Launch Event
15th March 2004

Speakers:

• Habiba Al Marashi EEG Chairperson
  
• H. E. Dr. Salem Al Dhaheri, Director General of the Federal Environmental Agency (FEA),
  
• H. E. Nadir Hadj-Hammou, Resident Representative of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and Resident Coordinator of the United Nations Office in the UAE
  
• Hope Sherwin, EEG CSR consultant
  

On 15th March 2004 at the JW Marriott Hotel in Dubai, the Emirates Environmental Group (EEG) launched its Corporate Social Responsibility Network. The evening seminar drew a cross section of business and government leaders, officials from high-level institutions, including the United Nations and members of the public.

In her welcome address, EEG's Chairperson Habiba Al Marashi called on the corporate sector to take up the mantle of leadership and stewardship for CSR and sustainable development. She urged EEG's members to commit to new venture to make it one of the premier networks in the Region promoting corporate responsibility and effecting tangible economic, social and environmental gains.

The opening address was delivered by H. E. Dr. Salem Al Dhaheri, Director General of the Federal Environmental Agency (FEA), on behalf of the Guest of Honour H.E. Hamad Abdulrahman Al Midfa, Honourable Minister of Health of the UAE and President of FEA. The Guest of Honour lauded the efforts made by the Group to rally key sectors in environment protection and sustainable development.

The Keynote address was delivered by the Resident Representative of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and Resident Coordinator of the United Nations Office in the UAE, H. E. Nadir Hadj-Hammou. Mr. Hadj-Hammou gave a presentation on the United Nation's perspective on corporate social responsibility, outlining the UN Secretary General's Global Compact initiative, and called for multi-sector cooperation to strengthen and support to the EEG-led partnership. "Given the excellent record of the UAE of being an innovator, perhaps the UAE could become a centre of excellence for brain industries that could promote CSR in the region. We, at the UN, stand ready to support such an ambitious but constructive endeavour", said Mr. Hadj-Hammou.

The last speaker for the evening was Hope Sherwin, EEG's CSR consultant. Her presentation touched on the background to CSR, the triple bottom line, drivers of CSR and global trends.