The following address was delivered on Sept 18 by former prime minister Anand Panyarachun, at the Asian Forum on Corporate Social Responsibility..."The significance of CSR has escalated in the global market place. In recent years, many companies which violated social and environmental standards have been targets of adverse publicity by human rights, labour rights and environmental organisations. Such publicity can definitely damage the reputation of an organisation, which is undeniably one of the most valuable assets of any organisation." [refers to General Electric, Aviva, Exel, Starbucks, McDonald's]