Announcement of 2012 ACE Finalists

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Announcement of 2012 ACE Finalists


Remarks
Robert D. Hormats
Under Secretary for Economic Growth, Energy, and the Environment Washington, DC

September 24, 2012




Hello. I'm Bob Hormats, Under Secretary for Economic Growth, Energy and the Environment, and I have the honor of announcing the finalists for the 2012 Secretary of State's Award for Corporate Excellence— also known as the ACE.
The ACE has been awarded by the Department of State since 1999 to recognize American companies that are global leaders in advancing corporate social responsibility.
American companies are a highly visible and important face of the United States abroad. They can fulfill an important diplomatic role -- in particular, supporting Secretary of State Clinton's Economic Statecraft agenda, contributing to America's objectives of promoting peace, security, stability, prosperity, and sustainable development.
This year we received many outstanding nominations. 82 U.S. businesses were nominated by U.S. ambassadors around the globe.
These nominations reflect the growing number of American firms that have adopted policies that advance exemplary corporate citizenship and democratic principles in the communities in which they work.
Of those 82 nominations, 11 finalists, including 3 small-to-medium sized businesses, were chosen by an interagency selection committee that I am pleased to chair.
The 11 finalists for the 2012 ACE are:
• Chevron, Ashgabat
• Esso Angola, Luanda
• General Motors, Tashkent
• Intel, Hanoi
• Intel, Kuala Lumpur
• Microsoft Bangkok
• Microsoft, Cairo
• Microsoft, New Delhi
• Rosalie Bay Dominica,
• Sorwathé, Kigali
• Sustainable Mahogony Industries Ltd., Suva
Congratulations to all the finalists.
In today’s world, U.S. companies can a have tremendous impact in promoting our values. There are millions of people around the world who may never have the chance to visit the United States, but who still may be touched in many ways by the activities of our businesses.
As Secretary Clinton has stated, "Corporate social responsibility and socially responsible development are not marginal to our foreign policy but essential to the realization of our goals."
We will continue to highlight U.S. companies that engage in socially responsible activities that complement U.S. foreign economic policy efforts.
On behalf of all of us at the State Department and my colleagues across the U.S. Government, I would like to congratulate the 2012 ACE finalists for demonstrating leadership in advancing U.S. values abroad.
We all look forward to Secretary Clinton’s announcement of the winners at a ceremony here at the State Department anticipated to be held in December this year.
Please continue to visit this site for an announcement of the winners.
Thank you.