Home / News & Events / Archive
The Africa Corporate Sustainability Forum (ACSF) was launched on
21 September 2004, during the Second African Corporate Citizenship
Convention in Johannesburg.
The ACSF is a multi-stakeholder
platform providing an opportunity for business, government and broader civil
society to discuss and act on corporate sustainability policy and practice in
Africa. The Forum facilitates innovations that provide competitive
sustainability advantages for countries and regions on the continent. It also
ensures that the business case for corporate citizenship in Africa can be
demonstrated and understood. One of the Forum’s goals is to facilitate knowledge
exchange and research dissemination across the region and internationally, and
to provide opportunities for training and skills development on corporate
sustainability and other related issues.
Africa has experienced
"the worst economic tragedy of the 20th century" (World Economic Forum's Africa
Competitiveness Report 2004). Business can and must play a crucial role in
reversing this trend. "By conducting business responsibly, companies can improve
their own competitiveness and that of their country and the continent,” said Dr.
Yusuf Turundu, Coordinator of the Private Sector/NEPAD Business Group at the
NEPAD Secretariat. “In order to link responsibility and competitiveness for the
benefit of business, government and broader civil society on the continent, a
platform that facilitates learning and sharing of experiences, at this stage of
Africa's development is pertinent."
“We welcome the Forum as an
important catalyst of change and economic development,” said Ellen Kallinowsky
of the United Nations Global Compact. “This is a vital initiative to promote and
promulgate good corporate practice in the spirit of universal values. We
encourage our stakeholders to consider an active participation in the
ACSF.”
The Nelson Mandela Foundation also welcomed the Forum: "In
Africa, we dream of, and work for the full participation of the continent in the
affairs of the world over the coming years; we are deeply conscious of the need
for both private and public sector businesses to play their role in creating a
stable, equitable and prosperous society. The launch of the ACSF is an exciting
initiative in promoting such a role."
Many companies
are recognizing that undertaking successful business in Africa requires
corporate citizenship as a business imperative. Apart from the social and
environmental risks inherent with operating on the continent, integrating
responsible business practice throughout a company's activities is necessary to
develop market opportunities, which reflects societal needs. However, there are
relatively few opportunities for entities involved in these debates to share
information, feed these perspectives into the sustainability debates outside
Africa, and to access international information on corporate
citizenship.
While not endorsing a company's activities, the Forum
provides companies with a multi-stakeholder platform to demonstrate practically
their commitment to responsible growth and development in Africa. It also offers
access to a valuable knowledge resource, based on Africa's own unique challenges
and practices that take into account international trends in corporate
citizenship.
For membership information and other inquiries,
please contact forum@aiccafrica.org;
Mr. Sean de Cleene (Director: AICC) Tel: +265 (0)1 772404 Fax: +27 (0)11 643
6918 Email: sean@aiccafrica.org; Mr.
Tagbo Agbazue (Programme Manager for the Forum) Tel: +27 (0)11 643 6604 Cell:
+27 (0) 83 721 7320 Fax: +27 (0)11 643 6918 Email: tagbo@aiccafrica.org.
