Karachi, May 17: Leisure Leagues Pakistan (LLP), small-sided football organizers, has joined the ranks of global businesses and becomes a signatory to the United Nation Global Compact announcing its commitment to deliver against ambitious strategies to help the world meet the United Nations’ 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
“Leisure Leagues is proud to join the United Nation Global Compact as a signatory company and is totally committed to implement and promote UNGC Principles in letter and spirit within our core business and its area of influence,” said Mr. Ishaq Shah, Chief Operating Officer of Leisure Leagues at the Global Compact Charter Ceremony held at its Head office in Karachi.
“We now see ourselves as a Goalkeeper of the SDGS and the Company is fully committed to both implementing UN Sustainable Development Goals and keen to build that with Pakistan’s youth and communities in the course of Company’s Business operations and special initiatives”.
Speaking on this occasion Mr. Ahsanullah Khan, President Global Compact Network Pakistan appreciated the initiative of Leisure Leagues Pakistan in joining the Global Compact Network Pakistan and expressed comfort and confidence that Leisure Leagues will be a very valuable addition in the list of Pakistani companies working together to embrace and implement UNGC Principles and SDGs and credited Mr. Shah for his the innovate approach in engaging communities through football.
The Global Compact Network Pakistan and Leisure Leagues Pakistan took the opportunity to strengthen the alliance and the commitment to mobilise Pakistan’s youth and communities and signed an MoU to jointly develop a strong platform for collective action in support of the SDGs, maximising the impact on a variety of life issues faced by the diverse population.
This signing ceremony also formally launches Leisure League’s own Social Impact Roadmap. Sport is one of the most powerful tools to incite passion, bring people together, and communicate important messages about the development agenda on a massive scale. Leisure Leagues believe that football presents a unique platform for collaboration between all sectors of society, to invest in children and in communities as the smartest way to invest in society as a whole and by partnering with the organisations like the UNGC.
“We’re simply responding to the different challenges for children and adolescents in Pakistan and globally. Aligning ourselves with the UNGC and the SDGs also paves the way forward for collaborative efforts, to engage with a broad range of stakeholders, including governments, civil society organizations, the private sector, international organizations, and individuals and in this regard.
Sports, brings people together, so working at multiple levels just makes sense. We are confident that this is only the first of a series of innovative partnerships for the SDGS,” commented Mr. Shah.
Mr. Majyd Aziz, President Employers’ Federation of Pakistan while speaking on this occasion emphasized upon the strong partnership among business to promote and implement the SDGs as a priority and Leisure Leagues efforts in this direction will prove to be a valuable contribution in accomplishment of this objective.
He said that as a part of EFPs Skill Pakistan 2020 initiatives, EFP can work together with Leisure Leagues in imparting employable skills to over 7,000 young football players currently engaged in various leagues initiatives.
Mr. Fasihul Karim Siddiqi, Executive Director, Global Compact Network Pakistan said that the Network is privileged of the fact that it is supported and sponsored by Employers’ Federation of Pakistan which is the largest body of business community focusing on bringing business together to address issues of socio economic uplift and sustainability.
He welcomed the inclusion of Leisure Leagues in the family of UNGC and SDG practitioners and assured the Leisure Leagues Pakistan that the Network will provide every possible assistance in carrying out the mutual objectives agreed in the MoU.