Corporate responsibility is fundamental to Pfizer‘s business and to our ability to achieve our mission of “Working together for a healthier world.”® To do so, we must be committed to conducting our business in an ethical manner and putting patients‘ needs first in everything we do and everywhere we operate. Through our corporate responsibility programs, we engage with stakeholders and align our business activities to ensure that we meet our responsibilities to respond to the evolving needs of society and contribute as a partner to the overall health and wellness of the world.
The charter of Pfizer's Board of Directors' Corporate Governance Committee now requires directors “to maintain an informed status on company issues related to corporate social responsibility and the company's participation and visibility as a global corporate citizen, and to monitor emerging issues potentially affecting the reputation of the pharmaceutical industry and the company.” This year, to improve Board oversight of corporate responsibility, Pfizer's Corporate Responsibility team has begun providing biannual corporate responsibility updates to the Corporate Governance Committee of Pfizer's Board of Directors on specific progress on corporate responsibility goals.
Most of Pfizer's corporate responsibility issues are managed within our business units and corporate group. This ensures that corporate responsibility is directly integrated into all of our work. Pfizer's corporate responsibility efforts are coordinated globally by a team that is part of Worldwide Communications, whose leader is a member of executive leadership and reports directly to the CEO. The Corporate Responsibility team, led by the Vice President of Corporate Responsibility, is responsible for setting the strategic direction for corporate responsibility at Pfizer and supporting integration of corporate responsibility throughout the company. The Corporate Responsibility team also oversees the development of Pfizer's corporate responsibility reports and communications, and manages engagement and partnerships with socially responsible investors and nongovernmental organizations.
This year, we integrated our philanthropy function into our broader corporate responsibility function to better align our philanthropic programs with our corporate responsibility and business priorities. The Corporate Responsibility team is also responsible for the development and oversight of Pfizer's global health programs described in the Access to Medicines section of this report.
Integration Of Corporate Responsibility
Integrating corporate responsibility into our business requires continuous effort to set the right priorities, allocate resources appropriately, and communicate and partner with stakeholders. This is especially challenging given the scale and scope of our company and our geographic diversity. To facilitate this process, we created a new Global Corporate Responsibility Colleague Network to connect all Pfizer colleagues who have corporate responsibility related roles. This network helps implement global strategies at the local level, and identify and share information about emerging issues and best practices with the Corporate Responsibility team and peers around the world.