Asean CSR

ASEAN CSR Fellowship 2018 - Module 2 will convene in Ho Chi Minh City, Viet Nam on 2-6 July 2018.

The learning objective is to build on their understanding of responsible business as it applies across ASEAN, by following up with Vietnam’s business integrity and anti-corruption initiatives, and explore human rights and labour issues in migration. Module 2 will also introduce the concept of sustainable development and deep dive into the fourth industrial revolution and its impact on responsible business. Fellows will go through a series of trainings, including but not limited to ethical recruitment, and cost and benefit analysis of responsible business.

How can we address the missing middle financing gap for MSMEs? ACN convened a Roundtable on Financial Inclusion for MSMEs in ASEAN  on 27 June 2018 in Singapore to discuss this key finding of a report conducted with ASEAN-Business Advisory Council (ASEAN-BAC), Oxfam and AVPN.The missing middle gap refers a finding that early- to growth-stage MSMEs requiring ticket sizes of between USD5,000 to USD2 million remain underserved by financiers, usually exceeding upper thresholds for microfinance, but are perceived by financial institutions to be too small and costly.

ASEAN CSR Network organised a Webinar on Financial Inclusion of Micro, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (MSMEs) on  21 June 2018.

ACN's CEO Mr Thomas Thomas (middle) met with ILO's Director General Mr Guy Ryder (right) on 13 June 2018 in Singapore to discuss the promotion of the Decent Work agenda in the region and on safe migration of labour.

ASEAN’s rapid rise over the past few decades has been driven primarily by what can be called Factory Asia. As one of the world’s largest workshops, the region provided cheap and abundant labour, producing many of the consumer goods the world demands. While the AEC will provide greater mobility for workers, so far the discussions have been focused on skilled workers and professionals in specific sectors. The bigger challenge of protecting the rights of the majority of workers, particularly migrant workers, in the region in semi- and low-skilled sectors is yet to be addressed. If proper labour protection measures are not followed, ASEAN expansion, especially expansion of the manufacturing industry and related sectors, may only serve to further worsen the wealth and income inequality in the region, with the poor losing out on an opportunity to uplift their lives.