Vă mulţumesc foarte mult pentru invitaţia la lansarea proiectului “Mame pentru viaţă. Viaţă pentru mame” în România. MSD va lucra împreună cu World Vision la un model care să previnã decesele materne evitabile şi să sprijine accesul mamelor la servicii de sănătate de calitate în unele dintre cele mai sãrace comunităţi rurale din România în judeţele Dolj, Vaslui şi Vâlcea.
Domnul ambasador Hans Klemm nu a putut participa la evenimentul de astăzi deoarece este în Statele Unite, dar atunci când a sosit la Ambasada Statelor Unite anul trecul, domnul Ambasador Klemm a trasat obiectivele ambasadei. Unul dintre aceste obiective cheie se referă la prosperitate, prosperitatea comună dintre Statele Unite şi România.
Prosperity is a broad goal, and from a business standpoint it is not just about a company’s profit margin. Prosperity also includes improving the lives of those in a company and those in local communities.
Companies make these improvements in local communities through Corporate Social Responsibility programs, known as CSR. In the United States we do not require companies to conduct CSR programs, but many companies voluntarily do it because it promotes good corporate citizenship and improves the lives of those people in surrounding communities.
As President Barack Obama said “Government and businesses have mutual responsibilities; and … if we fulfill these obligations together, it benefits us all.”
The U.S. Department of State exemplifies its strong commitment to corporate social responsibility in a comprehensive approach to providing support and guidance on areas of responsible corporate conduct. For example, our Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs (EB) provides guidance and support for U.S. companies to undertake socially responsible corporate activities and ethical business practices that promote sustainable development.
We engage with business, trade unions, and civil society to adopt and implement exemplary corporate policies. The Department promotes and recognizes exemplary CSR activities of businesses through the annual U.S. Secretary of State’s Award for Corporate Excellence, the ACE.
But CSR goes beyond the economic realm and so does our work. Our Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor’s (DRL’s) offices of International Labor Affairs, Internet Freedom, and Business and Human Rights work with companies, civil society — including unions and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) — and governments to implement policies that respect human and labor rights and maximize positive contributions to global development. CSR also now focuses on environmental impacts, as well.
Here in Romania the local American Chamber of Commerce has also highlighted the importance of CSR programs. In November 2015 AmCham launched its Community Investment Guide. The guide encourages local businesses to embrace a responsible, just and transparent behavior with regard to their CSR programs.
CSR programs highlight and underscore the notion that all companies must be good corporate citizens. Corporations, through an ethical, doing ‘good for all’ approach, contribute to the growth and development of the local economy.
Innovative CSR programs have wide ranging impact. Knock on effects include better understanding and promotion of human rights, environmental protection, anti-corruption efforts, better management of natural resources and women’s economic empowerment. It is this shared prosperity that the U.S. Embassy seeks to support as one of our key goals.
Am convingerea că proiectul “Mame pentru viaţă. Viaţă pentru mame” poate schimba viaţa femeilor din mediul rural. Acest proiect poate sã contribuie la prevenirea deceselor materne evitabile şi să sprijine accesul mamelor la servicii de sănătate de calitate.
Vă mulţumesc încă o dată pentru invitaţia la lansarea proiectului “ Mame pentru viaţă. Viaţă pentru mame” în România. Mult succes mai departe!
