Home / News & Events
Mary,
Distinguished panellists,
Ladies and
Gentlemen,
All too often, the fight against discrimination begins with easy
condemnations and ends with vague commitments. The World Conference against
Racism seeks to improve on that record.
I had the same goal in mind when,
more than two years ago, I launched a Global Compact aimed at improving
corporate citizenship in the areas of human rights, labour and the
environment.
The Compact is not a regulatory instrument, a legally binding
code of conduct, or a "safe harbour" allowing companies to sign on without
demonstrating real involvement and results. It is a voluntary initiative aimed
at embedding the global market in shared values. It is also a learning forum, so
that participating companies can show the way for others through enlightened
leadership and creative partnerships.
Among us today are business leaders who
are participating in the Compact and who have agreed to throw their considerable
weight behind the cause of diversity and non-discrimination. The Volvo Car
Corporation
has been especially active in bringing the business community to
Durban.
Though they come from several continents and represent many different
industries, they are united in their belief in the value of diversity, and in
their willingness to work with the United Nations, trade unions and civil
society groups to root out discrimination and achieve greater diversity.
If
there is one message I would want to emanate from Durban, it is that all of us
must do our part in the struggle against racims. As more and more corporate
leaders are saying, discrimination is everybody's business.
We want the World
Conference to provide a forum where people can air their grievances. We want the
conference to help heal some of the terrible wounds of the past, and move people
towards reconciliation.
But most of all, we want the conference to impress on
everyone the high costs of discrimination, and to mobilize every individual to
do his or her part for peaceful, prosperous coexistence.
The workplace is
surely one of the front-lines. Discrimination on the basis of gender, race, age,
disability, sexual orientation, background and other qualities is all too
common. Statistics have amply documented phenomena such as unequal pay for equal
work, "the glass ceiling" that bars women from executive power, and the lack of
access to opportunities and services experienced by some groups, but not
others.
It is often said, and rightly so, that corporate social
responsibility requires leadership from the top -- from the chief executive
officer. It is vital that CEOs send a consistent message that they will not
tolerate discrimination in their company's hiring practices or in handing out
promotions. CEOs can also make clear that their companies will uphold human
rights in their operations.
Equally important is what happens from the bottom
up -- in day-to-day relations between supervisor and employee, between customers
and suppliers, and among colleagues.
Upholding the universal ideals of
equality and human dignity is a virtue in and of itself. But doing the right
thing is also good business.
A company with a reputation as an enlightened,
equal opportunity employer will find it easier to attract high-quality
employees. Such companies will certainly reap dividends in the eyes of
increasingly rights-conscious consumers. They will also be more open to
innovation and new ideas, and be seen as responsible members of the communities
in which they conduct their business.
Today I hope we will hear about how
companies from different parts of the world are addressing the issues of
inclusion and equality. Mary, I know that you, as United Nations High
Commissioner for Human Rights, are ready to work even more closely with the
business community.
Indeed, Durban is only a beginning. I hope that
corporations will keep diversity issues in the forefront of their policies and
operations, participate in follow-up events here in Durban and beyond, and do
all they can to sustain the momentum generated by this conference. I would also
encourage companies to share their experiences and best practices by posting
them on the Global Compact website.
Let me again thank everyone for coming to
Durban. Your commitment to diversity has great potential to improve workplace
and community alike. Let us, together, rise to this challenge.
Mary, the floor is yours.
