UN Envoy on Climate Change, Aganga, Nta, Imoke, Otti, Phillips, others to Participate at continent-wide Conference on CSR

All is now set to host the United Nations Special Envoy on Climate Change; Dr. Gro Brundtland when she visits Nigeria to headline the 2012 Africa CEO Round-table & Conference on Corporate Sustainability & Responsibility (AR-CSR™) scheduled to take place at the Tinapa Business Resort, Calabar, Cross River State from June 28-29, 2012, as Keynote Speaker.

The youngest ever, Two-time, First & Only Female Prime Minister of Norway, Former Director General, World Health Organisation, Chairman, UN World Commission on the Environment and Development (aka Brundtland Commission) will be joined by Graham Sinclair, President, Africa Sustainable Investment Forum and Principal, SinCo. In a statement by the conveners, ThistlePraxis Consulting Limited; the speaker line up ranges from international and continental experts on various fields relating to sustainable development.

The very impressive line-up of speakers include: Dr. Deogratias Brakamfitiye, Country Director for Senegal, Institute for Security Studies; Barr. Ekpo Nta, Acting Chairman, Independent Corrupt Practices & other related offences Commission (ICPC); Ms. Chantal Uwimana, Regional Director for Africa, Transparency

International; Mr. Olusegun Aganga, Honourable Minister for Trade & Investments; Chairman, Nigeria Economic Summit Group, Foluso Phillips; Dr. Kasirim Nwuke, Chief, Quality Assurance Section, Office of Planning & Management, United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA); Dr. Alex Otti, Group Managing Director/CEO, Diamond Bank Plc; Mumo Kivuitu, Executive Director, Ufadhili Trust, Kenya; Humphrey Harrison, Managing Director, EEE Mediation Limited, United Kingdom; Steven Evans, CEO, Etisalat Nigeria; Bob White, President, BRI International Inc. Canada; Engr. Ernest Nwapa, Director General, Nigeria Content Development Board; Dr. Joseph Odumodu MFR, Director General, Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON); Barbara James; CEO, Henshaw Capital Partners amongst many others.

The 2012 Africa CEO Round-table and Conference on CSR (AR-CSR™), with the theme: ‘Sustainable Development: Expanding Economic Opportunities for Public-Private Synergy’ is an industry flagship, all-inclusive CSR & Sustainability management event of the year and the first of its kind in Africa. Leaders from a variety of sectors from far and wide within and outside the continent will gather to share their expertise and experiences on an array of Business and Development topics.

A high-level roundtable session strictly for CEOs, GEDs, Captains of Industries and Board Chairmen around the continent, followed by a one-and-a-half-day conference that will be open to participation by all interested professionals; organisers say will certainly spark off fireworks of sustainable ideas. Other activities include the Sustainable Solutions Showcase (an exhibition on Sustainability & Sustainable solutions in partnership with the Nigeria Leadership Initiative), Eco-Tourism Tour, and Cocktails & Gala Dinner amongst other inspiring and intellectually stimulating activities.

According to the Lead Consultant/CEO of ThistlePraxis Consulting; Ini Onuk; ‘the choice of Dr. Brundtland is very instructive and is intended to mark the 20^th year of the first global platform on Sustainable Development which was inspired by the United Nations World Commission on Environment and Development, chaired by our Keynote Speaker and renamed the Brundtland Commission’.

ThistlePraxis Consulting Limited, an Assessments and Strategy Firm, is presenting the 2012 AR-CSR™ in strategic partnership with Friends of the Global Fund, Africa (Friends Africa) and CAPPS Consult. The Cross River State Government is also partnering with this agenda-setting event, as Official Host.

In further comments, Ini Onuk re-iterated the essence of this gathering;  ‘…from a business perspective, sustainable development favors an approach based on capturing system dynamics, building resilient and adaptive systems, anticipating and managing variability and risk, and earning a profit.’

Friends of the Global Fund, Africa; CAPPS Consult, Nigeria Leadership Initiative, Lagos State Signage & Advertising Agency (LASAA), Khumo Marketing Group South Africa, Connect Marketing Services, JustMeans and Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) are event partners.

The last edition of the event with the theme: ‘The Business Case for CSR and its impact on African Economies’ held in June 2011. Mary Robinson, Former President of Ireland and President, Mary Robinson Foundation and Prof. Craig Smith, INSEAD Chaired Professor on Ethics and Responsibility participated as Keynote Speaker and Lead Discussant, respectively.

Participation at the 2012 AR-CSR™ is strictly by registration. More details can be obtained from http://www.ar-csr.com.