UN Global Compact Network for the GCC region convenes first meeting

The UN Global Compact has been introduced to the GCC Region through a series of workshops and other activities, conducted by the Compact's focal point, Emirates Environmental Group (EEG). Since the last year and a half EEG is busy in engaging businesses in the Region to join the Global Compact, which at present links together over 5000 businesses in more than 120 countries, and stands as the largest voluntary corporate citizenship initiative in the world.

Currently there are fourteen companies from GCC countries that have joined the Compact, and are combining efforts to launch the Compact at a formal level.

The official launching is scheduled to take place on April 7, 2008, in a grand ceremony in the Dusit Dubai, which will be attended by more than two hundred high profile delegates from governments, dignitaries, business leaders, and key representatives of civil society and the academic sectors.

The agenda of the meeting included detailed discussions about the Global Compact's local networks, their roles and responsibilities, with specific focus on the GCC Network; as well as the objectives of the regional network along with structure, roadmap and activity guidelines. The upcoming launch function received a great deal of attention, and was discussed at length. A Steering Committee was formed during the meeting, based on the level of interest, commitment and ongoing year round active participation of member companies and their key representatives in the Global Compact initiative; including those that are committed to dedicating substantial time, effort and resources to bring both scope and scale to the Global Compact GCC Network.

The Steering Committee has been formed with a view to providing crucial inputs in the GCC Local Network, starting with the launch event. The Committee is expected to play an overall role in developing the GCC Network, specifically through providing policy and strategic guidance on organizational principles and operational issues.

The members of the Steering Committee are Mrs. Habiba Al Marashi, Chairperson, EEG; Mr. Jeff Stephenson, Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, Oryx Enterprises, Qatar; Mr. Mohammed Al Sarhan, Vice President, Al Faisaliah Group and Secretary General of Al Safi Club for Friends of the Environment, Saudi Arabia; and Mr. Sulaiman Al Mazrouei, Chief Manager, Group Affairs, Emirates NBD Bank, UAE. In the meeting the following decisions were taken by common consensus, - Mrs. Al Marashi to lead the Committee as its Chair and Mr. Stephenson to be the Vice Chair.

The Committee discussed a number of principal issues like, management structure of the GCC Network, its missions and goals, recruitment of members and advocacy of the Global Compact among stakeholders, activities and projects to be undertaken by the GCC Network, and so on. The Committee will continue to be strongly involved in the ongoing preparations of the launch, and reconvene to review progress and contribute to the work of the Secretariat. During the meeting the Committee members also committed to sponsoring the launch event, symbolically marking the first of many contributions to the GGC Network of the Global Compact.