ASEAN CSR Network and Oxfam present joint communique to ASEAN Secretariat
ASEAN CSR Network and Oxfam representatives were in Jakarta on 21st January 2016 to present their joint communique to the Deputy Secretary-General of ASEAN for Community and Corporate Affairs, H.E. Dr. AKP Mochtan. The communique was developed to reflect the recommendations, aspirations and commitments discussed at the ASEAN Responsible Business Forum held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia from 27-29 October 2015. Please click here for more details.
Video Contest on Anti-Corruption for Southeast Asian Youth
The ASEAN CSR Network, the UNDP Global Anti-Corruption Initiative and the Global Compact Network Singapore are inviting young people below 35 years old in Southeast Asia to make a stand against corruption by making a video clip of up to 3 minutes. Three best videos will be selected. An official award ceremony will be hosted at the "Conference on Corporate Governance and Responsibility," co-organised by ASEAN CSR Network and the Centre for Governance, Institutions and Organisations, National University of Singapore Business School on 20-22 July 2016 in Singapore. ASEAN CSR Network will be covering the winners' travel and conference costs.
Deadline for submission of videos is 15 April 2016. For more details of the contest, please click here.
Corruption Perception Index 2015: Big improvement for Indonesia but rankings fall for Singapore, Malaysia and Philippines
Transparency International recently released its Corruption Perception Index 2015 (CPI 2015). All ASEAN member states with the exception of Brunei are ranked according to the perceived level of public sector corruption. For more details of how ASEAN member states fared, please click here.
Vietnam: VCCI launches survey report on current integrity practices in business
On 29 Dec 2015, our participating organisation, the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI), launched a survey report on “Current Integrity in Business Status and Demands for Corporate Capacity Building Support” at a conference in Hanoi. The survey covered 180 businesses operating in three major cities in Vietnam - Hanoi, Danang and Ho Chi Minh City. For more details of the report, please click here.
Asia Sustainability Reporting Awards 2015
CSR Works recently announced the winners of the Asia Sustainability Reporting Awards 2015. Hong Kong’s Hang Lung Properties clinched two awards - the Best Sustainability Report as well as Asia’s Sustainability Report of the Year. For more details, please click here
Upcoming Events
Conference on Corporate Governance & Responsibility: Theory Meets Practice, 20-22 July 2016, Singapore
ASEAN CSR Network (ACN) and the Centre for Governance, Institutions and Organisations, NUS Business School (CGIO), will be co-organising the Conference on Corporate Governance & Responsibility: Theory Meets Practice from 20 – 22 July 2016 at the NUSS Kent Ridge Guild House, National University of Singapore. More details of the event will be unveiled when the event microsite is launched. In the meantime, please click here for some details of the event.
ASEAN Consultation Workshop on Civil Society Role towards implementation of UNGPs on Business and Human Rights, 12 Feb 2016, Manila
Oxfam and the Institute of Human Rights, University of Philippines Law Center (UP IHR), is organising an ASEAN Consultation Workshop titled Civil Society Role towards implementation of UNGPs on Business and Human Rights (BHR) on 12 February 2016 in Manila. For more details of the workshop, please click here.
ASEAN Conference on Biodiversity 2016, 15-19 February 2016, Bangkok
Mr. Thomas Thomas, CEO of ASEAN CSR Network (ACN), will be speaking as one of the panellists at the plenary session on Business and Biodiversity at the ASEAN Conference on Biodiversity 2016. To be held in Bangkok from 15-19 February 2016, the conference will bring together close to 500 representatives from ASEAN governments, international organisations, scientific and research community, NGOs and academia. For more details of the event, please click here.
AVPN Conference 2016: 23-25 May, Hong Kong
The Asian Venture Philanthropy Network (AVPN) Annual Conference is a gathering of social investors, incubators and supporters interested in Asia. The AVPN Conference 2016 will be held in Hong Kong this year. For more details of the event, please click here.
In The News
Since December 2015, ASEAN CSR Network has been uploading interesting articles on responsible business on our Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter feeds. Do follow us to get updates every Monday to Friday.
Listed below are some of the more recent popular news article posts on our Facebook page.
Source: 6 Jan, The Jakarta Post Summary: Is the ASEAN Economic Community ignoring human rights? According to the Human Rights Watch Group, some ASEAN member states are still adopting a "bread before freedom" logic - prioritising economic development above upholding democratic values. However, according to HRWG, Indonesia is the most prominent liberal democracy in ASIAN and could offer concrete examples of ways in which Human Rights could aid rather than hamper economic development.
Source: Dec 31, The Bangkok Post Summary: Thai Foreign Affairs official's op-ed piece on AEC. What does inclusiveness & people-centred ASEAN mean? Non-tariff barriers need to be tackled before enjoying benefits to single market & production base. Connectivity in ASEAN is important but challenges like transnational crime must be tackled. Mainstreaming of good governance, anti-corruption, human rights & fundamental freedom in ASEAN's policies, activities & initiatives are needed.
Source: Amcham Singapore and U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Summary: Although U.S. companies remain optimistic about business prospects in ASEAN, they identified a variety of concerns and impediments to their growth in the region. As in previous years’ surveys, the majority of respondents in all countries cited corruption as being the top issue across ASEAN except for Brunei and Singapore. For highlights of the report, please click here.
Source: 5 Jan, Today newspaper Summary: Singapore Stock Exchange invited the public to give their views on sustainability reporting before making it mandatory for listed companies in 2017. In ASEAN, the Stock Exchange of Thailand and Bursa Malaysia also promote sustainability reporting. Thailand is also in the process of developing an Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) index.
Source: 3 Jan, Bangkok Post Summary: Large palm oil companies will lose their lucrative access to forest areas after the Royal Forest Department announced it would not renew plantation concessions.
If your organisation or network is interested in participating in the ASEAN CSR Network, please contact the Participating Organisation who is formalised as the convener for the network in your country. Visit the Participating Organisations page on our website for more information.
If your country does not have a Participating Organisation formalised as a convenor yet, you may contact the Secretariat of the ASEAN CSR Network directly.
