International experts gather for the 2nd Middle East Corporate Social Responsibility summit in Dubai

The event, held under the patronage of H.H. General Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and UAE Defence Minister, is supported by Shell, Dubai Development and Investment Authority (DDIA), and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

The impressive line-up of speakers at the summit includes Rick Little, President and CEO, The ImagineNations Group/Founder International Youth Foundation, USA; Helmy Abouleish, Managing Director, Sekem Group, Egypt; Michael Brown, President, Innovative Resources Group, USA and Mohammed Al Fahim, Honorary Chairman, Al Fahim Group, UAE.

Speaking at the event, Mike Greive, Regional Support Director, Shell Exploration and Production, Middle East, Russia & CIS said, "The success of the first edition of the summit is a clear indicator that CSR is now accepted as fundamental to long-term business success, to reduce risks, cut costs, identify opportunities and maximise growth."

"As the second largest energy company in Europe and the third largest globally, the Royal Dutch/Shell Group has had plenty of experience in integrating the principles of CSR into the organisational culture. For Shell, CSR is so closely related with sustainable development, that the two are now synonymous. CSR initiatives are vital for the sustainable development of local communities," he added.

This edition of the Middle East Corporate Social Responsibility Summit will focus on topics such as the obligations and opportunities that CSR presents, measuring its cost and benefits, business regulations in the Middle East and the mounting pressure on corporations to account for their environmental and social performance.

During the four-day summit, thirty-five eminent speakers will present papers on a broad range of CSR related topics. The opening day of the event featured a pre-summit workshop titled 'The A to Z of CSR Implementation', conducted by Julian Roche, Vice President, MHC International, UK. A post-Summit workshop titled "Ethics Management and CSR" will be held on June 8 to focus on organisational ethics and social responsibility conducted by Santiago Zorzopulos, Manager of Programmes, Dubai Ethics Resource Center, UAE.

The 2005 Middle East CSR Summit, targets chief and senior company executives, legal experts, senior managers and department heads, presenting delegates with an opportunity to hear about successful CSR strategies from regional and international corporations, and to learn about practical CSR solutions that can be applied to organisations. It also serves as an ideal networking platform for participants with key decision makers from across all industrial sectors.

"Corporates have a much larger role to play in today's society. A role where it focuses not merely on wealth creation, but one where it provides maximum benefits to people, communities and the natural environment. It revolves around the principle of achieving commercial success in ways that honour ethical values and respect. Corporate social responsibility encompasses economic, environmental and social responsibilities, as these factors are the key drivers of sustainable development. Shell's sponsorship of this event underlines our commitment towards CSR and highlights our role as responsible corporate citizens," concluded Greive

As part of the event, Shell is hosting a gala dinner for all delegates of the CSR Summit at the Shangri-La hotel on June 6th, 2005. Vijay Armitaj, UN Messenger of Peace, who will be present for the dinner, will deliver a speech on the United Nation's role in supporting global solutions to crisis and on UN relations with the private sector.