Charter on Social Responsibility

A document on social responsibility will be prepared and presented to the government soon, the Minister of Labor, Cooperatives, and Social Welfare Ali Rabiei said Tuesday.

“The charter is in the final stages of drafting and will be ready by the end of the fiscal year in March 2017,” said Rabiei on the sidelines of the first National Conference on Social Responsibility, Mehr News Agency reported.

The conference dubbed “Let’s Support One Another, Live Responsibly” was held on Monday in Tehran in the presence of President Hassan Rouhani.

The document defines the responsibilities for each organization and entity in the country as well as every individual “to join hands and focus in particular on social stability by uplifting the underprivileged and vulnerable groups.”

The government has made efforts from the start (2013) to identify the social and cultural weaknesses, and take action to remedy them, Rabiei noted.

“Social problems are complicated and demand cooperation among the people and all state bodies alike,” to resolve them, he stressed.

Rouhani in his address to the confab had called for closer cooperation between government and the public and help to tackle unemployment, water shortage and environmental crises, which are major national problems.

Addiction, divorce, and unemployment are among the top 10 social problems in the country say social scientists, economic experts and state officials.

“In the face of social challenges in today’s society, we are more than ever in need of psychological health, as well as mental, ethical, and social stability,” deemed Rabiei.

“We need a joyful society whose members can look forward to a bright tomorrow and be ensured of it,” he said, underlining that the government has a duty and must cooperate with social groups to achieve that end, and find a better way for coexistence.

 Inattention for Long

Noting that today’s undesirable social circumstances are a result of inattention to the issues for a long time, he said “the government has tried to do its best to ensure social tranquility in the community.”

“The government is not afraid of asking people for help wherever it falls short of finding solutions to problems that arise.”

The State Welfare Organization announced earlier that it is planning to commend every enterprise, company and individual that perform notably in delivering social responsibility.

The decision followed a recent survey by the SWO revealing that Iranians’ performance in terms of social responsibility, defined as the obligation to act for the benefit of society at large, be it by an organization or individual, is very weak.

It aims to encourage the general public as well as businesses to nurture a culture of helping and giving something back to society. Encouraging and supporting the participation of people in everyday life with a conscientious approach can create a sense of social belonging.