Nadia Ibrahim, Associate Director for Sustainability at Farnek, has been elected to the board of the official Local Network of the UN Global Compact in the UAE, for a three-year tenure.

As a new board member, Ibrahim will act as an ambassador for the Local Network of the UNGC and her key responsibilities include, supporting strategic objectives, supporting organisational risk management, recruitment and growth of the network and leading or co-lead at least one task force or strategic objective.

Commenting Ibrahim said: “I am proud to represent Farnek, the GCN UAE participants and all other stakeholders as a member of the board. I am looking forward to working closely with my fellow board members, engaging with our participants and other private sector companies and together making a real difference, locally as well as regionally, supporting the UN Global Compact.” 

Headed by Chairman Eng. Waleed Salman, who is EVP, Business Development & Excellence, DEWA, the UAE board is comprised of members from a cross-section of the UAE’s business community. Initial candidates were selected by a sub-committee, which reviewed and shortlisted applications. Four new board members were elected by the 176 participating companies in the UAE, to represent them during the next 2022-2025 board tenure.

The other new board members joining Ibrahim include Ayesha Khan, the founder of Food ATM, Alia Ali Mubarak Busamra, the chief sustainability officer at the ENOC Group and Hanife Ymer, who is the head of sustainability services at global commercial real estate services company, JLL (Jones Lang LaSalle).

The GCN-UAE is one of 69 Local Networks around the world that operates through a signed Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the UNGC HQ. Each network is independent and self-managed, with a unique mandate to provide direct local support to all participants based in their respective countries, with direct communication and guidance from UNGC HQ. 

Hosted by the World Green Economy Organization and established in 2015, the GCN-UAE works closely with the UNGC HQ to provide opportunities for learning, policy dialogue, and partnerships on the Ten Principles of responsible conduct and its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The UNGC’s Ten Principles and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are all-encompassing frameworks designed to achieve a future with social justice at its core, which helps to create dynamic partnerships specifically within the business community to mobilise the required resources and investments, vital to realising the aspirations of the organisation. 

According to the GCN-UAE many private sector organisations have already pledged to align their strategies and operations with the Ten Principles and the SDGs. And by ensuring sustained actions on the ground, the GCN-UAE aims to widen the role and the scope of the private sector’s participation, by urging more active incorporation of environmental, social and governance factors into contemporary business processes.