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Report on Advisory Council Meeting

2003-07-21 

On 16 July 2003, the Global Compact Advisory Council convened its fourth meeting since its formation on 8 January 2002.

The meeting, held at United Nations Headquarters in New York, was chaired by Deputy Secretary-General Louise Frechette and John Ruggie, Special Adviser to the Secretary-General on the Global Compact.  The meeting brought together 17 members (or designated representatives) of the Advisory Council (AC) representing business, labour and civil society.  The meeting also included representatives from the Global Compact’s five core UN agencies – UNEP, UNDP, ILO, OHCHR and UNIDO – as well as Georg Kell, Executive Head of the Global Compact. 

In addition, the Secretary-General actively participated in a working luncheon with Advisory Council members.

Key issues addressed by the Council were the following: Integrity Measures; Communicating on Progress; Local Networks; Policy Dialogues; and the Leaders Summit in 2004.

The meeting resulted in a number of outcomes:

  • Wide support for the convening of a Global Compact Leaders Summit, now confirmed for 24-25 June 2004
  • The Secretary-General agreed to explore how the UN itself could make progress in implementing the nine principles in its own work
  • Consideration for the addition of a tenth principle on Transparency/Corruption, to be examined more closely following the expected General Assembly adoption of the UN Convention Against Corruption
  • A recommendation to seek funding, through an intermediary, from foundations for the development of an Impact Assessment and other priority activities
  • A recommendation that the Global Compact develop a more comprehensive funding strategy
  • A recommendation to create a task force to develop a process to address companies engaged in “egregious violations” of the Global Compact principles
  • A recommendation to the Global Compact Office to expedite together with core agencies guidelines on local networks
  • A proposal that the Global Compact Office consider more explicitly the relationship between voluntary initiatives and regulatory approaches, such as the Draft Norms of Responsibilities of Transnational Corporations and Other Business Enterprises with Regard to Human Rights.