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UN to align managerial practices more closely with Global Compact

UN to align managerial practices more closely with Global Compact

Catherine Bertini
The United Nations today said it was undertaking an effort to integrate the principles of the Global Compact - which promote better corporate practices in human rights, labour and the environment - into its own internal operations.

The United Nations today said it was undertaking an effort to integrate the principles of the Global Compact - which promote better corporate practices in human rights, labour and the environment - into its own internal operations.

The announcement comes on the eve of the largest-ever summit of corporate leaders, government officials and civil society representatives to assess what the Compact has achieved in its five years of existence, and determine what more can be done to deepen its impact.

In a letter addressed to UN staff, the Under-Secretary-General for Management, Catherine Bertini, observed that "the United Nations should always lead by example, and be ready to comply with the same requests it makes of others."

She said that "although the United Nations does not knowingly contravene the Compact's principles in its administrative practices, the Organization could and should be far more explicit in integrating the principles into its administrative processes."

Secretary-General Kofi Annan launched the Global Compact in 1999 at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. At that time the United Nations considered whether any changes in its own managerial and administrative practices would be necessary and decided that only a limited number of steps were required, primarily an effort to educate potential suppliers to the United Nations about the Global Compact and its principles, Ms. Bertini said.

Since then, hundreds of businesses from around the world have become involved, and in February, the General Assembly adopted a resolution supporting the Compact as part of the work of the United Nations on global partnerships.

At a press briefing on the Global Compact Leaders Summit, which will be held tomorrow at UN Headquarters in New York, UN Special Adviser John Ruggie said the meeting marks the growth of the initiative from a relatively modest 50 or so participating firms to nearly 1,500 now.

It had become by far the largest corporate citizenship initiative in the world, and, with a particularly visible presence in developing countries, had helped put "corporate responsibility" on the agenda of the developing world, he told reporters yesterday.

Referring to the results of a recent study of the initiative's effects, Mr. Ruggie said that some two-thirds of respondents had changed their corporate policies in relation to human rights, labour and environmental principles since joining the Compact, with 40 per cent reporting that the Compact was a significant driver of those changes. The survey had also shown that some firms had been prompted to join or initiate partnerships promoting the Compact's goals.

Joining Mr. Ruggie at the briefing was Georg Kell, Executive Head of the Global Compact, who expressed hope that significant pledges and partnerships would be announced at the Summit. He and Mr. Ruggie concurred that the event would mark the first time the mainstream investment community would be actively involved in the Compact's work.