Italy's Minister of Labour and Social Affairs to speak at the Corporate Social Responsibility Summit in Dubai next week

Mr. Maroni, one of the leading figures behind Italy's growing commitment to CSR, will be a featured speaker during the Summit which takes place 25 to 27 April. He is expected to highlight trends within Italy and the EU where, he says, there has been "dramatic progress" in the CSR debate as was evident in the Third EU Conference on CSR organised last year by the Italian Presidency of the Council of the EU, with the support of the EU Commission.

"We have moved from the 'what' and the 'why' to the 'how', said the Minister. "The focus of the debate is now increasingly about CSR instruments and implementation. Furthermore innovative ideas are coming out in the field of CSR, as it evolves from talking about CSR towards acting and managing CSR."

Mr. Maroni pointed out that the Italian Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs had begun to commit itself on CSR in January 2002 and to set up a task force for the development and mainstreaming of CSR. At that time, his ministry decided to adopt the definition of CSR contained in the EU Commission Green Paper, published in 2001. According to this, the CSR is recognised as a "concept whereby companies integrate social and environmental concerns in their business operations and in their interaction with their stakeholders on a voluntary basis".

Maroni explained: "Being socially responsible means going beyond compliance with regulations currently in force, investing more into human capital, the environment and the relations with stakeholders. It can be seen as a management approach enhancing competitiveness, social cohesion and environmental protection.

"CSR commitment contributes to the increase of the brand value, through the development of a steady and long-lasting relationship with consumers, creating trust and loyalty to the brand. Socially and environmentally responsible actions strengthen the company's reputation and reduce the risk of boycotting by third party organizations."

However, initiatives that may work in one region may not be appropriate to replicate in another. The Minister urged companies to recognize the need to shape their CSR policies according to specific circumstances and challenges. "The way CSR integrates in processes and operations and the tools used must vary in order to best fit the company and its stakeholders' expectations."

Mr Maroni and more than 30 thirty other CSR experts from around the world and the region will be speaking at the ground-breaking Summit, which is led by the Dubai Development and Investment Authority (DDIA) and Shell.