Munchee supports UNDP to host Sri Lanka’s first-ever National Summit on Foresight and Innovation

UNDP Country DirectorJoern Sorensen  (left) and CBL Chairman Ramya Wickramasinghaexchange the agreement on the CBL Munchee sponsorship 

Ceylon Biscuits Ltd. (CBL), through its flagship brand Munchee, came forward to support the island’s first-ever National Summit on Foresight and Innovation for Sustainable Human Development which was held recently at Waters Edge, Battaramulla. 

The summit was organised by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and the Ministry of National Policies and Economic Affairs together with the United Nations Global Compact Network Ceylon (UNGC), the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce, LIRNEasia, Coordinating Secretariat for Science, Technology and Innovation and Sarvodaya. 

The summit was attended by Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe along with over 350 other Government, private and NGO sector representatives including State and Cabinet Ministers.

The two-day summit focused on starting a national dialogue on the importance of foresight and innovation as a value addition to traditional development planning to achieve sustainable human development and the 2030 development agenda. These partnerships were all the more timely given the global calls for greater private sector participation in the 2030 development agenda.

During a meeting with CBL’s Chairman and Board of Directors, UNDP’s Country Director Jorn Sorensen noted the importance of this partnership and said: “The private sector has a significant role in achieving the 2030 development agenda and we are very pleased that CBL, as a leading Sri Lankan corporate entity, joined hands with us to introduce foresight and innovation tools to development planning, which will help us realise a Sri Lanka we want and need by 2030.”

Speaking about partnering with this event CBL Group Director and Head of Marketing and Sales Nandana Wickramage, who also addressed the summit, stated: “CBL has always been a company that has conducted its affairs with foresight and has always been a leader in innovation. Under our flagship brand Munchee, we have several relevant, far-thinking and socially responsible programs that are carried out across the island to benefit agro-based farmers, underprivileged children and infrastructure development in rural villages. This is no doubt one of the reasons why CBL was chosen to be the summit partner for this event.”

Foresight and Innovation are rapidly becoming tools that governments and other non-traditional partners for development are incorporating into their work. Through these methodologies, they seek to create coherent policy frameworks that will effectively utilise limited resources. The Summit therefore introduced several foresight tools through evaluating nationally relevant environmental, social and economic themes. With the participation of the private sector, the summit produced a set of recommendations that was collectively implemented following the event.

‘Munchee’ pursues a well-structured CSR strategy under the six pillars of Education, Arts and Culture, Sports, Disaster Response and Community Upliftment. Under its Education pillar Munchee Tikiri Shishyadhara is the largest educational assistance program initiated by a privately held company focusing on education. In addition Munchee also conducts ‘Munchee Hapana Shishyathwa Wedamulu’ a free of charge seminar program for the children who are sitting for grade five scholarship exams. 

Under its ‘Uplifting community’ pillar, the company operates ‘Munchee Samaga Gamata Sarana’ – a program that identifies marginalised areas and uplifts the basic needs required in each area. Under ‘Sports’, Munchee sponsors the National Volleyball Championship, supports host of  school sports activities and even sponsors athletes entering the international arena. To promote ‘Arts and Culture’, Munchee supports many artistes, sponsors for Aurudu Uthsava as well as musical concerts.