Belarusian Currency and Stock Exchange joins United Nations initiative for sustainable for sustainable stock exchanges

On April 1, 2016, the Belarusian Currency and Stock Exchange signed a commitment to join 50 other Stock Exchanges from around the world in promoting sustainable and transparent capital markets as a United Nations Sustainable Stock Exchanges (SSE) initiative Partner Exchange. Together with the SSE’s other Partner Exchanges, the Belarusian exchange voluntarily commits, through dialogue with investors, companies and regulators, to promote long-term sustainable investment and improved environmental, social and corporate governance disclosure and performance among companies listed on its exchange.
The first meeting of the SSE was opened by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon in New York City, USA in 2009. The Sustainable Stock Exchanges (SSE) initiative is a peer-to-peer learning platform for exploring how exchanges, in collaboration with investors, regulators, and companies, can enhance corporate transparency – and ultimately performance – on ESG (environmental, social and corporate governance) issues and encourage sustainable investment.
“We would like to actively use the SSE platform to discuss best practices in sustainability in order to promote transparency, and ultimately performance, on environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG) issues among companies listed on our exchange,” said Andrei Aukhimenia, Chairman of the Board, Belarusian Currency and Stock Exchange.
“We are going to offer training, workshops, and other events to facilitate education, communication and engagement on sustainability issues for Belarusian market participants, which include, companies, investors, regulators and other issue experts and priority stakeholders,”Mr. Aukhimenia added. “All this, with the vision set on creating long-term value for the prosperity of Belarus. We are honored that the Belarusian Currency and Stock Exchange becomes a SSE Partner Exchange.”
Short information:
Belarusian Currency and Stock Exchange (BCSE) is a universal trading platform aimed at organizing trading in securities, foreign currencies and derivative instruments. BCSE performs functions of the National Forex Center, registers OTC transactions in the stock market, carries out clearing and depository activities, and provides a wide range of information services. By the end of 2015, Belarusian Currency and Stock Exchange took the third place by trading volume between currency and stock exchanges of CIS countries.
The SSE is a peer-to-peer learning platform for exploring how exchanges—in collaboration with investors, regulators, and companies—can encourage sustainable investment and enhance corporate transparency, and ultimately performance, on ESG (environmental, social and corporate governance) issues. The SSE is convened by the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), the UN Global Compact, the UN Environment Program Finance Initiative (UNEP FI), and the Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI).