CSR Platform Cambodia, with secretariat support from Oxfam and technical support from the ASEAN CSR Network, organised a one day multistakeholder dialogue on the ASEAN Post-2015 agenda and the opportunities for promoting responsible business principles.

About 40 participants from business and nonprofit organisations gathered in Phnom Penh for the event held on 1 December 2015.

 H.E. Sok Siphana, former Commerce Minister of Cambodia, delivered the keynote address and shared that despite his initial reservations about ASEAN, he now has a very positive view of the benefits of regional economic integration.

However, he stressed that the integration is an ongoing process and we do not simply wake up the next day to an integrated ASEAN community. Further, he emphasised that while a single ASEAN market and production base represents a massive potential for Cambodian businesses, especially SMEs, much work needs to be done to ensure they are ready to take advantage of it and compete against other companies from the region.

   

Jerry Bernas, Programme Director of the ASEAN CSR Network, delivered an update on the recently released ‘ASEAN Vision 2025: Forging Ahead Together.’ Mr. Bernas noted that CSR is now mentioned in all three pillars of ASEAN integration -- the political-security, economic and socio-cultural community blueprints. This is a stark improvement from the 2009-2015 strategy and represents an opportunity for greater multistakeholder dialogue and cooperation on the topic.

“CSR, and its related words and terminologies, being mentioned repeatedly in all three blueprints shows that ASEAN increasingly recognises the critical role the business sector plays in achieving equitable, inclusive and sustainable development. Having CSR included in the ASEAN strategy allows different stakeholders to shift their focus from advocacy to concrete action as ASEAN officially becomes an integrated regional community by the beginning of 2016,” shared Mr. Bernas.

Participants also took part in small group discussions to help map out the future journey in promoting CSR in Cambodia within the context of ASEAN integration. In the afternoon, briefing sessions on the U.N. Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights and Business Integrity were conducted by the Office of the High Commissioner on Human Rights (OHCHR) and Transparency International - Cambodia, respectively.

‘CSR Platform Cambodia’ is a startup network of over 30 businesses and civil society organisations who believe in Corporate Social Responsibility. The dialogue was its first major public event. For more information please email Bunhieng.Hean@oxfamnovib.nl.