A half day workshop on the functions and necessity of private sector’s partnership in meeting the needs of social health of the society organized by UNESCO Chair on Social Health and Development on 31^st August 2024 in Tehran. The representatives of the private sector including banks, industries, companies, insurance, etc attended the workshop exchanging their knowledge and practices.

Dr Nourbakhsh as the Director of UNESCO Chair on Social Health and Development in his opening remarks talked about the concept of social responsibility. He said the Social responsibility is a concept that has garnered widespread attention in recent decades, leading to profound shifts in the development. He stated that the advent of social responsibility arises from the belief that the capacity and activities of governments to meet all societal needs at the required level are insufficient, and the capabilities and activities of organizations and economic institutions should not be confined merely to themselves. Dr Nourbakhsh continued it is imperative for these institutions to be accountable and responsive to society and the environment and to be mindful of the needs and demands of the general public.

Dr Saeidabadi, Deputy UNESCO Chair on Social Health and Development was the next speaker who talked about the role of private sector in contributing to meet the SDGs. He said the institutions are positioned to play a pivotal role in the economy vis-à-vis society and the environment, and to consider social issues in economic decision-making. He stated that it can hopefully lead to significant progress towards achieving sustainable development goals and institutionalizing various dimensions of development.

While the workshop sponsored by Bank Pasargad, a leading private bank in Iran, the bank representative talked about a decade of bank’s social responsibility activities in the fields of education, capacity building for children, adolescents, and youth. Sharing the bank’s experiences with the participants, he explained how the Bank considers social responsibilities as a superior approach in business and continually takes various and extensive actions and activities to protect the interests of all stakeholders in the economic, social, and environmental fields. Also the workshop’s participants from different private sectors shared their views and experiences in the fields of social responsibility and talked about the best practices that they had and how these initiatives have enhanced the social health and development of the society. At the end of the workshop, the UNESCO Chair on Social Health and Development appreciated Bank Pasargad’s ten-year activities of social responsibility in the fields of education and capacity building with a certificate and raised hopes that such initiatives will be carried out by other organizations and companies.