Secretary-General of the Union of Arab Chambers, Dr. Khaled Hanafi, stressed in his speech at the opening of the conference on “Private Sector Social Responsibility and its Role in Sustainable Development” hosted by Manama, Kingdom of Bahrain, on January 14, 2025, in the presence of the Chairman of the Bahrain Chamber of Commerce and Industry Sameer Abdullah Nass, Director of the UNIDO-Bahrain Office Dr. Hashim Hussein, Deputy Director-General of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and Director-General of the Department of Global Partnerships and External Relations Fatou Haidara, Secretary-General of the Union of Arab Banks Dr. Wissam Fattouh, Director of the Department of Development and Social Policies, Office of the Head of the Social Sector at the League of Arab States, Minister Plenipotentiary Tariq Al-Nabulsi, on “The social responsibility of the private sector is an increasing priority in Arab countries, as it is an effective tool for dealing with the effects of globalization and promoting economic and social diversity,” Considering that “the private sector, which constitutes the backbone of the economy in any country, has come to realize the importance of integrating social responsibility into the core of its operations. This commitment is evident in companies’ efforts to support social development, by reducing poverty, preserving resources, creating quality job opportunities, in addition to raising the efficiency of the workforce through training and capacity building.”
The Secretary-General of the Union pointed out that “empowering women, as an essential part of this responsibility, remains an indispensable priority to achieve their effective participation in the sustainable development process. This requires enacting legislation that supports the private sector to fully perform its social role, with a focus on promoting entrepreneurship and developing training programs, which will contribute to building generations capable of leading the future.” Explaining that “the UN Global Compact urges companies to align their strategies with the ten principles related to human rights, the environment, labor, and anti-corruption, which enhances their role in achieving the sustainable development goals. This approach requires institutions to work strategically to make a positive impact, whether through partnerships or innovative initiatives.”
Dr. Khaled Hanafi stressed, “The Union of Arab Chambers, which is considered the true representative of the Arab private sector, pays great attention to enhancing social responsibility as a means of achieving sustainable growth and building a society based on equal opportunities and a decent standard of living. Based on this, and in cooperation with the HOPE MCF organization and the League of Arab States, the “Sociality 2022” platform was launched, which represents a systematic model for supporting social responsibility in the Arab world.”
He added, "In continuation of the successes achieved by the two previous versions, this conference is being held at a time when the Arab world is witnessing major transformations on the economic and social levels, in addition to security challenges. Hence, the importance of establishing clear foundations for the private sector’s social responsibility, which enhances its role in achieving sustainable development goals. Professionalism, transparency, and efficiency, whether in the private sector or NGOs, are essential factors for success.”
The Secretary-General of the Union announced the launch of the “Arab Social Responsibility Index”, a pioneering initiative that aims to raise the level of responsible performance of companies and institutions in our region to advanced scientific standards, in line with global efforts to achieve sustainable development.
He expressed his aspiration to achieve fruitful results and outcomes that enhance development in our societies, as our success depends on our ability to cooperate and exchange expertise among all parties.
Source (Union of Arab Chambers)
