25th September, Dubai

Arabia CSR Network - an organization whose primary objective is to actively engage companies in the region on corporate responsibility issues - conducted its fifth training on the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) Framework at the Millennium Plaza Hotel in Dubai.

"As the first body certified by the GRI headquarters in The Netherlands to offer training services to organizations and individuals in the MENA region, Arabia CSR Network has relied on its long experience of promoting sustainable development through its various programs to design and deliver its training course in such a way as to ensure that participants receive optimal benefit from the course" said Habiba Al Marashi, President of Arabia CSR Network and the UN Global Compact GCC Network.

The training is one of the many programs that the Network offers. Its newly-launched 'CSR Strategy and Leadership' training course will focus on how to incorporate Corporate Social Responsibility into the company strategy in an innovative way.  The training course will be the first step in the cyclical journey towards a sustainable business. The GRI training aims to help companies take the next step of reporting on the results of their CSR strategy. The Arabia CSR Awards, which will be receiving applications till the end of August, represent the final step in the cycle and aim to evaluate, promote and improve on the achievements of companies in the area of sustainable development and CSR.

"The Arabia CSR Network is very well placed to provide this training to build the capacity of organizations and businesses in the region, mainly because it is a regionally rooted organization that has acquired an in-depth understanding of the benefits and challenges faced by organizations in their efforts to meet their Corporate Social Responsibility within the region's unique limitations and possibilities." she added.

The training had 13 participants from various organizations and sectors ranging from Transportation, Accounting, Human Resources, Government and many more. From government institutions like Abu Dhabi Police to private companies like Dubai Cable Company (Ducab), DA Desk FZE and Tristar Transport, to name a few, benefitted from this three-day vigorous training session. 

"The GRI Training was very useful and really met my expectations, It is a must do to any person undertaking or helping building his company's sustainability report" says Ms. Rana Harez, Business Development Manager from BPA Worldwide.

"The GRI Framework is much more than merely writing a sustainability report. Reporting is the end result of a long process of examining, modifying and developing a comprehensive internal system which enables the organization to incorporate sustainability into their core operations," emphasized Mrs. Marashi.

Previous trainings were held in February and March of this year. The Arabia CSR Network has facilitated valuable networks between the training participants through a LinkedIn group.

The GRI has emerged as the leading reporting framework designed specifically for companies that wish to report on their sustainability strategies and initiatives. It complements the traditional business practice of developing financial reports. The GRI also address the non-financial aspects of economic, environmental, and social performance of organizations.

-Ends-

About the Arabia CSR Network
The Arabia CSR Network grew out of the EEG CSR Network, which has been actively advancing CSR in the UAE and Gulf region since 2004. The Arabia CSR Network was officially launched in October 2009 as an independent network, and offers its members a multi-stakeholder platform to network, learn and share their experiences and knowledge in matters of Corporate Social Responsibility with each other. The Arabia CSR Network was the first GRI certified training partner for the Arabia speaking Middle East countries. So far it has trained more than 62 CSR professionals from 9 countries in the region. For more information, please visit www.arabiacsrnetwork.com

About the Global Reporting Initiative
The Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) is a large network of thousands of individual representatives from businesses, NGOs, experts, governmental agencies, etc in more than 40 countries. Its mission is to develop and disseminate reporting guidelines to assist organizations and their stakeholders in articulating and understanding contributions of the reporting organizations to sustainable development. Business, social and environmental advocates, labour, the financial community, the UN, and other stakeholders worldwide collaboratively developed the Guidelines. For more information, please visit http://www.globalreporting.org

© Press Release 2012