Kuwait joins International Congress of Social Responsibility in Bahrain

The fourth edition of the International Congress of Social Responsibility was held on Sunday, March 3, under the slogan “Adopting and Developing Legislation and Laws to Strengthen Social Responsibility Applications in Arab Countries,” with participation from Kuwait.

Participants from Kuwait, representing various stakeholders in social responsibility, emphasized the importance of doubling their efforts to achieve community partnerships that promote advancement and progress in all fields.

During her participation in the event, Sheikha SuhailaFahad Al-Malik Al-Sabah, Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Gulf and Arabian Peninsula Studies at Kuwait University, expressed her happiness at attending the international congress focused on social responsibility. She also mentioned being honored with the International Compliance Award for Social Responsibility Practices in a statement to the Kuwait News Agency (KUNA).

She conveyed her gratitude to the Kingdom of Bahrain, its leadership, government, and people for hosting the event organized by the Regional Network for Social Responsibility and its organizers. She emphasized the significance of promoting the concept of responsibility and fostering this culture at the national level.

Embracing partnership and social responsibility

She emphasized the urgent need to embrace the concepts of partnership and social responsibility, highlighting their crucial role in fostering interdependence and cohesion within communities, which positively impacts their success and progress.

The President of the Takaful Association for the Care of Prisoners in the State of Kuwait mentioned to KUNA that the association was established in 2005, originally starting as a committee of the Reform Society since 2000.

He pointed out that this charitable activity serves both prisoners with civil financial cases and those with criminal cases, directly benefiting families in Kuwait.

He clarified that the goal of this work is to help prisoners regain their freedom and reintegrate into society, fostering family cohesion and enabling them to contribute to the upbringing of children.

Family cohesion: The true measure of society’s strength

He stressed that on this day, the strength of societies is measured by their family cohesion, highlighting the association’s numerous achievements. Since its inception, it has successfully handled over 30 cases, easing the burden on the Ministries of Justice and Interior. This association serves both the community and the government.

Kuwaiti international diplomat Bader Al-Mutairi, Deputy Head of the Permanent Mission of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation in Geneva, informed KUNA of his involvement in the international Congress. He was selected to lead a discussion session and present a research paper on promoting integrity and combating corruption in Kuwait, serving as a model for Arab countries and the Islamic world.

Al-Mutairi, a doctoral researcher and academic in law and political economy, mentioned that he contributed to this concise paper, which is based on his doctoral thesis. Attendees would participate in it to emphasize the extensive measures taken by the State of Kuwait. However, he also noted that more efforts are still needed to promote integrity and transparency in participation.

He mentioned that this wasn’t his first participation; he previously chaired the inaugural congress in Rabat, Morocco, in 2019. He was honored with a certificate of scientific competence then and today received an international certificate of compliance in social responsibility along with colleagues.

Boosting community partnership

Abdullah Al-Kandari, a member of the Kuwait Teachers Association, expressed in a similar statement that participating in this event aims to boost communitypartnership, emphasizing its importance and positive impact on individuals and communities.

He thanked the regional network for organizing the fourth edition of the congress and praised its tireless efforts in this field.

He also appreciated the network’s role and dedication to achieving sustainable community development, honoring it as a representative of the Kuwaiti Teachers Association.

Enhancing charitable efforts

For her part, Fida Al-Waqian, President of the Kuwait Islamic Welfare Association, expressed her gratitude to the Kingdom of Bahrain for hosting the event in comments to KUNA.

She highlighted the significance of the fourth session of the International Congress for Community Service, which aims to sustain and enhance charitable efforts.

Ashwaq Al-Arada, Secretary of the Islamic Welfare Association, expressed her gratitude to the International Congress for honoring the association scientifically in comments to KUNA. She noted that her focus in the working paper presented during the discussion sessions was on partnership and social responsibility in the context of charitable work.

She emphasized the crucial role of community partnership in developing and sustaining charitable work, highlighting the Islamic Welfare Society’s reliance on the principles of participation and cooperation.

The event was launched under the honorary patronage of Samir Nass, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Bahrain Chamber of Commerce and Industry and President of the Federation of Arab Chambers. He served as the Honorary Sponsor of the activities of the “International Congress for Social Responsibility 2024”in its fourth edition.

Elevating social responsibility across Arab nations

In his speech during the event, Nass emphasized the importance of the congress’s chosen topic, stating that the current time requires the adoption and development of legislation and laws to strengthen social responsibility applications in Arab countries. He highlighted this as a serious step towards achieving development goals by improving cultural, educational, economic, health, and other activities related to citizens’ lives.

He commended the Regional Network for Social Responsibility for its constructive contribution and role in promoting the culture of social responsibility in the Arab region and the Middle Eastern countries overall. He anticipated enhanced cooperation and coordination among all parties to assist companies and institutions in adopting responsible practices aligned with sustainable development standards.

Institutionalizing social responsibility practices

Dr. Salah bin Ali, President of the International Congress on Social Responsibility, stated during the event that since its inception in 2007, the regional network has focused on promoting the concept of “institutionalizing social responsibility practices and applications” across various dimensions.

He mentioned initiating the call for an international day for social responsibility and advocating for its recognition by engaging with the United Nations and its specialized agencies. This effort extended to urging countries to enhance their legislation and laws on responsible practices through forums, conferences, and capacity-building programs, spanning nearly 21 countries.

He said that developing legislation and laws related to social responsibility aids in governance, standardizing practices, improving outputs and returns, and delineating the roles of relevant government agencies to enhance the performance of companies and civil society institutions in fulfilling their social responsibility.

Its contributions also help in meeting development priorities by initiating innovative initiatives that address community needs based on ethical principles.

The event witnessed the ceremony honoring the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Bahrain Chamber of Commerce and Industry with the honorary title “International Ambassador for Social Responsibility” by the Regional Network for Social Responsibility.

During the event, several personalities were honored with the International Compliance Award for Social Responsibility Practices, including from the State of Kuwait, honorary members of the Arab Fund for Social Responsibility Research, and international ambassadors for social responsibility: Dr. Badr Malallah Al-Sheikh, Dr. Musaed Mohammed Mandani, and Counselor Badr Al-Mutairi, who also holds the title of International Ambassador for Humanitarian Diplomacy.

Regarding the winners of the International Compliance Award for Social Responsibility Practices in the institutions category for the year 2024, Kuwait was also honored, with “Mabara Al-Awazem,” the “Teachers Association,” and the “Islamic Care Association”receiving recognition.

At the Scientific Competence Award in the Field of Social Responsibility for the year 2024, lawyer Abdullah Al-Enezi, President of the Second International Conference of Social Responsibility Law Jurists, was honored from Kuwait.

Kuwaiti economist Dr. Abdulaziz Al-Turki was also awarded the honorary title of “UN Ambassador for Community Partnership.”