630 Companies Delisted as Part of Integrity Measures
(New York, 25 June 2008) – The United Nations Global Compact Office announced today that a
total of 630 companies have been removed from its list of participants for failure to communicate
progress.
The delisting of companies is part of ongoing efforts by the UNGC Office to
enhance the accountability and credibility of the initiative. The Integrity Measures were
introduced in 2004 following a comprehensive review of the governance of the UN Global Compact. In
accordance with the Integrity Measures, companies are required to communicate annually to their
stakeholders on progress made in implementing the ten principles of the UN Global Compact. Failure
to meet the Communication on Progress (COP) deadline results in a company being listed as “
non-communicating” on the Global Compact website.
The delisting policy was first implemented in January 2008, when
394 companies were removed from the participant list. Since then, an additional 236 companies have
been delisted – bringing to 630 the total number of companies delisted since the policy was
implemented. In addition, 317 companies are currently listed as “inactive” on the website, of which
184 are at risk of being delisted in 2008.
Inactive companies at risk of being delisted can regain their
status as “active” participants by submitting a Communication on Progress.
“While the delisting of companies is regrettable, it is essential
that the UNGC initiative stays true to its accountability policy”, said Georg Kell, Executive
Director. “This helps protect the integrity of the initiative as a whole, while also protecting the
engagement of seriously committed companies”.
Despite the large number of companies removed from the participant
list, the overall number of participants continues to rise. During the first half of 2008, 701 new
companies have joined the UN Global Compact, increasing the total number of business participants
to 4619, and the total number of all participants – companies plus non-business stakeholders -- to
5982.
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Contact
Oliver Johner
Communication on Progress Analyst
UN Global Compact Office
Cecilie Hultmann
