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1. Global Compact LEAD Meets with UN Secretary-General One Year After Launch
2. UN Heads and Executives Set in Motion Plan for Strengthening Partnerships
3. Global Sustainability Panel Report Calls for Wide Adoption of Corporate Sustainability
4. Fashion Industry Code to be Based on Global Compact Principles
5. Business Encouraged by First Draft of Rio+20 Outcome Document
6. Participant Status: New Signatories, COPs and Delistings
1. Call for Support in Developing a Guidance on Anti-Corruption Risk Assessment
2. Low-Carbon Leaders Project
3. More Opportunities: Human Rights Dilemmas Forum and more
1. A New Agenda for the Board of Directors: Adoption and Oversight of Corporate Sustainability
1. Upcoming Webinars
2. Rio+20 Corporate Sustainability Forum: Innovation & Collaboration for the Future We Want (15-18 June, Rio de Janeiro)
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1. Global Compact LEAD Meets with UN Secretary-General One Year After Launch
Chaired by the UN Secretary-General and co-hosted by the Swiss Government, the Global Compact and the Guile Foundation, a luncheon for Global Compact LEAD chief executives was held on the margins of the World Economic Forum. The Secretary-General challenged LEAD companies to accelerate uptake of corporate sustainability practices. Preparations for Rio+20 were highlighted, recommendations for Boards of Directors were launched, and several companies announced sustainability commitments. More. Learn about Global Compact LEAD.
2. UN Heads and Executives Set in Motion Plan for Strengthening Partnerships
Executives of companies engaged in Global Compact LEAD met with the UN Secretary-General and heads of UN Agencies, Funds and Programmes in Davos to discuss ways of boosting both the extent and impact of UN-business partnerships. The meeting occurred shortly after the Secretary-General announced the creation of a new Partnership Facility to strengthen business partnerships across the UN System. Several Global Compact LEAD signatories announced new partnerships between their organizations and UN entities. More.
3. Global Sustainability Panel Report Calls for Wide Adoption of Corporate Sustainability
The UN Secretary-General’s High-level Panel on Global Sustainability released its final report, Resilient People, Resilient Planet: A Future Worth Choosing, a blueprint for sustainable development and low-carbon prosperity. The panel calls on businesses worldwide to “align their business practices with universally accepted principles concerning human rights, labour, environmental sustainability and the fight against corruption, such as those set forth in the Global Compact.” Established in August 2010, the panel is co-chaired by H.E. Tarja Halonen, President of Finland, and H.E. Jacob Zuma, President of South Africa. More. Download Resilient People, Resilient Planet: A Future Worth Choosing.
4. Fashion Industry Code to be Based on Global Compact Principles
The Global Compact announced a new collaboration with the Nordic Initiative Clean and Ethical (NICE) to develop a fashion industry code based on Global Compact principles. The code will be launched on 3 May 2012 in Copenhagen at the world’s largest summit on sustainability in fashion, the Copenhagen Fashion Summit, held under the patronage of Her Royal Highness Crown Princess Mary of Denmark. More.
5. Business Encouraged by First Draft of Rio+20 Outcome Document
Business Action for Sustainable Development 2012 (BASD), the Major Group coordinator for Business and Industry at Rio+20, welcomed the latest draft outcome document and its emphasis on the role of business. The group highlighted its desire to continue to work with UN member states and other stakeholders on a framework that enables business to maximize its potential to provide solutions for sustainable development. This initiative is convened by the International Chamber of Commerce, the World Business Council for Sustainable Development and the Global Compact. More.
6. Participant Status: New Signatories, COPs and Delistings
In January, 118 companies and 31 non-business stakeholders joined the Global Compact. 99 companies were delisted for failing to communicate on progress. The largest companies (by employee number) to join during the month were: Minebea Co., Ltd. (Japan), China National Travel Service (HK) Group Corporation (China), NSG Group (Japan), Aperam (Luxembourg), Anixter International (USA), Nippon Chemi-Con Corporation (Japan) and Corporacion Nacional de Telecomunicaciones CNT EP (Ecuador).
Total figures as of 30 January:
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1. Call for Examples: Guidance on Anti-Corruption Risk Assessment
The Global Compact Sub-Working Group on Anti-Corruption Risk Assessment is collecting examples of company practices, policies and other methods for reducing corruption risk. Contributions will help to develop robust guidance material to help companies improve anti-corruption risk assessment.
Examples and questions may be sent to Olajobi Makinwa (makinwa@un.org) or Donna Chung (chungd@un.org).
2. Low-Carbon Leaders Project
The Low-Carbon Leaders Project (LCLP) is an open source, multi-media platform aimed at capturing and sharing transformative low-carbon solutions. Global Compact signatories are encouraged to submit, rate and comment on low-carbon solutions.
To access the mobile application to rate these solutions and for more information on Beyond Carbon, please visit the LCLP website.
3. More Opportunities: Human Rights Dilemmas Forum and more
Many of the engagement opportunities announced in past issues of the Bulletin are still active. View the full list of Engagement Opportunities.
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1. A New Agenda for the Board of Directors: Adoption and Oversight of Corporate Sustainability: Contains inspiration and recommendations for Boards of Directors on adoption and oversight of corporate sustainability – developed by GC LEAD. Download.
Please visit the Tools and Resources webpage to access all material issued by the Global Compact.
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1. Upcoming Webinars (OPEN TO GLOBAL COMPACT BUSINESS PARTICIPANTS)
2. Rio+20 Corporate Sustainability Forum: Innovation & Collaboration for the Future We Want (15-18 June, Rio de Janeiro)
– BY INVITATION ONLY – Organized by the Global Compact, the Rio+20 Corporate Sustainability Forum will give business and investors an opportunity to meet with governments, local authorities, civil society and UN entities in dozens of highly focused workshops and thematic sessions linked to the Rio+20 agenda. With 2,000 participants expected, the Forum’s objective is to bring greater scale and quality to corporate sustainability practices. A showcase for innovation and collaboration, the Forum is designed to be a launching ground for widespread action.
The Forum will be held at the Windsor Barra Hotel in Rio. For more information, please visit www.compact4rio.org.
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Event Calendar
February
Business Perspective on Sustainable Growth: Preparing for Rio+20 (14-16 Feb, New York)
Women's Entrepreneurship Development (21 Feb, webinar)
Introduction to the Global Compact (23 Feb, webinar)
COP Differentiation: Reaching “GC Active” Level (23 Feb, webinar)
COP Differentiation: Achieving “GC Advanced” Level (24 Feb, webinar)
Breaking New Ground: Partnerships for More and Better Jobs for Young People (27 Feb, New York)
March
Annual Event on the Women’s Empowerment Principles (6 Mar, New York)
Children’s Rights and Business Principles Launch (12 Mar, London)
Global Compact Collective Action Against Corruption: Progress Report (15 Mar, webinar)
Dow Jones Global Compliance Symposium (27-28 Mar, Washington)
UN System Private Sector Focal Points Meeting (28-29 Mar, Vienna)
April
Sports Sponsorship and Corruption (18 Apr, webinar)
May
Copenhagen Fashion Summit (3 May, Copenhagen)
June
Annual Local Networks Forum (15 June, Rio de Janeiro)
PRME Global Forum (15 June, Rio de Janeiro)
Rio+20 Corporate Sustainability Forum: Innovation & Collaboration for the Future We Want (15-18 June, Rio de Janeiro)
September
PRME Australia/New Zealand Regional Meeting (27 Sep, Brisbane)
December
PRME Asian Forum (8-9 Dec, Tokyo)
Please visit the Event Calendar on our website to learn more about the listed events.
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