The UN Global Compact

Kofi Annan, then Secretary General of the United Nations, first floated the idea of a Global Compact in a speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos on 31 January 1999.

At the launch of the UN Global Compact in July 2000, companies, organisations, UN agencies, labour and civil society came together around ten universally accepted principles. These principles provide a roadmap for organisations wishing to advance their corporate responsibility agenda; they are relevant to all countries, sectors, sizes, etc.

Fifteen years later, the Global Compact is the largest international voluntary commitment initiative on sustainable development, with nearly 14,000 participants in 160 countries. Global and local, private and public, the Global Compact is a platform for collective commitment and action to build stable and inclusive societies.

92 local networks around the world ensure a close relationship with participants and national mobilisation.

Human Rights

• Principle 1: Businesses should support and respect the protection of internationally proclaimed human rights; and
• Principle 2: make sure that they are not complicit in human rights abuses. 

Labour

• Principle 3: Businesses should uphold the freedom of association and the effective recognition of the right to collective bargaining;
• Principle 4: the elimination of all forms of forced and compulsory labour;
• Principle 5: the effective abolition of child labour; and
• Principle 6: the elimination of discrimination in respect of employment and occupation.

Environment 

• Principle 7: Businesses should support a precautionary approach to environmental challenges;
• Principle 8: undertake initiatives to promote greater environmental responsibility; and
• Principle 9: encourage the development and diffusion of environmentally friendly technologies. 

Anti-corruption 

• Principle 10: Businesses should work against corruption in all its forms, including extortion and bribery.