Zain joins UN initiative for responsible business practices
Zain Group, a leading telecommunications operator across the Middle East and Africa, has joined the United Nations (UN) Global Compact initiative, a voluntary leadership platform for the development, implementation, and disclosure of responsible business practices.
The UN Global Compact is a call to companies everywhere to align their operations and strategies with ten universally accepted principles in the areas of human rights, labour, environment, and anti-corruption, and to take action in support of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Commenting on Zain becoming a participant of the UN Global Compact, Bader Al-Kharafi, Zain Vice-Chairman and Group CEO said, “Zain is committed to creating the world we all want by embedding the UN Global Compact and its 10 principles as part of the overarching strategy, culture, and day-to-day operations.
“In our own capacity to establish a ‘wonderful world’, through its business practices Zain is already addressing climate change; upholding human rights; protecting children in the digital and physical realms; and clamping down on corruption, which are all elements that will be further amplified through our entry into the UN Global Compact and its mission,” he added.
Reducing carbon footprint and protecting employees
Launched in 2000, the UN Global Compact is the largest corporate sustainability initiative in the world, with more than 15,000 companies and 3,000 non-business signatories based in over 160 countries, and more than 70 local networks.
Through joining the UN Compact, Zain is recommitting to supporting and respecting human rights and reassuring all company stakeholders are protected. This is already reflected in Zain’s code of conduct, HR policy and supplier code of conduct policy, ensuring that across Zain’s value chain, the business respects its employees and treats them all equally without any form of discrimination.
Climate change is a pressing global issue, and Zain is committed to bringing about systemic change by adopting energy efficient solutions and reducing its carbon footprint. It recently published its 11th annual Sustainability Report entitled, “A Resilient Journey” disclosing its ESG indicators as well as its annual thought leadership report entitled, “The Climate Crisis - Achieving Net-Zero for a Sustainable Future” that explores various important topics related to working towards a Net-Zero economy.
