Global Compact Introduced to Pakistan

2003-05-16

On May 15 the Global Compact was introduced to a forum of media representatives in Pakistan in an effort to raise awareness of the initiative in advance of the official launch in Pakistan planned for later this year. Speakers included Mr. Humayun Ahktar, Minister of Commerce; Mr. Hafiz Pasha, UN Assistant Secretary-General and Director of UNDP/Regional Bureau for Asia and the Pacific; Mr. Fasihul Karim Siddiqui, Chairman of the Employers’ Federation of Pakistan; Mr. Onder Yucer, UN Pakistan Resident Coordinator; Mr. Hans Lokollo, ILO Resident Representative; and Dr. Purnaka L. De Silva, Senior Advisor to the Global Compact.

Mr. Yucer welcomed the assembled audience in a speech that emphasized the importance of the Global Compact in motivating the Pakistani private sector to work with other societal actors, including government and civil society, on issues of corporate citizenship and sustainable development.

Mr Yucer said that as facilitator and partner, UN Pakistan would seek the following objectives in Pakistan with respect to the Global Compact:

To act as the lead advocate for Corporate Governance and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR);
To promote policy dialogue on the role of business in development, notably on the issues of labour rights, environmental policies, participatory governance, education and vocational training;
To advocate for an enabling environment for business, and act as a catalyst for private investments, and capacity-building of local enterprises;
To facilitate development partnerships between civil society organizations, governments and private sector; and
To support private sector initiatives that promise long-term benefits for Pakistan, whether they create jobs, upgrade local staff, open new trade links or introduce new technologies.

The date for the official launch of the Global Compact in Pakistan will be announced in the near future. In the meantime, a local Global Compact website has been launched at http://www.globalcompact.org.pk to facilitate further communication among stakeholders in Pakistan.