less than a $ a day; a child dies of hunger every 5 seconds
somewhere in the world; 17 million children die of malnutrition every year; IT TAKES ONLY
19 CENTS TO FEED A HUNGRY CHILD.
These were among the startling facts
revealed by the keynote speaker Dr June Henton at the inaugural session of the UN Global
Compact Regional Conclave. Held on March 8 and 9, 2005 the conclave sought to promote the
“Key to Business Sustainability : Reducing Poverty, Fostering Entrepreneurial
Development & Employment.”
In his opening remarks, Mr B Muthuraman,
Managing Director, Tata Steel said that the conclave was the first of its kind across the
world and certainly the first to be hosted at the Asian Regional level. Mr Muthuraman had
offered to host the first Regional Conclave at Jamshedpur, an offer the UN Secretary
General, Mr Kofi Annan had accepted with great alacrity. During his address, Mr Muthuraman
read out the message Mr Annan had sent to all the delegates and dignitaries at the
Conclave.
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"Let us choose to
reconcile the creative
forces of private
entrepreneurship with
the needs of the
disadvantaged and the
requirements of the
future generation."
- Mr Kofi Annan,
UN Secretary General |
Mr Subir Raha, President
Global Compact Society of India & Chairman & Managing Director, Oil & Natural
Gas Corporation expressed his satisfaction that 42 Indian companies have already signed on
as members, the single largest group in the world. In addition, another eight have shown
interest in becoming a part of this initiative. Mr Raha urged the delegates to actively
promote social responsibility within their areas of influence and in their organisations.
Highlighting the role that corporates can
play in a world where a significant number of countries are affected by war or internal
strife. Mr George Kell said that as organisations aspire to go global they can carve a
role for themselves with local governments in zones of conflict to promote the universal
ideals of the Global Compact. |
Global Compact Forum
Launched on July 26, 2000, the Global
Compact relies on public accountability, transparency and the enlightened self-interest of
companies, labour and civil society to initiate and share substantive action in pursuing
the principles upon which the Global Compact is based.
A voluntary corporate initiative, the
Global Compact pursues complementary objectives:
* Making the Global Compact and its
principles part of business strategy and operations;
* Facilitating cooperation among key
stakeholders by promoting partnerships in support of UN goals.
A network, it has at its core the Global
Compact office and six UN agencies: the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights;
the United Nations Environment Programme; the International Labour Organisation; the
United nations Development Programme; the United Nations Industrial Development
Organisation; and the United nations Office on Drugs and Crime.
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