While delivering the keynote address at the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) in Amsterdam, last week, Queen Rania Al Abdullah of Jordan announced the formation of the Arab Sustainability Leadership Group (ASLG), the first of its kind from the region to commit to sustainability and reporting.
Al Abdullah also appealed to the audience of global business leaders to make Arab youth part of their social equity agenda.
The network, which currently brings together 16 leaders of business, government, NGOs and civil society, "will be the region’s voice on the global stage, ensuring the Arab world not only catches up, but keeps pace with the front runners in field [of sustainability]," she said.
The ASLG will encourage businesses to balance profit with environmental protection, and equal opportunity, according to a statement on Al Abdullah’s website.
Ernst Ligteringen, GRI’s CEO, said, "GRI is inspired hearing about this new development towards greater sustainability in the region. The GRI wishes the Arab Sustainability Leadership Group every success, and will look to lend support and partner with the group at every opportunity."
Queen Rania highlighted many issues that need attention in the region as she encouraged attendees to "put the boys and girls and young people of my region at the top of your boardroom agendas because a world where so many youth are hungering for opportunity is not a sustainable world".
"At the moment six million of our children are not enrolled in school; over half of them are girls. At the moment 9.2 million of our young people are illiterate; they cannot read your advertisements or fill in your job application forms. At the moment, almost 1 in 5 of our population lives below the national poverty lines: children are out laboring, instead of learning, just to make ends meet" she said.
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