Now Reading
CSM'S Third Annual Conference on Corporate Citizenship: Focus on Small, Medium and Micro Enterprises (SMEs)
CSM'S Third Annual Conference on Corporate Citizenship: Focus on Small, Medium and Micro Enterprises (SMEs)
Published 09-30-03
Submitted by Centre for Social Markets
Nations around the world have undertaken international agreements such as the UN Earth Summit's Agenda 21 programme to promote sustainable development, or the UN's Millennium Development Goals to half global poverty by 2015. Most of these commitments require active intervention by business and industry to succeed.
Yet the focus so far has largely been on the role of large firms and multinational enterprises. Given that small, medium and micro enterprises (SMEs) actually account for the majority of businesses in every country, and employ the largest number of people, it is high time that the role of SMEs in helping deliver broad sustainable development goals was explored.
CSM's Third Annual Conference on Corporate Citizenship (November 2003) will focus on the role SMEs play in achieving sustainable development through corporate social responsibility (CSR) interventions and strategies. The conference will bring together entrepreneurs, business leaders, financial institutions, policy makers, academics, development organizations, NGOs and others to discuss the challenges and opportunities for SMEs in adopting the CSR agenda to promote sustainable development objectives.
CSM will be launching a Discussion Paper on CSR, Sustainable Development and SMEs at the conference. (Site visits will be arranged for the second day of the conference.)A Call for Papers for the conference has also been issued. Deadline: 15 October 2003.
