the United Nations Global Compact announced ten SDG Pioneers for 2018. Each year, the UN Global Compact celebrates a group of SDG Pioneers — individuals from around the world as who are championing the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through their own companies and inspiring others to join the movement. Among the SDG Pioneers selected this year is Khalil Daoud, Chairman & Managing Director of LibanPost.
Hundreds of nominations were received from diverse regions of the world, from which ten finalists were selected through a rigorous committee, exemplifying how business can be a force for good in addressing the challenges we face as a global society. The SDG Pioneers will be recognized during the UN Global Compact Leaders Summit 2018 on 24 September at the Headquarters of the United Nations in New York.
An SDG Pioneers Selection Group, comprised of representatives from the UN Global Compact Board Members, Expert Networks, Global Compact Network Council, Academia, UN Focal Points and previous SDG Pioneers, voted on the nominees based on a set of criteria. This criteria covers the individual’s commitment to embed the Ten Principles and raise awareness on the SDGs, as well as their engagement with the UN Global Compact and its Local Networks.
“These ten outstanding individuals are demonstrating how business can unlock economic, social and environmental gains for the world by advancing the Sustainable Development Goals,” said Lise Kingo, CEO & Executive Director of the UN Global Compact. “Showcasing the pioneering actions and progress of these leaders will help mobilize others in this exciting movement to create the world we all want.”
The selection of Daoud out of a pool of nominees from around the world, comes as a strong recognition for him, for LibanPost, and for Lebanon at large, as well as an encouragement to sustain the efforts towards responsible business.
LibanPost has mainly taken stock of four main sustainable development goals: gender equality; decent work and economic growth; peace and justice, strong institutions; and partnerships for the goals. Two of those areas are particularly highlighted in Daoud’s present recognition, namely the economic growth in a decent environment, and LibanPost’s efforts towards gender equality. This includes a proper female representation all along the hierarchical ladder, the introduction of women in roles from which they were totally excluded before, namely the distribution world, the emission of a stamp to honor women pioneers in the country, and the contribution as a pilot site to a nationwide study launched by the Lebanese League of Women in Business and the ILO in view of making recommendations to further gender equality in Lebanon.
By translating global goals into reality in our local business environment, LibanPost’s strong commitment and engagement has succeeded in equating business practice with socially conscious practices as a result of seamless cooperation and extraordinary leadership.
“As a chosen corporate leader today, I renew my vows to commit to a principled business. Our job is to always find ways to improve the way we do business.” Khalil Daoud
The world’s largest corporate sustainability initiative, the UN Global Compact calls on companies to align strategies and operations with universal principles on human rights, labour, environment and anti-corruption, and take actions that advance societal goals. In Lebanon, over 167 companies and non-business organization have joined the initiative, and the Global Compact Network in Lebanon has supported their efforts to advance sustainable business practices since 2015.
Khalil Daoud has been the Chairman and Managing Director of LibanPost since joining the company in 2002. Under Daoud’s leadership, LibanPost undertook a massive internal reform based on infrastructure reorganization, human capital development, business diversification and brand establishment, transforming the company into a modern, diversified and profitable organization in less than five years.
As of November 2016, Daoud also serves as Chairman of the Board of the Postal Union for the Mediterranean, a restricted union under the Universal Postal Union. Daoud is also a Board Member of the Institut de Prospective Économique du Monde Méditerranéen (IPEMED) since 2016 and Chairman of its Supervisory Board since December 2017. Prior to joining LibanPost, Daoud held senior positions in a number of multinational and regional companies across the Middle East.