Friday Nov 29, 2024
Friday Nov 29, 2024
Wednesday, 11 December 2013 00:30 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
The Global Compact Network Sri Lanka was recognised as one of the top ten local networks from over 100 local networks worldwide. The Local Network Award was presented at the Global Compact Leaders Summit in New York recently by the UN Global Compact Office.
The award recognises the contribution of networks to the development of others through communication and collaboration and to sharing and replication of best practices and knowledge amongst networks.
The UN Global Compact is a strategic policy initiative for businesses that are committed to aligning their operations and strategies with ten universally accepted principles in the areas of human rights, labour, environment and anti-corruption. With over 8700 corporate participants and other stakeholders from over 130 countries, it is the largest voluntary corporate responsibility initiative in the world.
The award was conducted by an online survey available to all local networks and was designed in a way that each local network can assess and vote for other networks on three categories: communication, inter-network collaboration, and inspirational materials and resources shared on the online Knowledge Sharing System. The votes were casted only by the local networks and the winners were chosen collectively by the peer networks.
Local networks are clusters of participants who come together to advance the United Nations Global Compact and its principles within a particular geographic context. They perform increasingly important roles in rooting the Global Compact within different national, cultural and language contexts, and also in helping to manage the organisational consequences of the Global Compact’s rapid expansion.
Chairman of the Global Compact Network Sri Lanka’s Board Dr. Rohan M Fernando said: “Global Compact Network Sri Lanka’s vision is to be the corporate sustainability network with global credibility helping position Sri Lankan businesses committed to embedding corporate sustainability on a global platform to drive the country’s economic growth sustainably.
“We cherish the recognition bestowed by our peers around the world. I appreciate the voluntary time and energy put in by the members Board and Steering Committee who broadly represent the crème of the Sri Lankan corporate sector”, he added.
Consisting of some of the country’s most respected names in business, the Global Compact’s local network in Sri Lanka advocates the adoption of business practices aligned to corporate sustainability through partnerships and collective action.
Member of the Board and Network Representative of Global Compact Network Sri Lanka Sutheash Balasubramaniam said: “We are pleased to be named amongst the top performing networks globally, which shows the strength and commitment of the Global Compact participant companies in Sri Lanka. As a network we continue to have several training and sustainability knowledge hub programs to help companies and organisations embed corporate sustainability in their operations as well as championing national sustainability challenges through multi-stakeholder engagement and collective action, whilst promoting wider UN goals.”
