The United Nation's Global Compact
The World's Largest Corporate Sustainability Initiative
Who we are: We are a voluntary initiative based on CEO commitments to implement universal sustainability principles and to take steps to support UN goals. The Global Compact is a UN-based initiative to encourage businesses worldwide to adopt sustainable and socially responsible policies, and to report on their implementation.
The Ten Principles of the UN Global Compact
Corporate sustainability starts with a company’s value system and a principles-based approach to doing business. This means operating in ways that, at a minimum, meet fundamental responsibilities in the areas of human rights, labour, environment and anti-corruption. Responsible businesses enact the same values and principles wherever they have a presence, and know that good practices in one area do not offset harm in another. By incorporating the Ten Principles of the UN Global Compact into strategies, policies and procedures, and establishing a culture of integrity, companies are not only upholding their basic responsibilities to people and planet, but also setting the stage for long-term success.
The Ten Principles of the United Nations Global Compact are derived from: the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Labour Organization’s Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work, the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development, and the United Nations Convention Against Corruption.
The Principles
| 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 occupati |
| 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. |
More detailed information on each principle and the role(s) that each play(s) in sustainability is available by clicking on the numbered links in this table.
