UN Global Compact Core Contribution 2017 - 2020

With the adoption of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the world has in hand a comprehensive and integrated blueprint for global sustainability in economic, social, and environmental terms. Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) will only be possible if the private sector – as the main provider of jobs, innovation, and economic growth – fully aligns its activities with the 2030 Agenda. The UN Global Compact, as the largest corporate responsibility initiative in the world, is uniquely placed to galvanize the alignment of business practices with the SDGs by calling on companies everywhere to align their strategies and operations with its ten universally accepted principles in the areas of human rights, labour, the environment, and anti-corruption, as well as to report on their progress in doing so. With its newly adopted 2020 Strategy -  developed following an intensive multi-stakeholder consultation process - the UNGC has set itself up to lead a movement of corporate responsibility that underpins the SDGs.

The overall goal of this seventh phase contribution is to support the implementation of the UNGC’s 2020 Strategy with the overarching objectives to:

• advance both in scale and impact the corporate responsibility agenda by mainstreaming the UNGC’s ten principles (on human rights, labour, the environment and anti-corruption) in business operations around the world and reporting on them in a transparent and measurable fashion;
• improve the quality of UN-Private Sector partnerships in support of the SDGs; and
• bring the coprorate responsibility movement to currently underserved parts of the world, notably Africa.

Businesses worldwide; Local Networks; Partner Governments; UN System

The UNGC remains the world’s foremost corporate responsibility platform with a clear value proposition for companies and governments alike;

The new revenue model is implemented, increasing funding for the UNGC while strengthening local networks;

Business contribution to the SDGs has significantly increased, with the UNGC playing a convening role.

Resultados previstos:  

To achieve its ambition the UNGC has identified three “must-win battles” to which the entire organization and all activities must countribute:

Creating sustainable growth of the initative: By strengthening the value proposition and adapting the business model, the UNGC aims to increase its membership.

Optimizing the global organization: Based on its internal review and the external multistake-holder consultation process, the UNGC has already taken steps to strengthen its internal setup and streamline some of its workstreams. The biggest challenge in optimizing the organization is strengthening the Local Networks, in particular in emerging and frontier markets.

Clarifying and strengthening the brand: One result of the stakeholder consultation was that many actors don't have a clear sense of what the UNGC stands for beyond its 10 principles. Moving forward, the UNGC wants to clarify its brand, including further highlighting the UN side of its brand by taking a more active role in the facilitation of UN-Private Sector Partnerships. 

Resultados de las fases anteriores:  

The UNGC remains the world’s foremost corporate responsibility initiative with a unique multi-stakeholder design financed and governed by both the public and the private sector. Using its mobilizing force, the UNGC has ensured broad participation of the private sector in the negotiation of the SDGs and its financing and implementation framework, and is now focusing on businesses around the world answering the call to support their implementation. It has already launched a big campaign – entitled “making global goals local business” – to anchor the SDGs in business operations around the world. However, in the past three years, the UNGC has also fallen short in delivering some of its goals. Namely, the intiative has plateaued in terms of new participants and funding; its engagement in frontier markets – namely Africa – remains weak; and the quality and reach of its local networks varies significantly by country.

Swiss Local Network of the UNGC / SDC Latin America Division (Competence Center for Engagement with the Private Sector) Division: SDC ALAK is partnering with the Swiss Local Network of the Global Compact. Activities of the UNGC at the global level are reinforcing the work of the Swiss Local Network and vice versa.

SECO: The SECO coordinates Swiss activities in the area of corporate social responsibility, whereby the UNGC is an important instrument for advancing the Federal Council’s vision.

MiNY: As the Chair of the Group of Friends of the Global Compact in New York, the MiNY plays an important role in enabling dialogue between the Global Compact Office, UN Member States; and the UN system on questions of institutional and strategic importance to the UNGC.

Other corporate responsibility initiatives: The UNGC sees itself as a “platform of platforms” working closely with other corporate responsibility initiatives such as Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), Principles for Responsible Investments (PRI), the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) or the World Economic Forum (WEF).

Fase 7 01.12.2016 - 31.12.2020   (Completed)