The Global Forum for Sports and Environment (GforSE) conference, held at Sialkot Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI), here, on Friday, highly hailed the marvellous success achievement of Sialkot's Child Labour Eradication Programme and unanimously approved a joint declaration on "Corporate Environment Responsibility" for recognising the value of involving the private sector in achieving the United Nations Millennium Goals.
The role of the environment in the Global Compact of the United Nations Secretary General and recognising the importance that an increasing number of companies are placing on the global reporting initiative of the United Nations Environment Programme.
As many as 23 male and female delegates from the world, attended this conference at SCCL.
The General Secretary of World Federation of Sporting Goods Industry (WFSGI) Andre Gorgernans told the participants of this largely attended conference that the importance of the participation of the corporate sector in the implementation of the United Nations Decade on Education for Sustainable Development and the celebrations of the United Nations Year of Peace and Physical Education-2005 would be noted, besides, further recognising that the considerable progress has already been accomplished in incorporating environmental concerns in the work of sporting goods companies, under this deceleration.
The General Secretary of World Federation of Sporting Goods Industry (WFSGI) Andre Gorgemans said that the 23 delegates of GforSE were inspired by the social progress achieved in many parts of the world, including Lahore and Sialkot where child labour has been eliminated from the soccer ball industry of Sialkot.
In this declaration, the GforSE, World Federation of Sporting Goods Industry (WFSGI), PIEA and Sialkot Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) pledged to make all out sincere efforts to raise the importance of sustainable development and the environment in their work principles, to include the environment as a key factor in our non-financial reporting, to reduce and improve the use of water and energy during the production of the sporting goods, to introduce cleaner technology, reduce the amount of toxic and chemical waste produced and other pollution in their production facilities, to promote and sponsor children and youth activities linking good health, sport and environment, to participate in and support initiative that seek to promote the linkages between sport and the environment including with athletes, besides, raising environmental awareness and an action among company workers and athletes.
During this conference, the State Minister for Environment Malik Ameen Aslam Khan, the President Michel Perrauddin, General Secretary of World Federation of Sporting Goods Industry (WFSGL) Andre Gorgemans of WFSGI, FIFA officials Hasrtmut Stahi, Christian Hochfeld, Scot office bearers, ILO-IMAC officials Nasir Dogar and Sialkot District Nazim Mian Naeem Javaid highly hailed the unique export culture of Sialkot and its socio-economic development by local business community and Sialkot Child Labour Eradication Programme of Sialkot under which the child labour has completely been eliminated from Sialkot's export oriented soccer ball industry and said that this programme has become a model programme from the sports goods industry of the world, advising all the member countries' companies replicate it.
President Michel Perrauddin, General Secretary of World Federation of Sporting Goods Industry (WFSGI) Andre Gorgemans steered the need of adopting some positive and an effective measures for boosting and booming up the Sialkot's export-oriented sports goods industry on priority basis, through ensuring the sustainability of the continues Child Labour Eradication Programme in Sialkot and its up to date monitoring by the SCCT and ILO-IMAC.