Largest Turkish conglomerate joins UN Global Compact for ethical businesses

Turkey’s largest industrial conglomerate, Koç Holding A.S., with more than 87,000 employees, today joined the United Nations Global Compact, a six-year-old initiative launched by Secretary-General Kofi Annan to advance good corporate citizenship and responsible globalization, including promoting human rights and fighting corruption.

To mark the occasion, Mr. Annan met with company Chairman Mustafa V. Koç at UN Headquarters in New York. “It is expected that the group’s participation in the Global Compact will foster further growth of the initiative in Turkey and the entire Eastern Mediterranean region,” a UN spokesperson said.

Since its official launch on 26 July 2000, the initiative has grown to nearly 3,000 participants, including over 2,500 businesses in 90 countries around the world.

Under its 10 principles, businesses are required to respect internationally proclaimed human rights and ensure they are not complicit in human rights abuses; uphold freedom of association and collective bargaining; eliminate all forms of forced, compulsory and child labour and workplace discrimination; promote greater environmental responsibility and environmentally friendly technologies; and work against all forms of corruption, including extortion and bribery.