ANZBA seminar encourages responsible business practices in Laos
ANZBA seminar encourages responsible business practices in Laos
Members of the business community in Laos were given expert advice on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) at a seminar organised in Vientiane on Monday.
The event was organised by the Australia New Zealand Business Association in Laos (ANZBA) with support from the Poverty-Environment Initiative (PEI), a joint project of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).
Deputy Minister of Planning and Investment Dr Bounthavy Sisouphanthong, presided over the event and gave the opening address at the seminar. A number of CSR specialists flew in from around the region for the seminar. Presentations covered a range of topics, such as the benefits of CSR, implementing effective activities on a limited budget and reviews of current CSR initiatives in China and Laos.
Guest speakers from UNDP and the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) discussed partnerships between business and development agencies or the not-for-profit sector.
Representatives from ANZ bank, MMG LXML Sepon and Phu Bia Mining, and the tourism and garment manufacturing industries in Laos, shared a variety of lessons learnt from implementing CSR initiatives.
ANZBA President Mr Richard Taylor said that the event had been organised in order to share best practice with the business community in Laos.
“CSR already brings tangible benefits both to Laos and to the companies who are implementing it. We want more companies to see that CSR is mutually beneficial and to consider introducing their own programmes. This seminar is one of the ways in which ANZBA is facilitating that process,” he said.
ANZBA has over 70 members and represents some 45 businesses with operations in the Lao PDR. The Association provides business advocacy, market information, introductory and networking services to members.
