November 1, 2023: OICCI organized the 2nd Pakistan Climate Conference at OICCI Building, Talpur Road, Karachi. The conference aimed to keep the dialog, initiated in PCC 2022, active across several critical areas advocating for an effective policy direction and provide best practices from the private sector, needed to accelerate the nation’s climate positive journey.
The 2nd Pakistan Climate Conference 2023 brought together global and local climate change experts, business leaders, policymakers and social change activists under one roof. Dr. Shamshad Akhtar, Minister of Finance, Muhammad Ali, Minister of Energy, Adil Najam, WWF Global President, Bill Winters, Global CEO Standard Chartered Bank, Philip Skinner, Managing Director GuarantCo, Sarah Mooney, British Deputy High Commissioner, Akif Saeed, Chairman SECP among other leading business and thought leaders addressed the conference.
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“OICCI Women” is a flagship initiative of the chamber that is aimed at giving women a fair opportunity to take leadership roles in our member companies. Over the years, this initiative has morphed into embracing the Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) agenda as well, with a special focus on increasing women inclusion in Pakistan’s economy. As a thought leader for gender inclusion in Pakistan, the OICCI has remained a stalwart in promoting women empowerment. It has consistently raised its voice to improve women empowerment efforts beyond the scope of the corporate sector. The OICCI conducted a detailed research with over 400 women across multiple industries to prepare a set of recommendations to add value to government policy on women inclusion in the economy by ensuring a level playing field in the professional sector.
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The fast-paced development of digital technologies and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic have served to transform the economy of Pakistan in a manner in which it is both necessary and urgent to adapt to the current circumstances of technological change. It is imperative that the government must act in a manner that anticipates the complex and changing nature of the economy via technology to develop the necessary regulations and policies to facilitate a thriving and flourishing digital economic ecosystem.
OICCI Digital Report 2022 offers key recommendations on the various facets of the digital transformation of economy including digital infrastructure and connectivity, government, private sector, mass digital use cases and emerging web 3.0 technologies for the government and policymakers to experience a key paradigm shift and accelerate innovation in Pakistan. While these recommendations are by no means comprehensive in nature, they reflect the key sectors and segments of the economy that the OICCI member companies believe can be leveraged to create the most impact for the future.
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Food security remains a primary objective for foreign investors. Our members consist of some of the top global crop-science and agricultural research companies working to improve agricultural productivity in Pakistan. Nutrition has always been vital for a growing economy.
Growth in the agriculture sector has been found, on average, to be at least twice as effective in reducing poverty as growth in other sectors. Food insecurity – often rooted in poverty – decreases the ability of countries to develop their agricultural markets and economies. Increasing agricultural productivity remains a hallmark for OICCI as we believe that unlocking the potential in the agriculture sector will help set the economy on a path of sustainable growth. OICCI Recommendations on Agriculture Productivity revolve primarily around transfer of technology.
Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) grant creators and inventors exclusive rights over their intellectual creations, allowing them to benefit commercially and gain recognition for their efforts. Protecting IPR is crucial for attracting and retaining foreign investment and promoting research and innovation. Many foreign investors, who are members of OICCI, own IPR in the form of patents, trademarks, and copyrights. Therefore, OICCI considers monitoring the IPR regime in Pakistan, in coordination with IPO-Pakistan (Intellectual Property Organization of Pakistan), as an essential part of its agenda. OICCI actively participates in IPO-Pakistan’s policy board meetings and shares its input.
The OICCI Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Report 2021-2022 highlights the significant social and community-related initiatives undertaken by foreign investors in Pakistan. The survey results reaffirm the commitment of OICCI members to support the socio-economic development of the communities in which they operate.
In the 2021-2022 period, OICCI members collectively invested over Rs12 billion in CSR activities, reaching around 46 million direct beneficiaries across Pakistan. The members dedicated 1.5 million man-hours and partnered with over 280 social and development sector organizations to execute their unique CSR programs.
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