Corporate social responsibility (CSR) will follow the “green” trend this year, where customer behavior is friendly to the environment, said The Stock Exchange of Thailand’s Corporate Social Responsibility Institute (CSRI) and Thaipat Institute (the Foundation for Thailand Rural Reconstruction Movement Under Royal Patronage). CSR strategies will also be reviewed to ensure that they are widely accepted in society and this year’s strategies should take both the opportunities and threats from widened free trade into account.
“Due to economic crisis and environmental concerns today, companies have dealt with changes by building immune systems from within and evaluate how they impact all stakeholders, including their communities, society as a whole, and the environment. They have to follow good corporate governance, ethical and moral practices to build strong foundations for sustainable business growth,” said SET President Patareeya Benjapolchai in a press conference on the directions and trends of CSR, “Repositioning your CSR,” held today (January 28) in SET Building, Bangkok.
“Last year, SET undertook many CSR activities, e.g., by joining with Thaipat Institute through ‘CSR Day,’ which helps staff better understand about CSR activities of various firms, so they know that CSR activity is something every group of people can do everyday. In 2010, CSR direction will focus on building a network to drive co-CSR activities at the organizational level through the CSR Club. This club was established under the Listed Companies Association to network between sectors, to achieve inter-firm synergy in promoting social issues.
“CSRI was established to be a center to strengthen networks among and between businesses, the public, and society. CSRI focuses on social and environment responsibilities in business process and gives significance to all stakeholders, including employees, shareholders, and other relevant parties. CSRI will encourage CSR consciousness and understanding about CSR activities that the organization can handle by itself,” revealed SET Executive Director, Industry Development Center, Capital Market Development Fund (CMDF) and CSRI President, Chaiyoot Chamnanlertkit on CSR direction in 2010.
“Changes in both the Constitution, section 67, about green trends resulting from climate changes and the agreement on free trade are the important factors that stimulate business sector to consider its operation processes or repositioning its CSR this year”, revealed Thaipat Institute Director Pipat Yodprudtikan.
Due to the economic crisis, the US economic growth has slowed down. Meanwhile, the unemployment rate is still high and people are more cautious on spending. The government’s plan to help the economy revive has not yet been fully successful.
The trend of ‘New Normal’ will influence the worldwide economy, which is in a long recession. Repositioning CSR to support the ‘New Normal’ state will have to consider every component, e.g., scope, platform, structure, strategy, performance, measurement, and disclosure.
“This year’s CSR trend will encourage companies, especially factories which need to show their social responsibilities in a concrete manner and adjust their operation processes to be in line with new standards, particularly ISO26000, which will be announced as the international standard at end-2010, after the Copenhagen meeting in May 2010,” Dr. Pipat said.
However, ISO26000 is only the suggested standard, not the standard used for certification. Using ISO26000 for certification or claiming that a given organization has standard of ISO26000 will not be in accordance with the objective of the standard.
For more information on CSR direction in 2010, please see the report “Six directions for CSR in 2010: Repositioning your CSR,” produced by Thaipat Institute or call 0 2930 5227, or email info@thaipat.org, or visit www.thaipat.org.
Saturday, January 30, 2010
Accor launches Yim Kids Foundation to bring smiles back to the children in need
Accor, as a leader in the hospitality industry, understands that there is a moral obligation to improve the quality of people’s lives in countries in which it operates. With this objective in mind, Accor has established the “Yim Kids Foundation” to act as a channel to improve the health, education and well being of children in need throughout various parts of Thailand.
Those that are most vulnerable and constantly victims of poverty, are the children living in slums and far-flung, impoverished communities in Thailand. These children are often denied of opportunities for a proper education, basic nutrition, and in many cases, a safe place to call “home”.
Yim Kids Foundation (Yim is the Thai word for “smile”), with the help of Accor’s 8,000 employees and 43 hotels and resorts throughout Thailand, will initiate fund-raising activities and projects to raise money to help these children in need.
Yim Kids - An ongoing mission
Accor has operated in Thailand since 1988, and has made significant contributions to the people of Thailand ever since. The Yim Kids Foundation has evolved from one of Accor’s multinational programs, “A Tree for a Child (ATFAC)”, which began in 2001 and was launched in Thailand in 2006.
The Yim Kids Foundation will continue with the ongoing projects initiated under the ATFAC program, such as the reconstructing and maintaining of education facilities in two remote communities in the northern part of Thailand, and supporting these two communities by managing the distribution of their produce - organic rice and local manufacturing products - through the Accor hotel network, which in turn will improve the livelihoods of the villagers into the future.
Accor remains committed to existing projects and will add new dimensions to help more children with several new fund-raising activities, the first major one being “Accor Race to Survive”.
Accor Race to Survive – Phuket, Thailand
Accor Race to Survive is an established, dynamic fund-raising event to raise funds through sponsorship of teams that are made up of Accor employees and friends. Over the course of four days - March 22 - 25, 2010 - teams from all corners of the globe will travel to Phuket and will push their bodies and minds to the limit, completing strenuous daily combinations of swimming, mountain biking, kayaking and running, while camping at night on Lon Island (Koh Lon), a small isolated island southeast of Phuket. Many of the team members participating in the race are hoteliers, not professional athletes, but all are training hard and truly committed to the fund-raising event.
Each team is required to raise a minimum of US$7,000 as their entry fee and donate their time and energy to participate in this significant fund-raising event, bringing attention to the cause and showcasing Thailand as a world-class tourist destination.
Yim Kids Foundation projects
Through the Yim Kids Foundation, Accor is creating sustainable, incremental and prudent improvements to the social well being of children. The funds raised will support four projects, each selected and planned carefully, ensuring sustainability and that it will reach out to assist those children that really need a helping hand:
1. Support the cost for children’s education in the Mercy Centre’s Bangkok slum school. There are around 300 children at the school and the cost for each child to receive a proper education is approximately US$57 per child per year.
2. Support the health and medical-related cost for 63 orphaned and abandoned children with HIV/Aids at the Mercy Centre.
3. Assist communities in Koh Lon by expanding their sustainable fishing program to improve their livelihoods, enabling the children from these communities to continue their secondary-level education in Phuket.
4. Provide education funds to help the children of sea gypsies and rubber tree tappers in Phuket whose livelihoods and way of life have been affected by the Tsunami in 2004.
“Every employee involved in these important life-changing projects knows that they are playing a part in making a difference to the lives of these children, and therefore, has dedicated their time, enthusiasm and energy to make these projects possible. Accor has partnered with several like-minded business partners and sponsors, and we are grateful for their contribution and support to the cause”, says Oswald Pichler, VP Operations for Thailand, Laos and Cambodia, and a spearhead of the foundation.
Accor Foundation – A worldwide philanthropic approach
In 2008, Accor has established an umbrella foundation - Accor Foundation - to support local sustainable and employee-based solidarity projects, such as the Yim Kids Foundation, throughout the world. To date, within the Asia Pacific region, the Accor Foundation has made contributions to seven unique programs that are changing the lives of the people and communities needing assistance. Yim Kids Foundation, a recent recipient of a contribution from the Accor Foundation, received a total of 20,000 Euros to commence sustainable projects.
Yim Kids Foundation and Accor employees are devoted and have pledged full commitment to put smiles back on the faces of these children. To succeed, Accor needs help. Please visit www.yimkids.com to learn more about how you can contribute and be part of these projects and help bring lifelong smiles to these very special children in need.
Those that are most vulnerable and constantly victims of poverty, are the children living in slums and far-flung, impoverished communities in Thailand. These children are often denied of opportunities for a proper education, basic nutrition, and in many cases, a safe place to call “home”.
Yim Kids Foundation (Yim is the Thai word for “smile”), with the help of Accor’s 8,000 employees and 43 hotels and resorts throughout Thailand, will initiate fund-raising activities and projects to raise money to help these children in need.
Yim Kids - An ongoing mission
Accor has operated in Thailand since 1988, and has made significant contributions to the people of Thailand ever since. The Yim Kids Foundation has evolved from one of Accor’s multinational programs, “A Tree for a Child (ATFAC)”, which began in 2001 and was launched in Thailand in 2006.
The Yim Kids Foundation will continue with the ongoing projects initiated under the ATFAC program, such as the reconstructing and maintaining of education facilities in two remote communities in the northern part of Thailand, and supporting these two communities by managing the distribution of their produce - organic rice and local manufacturing products - through the Accor hotel network, which in turn will improve the livelihoods of the villagers into the future.
Accor remains committed to existing projects and will add new dimensions to help more children with several new fund-raising activities, the first major one being “Accor Race to Survive”.
Accor Race to Survive – Phuket, Thailand
Accor Race to Survive is an established, dynamic fund-raising event to raise funds through sponsorship of teams that are made up of Accor employees and friends. Over the course of four days - March 22 - 25, 2010 - teams from all corners of the globe will travel to Phuket and will push their bodies and minds to the limit, completing strenuous daily combinations of swimming, mountain biking, kayaking and running, while camping at night on Lon Island (Koh Lon), a small isolated island southeast of Phuket. Many of the team members participating in the race are hoteliers, not professional athletes, but all are training hard and truly committed to the fund-raising event.
Each team is required to raise a minimum of US$7,000 as their entry fee and donate their time and energy to participate in this significant fund-raising event, bringing attention to the cause and showcasing Thailand as a world-class tourist destination.
Yim Kids Foundation projects
Through the Yim Kids Foundation, Accor is creating sustainable, incremental and prudent improvements to the social well being of children. The funds raised will support four projects, each selected and planned carefully, ensuring sustainability and that it will reach out to assist those children that really need a helping hand:
1. Support the cost for children’s education in the Mercy Centre’s Bangkok slum school. There are around 300 children at the school and the cost for each child to receive a proper education is approximately US$57 per child per year.
2. Support the health and medical-related cost for 63 orphaned and abandoned children with HIV/Aids at the Mercy Centre.
3. Assist communities in Koh Lon by expanding their sustainable fishing program to improve their livelihoods, enabling the children from these communities to continue their secondary-level education in Phuket.
4. Provide education funds to help the children of sea gypsies and rubber tree tappers in Phuket whose livelihoods and way of life have been affected by the Tsunami in 2004.
“Every employee involved in these important life-changing projects knows that they are playing a part in making a difference to the lives of these children, and therefore, has dedicated their time, enthusiasm and energy to make these projects possible. Accor has partnered with several like-minded business partners and sponsors, and we are grateful for their contribution and support to the cause”, says Oswald Pichler, VP Operations for Thailand, Laos and Cambodia, and a spearhead of the foundation.
Accor Foundation – A worldwide philanthropic approach
In 2008, Accor has established an umbrella foundation - Accor Foundation - to support local sustainable and employee-based solidarity projects, such as the Yim Kids Foundation, throughout the world. To date, within the Asia Pacific region, the Accor Foundation has made contributions to seven unique programs that are changing the lives of the people and communities needing assistance. Yim Kids Foundation, a recent recipient of a contribution from the Accor Foundation, received a total of 20,000 Euros to commence sustainable projects.
Yim Kids Foundation and Accor employees are devoted and have pledged full commitment to put smiles back on the faces of these children. To succeed, Accor needs help. Please visit www.yimkids.com to learn more about how you can contribute and be part of these projects and help bring lifelong smiles to these very special children in need.
Friday, January 29, 2010
THAI Flies Humanitarian Freighter Flight to Haiti
Thai Airways International Public Company Limited announced that it will conduct a humanitarian freighter flight, transporting rice that has been donated from the Government of Thailand to the Republic of Haiti, on 1 February 2010.
Mr. Piyasvasti Amranand, THAI President, said that THAI is supporting the transport of 100 tonnes of rice from the Government of Thailand to the Republic of Haiti. THAI’s humanitarian air shipment will be transported on THAI’s cargo freighter Boeing 747-300F aircraft, which the Company obtained for cargo freight transport, on the route Bangkok-Incheon Airport-Alaska-Miami-Dominican Republic.
THAI’s freighter will depart from Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport on 1 February 2010, operating at approximately 36 hours flight time.
Once THAI’s humanitarian freighter flight lands at Santo Domingo Airport in the Dominican Republic, UN humanitarian assistance teams will dispatch donated goods to those in need of relief aid in Haiti. Haiti was struck by severe earthquake on 12 January 2010.
THAI’s humanitarian support is valued at the equivalent of USD 632,000 dollars.
Mr. Piyasvasti Amranand, THAI President, said that THAI is supporting the transport of 100 tonnes of rice from the Government of Thailand to the Republic of Haiti. THAI’s humanitarian air shipment will be transported on THAI’s cargo freighter Boeing 747-300F aircraft, which the Company obtained for cargo freight transport, on the route Bangkok-Incheon Airport-Alaska-Miami-Dominican Republic.
THAI’s freighter will depart from Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport on 1 February 2010, operating at approximately 36 hours flight time.
Once THAI’s humanitarian freighter flight lands at Santo Domingo Airport in the Dominican Republic, UN humanitarian assistance teams will dispatch donated goods to those in need of relief aid in Haiti. Haiti was struck by severe earthquake on 12 January 2010.
THAI’s humanitarian support is valued at the equivalent of USD 632,000 dollars.
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Thailand takes part in ‘Drink Savvy’ regional CSR campaign
CSR campaign kicks off first ‘I Drink Savvy’ contest
Invites consumers in 12 countries in Asia Pacific to submit a video clip or photo with a message on responsible drinking
Entry with the most creative ‘drink-savvy’ idea wins a 10-day trip for two to Australia including travel expenses
Campaign is the first of its kind for consumers in Asia Pacific to learn about, value and enjoy drinking responsibly
Closing date for photos and video clips entries is 31 March 2010
Thailand is one of the 12 countries selected for the regional roll out of the ‘Drink Savvy’ campaign launched by Asia Pacific Breweries (APB). A dedicated online website (www.drink-savvy.com), created for this unique CSR (corporate social responsibility) campaign, serves to promote and educate consumers on responsible drinking.
Mr. Roland Pirmez, APB’s chief executive officer, said, “To be savvy is to understand and comprehend. Thus, to drink savvy means to understand alcohol and how it affects us. More importantly, it is about making well-informed and responsible decisions about drinking.”
Interested parties in Thailand are invited to visit the website to learn more about responsible drinking practices. It is the first website of its kind that actively involves various stakeholders to learn about, value and enjoy drinking responsibly.
"We want to do more than merely educate stakeholders, provide practical information about alcohol and describe how we can use it responsibly," added Mr. Pirmez.
In addition, the campaign is tapping on the power of social media, namely Facebook, Twitter, Orkut, and Kai Xin Wang as well as major bloggers to reach out to the public and build a community of followers to support the ‘drink savvy’ cause and remember the good times together.
Its first major initiative under the campaign is the ‘I Drink Savvy’ competition, inviting contestants in the region to capture and submit home videos, voice recordings or photos that support the ‘drink savvy’ theme. The online competition is open to participants in 12 countries in Asia Pacific including Thailand, China, India, New Zealand, Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Mongolia, Sri Lanka, and Papua New Guinea. The closing date for entries submission is 31 March 2010.
The most creative ‘drink-savvy’ entry entitles the winner to a 10-day trip for two to Australia to see the best of Sydney combined with the scenic Whitsunday Islands and cosmopolitan Cairns. The package is inclusive of travel expenses.
“By bringing about awareness, engagement and active participation in a fun way, we hope to generate a multiplier effect and widen our circumference of influence to have more consumers learn, appreciate, practise and support responsible drinking,” commented Mr. Pirmez.
In Thailand, Thai Asia Pacific Brewery (TAPB), APB’s operating company in Thailand, has conducted several CSR initatives on drinking responsibly. The ‘Drink Don’t Drive 1555’ campaign – aimed at reducing the number of traffic accidents – implemented with the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) and partners, encourages people who drink to refrain from driving, and to call the 1555 hotline to request for a taxi pick-up or a ‘volunteer driver’ service.
The drink-savvy.com features bite-size factoids about alcohol and its effects on the body through the section, ‘Alcohol Savvy’ as well as practical advice on drinking responsibly via ‘Savvy Tips’.
Invites consumers in 12 countries in Asia Pacific to submit a video clip or photo with a message on responsible drinking
Entry with the most creative ‘drink-savvy’ idea wins a 10-day trip for two to Australia including travel expenses
Campaign is the first of its kind for consumers in Asia Pacific to learn about, value and enjoy drinking responsibly
Closing date for photos and video clips entries is 31 March 2010
Thailand is one of the 12 countries selected for the regional roll out of the ‘Drink Savvy’ campaign launched by Asia Pacific Breweries (APB). A dedicated online website (www.drink-savvy.com), created for this unique CSR (corporate social responsibility) campaign, serves to promote and educate consumers on responsible drinking.
Mr. Roland Pirmez, APB’s chief executive officer, said, “To be savvy is to understand and comprehend. Thus, to drink savvy means to understand alcohol and how it affects us. More importantly, it is about making well-informed and responsible decisions about drinking.”
Interested parties in Thailand are invited to visit the website to learn more about responsible drinking practices. It is the first website of its kind that actively involves various stakeholders to learn about, value and enjoy drinking responsibly.
"We want to do more than merely educate stakeholders, provide practical information about alcohol and describe how we can use it responsibly," added Mr. Pirmez.
In addition, the campaign is tapping on the power of social media, namely Facebook, Twitter, Orkut, and Kai Xin Wang as well as major bloggers to reach out to the public and build a community of followers to support the ‘drink savvy’ cause and remember the good times together.
Its first major initiative under the campaign is the ‘I Drink Savvy’ competition, inviting contestants in the region to capture and submit home videos, voice recordings or photos that support the ‘drink savvy’ theme. The online competition is open to participants in 12 countries in Asia Pacific including Thailand, China, India, New Zealand, Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Mongolia, Sri Lanka, and Papua New Guinea. The closing date for entries submission is 31 March 2010.
The most creative ‘drink-savvy’ entry entitles the winner to a 10-day trip for two to Australia to see the best of Sydney combined with the scenic Whitsunday Islands and cosmopolitan Cairns. The package is inclusive of travel expenses.
“By bringing about awareness, engagement and active participation in a fun way, we hope to generate a multiplier effect and widen our circumference of influence to have more consumers learn, appreciate, practise and support responsible drinking,” commented Mr. Pirmez.
In Thailand, Thai Asia Pacific Brewery (TAPB), APB’s operating company in Thailand, has conducted several CSR initatives on drinking responsibly. The ‘Drink Don’t Drive 1555’ campaign – aimed at reducing the number of traffic accidents – implemented with the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) and partners, encourages people who drink to refrain from driving, and to call the 1555 hotline to request for a taxi pick-up or a ‘volunteer driver’ service.
The drink-savvy.com features bite-size factoids about alcohol and its effects on the body through the section, ‘Alcohol Savvy’ as well as practical advice on drinking responsibly via ‘Savvy Tips’.
Seasonal Greetings Donation for Charity 2009 Delivering a Brighter Future
This year’s ‘Seasonal Greetings Donation for Charity’ project has been yet another outstanding success with a grand total of 850,000 baht raised for worthy causes.
This year, 17 leading hotels made donations to help provide a better and brighter future for children. The money raised will go to Ban Nam Som School to support children’s activities and to build school facilities, and the Wishing Well Foundation to provide support for children with life threatening illnesses.
The 17 leading hotels in Bangkok were: Amari Hotels & Resorts, Centara Hotels and Resorts, Grand Hyatt Erawan Bangkok, Grand Millennium Sukhumvit, Intercontinental Bangkok, Millennium Hilton Bangkok, Mandarin Oriental Bangkok, Novotel Lotus, The Pan Pacific Bangkok, Pathumwan Princess, The Peninsula Bangkok, Plaza Athenee Bangkok, Royal Orchid Sheraton, Shangri-La Hotel Bangkok, Sofitel Silom Bangkok, Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit, and Westin Grande Sukhumvit.
Picture shows: First row sitting on the chair, all representatives from foundations, (from left to right) Ms. Choo Leng Goh, Khun Nanthirat Prasertzup, Khun Rashana Pimolsindh, Khun Sarayuth Pechtongkam, Khun Pichai Chuensuksawadi, Khun Issarang Nuchprayoon MD PhD, Khun Sakorn Boonthisak and Khun Napatsawon Ranangkul.
The 2nd row with the group of General Managers, representatives of 17 leading hotels (from left to right) Mr. Richard Chapman, Mr. Graham Hewitt, Mr. Markus Platzer, Mr. Michal Zitek, Mr. Robert Dallimore, Mr. Robert Maurer Loeffler, Mr. Kevin Hall, Mr. Charles Jack, Mr. Thomas G.Christiansen, Khun Weerasak Choonhajak, Mr. Andreas Korf, Mr. Christoph Knichel.
This year, 17 leading hotels made donations to help provide a better and brighter future for children. The money raised will go to Ban Nam Som School to support children’s activities and to build school facilities, and the Wishing Well Foundation to provide support for children with life threatening illnesses.
The 17 leading hotels in Bangkok were: Amari Hotels & Resorts, Centara Hotels and Resorts, Grand Hyatt Erawan Bangkok, Grand Millennium Sukhumvit, Intercontinental Bangkok, Millennium Hilton Bangkok, Mandarin Oriental Bangkok, Novotel Lotus, The Pan Pacific Bangkok, Pathumwan Princess, The Peninsula Bangkok, Plaza Athenee Bangkok, Royal Orchid Sheraton, Shangri-La Hotel Bangkok, Sofitel Silom Bangkok, Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit, and Westin Grande Sukhumvit.
Picture shows: First row sitting on the chair, all representatives from foundations, (from left to right) Ms. Choo Leng Goh, Khun Nanthirat Prasertzup, Khun Rashana Pimolsindh, Khun Sarayuth Pechtongkam, Khun Pichai Chuensuksawadi, Khun Issarang Nuchprayoon MD PhD, Khun Sakorn Boonthisak and Khun Napatsawon Ranangkul.
The 2nd row with the group of General Managers, representatives of 17 leading hotels (from left to right) Mr. Richard Chapman, Mr. Graham Hewitt, Mr. Markus Platzer, Mr. Michal Zitek, Mr. Robert Dallimore, Mr. Robert Maurer Loeffler, Mr. Kevin Hall, Mr. Charles Jack, Mr. Thomas G.Christiansen, Khun Weerasak Choonhajak, Mr. Andreas Korf, Mr. Christoph Knichel.
High-level UN meeting to examine progress in implementation of plan to help least developed countries
Bangladesh Prime Minister scheduled to address Dhaka event
Bangkok (UN ESCAP Information Services) – The United Nations is set to convene a meeting next week in Bangladesh to assess and develop a regional position for Asia and the Pacific ahead of a global review next year on progress made in assisting the world’s least developed countries (LDCs).
From 18 to 20 January in Dhaka, ministers and senior government officials from15 countries will also seek to identify key issues requiring global and regional cooperation to further advance the objectives of the 2001-2010 Brussels Programme of Action (BPoA). That programme seeks “to make substantial progress toward halving the proportion of people living in extreme poverty and suffering from hunger by 2015 and promote the sustainable development of the LDCs.”
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina of Bangladesh is slated to inaugurate the meeting, and ministers from eight LDCs are expected to take part in a ministerial-level exchange. Noeleen Heyzer, UN Under-Secretary-General and Executive Secretary of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), will participate in the meeting along with Cheick Sidi Diarra, UN High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States.
During her visit, Dr. Heyzer is expected to hold talks with Prime Minister Hasina, as well as with President Zillur Rahman, Finance Minister Abul Mal A Muhith and Foreign Minister Dipu Moni. The Executive Secretary’s itinerary also includes a visit to the Centre for the Rehabilitation of the Paralyzed, a rehabilitation facility for injured spinal patients outside Dhaka in Savar.
Discussions at the three-day meeting are expected to cover issues and concerns related to reducing poverty and hunger by promoting sustainable and inclusive development in the LDCs; promoting food security through sustainable agriculture; and enhancing the share of LDCs in global trade, aid and financial flows and promoting their productive capacity.
Participants will also look at protecting the environment and reducing the vulnerability of the LDCs to climate change, and developing human and institutional capacities to support inclusive and sustainable development of the LDCs.
The meeting’s results will be presented in May to the annual ESCAP Commission session in Incheon, Republic of Korea, for further discussion by member States. Afterwards an assessment of implementation of the BPoA and future priorities at the regional level will be transmitted to the global review in 2011 in Turkey.
The 14 LDCs in the Asia-Pacific region for the purposes of Brussels review include Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, Kiribati, Lao PDR, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Timor-Leste, Tuvalu and Vanuatu. Yemen, the lone LDC in the Middle East, is also participating in the meeting.
Bangkok (UN ESCAP Information Services) – The United Nations is set to convene a meeting next week in Bangladesh to assess and develop a regional position for Asia and the Pacific ahead of a global review next year on progress made in assisting the world’s least developed countries (LDCs).
From 18 to 20 January in Dhaka, ministers and senior government officials from15 countries will also seek to identify key issues requiring global and regional cooperation to further advance the objectives of the 2001-2010 Brussels Programme of Action (BPoA). That programme seeks “to make substantial progress toward halving the proportion of people living in extreme poverty and suffering from hunger by 2015 and promote the sustainable development of the LDCs.”
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina of Bangladesh is slated to inaugurate the meeting, and ministers from eight LDCs are expected to take part in a ministerial-level exchange. Noeleen Heyzer, UN Under-Secretary-General and Executive Secretary of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), will participate in the meeting along with Cheick Sidi Diarra, UN High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States.
During her visit, Dr. Heyzer is expected to hold talks with Prime Minister Hasina, as well as with President Zillur Rahman, Finance Minister Abul Mal A Muhith and Foreign Minister Dipu Moni. The Executive Secretary’s itinerary also includes a visit to the Centre for the Rehabilitation of the Paralyzed, a rehabilitation facility for injured spinal patients outside Dhaka in Savar.
Discussions at the three-day meeting are expected to cover issues and concerns related to reducing poverty and hunger by promoting sustainable and inclusive development in the LDCs; promoting food security through sustainable agriculture; and enhancing the share of LDCs in global trade, aid and financial flows and promoting their productive capacity.
Participants will also look at protecting the environment and reducing the vulnerability of the LDCs to climate change, and developing human and institutional capacities to support inclusive and sustainable development of the LDCs.
The meeting’s results will be presented in May to the annual ESCAP Commission session in Incheon, Republic of Korea, for further discussion by member States. Afterwards an assessment of implementation of the BPoA and future priorities at the regional level will be transmitted to the global review in 2011 in Turkey.
The 14 LDCs in the Asia-Pacific region for the purposes of Brussels review include Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, Kiribati, Lao PDR, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Timor-Leste, Tuvalu and Vanuatu. Yemen, the lone LDC in the Middle East, is also participating in the meeting.
Sunday, January 17, 2010
TNT supports PDA project with book donation and delivery
TNT Express Worldwide (Thailand) Co., Ltd., a leading provider of integrated express services from the Netherlands has announced its latest CSR initiative as part of its philosophy of providing practical support with recognizable and sustainable community benefits.
At today's press conference held at the PDA (The Population and Community Development Association) linked Cabbages & Condoms Restaurant in Bangkok, the donation of some 6,000 educational English language books to the PDA's rural educational development endeavor was officially announced. Scheduled to take place on 12 February 2010, the donation will be marked with a delivery of books by TNT vehicles to Lamplaimat Pattana School in Buri Ram province.
Alan Miu, Managing Director of TNT Thailand said, "TNT Thailand is especially honoured to have been given the opportunity to support the PDA, Thailand's largest NGO and chaired by the now legendary Mechai Viravaidya. The venue for today's announcement regarding TNT's donation to the Associations' endeavor to develop rural education is not only very agreeable, it reminds us all of the importance of the original inspiration for the founding of the PDA whose community work now encompasses so much more, but which is always based on education and partnership.
"For the past many years TNT has implemented a strong CSR programme exemplified at the global level for example with a longstanding partnership with the World Food Programme (WFP). Here in Thailand, we were able to use our logistics expertise effectively to help the victims of the 2004 tsunami, worked with the Royal Thai Army to deliver food and drinking water to the victims of the 2008 Nargis cyclone in Myanmar and later to implement a whole series of practical initiatives that reflect TNT's belief that healthy children become healthy, productive citizens to the benefit of all. Supporting the PDA's Community Library project provides TNT Thailand with an admirable opportunity to continue to contribute to the country's future."
In his comments at the press conference Mechai said, "Since it was founded in 1974 the PDA has extended its activities considerably from addressing immediate family planning needs. Today, PDA is the leading and most diversified NGO in Thailand with 18 regional development centres and branch offices with a strong emphasis on poverty eradication in rural areas. With support from partners, PDA established Lamplaimat Pattana Primary and Secondary Schools to become a model school that offers high quality education to children from poor families for free. The school has been domestically and internationally recognized from its revolutionary, world-class standard curriculum.
The donation of books will support PDA's endeavor to develop rural education. Lamplaimat Pattana School will help distribute the books to schools and villages in Lamplaimat district. The books will be a part of the Village Toy Library program that PDA has started since last year to promote philanthropic mindset in children.
"TNT's generous donation of educational books to the PDA Community Library project is not only most welcome, it also represents PDA's own philosophy of providing practical support in a way which requires involvement by those who are to benefit."
At today's press conference held at the PDA (The Population and Community Development Association) linked Cabbages & Condoms Restaurant in Bangkok, the donation of some 6,000 educational English language books to the PDA's rural educational development endeavor was officially announced. Scheduled to take place on 12 February 2010, the donation will be marked with a delivery of books by TNT vehicles to Lamplaimat Pattana School in Buri Ram province.
Alan Miu, Managing Director of TNT Thailand said, "TNT Thailand is especially honoured to have been given the opportunity to support the PDA, Thailand's largest NGO and chaired by the now legendary Mechai Viravaidya. The venue for today's announcement regarding TNT's donation to the Associations' endeavor to develop rural education is not only very agreeable, it reminds us all of the importance of the original inspiration for the founding of the PDA whose community work now encompasses so much more, but which is always based on education and partnership.
"For the past many years TNT has implemented a strong CSR programme exemplified at the global level for example with a longstanding partnership with the World Food Programme (WFP). Here in Thailand, we were able to use our logistics expertise effectively to help the victims of the 2004 tsunami, worked with the Royal Thai Army to deliver food and drinking water to the victims of the 2008 Nargis cyclone in Myanmar and later to implement a whole series of practical initiatives that reflect TNT's belief that healthy children become healthy, productive citizens to the benefit of all. Supporting the PDA's Community Library project provides TNT Thailand with an admirable opportunity to continue to contribute to the country's future."
In his comments at the press conference Mechai said, "Since it was founded in 1974 the PDA has extended its activities considerably from addressing immediate family planning needs. Today, PDA is the leading and most diversified NGO in Thailand with 18 regional development centres and branch offices with a strong emphasis on poverty eradication in rural areas. With support from partners, PDA established Lamplaimat Pattana Primary and Secondary Schools to become a model school that offers high quality education to children from poor families for free. The school has been domestically and internationally recognized from its revolutionary, world-class standard curriculum.
The donation of books will support PDA's endeavor to develop rural education. Lamplaimat Pattana School will help distribute the books to schools and villages in Lamplaimat district. The books will be a part of the Village Toy Library program that PDA has started since last year to promote philanthropic mindset in children.
"TNT's generous donation of educational books to the PDA Community Library project is not only most welcome, it also represents PDA's own philosophy of providing practical support in a way which requires involvement by those who are to benefit."
Saturday, January 2, 2010
Statement by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay, on International Migrants’ Day
“Stop treating migrants as second-class human beings” – UN human rights chief
“In recent years, migrants – including people who may be refugees – are reported to have been shot dead by security forces, or dumped to die in the desert as they tried to cross borders in North
Africa. Hundreds more are believed to have died after being pushed back out into the Indian Ocean in boats without functioning engines. Many others die on a regular basis as they try to evade coastguard and naval vessels deployed by the world’s richer nations, or because they have been packed on unseaworthy vessels by ruthless smugglers who seem, in some countries, to operate with almost total impunity.” “Others are killed by landmines, die of exposure in remote mountain areas, or are raped or forced into bonded labour or prostitution in both developed and developing countries. In some countries, migrant communities have been forcibly rounded up by the authorities, or have had to flee for their lives as they are attacked by mobs, and seen their homes and businesses ransacked.”
“Despite the heavy toll, remarkably little attention is devoted to all these deaths and the chronic human rights violations of so many extremely vulnerable men, women and children.”
“The commonest reaction seems to be a collective shrug: the deaths are sad of course, but it’s their own fault for trying to enter other countries uninvited. The unmistakable conclusion is that many of us politicians, state authorities, media and the general public – view migrants, especially poor migrants, as second-class human beings, who are somehow not entitled to the same rights as the rest of us.”
“It is likely that this year’s International Migrants' Day will elicit token expressions of concern before we return to business as usual: keeping migrants out, blaming those in our countries already for some of
our social or economic problems – while at the same time readily exploiting them as cheap labour. The trend of criminalization of irregular migration and the use of detention to discourage more people
from coming are also likely to continue or get worse.”
“Such policies often violate the human rights of migrants and contribute to anti-migrant sentiments and xenophobia. Immigrants arriving irregularly in a new country are often detained as a routine procedure and at times without proper judicial safeguards. In addition, irregular migrants intercepted at sea, and others seized by law enforcement officials during raids, are increasingly facing violence, arbitrary detention and premature expulsion. Such actions rarely take into account the mixed character of migration flows, and often lack necessary measures to protect the most vulnerable amongst irregular migrants, such as unaccompanied children, asylum-seekers and victims of trafficking.”
“Migrants who reach their final destination often face severe discrimination in the fields of housing, education, health, work or social security. Laws discriminating – or allowing for discriminatory practices – against non-nationals, along with programmes and policies that fail to address specific needs and vulnerabilities of migrants, often result in them being unable to access basic services or only able
to do so at levels that do not meet international human rights standards.”
“International human rights law recognizes this heightened vulnerability of migrants, but here too the ‘collective shrug’ is having a noticeably negative impact.”
“The International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of their Families*, which offers the most comprehensive framework for the protection of the human rights of migrants, will celebrate the 20th anniversary of its adoption in 2010.
Unfortunately, few States will be attending the party, as it is one of the least respected human rights conventions, taking more than 12 years to gather the 20 State ratifications it needed to come into force (inJuly 2003), and picking up only a further 22 ratifications since then.
Of these, 17 are African States, 15 are from Latin America and the Caribbean, six from Asia, three from Eastern Europe and only one (Turkey) from the ‘Western group’ of nations, which includes Western
Europe, North America and Australasia.”
“I would urge those countries which have not yet ratified the Migrant Workers Convention, to consider doing so without further delay. While States have a right to place limitations on migration, and to institute systems to manage it, this does not mean they can treat migrants as second-class human beings, who deserve less protection than the rest of us.”
“In recent years, migrants – including people who may be refugees – are reported to have been shot dead by security forces, or dumped to die in the desert as they tried to cross borders in North
Africa. Hundreds more are believed to have died after being pushed back out into the Indian Ocean in boats without functioning engines. Many others die on a regular basis as they try to evade coastguard and naval vessels deployed by the world’s richer nations, or because they have been packed on unseaworthy vessels by ruthless smugglers who seem, in some countries, to operate with almost total impunity.” “Others are killed by landmines, die of exposure in remote mountain areas, or are raped or forced into bonded labour or prostitution in both developed and developing countries. In some countries, migrant communities have been forcibly rounded up by the authorities, or have had to flee for their lives as they are attacked by mobs, and seen their homes and businesses ransacked.”
“Despite the heavy toll, remarkably little attention is devoted to all these deaths and the chronic human rights violations of so many extremely vulnerable men, women and children.”
“The commonest reaction seems to be a collective shrug: the deaths are sad of course, but it’s their own fault for trying to enter other countries uninvited. The unmistakable conclusion is that many of us politicians, state authorities, media and the general public – view migrants, especially poor migrants, as second-class human beings, who are somehow not entitled to the same rights as the rest of us.”
“It is likely that this year’s International Migrants' Day will elicit token expressions of concern before we return to business as usual: keeping migrants out, blaming those in our countries already for some of
our social or economic problems – while at the same time readily exploiting them as cheap labour. The trend of criminalization of irregular migration and the use of detention to discourage more people
from coming are also likely to continue or get worse.”
“Such policies often violate the human rights of migrants and contribute to anti-migrant sentiments and xenophobia. Immigrants arriving irregularly in a new country are often detained as a routine procedure and at times without proper judicial safeguards. In addition, irregular migrants intercepted at sea, and others seized by law enforcement officials during raids, are increasingly facing violence, arbitrary detention and premature expulsion. Such actions rarely take into account the mixed character of migration flows, and often lack necessary measures to protect the most vulnerable amongst irregular migrants, such as unaccompanied children, asylum-seekers and victims of trafficking.”
“Migrants who reach their final destination often face severe discrimination in the fields of housing, education, health, work or social security. Laws discriminating – or allowing for discriminatory practices – against non-nationals, along with programmes and policies that fail to address specific needs and vulnerabilities of migrants, often result in them being unable to access basic services or only able
to do so at levels that do not meet international human rights standards.”
“International human rights law recognizes this heightened vulnerability of migrants, but here too the ‘collective shrug’ is having a noticeably negative impact.”
“The International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of their Families*, which offers the most comprehensive framework for the protection of the human rights of migrants, will celebrate the 20th anniversary of its adoption in 2010.
Unfortunately, few States will be attending the party, as it is one of the least respected human rights conventions, taking more than 12 years to gather the 20 State ratifications it needed to come into force (inJuly 2003), and picking up only a further 22 ratifications since then.
Of these, 17 are African States, 15 are from Latin America and the Caribbean, six from Asia, three from Eastern Europe and only one (Turkey) from the ‘Western group’ of nations, which includes Western
Europe, North America and Australasia.”
“I would urge those countries which have not yet ratified the Migrant Workers Convention, to consider doing so without further delay. While States have a right to place limitations on migration, and to institute systems to manage it, this does not mean they can treat migrants as second-class human beings, who deserve less protection than the rest of us.”
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)