Supporting responsible business conduct by Chinese companies operating in Africa: ICRC signs MoU with Alliance of Chinese Business in Africa for Social Responsibilities

On 7 September, 2024, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the Alliance of Chinese Business in Africa for Social Responsibilities (ACBASR) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in Beijing. The signing ceremony took place during the 2024 China-Africa Industrial Cooperation Conference (CAICC) organized by the Alliance.

The ACBASR is a non-governmental, non-profit organization voluntarily established by more than 1,700 members at the initiative of the Chinese President. It seeks to support Chinese enterprises operating in Africa to participate in and contribute to autonomous and sustainable development of African countries. In 2021, the Alliance launched the “100 Enterprises and 1,000 Villages” initiative, mobilizing at least 100 Chinese enterprises to fulfil their corporate social responsibility (CSR) in Africa in at least a thousand  villages and towns.

By signing the MoU, the ICRC and the Alliance will jointly organize activities such as thematic seminars and technical exchanges, and collaborate on case studies and research.

Boris Kelecevic, Deputy Head of the ICRC Regional Delegation for East Asia, also presented at a panel themed “Social Responsibilities Promote People’s Livelihood,” presenting the Toolkit on Responsible Business and Security Management in Complex Environments as key guidance. In terms of next steps, the ICRC and the Alliance will discuss and identify specific activities based on the broad MoU priorities, including DCAF-ICRC capacity building of companies on responsible business and security management.

More news:

• Read the ICRC’s full article on the event here!
• Wechat article
• Weibo article

Useful resources:

• Project highlight on DCAF-ICRC’s project supporting responsible business conduct by Chinese companies
• Chinese-language page of the Knowledge Hub
  

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