Category: Civil Society

I would like to provide an English summary of an interview with Simonetta Sommaruga, Minister of Justice of the Swiss Federal Council, by the Swiss newspaper Neue Zürcher Zeitung (NZZ) published on November 12th 2017.… Read More

History of CSR:

• Many local and foreign firms support community activities, ranging from sponsoring the Tour de Timor bicycle race and other high-profile events to investing in education and rural employment
• A Chamber of Commerce and Industry has been established and there is an active Rotary Club, but general awareness of corporate social responsibility is low.

History of CSR:

A quick search reveals there is little to no CSR currently active in the Solomon Islands. Some activity has been seen via international companies, but otherwise CSR is almost non-existent.… Read More

History of CSR in Myanmar

• There is little understanding of the concept of CSR, indicating a need for training
• CSR is primarily thought of as philanthropy in Myanmar
  • Buddhist influence morally encourages donations of money, goods and services
  • Entrenchment of values encouraging willingness to share
• CSR is seen as a fashionable concept and is certainly seen as the right thing to do

Legal framework and Initiatives:

1. Child Labour and Forced Labour
   Child and forced labour are enormous issues in Myanmar.

History of CSR:

• CSR is still a new concept in Mongolia.
• The business world of Mongolia is aware of the term and largely perceives it as making environmental and social contributions in Mongolia.

History of CSR:

• CSR is not a highly developed concept in the Maldives.
• The concept is often reduced to acts of philanthropy.
• A majority of companies do not have CSR strategies.

History of CSR:

• CSR in Malaysia began in the form of small contributions which was traditionally driven by religions and racial motivations.
• Multinational companies and businesses influenced by the west began to make corporate contributions
• The Malaysian government has gradually increased its focus on CSR, creating frameworks for implementation of CSR initiatives for the country’s businesses
  • For example, the CSR Silver Book launched by the government-linked company (GLC) transformation programme, which provides firms with scorecards and guidelines to measure CSR ideas and to measure the effectiveness of corporate CSR policies.

History of CSR:

• Lao is a party to several treaties in the field of environmental protection, biodiversity and labour standards.
• Lao has signed Agreements on the Promotion and Mutually Protection of Investments, which have due regard to the protection of environment.

History of CSR in Japan:

• For over 50 years the topic has been publicly debated, slowly developing as a concept
• CSR in Japan traces back to a resolution issued by the Japan Association of Corporate Executives in 1956, entitled “Awareness and Practice of the Social Responsibilities of Businessmen.”
• CSR developed through five phases as defined by Kawamura.