His Excellency Dr. Abdullah Al-Matouq A Global Figure of Social Responsibility
His Excellency Dr. Abdullah Al-Matouq is a high-profile and influential figure in the humanitarian and philanthropic fields and responsible practices that pro¬mote sustainable development. His Excellency Dr. Al-Matouq is an active partner in the Regional Network for Social Responsibility. His Excellency is also an honor¬ary member of the International Federation for Social Responsibility (IFSR). The fol¬lowing are some examples of his honorary participation with the Regional Network for Social Responsibility: -
Amman International Conference on Social Responsibility 2016
The 2016 Oman International Conference on Social Responsibility was held at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Salalah, Sultanate of Oman under the patronage of His High¬ness Mr. Faisal bin Turki Al Said, President of Special Olympics Oman and President of the Special Olympics Oman Association. The conference was held from Decem¬ber 20-22, 2016, with the participation of a number of Their Highnesses, Excellencies, honorees and officials from various government and private entities from the Gulf Cooperation Council countries and the Arab world, organized by the Regional Net¬work for Social Responsibility and the Oman Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Dhofar Governorate, with the support of the conference strategic partner Salalah Methanol Company, (the pioneers of social responsibility.) During the conference, His Excellency Dr. Abdullah Al-Matouq was honored with the CSR Personality of the Year Award for 2016. His Excellency delivered a speech during the award cere¬mony in which he said: “I would like to extend my sincere thanks and gratitude to the organizers of this conference for their kind invitation. He pointed out that social responsibility and its lofty principles endorsed by the United Nations Organization and its specialized agencies cannot be overlooked in light of the severe humanitar¬ian crises witnessed by the world. He added: “My selection as the 2016 Social Re¬sponsibility Person of the Year is an additional assignment and a new responsibili¬ty to contribute with you to the development of societies, in light of the need for ev¬eryone to join hands to invest the available tools in order to care for human welfare and activate the principles.
The Second Donor Conference and Awards 2016
The Regional Social Responsibility Network (RSRN), in partnership with the OIC Humanitarian Funds, organized the Second Donor Conference and Awards for 2016 on 27-28 December 2016, under the honorary patronage of His Excellency Mr. Ali bin Saleh Al Saleh, Chairman of the Bahraini Shura Council, under the theme ‘Is¬lamic Donor Institutions with Global Sustainability Standards’. During the confer¬ence chaired by Sharafit, His Excellency Dr. Abdullah Al-Matouq, Advisor to His Highness the late Emir of Kuwait and President of the International Islamic Chari¬ty Organization, was honored with ‘the Honorary Person of the Year Award in the field of grants for 2016’ in recognition of the efforts of the State of Kuwait and the International Islamic Charitable Organisation as one of its institutions working in the field of charitable and humanitarian work locally and internationally, after the achievements recorded by the Organisation in serving humanity and advancing the process of development and construction.
International Congress for Social Responsibility 2019
Under the honorary patronage of the Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Moroc¬co, Dr. Saad Eddine El Othmani, the Regional Network for Social Responsibility or¬ganized the International Congress for Social Responsibility 2019, under the theme: Business Ethics and Social Responsibility. International experiences in enhancing competitiveness, during the period from 26-28 September 2019, at the Sofitel Rabat Jardin Des Rabat, Morocco, with the participation of leaders and members of the Re¬gional Network for Social Responsibility and its international ambassadors, and ma¬ny experts and specialists in the fields of social responsibility from Arab countries and abroad, in addition to international experts from United Nations organizations, with the participation of representatives of 12 Arab and African countries. During the conference, His Excellency Dr. Abdullah Matouq Al-Matouq was honored with the European Award in Business Ethics for 2019, for his great efforts in promoting practices of business ethics and their applications at the national and international levels. During these great activities, his Excellency was also awarded the honorary membership of the International Federation for Social Responsibility (IFSR) and the 2009 CSR Personality of the Year Award.
The Fifth Donor Conference and Awards 2021
Under the patronage of His Excellency Mr. Ali bin Saleh Al-Saleh, Chairman of the Shura Council in the Kingdom ofBahrain, the Fifth Donor Conference and Awards 2021, organized by the UN Center for Donor Services, a member of the Regional Net¬work for Social Responsibility and the Global Expert Consulting Group, was held under the theme Donors from Sponsoring Humanitarian Projects to Building Peace in Conflict Areas, participated by a number of experts and speakers on the theme of the conference, in addition to holding a number of specialized workshops on July 31, 2021. His Excellency Dr. Abdullah Al-Matouq was the honorary guest of honor at the conference and honored with the 2021 Excellence in Grants Award - Donor.
International Congress of Social Responsibility 2021
The activities of the second session of the International Congress for Social Re¬sponsibility (2021), as well as the Fifth Forum of International Ambassadors for So¬cial Responsibility (2021), were held under the honorary patronage of the Prime Min¬ister of the Kyrgyz Republic, with the participation of the Honorary Guest of Honor Dr. Abdullah Matouq Al-Matouq, President of the International Islamic Charity Or¬ganization from the State of Kuwait, in addition to senior Kyrgyz government fig¬ures, members of Parliament and His Eminence the Mufti of the Republic, Their Ex¬cellencies the International Ambassadors for Social Responsibility and a large num¬ber of experts and consultants in CSR fields from Arab and Islamic countries and abroad. In addition to representatives of the diplomatic corps to the Kyrgyz Repub¬lic, organized by the Regional Network for Social Responsibility and in partnership and support of Kuwait’s Al-Salam Society for Humanitarian and Charitable Works in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. During the event, several scientific papers were presented in addition to specialized workshops in the fields of social responsibility. During the event, His Excellency Dr. Abdullah Al-Maatouq was honored for his honorary sponsorship of this major scientific event and his role in the fields of social respon¬sibility. The event was held between August 25-29, 2021.
International CSR Congress 2022
As part of the activities of the International Day of Social Responsibility for the year 2022, and under the honorary patronage of His Excellency Dr. Abdullah Al-Maatouq, Chairman of the International Islamic Charity Organization in Ku¬wait, the special Advisor to the Secretary-General of the United Nations, the Am¬man Arab University, headquartered in the capital of Jordan, hostedon Thursday, September 22, 2023, the International Congress for Social Responsibility in its third edition for the year 2022, under the theme (Towards the adoption of a guiding ini¬tiative for the standardization of social responsibility in Arab countries), organized by the Regional Network for Social Responsibility (RNSR), The event was organized by the Regional Network for Social Responsibility in cooperation with the Univer¬sity of Amman, in the honorary presence of HE Prof. Dr. Mohammed Al Widyan, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Amman, HE Dr. Talal Abu-Ghazaleh, Chair¬man of Talal Abu-Ghazaleh Organization, HE Prof. Yousef Abdel Ghaffar, Chair¬man of the Regional Network for Social Responsibility, HE Dr. Nabil Bin Hamad Al Awn, Chairman of Al Salam Society for Charitable and Humanitarian Works in Kuwait and HE Ms. Salma Boudina, Director of the United Nations Global Com¬pact National Network (UNGCN). During the event, His Excellency Dr. Abdullah Al-Matouq was honored with the UN Global Compact Advocate Award presented by the UN Global Compact National Network of the Kingdom of Morocco in part¬nership with the Regional Network for Social Responsibility, a member of the UN Global Compact Initiative.
The most influential Arab personalities in the field of social responsibil¬ity for 2022
The Regional Network for Social Responsibility (RNSR) has announced the most influential Arab personalities in the field of social responsibility for the year 2022, according to its professional ranking in its fourth edition.
The results of this fourth edition of the competition were announced in late Jan¬uary 2023 on the occasion of the organization of the 11th Regional Network for So¬cial Responsibility Partners Forum 2023.
The list in its fourth edition included in its honorary category His Excellency Dr. Abdullah Matouq Al-Matouq, Chairman of the International Islamic Charity Orga¬nization.
Seventh Donor Conference and Awards 2023
Under the patronage of H.E. Dr. Abdullah Matouq Al-Matouq, Chairman of the International Islamic Charity Organization and in the august presence of H.E. Am-bassador Dr. Ahmed bin Mohammed Al-Muraikhi, Special Envoy of H.E. the Secre¬tary-General of the United Nations, H.E. Sheikha Hessa bin Khalifa bin Ahmed Al- Thani, Envoy of H.E. the Arab League Secretary-General for Humanitarian Relief, Sheikha Azza Al Sabah, International CSR Ambassador, H.E. Dr. Nabil bin Hamad Al Awn, Chairman of the Al-Salam Society for Humanitarian and Charitable Works, Kuwait - the humanitarian partner for the Conference, H.E. Dr. Badr Malallah Oth¬man, Director General of the Arab Planning Institute (API) in Kuwait, the strategic partner of the conference, H.E. Dr. Talal Abu-Ghazaleh, International Ambassador for Social Responsibility, the Donor Services Center of the Regional Network for So¬cial Responsibility in cooperation with the Arab Planning Institute (API) in Kuwait and in partnership with a number of Government bodies in Kuwait and abroad, or¬ganized the seventh Donor Conference and Awards for 2023. The conference hon¬ored His Excellency Dr. Abdullah Al-Matouq for his honorary patronage and sup¬port of the conference and its various events. The conference was held on May 25, 2023, where the papers and workshops of the seventh session discussed the topic of donor priorities in facing national and international challenges to enhance the sus¬tainability of impact and quality of outputs), at the headquarter of the Arab Plan¬ning Institute in Kuwait. With the participation of many international experts, guests of honor and international ambassadors for social responsibility and partnership.
Kuwait Forum, the center of humanitarian work for 2023
The activities of the Kuwait Center for Humanitarian Work Forum for 2023, or¬ganizedby the Regional Network for Social Responsibility in cooperation with the Superior Achievement Institute for Training and Consultations and in humanitari¬an partnership with the Al-Salam Society for Humanitarian and Charitable Works, Kuwait and the Arab Planning Institute, under the honorary patronage of the Spe¬cial Advisor to the United Nations Secretary-General and Chairman of the International Islamic Charitable Organisation, His Excellency Dr. Abdullah Al-Matouq and honorary chaired by the Chairman of the Al-Salam Society for Humanitarian and Charitable Works, Kuwait, Dr. Nabil Al-Awn. The forum was held on the oc¬casion of the ninth anniversary of the selection of the State of Kuwait as a center for humanitarian work by the United Nations Organization, from 5-7 September 2023, at the headquarter of the Arab Planning Institute (API) and the forum dealt with the topic “Kuwaiti humanitarian work between the sustainability of giving and the quality of impact nationally and internationally”. During the events, His Excellen¬cy Dr. Abdullah Al-Matouq stressed in his speech saying that “Kuwait is very keen on charitable work according to a consistent approach based on the quality of giv¬ing and sustainability of impact adding that the forum “comes at a time when the world faces many challenges that require concerted humanitarian efforts that are an integral part of Kuwait’s strategy and approach, which has a clear humanitari¬an and charitable footprint.” His Excellency Dr. Al-Matouq recalled the phrase of the Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations, which he said to the late Prince Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad, the leader of humanitarian work, may God rest his soul, that humanitarian and charitable work runs in the blood and veins Of the people of Kuwait”, which confirms the world’s belief in Kuwait’s relentless humanitari¬an efforts, noting that Kuwait’s charitable leadership has extended its regional and global impact year after year until Kuwait’s philanthropic leadership extended its regional and global impact year after year until Kuwait assumed the forefront of the humanitarian scene in the last decade, by supporting many humanitarian ini¬tiatives, as well as organizing humanitarian conferences in several countries until it deserved international recognition in September 2014 by being selected by the United Nations Organization as a “Center for Humanitarian Action” and naming “His Highness the late Emir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad as the leader of humanitari¬an work.” and naming “His Highness the late Emir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad as the leader of humanitarian work.”
Jerusalem International Conference on Sustainable Development Appli¬cations in the Charitable Sector 2023
His Excellency the Chairman of the International Islamic Charity Organization, Special Advisor to the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Dr. Abdullah Al-Ma¬touq, participated in the “Jerusalem International Conference on Applications of Sus¬tainable Development in the Charitable Sector 2023”, which was held at Al-Quds University on Thursday, September 14, 2023 and organized by the Jerusalem Endow¬ment Fund in partnership with Al-Quds University, Regional Network for Social Responsibility and Munib and Angela El-Masri Foundation. Dr. Al-Matouq, as the honorary guest of honor of the conference, delivered a speech in which he stressed that the State of Kuwait, with its various positions, will remain loyal to the people throughout the land of Palestine, mainly Jerusalem, as it spares no effort in launch¬ing various humanitarian initiatives in the blessed land, indicating that the human¬itarian situation in Palestine occupies the utmost importance in the work agenda of the International Islamic Charitable Organisation. Education is one of the most im¬portant programs it works on to provide high-quality educational opportunities.
In partnership with Al-Quds University and the Regional Network for Social Responsibility, the establishment of an Arab and international alliance to support the city of Jerusalem was announced under the name “Jerusalem Donor Network”, coinciding with the tenth anniversary of the establishment of the Al-Quds Endow¬ment Fund. His Excellency Dr. Abdullah Al-Matouq agreed to chair this alliance. A special event was also held on the occasion of the conference, organized by the Jerusalem Endowment Fund, under the slogan “A Decade of Giving, the Journey Continues”, to honor His Excellency Dr. Abdullah Al-Matouq, Chairman of the In¬ternational Islamic Charity Organization, Special Advisor to the Secretary-General of the United Nations.
International summits for social responsibility for the year 2023
Under the patronage of His Excellency Mr. Akylbek Üsönbek uulu Japarov, Chair¬man of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Kyrgyz Republic and with the honorary pres¬ence of His Excellency Dr. Abdullah Al-Matouq, Special Advisor to the Secretary-Gen¬eral of the United Nations, the 2023 International Social Responsibility Summits were held in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, from 19-21 October 2023, jointly organized by the Regional Network for Social Responsibility, Al-Salam Society for Humanitarian and Charitable Works of Kuwait and with the wide participation of high-level Arab and Kyrgyz personalities. His Excellency Dr. Abdullah Matouq Al-Matouq, Special Ad¬visor to the Secretary-General of the United Nations, delivered the keynote speech at the opening ceremony, in which he said, “I am pleased at the beginning of my speech to extend the highest levels of thanks and gratitude to His Excellency the Prime Minister of the Kyrgyz Republic for his honorary patronage of this summit. and his country’s hosting of this elite group of experts, ambassadors and research¬ers in the fields of sustainable social responsibility, its creative initiatives, and its ef¬fective applications. He also thanked the leaders of Al-Salam Society for Humani¬tarian and Charitable Works and the Regional Network for Social Responsibility for their cooperation in mobilizing specialists, interested parties and leaders of Arab organizations under one umbrella during this international event to exchange ideas, identify best practices and experiences in the field of social responsibility applica¬tions and strengthen partnerships in this vital field. His Excellency added that Islam expressed the concept of social responsibility more than 1400 years ago and exalted its noble charitable purposes in its dear book, as Almighty God says: “And cooper¬ate in righteousness and piety”, and also says: “ whoever does good of his own ac-cord, it is better for him, and also says: ‘’and gives wealth, in spite of love for it, to relatives, orphans, the needy, the traveler’’ The verses that reinforce this concept al¬so include: “And in their wealth there is a right for the asker and the deprived,” and “Whoever does what is good will see it”. In the Prophetic Sunnah, the exhortation to social responsibility and the spirit of initiative is evident in its purest meaning, such as: “Each of you is a shepherd and is responsible for his flock”, “There should be neither harming nor reciprocating harm.”, “The best people are those who are most helpful to people”, and “The believers in their mutual kindness, compassion and sympathy are just like one body. When one of the limbs suffers, the whole body responds to it with wakefulness and fever”. The Islamic heritage is full of forms and concepts of social responsibility. The creation of human beings and entrusting them to the earth to reconstruct it is a social responsibility, and human and Islamic values such as compassion, solidarity and the spread of justice and righteousness are a so¬cial responsibility. The obligation to pay Zakat and spend it in its legitimate places is also a social responsibility, as is fighting fraud and cheating, and supporting peo¬ple to preserve the five essentials such as preserving religion, soul, mind, money and offspring is a social responsibility, without which life is not straightforward. Therefore, social responsibility is part of the human ethics that we must preserve, spread, empower and promote. Those who follow the path of Islamic civilization realize that Islamic endowments constituted a fundamental building block in the economic construction of the Ummah, and showed the great role that the society can contribute in filling shortages and facing challenges that governments are un¬able to solve. The role of the endowment was evident in the educational aspect, as evidenced by the great schools built by the benefactors of the Ummah, in which the great scholars graduated, who provided human knowledge with precious sciences and the best scientific literature, such as Ibn Sinai, Al-Khwarizmi, Jabir bin Hayyan and other scholars in various fields of knowledge. Islamic schools provided them with the appropriate environment for research and excellence, and Muslims around the world are still using endowment funds to build mosques, hospitals, universities, schools and other good deeds. His Excellency Dr. Al-Matouq added that in my coun¬try, Kuwait, the people have known charitable work since 1613, when a group of families settled in this good land on the shores of the Arabian Gulf, and the sea formed an important axis in their lives, as it was a source of livelihood, giving and goodness, and with it grew the values of compassion, solidarity and (Fazaa) to help those stranded while sailing. This is why Kuwaitis have been known throughout history for their overwhelming love of charitable work and their belief in its Islam¬ic values and its humanitarian message, based on the commitment of the people of Kuwait to the principles of Islamic Sharia and the fulfilment of the pillars of Islam, including the giving of Zakat, this approach that manifested itself in times of hard¬ship and difficulty, and history records in this context pioneering models and im¬ages of giving and voluntary work. They rushed to provide aid and relief to those passing through their community, including merchants and divers and those whose ships broke down and were stranded. They also built walls and fences to fortify their country against any potential aggression. Over time, charitable work developed and took root in the hearts of the people of Kuwait, and the fathers inherited from their ancestors a tremendous heritage of humanitarian work, such as helping neighbors when their families travel, solidarity in times of distress, and visiting on the poor and needy. The people of Kuwait set an example and model in the construction of educational schools and endowments, so they established the Mubarakiya School, the first voluntary school in 1912 and the Ahmadiyya School in 1921, and they ex¬celled in the past in launching endowment and voluntary projects. In 1913, the first charitable society was established in Kuwait. This generosity continued in times of ease and prosperity, after the springs of oil wealth exploded, and individual chari¬table efforts turned into reputable institutional work, with deep impact and influ¬ence, manifested in the establishment of charitable institutions, charitable societies and volunteer teams, whose number today has reached 60 charitable and humanitarian societies that cross borders and dams with their extensive charitable work, 150 charitable institutions and 200 volunteer teams, all licensed by the Ministry of Social Affairs. With the support and encouragement of the political leadership and the government of the State of Kuwait and continuous coordination with the Min¬istries of Social Affairs and Foreign Affairs and Kuwaiti embassies abroad, these Ku¬waiti charitable institutions have continued their march, targeting millions of needy people without any discrimination based on race, gender, color, and religion. Through a system of regulations, laws, financial and accounting systems, and supervisory bodies that govern their work and determine their policies. Hence, it can be said that if some date the emergence of the idea of social responsibility to the Industrial Rev¬olution and other events and occasions Islam was the first to establish the concepts of social responsibility. If one is required to assume social responsibility in Islam, so, at the level of companies, banks and institutions, the responsibility is greater be¬cause of the importance of their role and the need for them to achieve a greater im¬pact in society through their economic, environmental and awareness programs, and encourage voluntary work for individuals. Recent literature has urged the pro¬motion of corporate social responsibility, attention to the sustainability of national economies, encouraging the voluntary work of individuals, supporting and moti¬vating the non-profit sector to grow and expand, focusing on maximizing the im¬pact of work in these organizations, building partnerships, governance, systems and regulations, planning, motivation, encouragement, awareness, capacity develop¬ment, monitoring and checks and balance. In this context, we must emphasize the importance of mandatory or voluntary response to legal regulations and legislations that are binding on community activity, as well as moral and charitable responsibil¬ity towards society, and volunteering to serve those in need. Educational curricula, the media, role models and advocates have a major role in instilling a culture of so¬cial responsibility in the individual to become a community culture that enhances the moral role of this concept and helps achieve national visions and the United Na¬tions Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). If the social responsibility of individ¬uals, institutions and countries constitutes a basic need at all times, it is more urgent and demanding in difficult circumstances, as it constitutes a fundamental pillar in the life of societies, without which life becomes chaotic and the law of the jungle pre¬vails, where the strong eat the weak, cooperation disappears and selfishness and in¬dividualism prevail. The period of the “Corona” pandemic proved the role of social responsibility in reducing the suffering of the victims of the epidemic, and the pan¬demic even shortened long years to familiarize people with social responsibility and its importance in times of crisis.
His Excellency Dr. Abdullah Al-Matouq concluded his keynote speech saying that we can refer in this regard to a set of recommendations that contribute to empowering social responsibility in our Arab and Islamic world as follows:
1- Strengthening the concepts and practices of social responsibility in the Ar¬ab world requires the adoption of legislation to consolidate the culture of social re¬sponsibility.
2- Reshaping self-awareness towards building a cohesive society capable of fac¬ing challenges by promoting the concepts of social responsibility in the media, ed¬ucation, and through mosque pulpits and religious seminars.
3- Developing cooperation between stakeholders interested in social responsi¬bility in the Arab region and work to build the capacities of non-governmental or¬ganizations.
4- Adopting social responsibility projects and initiatives to enhance the sustain¬ability of environmental, economic and social projects and work to improve the per¬formance of companies in the field of sustainable development.
5- Developing long-term strategies for CSR projects in the fields of education, health, community and others.
6- Include social responsibility in the strategies of companies and banks accord¬ing to systematic, organized and sustainable principles.
7- Encouraging the private sector to launch CSR initiatives in various fields in line with government development plans and sustainable development goals.
8- Maximizing synergies between NGOs, companies, institutions, ministries and civil society organizations with common scopes and goals.
The most influential Arab figures in the field of social responsibility for 2023
The Regional Network for Social Responsibility selected His Excellency Dr. Ab¬dullah Matouq Al-Matouq, Chairman of the International Islamic Charity Organi¬zation in the list of (the most influential Arab personalities in the field of social re¬sponsibility for the year 2023).
According to its professional classification in its fifth edition, in recognition of his efforts in the fields of social responsibility and humanitarian work at the nation¬al and international levels.
His Excellency Dr. Abdullah Al-Matouq is an honorary member of the Ar¬ab countries’ CSR experts’ platform The Regional Network for Social Responsibility (RSRN) announced that it is hon¬ored to add the name of His Excellency Dr. Abdullah Matouq Al-Matouq, Chair¬man of International Islamic Charity Organization, among the personalities includ¬ed in (the platform of social responsibility experts in the Arab countries) which was launched by the Regional Network for Social Responsibility as part of its profession¬al quality initiatives in the Arab region.
Amman International Conference on Social Responsibility 2016
The 2016 Oman International Conference on Social Responsibility was held at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Salalah, Sultanate of Oman under the patronage of His High¬ness Mr. Faisal bin Turki Al Said, President of Special Olympics Oman and President of the Special Olympics Oman Association. The conference was held from Decem¬ber 20-22, 2016, with the participation of a number of Their Highnesses, Excellencies, honorees and officials from various government and private entities from the Gulf Cooperation Council countries and the Arab world, organized by the Regional Net¬work for Social Responsibility and the Oman Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Dhofar Governorate, with the support of the conference strategic partner Salalah Methanol Company, (the pioneers of social responsibility.) During the conference, His Excellency Dr. Abdullah Al-Matouq was honored with the CSR Personality of the Year Award for 2016. His Excellency delivered a speech during the award cere¬mony in which he said: “I would like to extend my sincere thanks and gratitude to the organizers of this conference for their kind invitation. He pointed out that social responsibility and its lofty principles endorsed by the United Nations Organization and its specialized agencies cannot be overlooked in light of the severe humanitar¬ian crises witnessed by the world. He added: “My selection as the 2016 Social Re¬sponsibility Person of the Year is an additional assignment and a new responsibili¬ty to contribute with you to the development of societies, in light of the need for ev¬eryone to join hands to invest the available tools in order to care for human welfare and activate the principles.
The Second Donor Conference and Awards 2016
The Regional Social Responsibility Network (RSRN), in partnership with the OIC Humanitarian Funds, organized the Second Donor Conference and Awards for 2016 on 27-28 December 2016, under the honorary patronage of His Excellency Mr. Ali bin Saleh Al Saleh, Chairman of the Bahraini Shura Council, under the theme ‘Is¬lamic Donor Institutions with Global Sustainability Standards’. During the confer¬ence chaired by Sharafit, His Excellency Dr. Abdullah Al-Matouq, Advisor to His Highness the late Emir of Kuwait and President of the International Islamic Chari¬ty Organization, was honored with ‘the Honorary Person of the Year Award in the field of grants for 2016’ in recognition of the efforts of the State of Kuwait and the International Islamic Charitable Organisation as one of its institutions working in the field of charitable and humanitarian work locally and internationally, after the achievements recorded by the Organisation in serving humanity and advancing the process of development and construction.
International Congress for Social Responsibility 2019
Under the honorary patronage of the Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Moroc¬co, Dr. Saad Eddine El Othmani, the Regional Network for Social Responsibility or¬ganized the International Congress for Social Responsibility 2019, under the theme: Business Ethics and Social Responsibility. International experiences in enhancing competitiveness, during the period from 26-28 September 2019, at the Sofitel Rabat Jardin Des Rabat, Morocco, with the participation of leaders and members of the Re¬gional Network for Social Responsibility and its international ambassadors, and ma¬ny experts and specialists in the fields of social responsibility from Arab countries and abroad, in addition to international experts from United Nations organizations, with the participation of representatives of 12 Arab and African countries. During the conference, His Excellency Dr. Abdullah Matouq Al-Matouq was honored with the European Award in Business Ethics for 2019, for his great efforts in promoting practices of business ethics and their applications at the national and international levels. During these great activities, his Excellency was also awarded the honorary membership of the International Federation for Social Responsibility (IFSR) and the 2009 CSR Personality of the Year Award.
The Fifth Donor Conference and Awards 2021
Under the patronage of His Excellency Mr. Ali bin Saleh Al-Saleh, Chairman of the Shura Council in the Kingdom ofBahrain, the Fifth Donor Conference and Awards 2021, organized by the UN Center for Donor Services, a member of the Regional Net¬work for Social Responsibility and the Global Expert Consulting Group, was held under the theme Donors from Sponsoring Humanitarian Projects to Building Peace in Conflict Areas, participated by a number of experts and speakers on the theme of the conference, in addition to holding a number of specialized workshops on July 31, 2021. His Excellency Dr. Abdullah Al-Matouq was the honorary guest of honor at the conference and honored with the 2021 Excellence in Grants Award - Donor.
International Congress of Social Responsibility 2021
The activities of the second session of the International Congress for Social Re¬sponsibility (2021), as well as the Fifth Forum of International Ambassadors for So¬cial Responsibility (2021), were held under the honorary patronage of the Prime Min¬ister of the Kyrgyz Republic, with the participation of the Honorary Guest of Honor Dr. Abdullah Matouq Al-Matouq, President of the International Islamic Charity Or¬ganization from the State of Kuwait, in addition to senior Kyrgyz government fig¬ures, members of Parliament and His Eminence the Mufti of the Republic, Their Ex¬cellencies the International Ambassadors for Social Responsibility and a large num¬ber of experts and consultants in CSR fields from Arab and Islamic countries and abroad. In addition to representatives of the diplomatic corps to the Kyrgyz Repub¬lic, organized by the Regional Network for Social Responsibility and in partnership and support of Kuwait’s Al-Salam Society for Humanitarian and Charitable Works in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. During the event, several scientific papers were presented in addition to specialized workshops in the fields of social responsibility. During the event, His Excellency Dr. Abdullah Al-Maatouq was honored for his honorary sponsorship of this major scientific event and his role in the fields of social respon¬sibility. The event was held between August 25-29, 2021.
International CSR Congress 2022
As part of the activities of the International Day of Social Responsibility for the year 2022, and under the honorary patronage of His Excellency Dr. Abdullah Al-Maatouq, Chairman of the International Islamic Charity Organization in Ku¬wait, the special Advisor to the Secretary-General of the United Nations, the Am¬man Arab University, headquartered in the capital of Jordan, hostedon Thursday, September 22, 2023, the International Congress for Social Responsibility in its third edition for the year 2022, under the theme (Towards the adoption of a guiding ini¬tiative for the standardization of social responsibility in Arab countries), organized by the Regional Network for Social Responsibility (RNSR), The event was organized by the Regional Network for Social Responsibility in cooperation with the Univer¬sity of Amman, in the honorary presence of HE Prof. Dr. Mohammed Al Widyan, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Amman, HE Dr. Talal Abu-Ghazaleh, Chair¬man of Talal Abu-Ghazaleh Organization, HE Prof. Yousef Abdel Ghaffar, Chair¬man of the Regional Network for Social Responsibility, HE Dr. Nabil Bin Hamad Al Awn, Chairman of Al Salam Society for Charitable and Humanitarian Works in Kuwait and HE Ms. Salma Boudina, Director of the United Nations Global Com¬pact National Network (UNGCN). During the event, His Excellency Dr. Abdullah Al-Matouq was honored with the UN Global Compact Advocate Award presented by the UN Global Compact National Network of the Kingdom of Morocco in part¬nership with the Regional Network for Social Responsibility, a member of the UN Global Compact Initiative.
The most influential Arab personalities in the field of social responsibil¬ity for 2022
The Regional Network for Social Responsibility (RNSR) has announced the most influential Arab personalities in the field of social responsibility for the year 2022, according to its professional ranking in its fourth edition.
The results of this fourth edition of the competition were announced in late Jan¬uary 2023 on the occasion of the organization of the 11th Regional Network for So¬cial Responsibility Partners Forum 2023.
The list in its fourth edition included in its honorary category His Excellency Dr. Abdullah Matouq Al-Matouq, Chairman of the International Islamic Charity Orga¬nization.
Seventh Donor Conference and Awards 2023
Under the patronage of H.E. Dr. Abdullah Matouq Al-Matouq, Chairman of the International Islamic Charity Organization and in the august presence of H.E. Am-bassador Dr. Ahmed bin Mohammed Al-Muraikhi, Special Envoy of H.E. the Secre¬tary-General of the United Nations, H.E. Sheikha Hessa bin Khalifa bin Ahmed Al- Thani, Envoy of H.E. the Arab League Secretary-General for Humanitarian Relief, Sheikha Azza Al Sabah, International CSR Ambassador, H.E. Dr. Nabil bin Hamad Al Awn, Chairman of the Al-Salam Society for Humanitarian and Charitable Works, Kuwait - the humanitarian partner for the Conference, H.E. Dr. Badr Malallah Oth¬man, Director General of the Arab Planning Institute (API) in Kuwait, the strategic partner of the conference, H.E. Dr. Talal Abu-Ghazaleh, International Ambassador for Social Responsibility, the Donor Services Center of the Regional Network for So¬cial Responsibility in cooperation with the Arab Planning Institute (API) in Kuwait and in partnership with a number of Government bodies in Kuwait and abroad, or¬ganized the seventh Donor Conference and Awards for 2023. The conference hon¬ored His Excellency Dr. Abdullah Al-Matouq for his honorary patronage and sup¬port of the conference and its various events. The conference was held on May 25, 2023, where the papers and workshops of the seventh session discussed the topic of donor priorities in facing national and international challenges to enhance the sus¬tainability of impact and quality of outputs), at the headquarter of the Arab Plan¬ning Institute in Kuwait. With the participation of many international experts, guests of honor and international ambassadors for social responsibility and partnership.
Kuwait Forum, the center of humanitarian work for 2023
The activities of the Kuwait Center for Humanitarian Work Forum for 2023, or¬ganizedby the Regional Network for Social Responsibility in cooperation with the Superior Achievement Institute for Training and Consultations and in humanitari¬an partnership with the Al-Salam Society for Humanitarian and Charitable Works, Kuwait and the Arab Planning Institute, under the honorary patronage of the Spe¬cial Advisor to the United Nations Secretary-General and Chairman of the International Islamic Charitable Organisation, His Excellency Dr. Abdullah Al-Matouq and honorary chaired by the Chairman of the Al-Salam Society for Humanitarian and Charitable Works, Kuwait, Dr. Nabil Al-Awn. The forum was held on the oc¬casion of the ninth anniversary of the selection of the State of Kuwait as a center for humanitarian work by the United Nations Organization, from 5-7 September 2023, at the headquarter of the Arab Planning Institute (API) and the forum dealt with the topic “Kuwaiti humanitarian work between the sustainability of giving and the quality of impact nationally and internationally”. During the events, His Excellen¬cy Dr. Abdullah Al-Matouq stressed in his speech saying that “Kuwait is very keen on charitable work according to a consistent approach based on the quality of giv¬ing and sustainability of impact adding that the forum “comes at a time when the world faces many challenges that require concerted humanitarian efforts that are an integral part of Kuwait’s strategy and approach, which has a clear humanitari¬an and charitable footprint.” His Excellency Dr. Al-Matouq recalled the phrase of the Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations, which he said to the late Prince Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad, the leader of humanitarian work, may God rest his soul, that humanitarian and charitable work runs in the blood and veins Of the people of Kuwait”, which confirms the world’s belief in Kuwait’s relentless humanitari¬an efforts, noting that Kuwait’s charitable leadership has extended its regional and global impact year after year until Kuwait’s philanthropic leadership extended its regional and global impact year after year until Kuwait assumed the forefront of the humanitarian scene in the last decade, by supporting many humanitarian ini¬tiatives, as well as organizing humanitarian conferences in several countries until it deserved international recognition in September 2014 by being selected by the United Nations Organization as a “Center for Humanitarian Action” and naming “His Highness the late Emir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad as the leader of humanitari¬an work.” and naming “His Highness the late Emir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad as the leader of humanitarian work.”
Jerusalem International Conference on Sustainable Development Appli¬cations in the Charitable Sector 2023
His Excellency the Chairman of the International Islamic Charity Organization, Special Advisor to the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Dr. Abdullah Al-Ma¬touq, participated in the “Jerusalem International Conference on Applications of Sus¬tainable Development in the Charitable Sector 2023”, which was held at Al-Quds University on Thursday, September 14, 2023 and organized by the Jerusalem Endow¬ment Fund in partnership with Al-Quds University, Regional Network for Social Responsibility and Munib and Angela El-Masri Foundation. Dr. Al-Matouq, as the honorary guest of honor of the conference, delivered a speech in which he stressed that the State of Kuwait, with its various positions, will remain loyal to the people throughout the land of Palestine, mainly Jerusalem, as it spares no effort in launch¬ing various humanitarian initiatives in the blessed land, indicating that the human¬itarian situation in Palestine occupies the utmost importance in the work agenda of the International Islamic Charitable Organisation. Education is one of the most im¬portant programs it works on to provide high-quality educational opportunities.
In partnership with Al-Quds University and the Regional Network for Social Responsibility, the establishment of an Arab and international alliance to support the city of Jerusalem was announced under the name “Jerusalem Donor Network”, coinciding with the tenth anniversary of the establishment of the Al-Quds Endow¬ment Fund. His Excellency Dr. Abdullah Al-Matouq agreed to chair this alliance. A special event was also held on the occasion of the conference, organized by the Jerusalem Endowment Fund, under the slogan “A Decade of Giving, the Journey Continues”, to honor His Excellency Dr. Abdullah Al-Matouq, Chairman of the In¬ternational Islamic Charity Organization, Special Advisor to the Secretary-General of the United Nations.
International summits for social responsibility for the year 2023
Under the patronage of His Excellency Mr. Akylbek Üsönbek uulu Japarov, Chair¬man of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Kyrgyz Republic and with the honorary pres¬ence of His Excellency Dr. Abdullah Al-Matouq, Special Advisor to the Secretary-Gen¬eral of the United Nations, the 2023 International Social Responsibility Summits were held in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, from 19-21 October 2023, jointly organized by the Regional Network for Social Responsibility, Al-Salam Society for Humanitarian and Charitable Works of Kuwait and with the wide participation of high-level Arab and Kyrgyz personalities. His Excellency Dr. Abdullah Matouq Al-Matouq, Special Ad¬visor to the Secretary-General of the United Nations, delivered the keynote speech at the opening ceremony, in which he said, “I am pleased at the beginning of my speech to extend the highest levels of thanks and gratitude to His Excellency the Prime Minister of the Kyrgyz Republic for his honorary patronage of this summit. and his country’s hosting of this elite group of experts, ambassadors and research¬ers in the fields of sustainable social responsibility, its creative initiatives, and its ef¬fective applications. He also thanked the leaders of Al-Salam Society for Humani¬tarian and Charitable Works and the Regional Network for Social Responsibility for their cooperation in mobilizing specialists, interested parties and leaders of Arab organizations under one umbrella during this international event to exchange ideas, identify best practices and experiences in the field of social responsibility applica¬tions and strengthen partnerships in this vital field. His Excellency added that Islam expressed the concept of social responsibility more than 1400 years ago and exalted its noble charitable purposes in its dear book, as Almighty God says: “And cooper¬ate in righteousness and piety”, and also says: “ whoever does good of his own ac-cord, it is better for him, and also says: ‘’and gives wealth, in spite of love for it, to relatives, orphans, the needy, the traveler’’ The verses that reinforce this concept al¬so include: “And in their wealth there is a right for the asker and the deprived,” and “Whoever does what is good will see it”. In the Prophetic Sunnah, the exhortation to social responsibility and the spirit of initiative is evident in its purest meaning, such as: “Each of you is a shepherd and is responsible for his flock”, “There should be neither harming nor reciprocating harm.”, “The best people are those who are most helpful to people”, and “The believers in their mutual kindness, compassion and sympathy are just like one body. When one of the limbs suffers, the whole body responds to it with wakefulness and fever”. The Islamic heritage is full of forms and concepts of social responsibility. The creation of human beings and entrusting them to the earth to reconstruct it is a social responsibility, and human and Islamic values such as compassion, solidarity and the spread of justice and righteousness are a so¬cial responsibility. The obligation to pay Zakat and spend it in its legitimate places is also a social responsibility, as is fighting fraud and cheating, and supporting peo¬ple to preserve the five essentials such as preserving religion, soul, mind, money and offspring is a social responsibility, without which life is not straightforward. Therefore, social responsibility is part of the human ethics that we must preserve, spread, empower and promote. Those who follow the path of Islamic civilization realize that Islamic endowments constituted a fundamental building block in the economic construction of the Ummah, and showed the great role that the society can contribute in filling shortages and facing challenges that governments are un¬able to solve. The role of the endowment was evident in the educational aspect, as evidenced by the great schools built by the benefactors of the Ummah, in which the great scholars graduated, who provided human knowledge with precious sciences and the best scientific literature, such as Ibn Sinai, Al-Khwarizmi, Jabir bin Hayyan and other scholars in various fields of knowledge. Islamic schools provided them with the appropriate environment for research and excellence, and Muslims around the world are still using endowment funds to build mosques, hospitals, universities, schools and other good deeds. His Excellency Dr. Al-Matouq added that in my coun¬try, Kuwait, the people have known charitable work since 1613, when a group of families settled in this good land on the shores of the Arabian Gulf, and the sea formed an important axis in their lives, as it was a source of livelihood, giving and goodness, and with it grew the values of compassion, solidarity and (Fazaa) to help those stranded while sailing. This is why Kuwaitis have been known throughout history for their overwhelming love of charitable work and their belief in its Islam¬ic values and its humanitarian message, based on the commitment of the people of Kuwait to the principles of Islamic Sharia and the fulfilment of the pillars of Islam, including the giving of Zakat, this approach that manifested itself in times of hard¬ship and difficulty, and history records in this context pioneering models and im¬ages of giving and voluntary work. They rushed to provide aid and relief to those passing through their community, including merchants and divers and those whose ships broke down and were stranded. They also built walls and fences to fortify their country against any potential aggression. Over time, charitable work developed and took root in the hearts of the people of Kuwait, and the fathers inherited from their ancestors a tremendous heritage of humanitarian work, such as helping neighbors when their families travel, solidarity in times of distress, and visiting on the poor and needy. The people of Kuwait set an example and model in the construction of educational schools and endowments, so they established the Mubarakiya School, the first voluntary school in 1912 and the Ahmadiyya School in 1921, and they ex¬celled in the past in launching endowment and voluntary projects. In 1913, the first charitable society was established in Kuwait. This generosity continued in times of ease and prosperity, after the springs of oil wealth exploded, and individual chari¬table efforts turned into reputable institutional work, with deep impact and influ¬ence, manifested in the establishment of charitable institutions, charitable societies and volunteer teams, whose number today has reached 60 charitable and humanitarian societies that cross borders and dams with their extensive charitable work, 150 charitable institutions and 200 volunteer teams, all licensed by the Ministry of Social Affairs. With the support and encouragement of the political leadership and the government of the State of Kuwait and continuous coordination with the Min¬istries of Social Affairs and Foreign Affairs and Kuwaiti embassies abroad, these Ku¬waiti charitable institutions have continued their march, targeting millions of needy people without any discrimination based on race, gender, color, and religion. Through a system of regulations, laws, financial and accounting systems, and supervisory bodies that govern their work and determine their policies. Hence, it can be said that if some date the emergence of the idea of social responsibility to the Industrial Rev¬olution and other events and occasions Islam was the first to establish the concepts of social responsibility. If one is required to assume social responsibility in Islam, so, at the level of companies, banks and institutions, the responsibility is greater be¬cause of the importance of their role and the need for them to achieve a greater im¬pact in society through their economic, environmental and awareness programs, and encourage voluntary work for individuals. Recent literature has urged the pro¬motion of corporate social responsibility, attention to the sustainability of national economies, encouraging the voluntary work of individuals, supporting and moti¬vating the non-profit sector to grow and expand, focusing on maximizing the im¬pact of work in these organizations, building partnerships, governance, systems and regulations, planning, motivation, encouragement, awareness, capacity develop¬ment, monitoring and checks and balance. In this context, we must emphasize the importance of mandatory or voluntary response to legal regulations and legislations that are binding on community activity, as well as moral and charitable responsibil¬ity towards society, and volunteering to serve those in need. Educational curricula, the media, role models and advocates have a major role in instilling a culture of so¬cial responsibility in the individual to become a community culture that enhances the moral role of this concept and helps achieve national visions and the United Na¬tions Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). If the social responsibility of individ¬uals, institutions and countries constitutes a basic need at all times, it is more urgent and demanding in difficult circumstances, as it constitutes a fundamental pillar in the life of societies, without which life becomes chaotic and the law of the jungle pre¬vails, where the strong eat the weak, cooperation disappears and selfishness and in¬dividualism prevail. The period of the “Corona” pandemic proved the role of social responsibility in reducing the suffering of the victims of the epidemic, and the pan¬demic even shortened long years to familiarize people with social responsibility and its importance in times of crisis.
His Excellency Dr. Abdullah Al-Matouq concluded his keynote speech saying that we can refer in this regard to a set of recommendations that contribute to empowering social responsibility in our Arab and Islamic world as follows:
1- Strengthening the concepts and practices of social responsibility in the Ar¬ab world requires the adoption of legislation to consolidate the culture of social re¬sponsibility.
2- Reshaping self-awareness towards building a cohesive society capable of fac¬ing challenges by promoting the concepts of social responsibility in the media, ed¬ucation, and through mosque pulpits and religious seminars.
3- Developing cooperation between stakeholders interested in social responsi¬bility in the Arab region and work to build the capacities of non-governmental or¬ganizations.
4- Adopting social responsibility projects and initiatives to enhance the sustain¬ability of environmental, economic and social projects and work to improve the per¬formance of companies in the field of sustainable development.
5- Developing long-term strategies for CSR projects in the fields of education, health, community and others.
6- Include social responsibility in the strategies of companies and banks accord¬ing to systematic, organized and sustainable principles.
7- Encouraging the private sector to launch CSR initiatives in various fields in line with government development plans and sustainable development goals.
8- Maximizing synergies between NGOs, companies, institutions, ministries and civil society organizations with common scopes and goals.
The most influential Arab figures in the field of social responsibility for 2023
The Regional Network for Social Responsibility selected His Excellency Dr. Ab¬dullah Matouq Al-Matouq, Chairman of the International Islamic Charity Organi¬zation in the list of (the most influential Arab personalities in the field of social re¬sponsibility for the year 2023).
According to its professional classification in its fifth edition, in recognition of his efforts in the fields of social responsibility and humanitarian work at the nation¬al and international levels.
His Excellency Dr. Abdullah Al-Matouq is an honorary member of the Ar¬ab countries’ CSR experts’ platform The Regional Network for Social Responsibility (RSRN) announced that it is hon¬ored to add the name of His Excellency Dr. Abdullah Matouq Al-Matouq, Chair¬man of International Islamic Charity Organization, among the personalities includ¬ed in (the platform of social responsibility experts in the Arab countries) which was launched by the Regional Network for Social Responsibility as part of its profession¬al quality initiatives in the Arab region.