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FORUM REGISTRATION 26 MAY DEADLINE!
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1. UN Secretary-General Launches the Global Compact in Myanmar
2. Business Gears Up for Rio+20
3. UN Secretary-General Appoints New Global Compact Board Members
4. Consultation to Strengthen Procurement Transparency in India
5. Global Compact Office Response to Joint Civil Society Statement
6. Participant Status: New Signatories, COPs and Delistings
1. Commit to the Future We Want: Sustainable Development Commitments for Rio+20
2. More Opportunities: Endorse the Women’s Empowerment Principles and more
1. Rio+20 Corporate Sustainability Forum Bulletin
2. Guidance on Responsible Business in Conflict-Affected and High Risk Areas: A Resource for Companies and Investors
3. United Nations Development Business Website
1. Upcoming Webinars (May – June 2012)
2. Rio+20 Corporate Sustainability Forum: Innovation & Collaboration for the Future We Want (15-18 Jun, Rio de Janeiro)
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1. UN Secretary-General Launches the Global Compact in Myanmar
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon chaired the launch of the Global Compact in Myanmar (1 May, Yangon), where 15 organizations joined the initiative, and dozens of international companies were in attendance. The Secretary-General underscored the heightened interest in corporate sustainability as Myanmar is experiencing political and economic reforms. The evolution of the Global Compact in Myanmar, including the establishment of a Local Network, will be steered by the joint effort of the inaugural signatories, the Myanmar Chamber of Commerce and the Office of the UN Resident Coordinator in Myanmar. More. Read the Secretary-General’s Remarks.
2. Business Gears Up for Rio+20
3. UN Secretary-General Appoints New Global Compact Board Members
The Secretary-General appointed 14 new members to the Global Compact Board, the highest-level advisory body of the UN involving business, civil society, labour and employers organizations (19 April, New York). The new appointments bring the total number of Board members to 31. The increase in the number of members reflects the Board’s expanded mandate to advise the Secretary-General on the rapidly evolving UN-business partnership agenda. More. View list of Global Compact Board Members.
4. Consultation to Strengthen Procurement Transparency in India
A “National Consultation on Transparency and Anti-Corruption Measures in Procurement” was convened by the Global Compact Network India in partnership with the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (19 April, New Delhi). The consultation provided the opportunity for high-level representatives from the Government, private sector and civil society to discuss challenges and explore solutions to addressing corruption within procurement processes. Matters discussed included: procurement guidelines, industry-wide efforts, integrity pacts and whistle blower mechanisms. More.
5. Global Compact Response to Joint Civil Society Statement
The Global Compact issued a statement (26 April, New York) to correct, clarify, and respond to several points raised in the Joint Civil Society Statement: “Ending Corporate Capture of the United Nations”. More.
6. Participant Status: New Signatories, COPs and Delistings
In April, 127 companies and 84 non-business stakeholders joined the Global Compact. 115 companies were delisted for failing to communicate on progress. The largest companies (by employee number) to join during the month were: ZF Friedrichshafen AG (Germany), Vedanta Resources Plc (UK), Turkiye Garanti Bankasi A.S. (Turkey), Oy Karl Fazer Ab (Fazer Group) (Finland) and East Nippon Expressway Company Limited (Japan).
Total figures as of 30 April:
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1. Commit to the Future We Want: Sustainable Development Commitments for Rio+20
The UN Global Compact, in partnership with the World Business Council on Sustainable Development, announced a worldwide call for commitments to actions and partnerships that advance progress along the key themes of Rio+20. Ensuring quality and impact of commitments is a priority, and each commitment must meet established criteria including on transparency and reporting on progress made. Commitments will be recognized and highlighted in publications, media materials and through other communication channels and vehicles.
Companies are asked to submit their commitments through the UN-business partnership gateway at www.business.un.org/commitments. Make a Commitment to Action.
2. More Opportunities: Endorse the Women’s Empowerment Principles 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. Rio+20 Corporate Sustainability Forum Bulletin: Provides an update on the building momentum for the Rio+20 Corporate Sustainability Forum and the broad efforts underway to ensure that business plays its role at Rio+20 to help set a better course for our world. This Bulletin – to be issued every two weeks – includes updates on the Forum: programme, partners, opportunities and logistics. View.
2. Guidance on Responsible Business in Conflict-Affected & High-Risk Areas: A Resource for Companies & Investors: Assists companies in implementing responsible business practices in conflict-affected and high-risk areas consistent with the Global Compact Ten Principles. The focus is to provide a common reference point for constructive dialogue between companies and investors on what constitutes responsible business practices in difficult operating environments. Download: English | 中文 | Español
3. United Nations Development Business Website: An online portal displaying procurement opportunities for projects administered by multilateral banks, national governments and the United Nations system. It offers listings of recent procurement notices, monthly operational summaries and contract awards as well as daily news and events from a global network of partners. Visit www.devbusiness.com
Please visit the Tools and Resources webpage to access all material issued by the Global Compact.
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1. Upcoming Webinars (April – May 2012, Online)
– OPEN INVITATION – A number of webinars on a variety of topics will be convened over the next month. All Global Compact participants are encouraged to participate in these sessions:
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
May
Introduction of the Global Compact in Myanmar (1 May, Yangon)
Copenhagen Fashion Summit (3 May, Copenhagen)
Best Practices for Private, Public Partnerships to Combat Human Trafficking (22 May, webinar)
Human Rights and Business Dilemmas Forum: Conflict Minerals (23 May, webinar)
Essential Skills for Effective Partnering (28-30 May, London)
Introduction to the Global Compact (30 May, webinar)
COP Differentiation: Reaching “GC Active” Level (31 May, webinar)
June
COP Differentiation: Achieving “GC Advanced” Level (1 Jun, webinar)
Annual Local Networks Forum (15 Jun, Rio de Janeiro)
PRME Global Forum (15 Jun, Rio de Janeiro)
Rio+20 Corporate Sustainability Forum: Innovation & Collaboration for the Future We Want (15-18 Jun, Rio de Janeiro)
July
Human Rights and Business Dilemmas Forum: Health and Safety (3 July, webinar)
September
PRME Australia/New Zealand Regional Meeting (27 Sep, Brisbane)
December
Human Rights Working Group Meeting (6 Dec, Geneva)
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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