Addresses the issue of how responsible businesses can ensure that their procurement of minerals does not profit armed groups in producer countries, or provide such groups with incentives to control strategic mining areas and trading routes through violent means. In particular, the webinar examines the risks posed by conflict minerals to multi-national corporations (MNCs); for example, in terms of relevant legal requirements in the United States or the protection of company reputations. Additionally, the webinar explores suggested good practices to help MNCs mitigate these risks, including supply-chain due diligence and traceability initiatives.

Explores the challenges responsible businesses can face when addressing gender-based discrimination and promoting gender equality in their operations and supply chains. In particular, the webinar examines how companies can responsibly navigate this issue where local cultural, legal and/or business norms permit or promote discrimination. Additionally, the webinar explores a range of relevant good practice – including the integration of the Women’s Empowerment Principles into business policies and practices – as well as examples of multi-national companies that have addressed this issue.

Explores how responsible businesses can best ensure that workers within their supply chains located in developing and emerging growth countries enjoy adequate safety protection within the workplace. In particular, the webinar examines the challenges faced by companies with supply chains in regions with weak or poorly enforced national occupational health and safety regulations or those that have limited resources to upgrade their systems to international standards, as well as companies that witness a rise in the costs of production due to investment in health and safety education for their suppliers. Additionally, the webinar explores a range of relevant good practice as well as examples of multi-national companies that have addressed this issue.

Explores how responsible businesses can best respect the right to privacy of customers, employees and other relevant stakeholders – whilst protecting their own legitimate legal and commercial interests. In particular, the webinar examines the challenges faced by companies operating in locations where the right to privacy is inadequately protected and/or is undermined by local law – with a focus on ‘higher risk’ sectors such as information technology and telecommunications. This includes an examination of how responsible companies are responding to state-backed mass surveillance programs in key jurisdictions – as well as the expanding use of digital surveillance in countries with poor human rights records.

Highlights the linkages between human rights and anti-corruption compliance and how companies can benefit from integrating these considerations in their compliance programs. Adverse human rights impacts and corruption pose similar risks to companies, including the danger of reputational and financial exposure. Effectively managing these risks presents companies with common challenges such as detecting misconduct in the business organization and supply chains, and necessitates due diligence on business partners such as contracted agents and suppliers. Indeed successful implementation of human rights and anti-corruption compliance can contribute to corporate sustainability and profitability.

On 12 December 2016, António Guterres was sworn in as the next United Nations Secretary-General. In his vision for the post, Mr. Guterres - a former Prime Minister of Portugal and UN High Commissioner for Refugees - has said that the world body is uniquely placed to connect the dots to overcome global challenges and further strengthen the nexus between peace and security, sustainable development and human rights policies.

A call to action to business leaders to align with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This report shows how the next decade will be critical for companies to open 60 key market “hot spots,” tackle social, environmental challenges, and re-build trust with society.

Showcases industry-specific examples and ideas for corporate action related to the SDGs. Presented in a series of publications, each matrix will highlight bold pursuits and decisions made by diverse companies for each SDG.

Identifies and ranks 15 sustainability opportunities according to public and private sector interest and potential impact on societies and business. The report aims to demonstrate how global sustainability challenges and risks can be seen as opportunities. The 2017 reports stems from a survey of 5,499 business, governmental and social leaders across five continents.

Business leaders identify the youth employment crisis as one of the most pressing global risks of our time, but also see investing in youth as one of the greatest potentials for business growth and development. There are more young people today than at any other time in history, approximately 1.8 billion, and half are women. These young people are breaking through stereotypes and creating innovative, concrete solutions to long-standing problems. Yet, although young people are creating these sustainable solutions, there is a disconnect with the formal labour force. Over the last year, youth unemployment rates have increased and the disparity in labour force participation between young women and men has widened. This webinar, co-hosted by the UN Global Compact, UN Women and Plan International, highlights the opportunity and need for business to scale up action and invest in the future workforce to create economic opportunities for young women around the world, produce bottom line impacts on business growth and sustainability, and contribute to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Authored by Georg Kell the founding Executive Director of the UN Global Compact, this peer-reviewed article is the opening chapter for engagement of "non state actors". The Handbook examines practical aspects and conceptual issues of international organizations and their relationship with nation-states and international authority; considers the main controversies surrounding contemporary international organizations; provides an authoritative overview of international organizations written by leading scholars and practitioners; and offers comprehensive analysis and commentary on the role of international organizations today.

This webinar recording discusses various aspects of promoting transparency in Beneficial Ownership and how it can help businesses.