HO CHI MINH ― Some 80 experts on corporate social responsibility gathered in Vietnam on Wednesday to discuss the challenges and opportunities for CSR policies in Asia.

“Against the backdrop of continuous economic growth in Asian countries, CSR has become one of the most important factors to be considered by Asian corporations,” said Paul Linnarz, regional representative for economic policy and resident representative for Japan of Konrad Adenauer Stiftung, an independent German political foundation.

Nguyen Quang Vinh, general secretary of the Vietnam Business Council for Sustainable Development, who delivered a keynote address at the forum said that a single CSR effort would never help to achieve sustainable development of the society.

“Conglomerates, NGOs and governments in Asia should set their priorities together to tackle common challenges across Asia such as climate change, corruption and poverty through CSR activities,” he said.

Jerry Bernas, Singapore-based ASEAN CSR Network’s program director and Sam Lee, CEO of Shanghai-based CSR consulting firm InnoCSR participated in a panel discussion on the kinds of CSR activities Asian corporates and investors have to provide to achieve a balance of economic and social imperatives.

The two-day conference, titled “Asia’s approach to professional corporate social responsibility,” was co-hosted by KAS and Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

By Park Han-na, Korea Herald correspondent
(hnpark@heraldcorp.com)