Monday 20 September 2010

Middle East Gulf Region Governance Initiative Launched at UN - MarketWatch

Close to 100 business leaders and policy makers gathered today at the United Nations to introduce the Pearl Initiative, a private sector-led program aimed at improving corporate governance, accountability, and smart CSR practices of business activities across the six countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).

The gathering was hosted at the UN and organized under the auspices of the United Nations Office for Partnerships, the Crescent Group of the United Arab Emirates, and the American University of Sharjah. During lunch, participants exchanged views on the linkages between a transparent business environment and sustainable economic growth with the audience that included Naqvi Arif, Vice Chairman and CEO, Abraaj Capital; Ambassador Elizabeth Bagley, First Special Representative for Global Partnerships, US Department of State; Niels Christiansen, Head of Public Affairs, Nestle S.A.; Robert Dunn, President and CEO, Synergos Institute; Jim Geisel, Director, KPMG Global Grants Program & UN Desk; Raji Hattar, Chief Sustainability and Compliance Officer, Aramex; Prof. Safwan M. Masri, Director, Columbia University Middle East Research Center, Charles Moore, Executive Director, Committee to Encourage Corporate Philanthropy, and other prominent leaders from public and private sectors and civil society.

During the program, Amir Dossal, Executive Director of the United Nations Office for Partnerships and co-founder of the Pearl Initiative, explained how the Pearl Initiative will contribute positively to the UN's Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by creating a more open and transparent business environment.

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