The European Chamber of Commerce of Sri Lanka (ECCSL) proudly handed over the report titled ‘Developing an Inclusive Business Accreditation System in Sri Lanka: Learnings from International Certifications’ to the Sustainable Development Council (SDC)

The European Chamber Of Commerce Of Sri Lanka (ECCSL) handed over the Report titled ‘Developing an Inclusive Business Accreditation System in Sri Lanka: Learnings from International Certifications’ to the Sustainable Development Council (SDC) today. On behalf of the ECCSL, its President Hatem Rajabdeen presented a copy of the Report to the Director General of SDC, Chamindry Saparamadu this morning.

The Report includes a study conducted in consultation with the SDC as part of the ECCSL’s support to creating an Inclusive Business Accreditation System in Sri Lanka in line with the recommendations of the Strategy to Promote Inclusive and Sustainable Businesses in Sri Lanka. It was produced in partnership with the Strengthening Social Cohesion and Peace in Sri Lanka (SCOPE) program co-financed by the European Union and the German Federal Foreign Office and implemented by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) and the Ministry of Justice.

The document reviews government-led accreditations for Inclusive Businesses and social enterprises, as well as prominent non-government-led accreditations that measure businesses’ social and/or environmental impact. Drawing on insights and lessons from these diverse accreditation models, the document provides key recommendations to support the development of a robust and effective Inclusive Business Accreditation System in Sri Lanka.

Globally, there is an increasing trend in supportive government policy for inclusive business. In 2015, the G20 endorsed the G20 Leaders’ Call on Inclusive Business, the G20 Inclusive Business Framework, and called for the creation of the G20 Global Platform on Inclusive Business. Recent policy reforms in Asia also reflect a strong political will to spur inclusive growth and improve the lives of people with low income through Inclusive Business models. In 2017, leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) acknowledged the need to create an enabling environment for inclusive business through conducive rules and regulations. This culminated in the ASEAN Economic Ministers endorsing the Guidelines for the Promotion of Inclusive Business in ASEAN in August 2020.

William Baxter, Project Lead- Inclusive Business of the ECCSL , Nicolas Lamade, Head of SCOPE Project, Aranya Rajasingam and Hasanthi Jayasinghe, Advisors to GIZ and Sheron Hewawaduge, Assistant Director of SDC were also present at this occasion.