Manila, Philippines, 18 September – The ASEAN CSR Network (ACN) along with 5 of its private-sector group partners from around the region signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) that will pave the way towards a formalized regional cooperation to create a common strategy against corruption in the ASEAN business community.

Addressing close to 400 delegates, Mrs. Yanti Triwadiantini, the Chair of the ACN announced the initiative at the 2014 Integrity Summit held in Manila.

In her speech, Mrs. Triwadiantini who also heads the Indonesian Business Links, a partner member of the ACN, reiterated that, “a diverse ASEAN can only be strong if it is united as one, consolidated by trust”.  Therefore for “shared growth in the region”, she said that “it is vital for us to step up the fight against any form of corruption that will destroy trust”.

As Chair of the ACN, she added that the regional network will do its part to support the cause.

Signatories to the MOU are members of the ‘Regional Working Group’.   They will uphold to cooperate with one another in the areas of sharing information, best practices and technical resources.

“One of the first of the initiatives will be to develop a regional campaign to encourage more partners to take on the challenge of eradicating corruption”, said the Chair.

“Integrity has no borders”, she continued. Based on this premise, she pointed that firstly, “as people and individuals with integrity, our values should extend to everything we do, not just at home but also in the workplace”.

Secondly, “as businesses with integrity, our corporate values must extend from within our office wall to our whole operations, value chains and investments”.

It is with these underlying principles that Ms. Triwadiantini believes that ASEAN can build a sustainable, equitable, and inclusive community.

Other signatories to the MOU include:

• Integrity Initiative (Philippines)
• Indonesia Business Links
• International Chamber of Commerce – Malaysia
• Singapore Compact for CSR
• Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry

This initiative is part of the “Enabling Business Networks in ASEAN to Combat Corruption Project” implemented by the ACN with the support of the United Kingdom Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

As a regional association of business chambers and CSR organizations, the ACN’s role is to help strengthen local stakeholders and support their work in corporate social responsibility advocacy, capacity-building and collective action.

The ACN now has representation in 7 of 10 ASEAN member-states and is continuously expanding its network of partners.  Business integrity and anti-corruption has been one of the key pillars of ACN’s work to realize a sustainable, equitable and inclusive ASEAN with the support of the UK FCO.

If you need more details, please contact Jerry Bernas, Program Director or Rosaini Sulaiman Communications Manager at info@asean-csr-network.org