Global Summit on Social Responsibility

29 October 2013, Quito, Ecuador - UNITAR, in collaboration with the Municipality of Quito, EKOS Corporation and the Institute of Technical Standards and Certifications hosted last week the Global Summit on Social Responsibility. The Summit which took place in Quito focused on the future and trends of social responsibility.

It gathered more than 1200 national and international participants who came from the public and private sectors as well as from the academia and civil society. Furthermore, it convened over 20 renowned experts from different parts of the world who shared best social responsibility practices and experiences that are related to innovation, inclusive business, value chain and consumers.

UNITAR’s expert, Dr. Michael Hopkins, a renowned specialist on CSR with several best-selling books to his account, discussed the rise of social responsibility in the past 15 years and its extension to the different dimensions of society. Dr. Hopkins also explored a comprehensive understanding of the concept, which refers to treating all stakeholders of a government, company or any other institution in a responsible way, ensuring a balance between society’s needs and the ecosystem.

This 2-days event provided an international platform to debate various social responsibility issues, contributing to the enhancement of competitiveness and the promotion of socially responsible regions, cities and territories. As a real commitment to social responsibility, the event will be replicated on a yearly basis in different cities of the world.

In the framework of this Summit, two key actions were put in place to further strengthen the road to embrace social responsibility: the creation of the “Latin American Council on Social Responsibility” as well as the signing of the Quito Declaration. This unique declaration, which highlights the expectations and commitments of the Summit, can be read here in English and in Spanish.