DUSHANBE, January 22, 201, Asia-Plus -- A roundtable meeting entitled “Corporate Social Responsibility in Benefit of Business and Society” is taking part at the Vefa center in Dushanbe today.

Organized by the National Association of Small and Medium-sized Businesses of Tajikistan (Nambst) under support of the Aga Khan Fund for Economic Development (AKFED), the meeting aims to discuss issues related to integrating corporate social responsibility into the business main production activity and strengthening of partnership with organizations of civil society, the source at Nambst said.

According to him, representatives from business companies of Tajikistan and Russia are participating at the meeting.

Information about introduction of corporate social responsibility (CSR) into practical activity of AKFED and use of model of influence area for creation of fundamentals of CSR will be provided during the meeting, the source added.

The Aga Khan Fund for Economic Development (AKFED) is an international development agency dedicated to promoting entrepreneurship and building economically sound enterprises in the developing world.  AKFED focuses on building enterprises in parts of the world that lack sufficient foreign direct investment. It also makes bold but calculated investments in situations that are fragile and complex.

Corporate social responsibility (CSR), also known as corporate responsibility, corporate citizenship, responsible business, sustainable responsible business (SRB), or corporate social performance, is a form of corporate self-regulation integrated into a business model.  Ideally, CSR policy would function as a built-in, self-regulating mechanism whereby business would monitor and ensure its adherence to law, ethical standards, and international norms.  Business would embrace responsibility for the impact of their activities on the environment, consumers, employees, communities, stakeholders and all other members of the public sphere.  Furthermore, business would proactively promote the public interest by encouraging community growth and development, and voluntarily eliminating practices that harm the public sphere, regardless of legality.  Essentially, CSR is the deliberate inclusion of public interest into corporate decision-making, and the honoring of a triple bottom line: People, Planet, and Profit.