On May 21, 2009, in Dhaka, the launching ceremony of Smart Business Initiative (SBI) Alliance was organized at the Auditorium of Dhaka City Cooperation. Ms Panudda Boonpala, Director ILO was the chief guest at the occasion and Mr Kamran T. Rahman, President of the Bangladesh Employers’ Federation was invited as the chair. Around 250 participants attended the launching ceremony comprising of government, employers, unions, civil society, academia, private partners and media.

The main objectives of the SBI Alliance is awareness raising and advocacy on child labour, capacity building of its partners for improved business, and to demonstrate sustainable replicable models for hazardous free working conditions for employers and workers.

The SBI is an alliance of 14 organizations working in Dhaka, comprising of national and international NGOs, trade unions, research institutions and private organizations. ILO-IPEC urban informal economy project is an important member of the Alliance.

Ms Boonpala in her address emphasized on the need for greater cooperation amongst the partners of the Alliance to work together on the basis of common values to uphold child rights and labour rights. She also emphasized on occupational safety and health, and to strengthen Micro-Small-Medium Enterprises’ (MSMEs) competitiveness.

Mr Kamran T. Rahman appreciated the partners of the Alliance for taking this unique initiative to ensure hazard free working environment for children through workplace improvement programmes. He assured all support from the Bangladesh Employers’ Federation in this regard.

The Alliance has already created a better understanding on the important linkages between child rights, corporate social responsibility, occupational safety and health, decent work and small and medium enterprises in the combat against hazardous child labour.

For more information please contact:

Sharfuddin Khan
Programme Officer - SMED
Urban Informal Economy
Project of Support to National Time Bound Programme
House # 8/A KA (6th floor), Road # 13, Dhanmondi R/A
Dhaka-1209, Bangladesh
Tel: 00 882 912 77 66
Fax: 00 882 914 35 16
Email