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Please visit the Event Calendar on our website to learn more about the below events, including intended audience and availability.
January
Global Compact Network Launch: Bangladesh (26 – 27 Jan, Dhaka)
Global Compact Outreach Event: Qatar (29 Jan, Doha)
February
Meeting of the Global Compact Anti-Corruption Working Group (26 – 27 Feb, New
York)
March
Women and the UN Global Compact (5 March, New York)
Third Working Conference of the CEO Water Mandate (16 – 18 March, Istanbul)
Workshop: Fighting Corruption through Collective Action (16 – 17 March, Nigeria)
Regional Meeting for Global Compact Local Network Focal Points: Africa (17 – 18 March,
Nigeria)
Conference on Business Responsibilities and Opportunities in Africa (18 – 19 March,
Nigeria)
April
The Climate Imperative: Leadership, Innovation and Technology (22 – 23 April, Paris)
May
World Business Summit on Climate Change (24 – 26 May, Copenhagen)
June
VII Annual Local Networks Forum (9 – 10 June, Istanbul)
Meetings of issue specific working groups (climate, human rights and labour) will be held in
conjunction with the Annual Local Networks Forum.
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1.
Year of Climate Change: Letter to all UN Global Compact Participants
Dear UN Global Compact Participant, the UN Secretary-General has called 2009 the
“Year of Climate Change” – and for good reason. This year, crucial negotiations are scheduled
related to the forging of a new global framework for climate change. As a key stakeholder in this
global crisis, the business community is mobilizing, understanding that any meaningful progress
must involve the private sector. We hope you will join this historic call-to-action. Read the
letter.
2.
New Projects Announced on International Human Rights Day
The UN Global Compact celebrated the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration
of Human Rights on 10 December by announcing two new projects.
In addition to the new projects, a Global Compact CEO Statement on Human Rights was published in all editions of the Financial Times and an article was prepared by two members of the Global Compact Board. Read the CEO Statement. Read “Business and Human Rights Debate Finally on the Right Track”.
3. Labour Working Group Convenes Second Meeting, Releases Report
Representatives from business, civil society, employee organizations, the UN Global
Compact and the International Labour Organization (ILO) convened for the second meeting of the
Global Compact Labour Working Group (New York, 16 December). Practical experiences in addressing
the labour principles were shared by companies, and Local Network representatives presented their
efforts within a national context. Additionally, the Working Group launched its first publication,
The
Labour Principles of the United Nations Global Compact: A Guide for Business.
More.
4. Business Encouraged to Work against Sexual Exploitation of Children
The private sector is a key partner in preventing sexual exploitation of children
and adolescents, particularly companies operating in internet services, tourism, travel, transport,
financial services, entertainment, media and advertising. The recent III World Congress against the
Sexual Exploitation of Children and Adolescents (Rio de Janeiro, 25 – 28 November) concluded with a
call to companies to join the UN Global Compact and communicate their progress on the issue. More
on
World
Congress. Learn about the
Financial Coalition against Child
Pornography.
5. Investors Urge Companies to Join CEO Water Mandate
An alliance of investors (representing US$1.5 trillion), all signatories to the
UN Principles for Responsible Investment, have
written to the chief executives of 100 of the world’s biggest companies, encouraging them to join
the UN Global Compact’s CEO Water Mandate. In a letter dated 9 December, the investors state their
belief that companies that manage the risks and opportunities presented by limited global water
availability are more likely to be viable long-term investments. The
CEO Water
Mandate is designed to assist companies in the development, implementation and disclosure of
water sustainability policies and practices.
More.
6. Local Networks to Be Established in Jamaica, Uganda and Albania
UN Global Compact events held in December 2008 in Jamaica, Uganda and Albania laid
important groundwork for the establishment of a UN Global Compact Local Network in the countries.
Currently there are 68 established Local Networks around the world, with an additional 19 networks
under development.
More.
7. Academics from 43 Countries Renew Commitment to Responsible Management Education
Representatives from 170 business schools and academic institutions from 43
countries convened (New York, 4 – 5 December) for the first global forum organized for
signatories of the
Principles for Responsible Management Education
(PRME). PRME provides a framework for advancing corporate responsibility into academic curricula
and research. In an address to the Forum, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon encouraged management
educators to work together to “ensure that management science is rooted in the concepts of
sustainability and corporate citizenship”.
More.
8. Denmark Introduces Mandatory CSR Reporting for Large Companies
A law was adopted in Denmark on 16 December requiring the country’s publicly-listed
companies, state-owned companies and institutional investors to include information on CSR in their
annual financial reports. Participants of the UN Global Compact or UN Principles for Responsible
Investment can refer to their Communication on Progress. The new reporting requirement will take
effect from 2010.
More.
9. Participant Status: New Signatories, COPs and Delistings
In December, 100 companies and 47 non-business stakeholders joined the Global
Compact. General Electric (US), Aluminum Corporation of China and Konica Minolta Holdings
(Japan) were among the largest companies to join during the month. 210 Communications on Progress
(COPs) were received, and 18 companies were delisted for failing to communicate on progress.
Total figures as of 31 December:
10. Foundation for the Global Compact: 2009 Appeal
The Foundation for the Global Compact’s 2009 campaign is underway, and we hope that
every participating company will make its annual voluntary contribution. We are mindful that the
downturn in the global economy is impacting budgets, but believe that investing in corporate
sustainability generally, and the UN Global Compact specifically, is more important than ever.
These donations are vital to the initiative’s ability to provide a valuable framework for corporate
change and innovation around environmental, social and governance issues. Read the
2009 letter.
View the
Foundation's
website.
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* Engagement opportunities are intended for Global Compact signatories unless otherwise indicated *
1. Caring for Climate:
Join the world’s largest global business coalition on climate
Caring for Climate is a unique initiative – a commitment to action by business
and a call to governments, incorporating transparency. Endorsed by more than 300 companies from
over 60 countries, Caring for Climate assists companies in the development of effective climate
change policies while also providing a channel for the business community to contribute inputs and
perspectives to key governmental deliberations. The broad geographical spread of its supporters,
involving both leading actors from developed and emerging economies, reinforces the novel nature of
this engagement platform.
Read the Caring for Climate Statement and learn more about the initiative. Please email climatechange@unglobalcompact.org to express interest.
2. Gender Equality and Empowerment of Women:
Call for examples
To celebrate International Women’s Day, a “Women and the UN Global Compact”
event will be held at UN Headquarters in New York on 5 March (agenda to come). In preparation, we
are seeking examples of business working towards gender equality and the empowerment of
women. Examples should describe relevant activities, policies, procedures or other innovative
actions undertaken by the business.
Please email examples to Felicity Simons (simonsf@un.org) by Friday 30 January.
3. More Opportunities:
Calls for examples, Human Trafficking Survey, and more
Many of the engagement opportunities announced in past issues of the UN Global Compact
Bulletin are still open for interested parties, including the Human Trafficking in the Supply Chain
Survey, Signing the CEO Statement on Human Rights, and calls for examples and information on a
variety of topics.
View the
full list
of Engagement Opportunities.
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1. The Labour Principles of the United Nations Global Compact: A Guide for Business: Explains the four labour principles of the UN Global Compact and provides an inventory of key resources to help integrate these principles into business operations (ILO, UNGC).Download.
2. Meeting Reports:
3. UN Global Compact Brochure Now Available in French and Chinese: A brief
introduction to the UN Global Compact, outlining the main objectives of the initiative and the
business case for participation, as well as some of the ways in which companies can engage.
French,
Chinese,
English.
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Published by the United Nations Global Compact on 12 January 2009
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