Event Highlights

CERB hosted the Creating Livelihoods Summit 2025 at KSBL, with support from SDG Leaders – EBM, Engro Polymer & Chemicals, Faysal Bank, Standard Chartered, and Unilever. The summit brought together 25+ companies and 70+ attendees, focusing on SDG Goals 3, 4, 8, and 10. Through 6 workshops, 2 panel discussions, and 1 roundtable conference, industry leaders engaged in powerful conversations on sustainability, ethical business practices, and corporate responsibility, driving meaningful change for a more inclusive future.

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Keynote Address-? Mr. Amir Paracha, CEO, Unilever

Mr. Paracha delivered an insightful keynote address on aligning businesses with SDGs. He emphasized the critical link between social impact and business growth, highlighting how fair wages enhance spending power, ultimately influencing economic factors such as inflation. His address underscored the importance of sustainable business practices in driving both social progress and long-term economic development.

Building Better Livelihoods: Roundtable on Decent Work

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Moderated by CERB, Mr. 2Amir Paracha, CEO, Unilever gave the opening remarks.

Key Takeaways:?

Implement Decent Living Packages: Even if immediate wage increases aren't feasible, consider offering benefits like health coverage, educational subsidies, and other quality-of-life improvements to support employees.

Invest in Employee Incentives: Scholarship programs and internships for employees’ children to provide long-term family support while developing a skilled future workforce.

Strengthen Health & Community Initiatives: Establish on-site health clinics, collaborate with NGOs for vaccination and childcare programs, and address critical issues like malnutrition and child stunting.

Engage in Government Partnerships – Business can work with policymakers to develop incentives that enable them to invest more in fair wages and comprehensive employee benefits.

Adopt a Holistic Approach: Ensure employee well-being by integrating economic, social, and environmental initiatives that enhance their quality of life and long-term stability.

Inner Leadership: Cultivating Connection and Collaboration - Workshop by Sharjeel Ahmad

Key Takeaways:

Master Emotional Intelligence – Develop self-awareness, adaptability, and collaboration for effective leadership.

Reflect Inward – Identify root causes of communication gaps to create lasting impact.

Invest in Inner Skills – Consciously work on personal growth using the IDG framework for self-improvement.

Be Present & Unbiased – Understand people without unconscious bias to foster better relationships.

Regulate, Don’t Suppress – Recognizing stress triggers helps maintain productivity and emotional balance.

Decision-Making & Self-Compassion – Align choices with personal values and view self-compassion as a strength.?

Empowering Supply Chains through upskilling and compliance - Workshop by EBM?

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Key Takeaways:

Safe Work Environments – Create secure workplaces and improve working conditions across the supply chain.

Workforce Upskilling – Invest in training programs to enhance industry skills and opportunities.

Labour Law Awareness – Educate businesses on legal compliance to protect workers’ rights.

Addressing Supply Chain Exploitation – Strengthen legal frameworks to prevent wage theft and informal employment.

Supporting Women Workers – Ensure mandatory transport for women working overtime to enhance safety.

Lessons from Baldia Fire – Strengthen audit systems to prevent safety violations and corruption.

Manufacturing Challenges – Tackle unsafe conditions, lack of healthcare, wage violations, and worker misclassification.

Sindh Factories Act 2015 – Implement and enforce workplace protections under local labour laws.

Panel Discussion: Perspectives on Inclusive Communication at the Workplace?

Ms. Rajaa Bokhari, CERB, hosted a panel on Inclusive Communication in the Workplace, featuring experts including Mr. Rizwan Dalia, CPO at K-Electric; Ms. Habiba Sulman, Head of DEI at FBL; Mr. Ali Tareen, Co-founder of Khaas Foodz; and Ms. Tuba Khalil, Manager of Empowerment at NOWPDP. The discussion focused on strategies for promoting inclusive communication and fostering diversity and accessibility in the workplace.

Recommendations:

Address Low Employment Rates – Actively hire and support employees with disabilities, as they are significantly underrepresented in the workforce despite being a sizable talent pool.

?Promote Inclusive Communication – Implement workplace communication guidelines, like those being developed by Faysal Bank Limited, to foster respect and belonging for employees with disabilities.

?Leverage Economic Benefits – Recognize that increasing disability inclusion can drive economic growth by expanding workforce participation and consumer markets.

?Support Entrepreneurs with Disabilities – Work with financial institutions to remove barriers in banking and business development for entrepreneurs with disabilities.

?Adopt Holistic Inclusion Strategies – Follow best practices, such as those shared by NOWPDP, to connect individuals with employers and create more inclusive workplaces.

?Adapt to Local Contexts – Ensure disability inclusion strategies are tailored to Pakistan’s diverse business environment for effective implementation.

Developing Employee Wellness Programs - Workshop by Standard Chartered?

Key Takeaways:

BE ME. Global highlighted points on:

Holistic Well-Being Approach – Well-being spans mental, physical, financial, social, community, and workplace dimensions, all of which are interconnected.

Safe & Supportive Workplaces – Flexible work options, health insurance, mental health services, and rest areas enhance employee well-being.

Well-Being Drives Performance – Employees who feel supported are more engaged, productive, and motivated.

Empowering Leaders – Organizations must train managers to prioritize and support employee well-being through structured programs.

Innovative Well-Being Tools – Platforms like SCB’s Unmind provide accessible, on-demand mental health resources beyond traditional support systems.

Measuring Impact – Employee pulse surveys and feedback mechanisms ensure wellness programs are effective and continuously improving.

Pathways to Employee Growth and Success - Workshop by EPCL?

Key Takeaways:

Prioritize Professional Development – Support certifications, skill enhancement, career progression, and personal growth.

Invest in E-Learning – Shift from traditional learning to digital, AI-driven education models.

Innovate Learning Approaches – Leverage AI-powered learning, reverse mentoring in fields like tech and marketing, peer mentorship (crowd learning), learning sabbaticals, corporate learning communities, and VR-based experiential training.

Enhance Credentialing – Utilize skill wallets and blockchain-backed micro-credentials for verified learning records.

Maximize ROI on Training – Investing in employee development leads to higher profit margins (24%) and an 8.6% productivity boost for every 10% training increase.

Panel Discussion: Empowering Supply Chains - The Role of Education and Upskilling

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Ms. Nazish Shekha, CERB, hosted a panel discussion with industry experts Mr. Faheem Khan (EBM), Ms. Beenish Kajani (EPCL), Ms. Aiza Shuja (Standard Chartered), and Ms. Asma Ahmad (Martin Dow) on the role of upskilling and education in supply chains. The conversation highlighted the importance of continuous learning in driving efficiency, innovation, and sustainability across the industry.

Key Takeaways:

Integrate Community Impact into Supply Chains – Align CSR projects with business models to create sustainable benefits.

Strengthen Technical Education – Advocate for core skills like English and basic math in vocational curricula.

Enhance Agility & Adaptability – Address skill gaps by fostering problem-solving and flexibility in graduates.

Ensure Practical Skills Training – Work with institutions to teach essential competencies like reading manuals and calculations.

Build Industry-Vocational Partnerships – Collaborate with training institutes to develop job-ready skills.

Expand Internships & Hands-on Experience – Provide structured programs to improve graduate employability.

Responsible Business Conduct in the Supply Chain - Workshop by Unilever

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Key Takeaways:

Fair Living Wages – Prioritize fair compensation over minimum wage requirements to ensure worker well-being.

Transparent Reporting – Maintain accurate records of breaches and enforce accountability.

Continuous Improvement – Implement guidelines to enhance ethical business practices over time.

Fair Employment Terms – Ensure work agreements are freely agreed upon and properly documented.

Responsible Supply Chains – Learn from Unilever’s supplier collaborations, such as Kinetic’s focus on OOH advertising and billboard safety.

Building an Inclusive Infrastructure - Workshop by Faysal Bank Ltd.

Key Takeaways:

NOWPDP and ConnecHear highlighted points on:

Inclusive Hiring – Develop structured roadmaps to recruit and support Persons with Disabilities (PwDs).

Strategic Roadmapping – Identify key focus areas to create a more accessible and equitable workplace.

Management Sensitization – Train leadership to foster an inclusive culture and implement bias-free hiring practices.

Inclusive Job Descriptions – Ensure job postings are accessible and accommodate diverse abilities.

Thank you for reading, we hope you have a great week!

For more details on the event, check out our LinkedIn page here.?

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