As a special initiative of the UN Secretary-General, the United Nations Global Compact is a call to companies everywhere to align their operations and strategies with ten universal principles in the areas of human rights, labour, environment and anti-corruption, and to take action in support of UN goals. With more than 17,000 companies and 3,000 non-business signatories based in over 160 countries, and 62 Local Networks, it is the largest corporate sustainability initiative in the world.
OUR COMMUNICATIONS REACH AND IMPACT ARE GROWING
In our 22nd year, the UN Global Compact launched an array of successful strategies, programmes and events that helped spread our message and encourage companies around the world to sign on and align their priorities towards sustainability.
We invite you to take a closer look at our communications impact this year, including highlights from our flagship publications and events.
TOP TIER MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS
- Director Today | Board accountability on ESG issues is here to stay
- DEVEX | UN Global Compact's Ojiambo talks top priorities for African business
- Daily Maverick | Increasing connectivity is key to accelerating Africa’s growth
- CNBC Africa | Embracing sustainable business is key to accelerating Africas economic growth
- Thomson Reuters | OPINION: A different kind of equal - why female entrepreneurs hold the key to solving the global climate crisis
- CNBC Sustainable Futures | UN’s Sanda Ojiambo on why businesses should aspire for a sustainable future
- BBC World | The Climate Question
- Fortune Magazine | The inventors of ESG: ‘Critics have a point—here’s the new global reporting system that will address it’
- CNN One World with Zain Asher | COP 27: Developing Nations Demand Climate Justice
- Valor Econômico | Brasil pode ser solução em vez de problema
Our Flagship Events
TARGET GENDER EQUALITY LIVE
On 15 March, during the 66th Commission on the Status of Women, TARGET GENDER EQUALITY LIVE brought together more than 3,200 business, civil society and Government leaders to call for prioritizing gender equality during the global pandemic recovery.
- 62.7K impressions on UN Global Compact social media accounts (Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram) during the event
- 50.2K engagements on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn
- 715M potential media reach and 360 media mentions
UN GLOBAL COMPACT LEADERS SUMMIT
On 1-2 June, more than 12,000 participants met for the UN Global Compact Leaders Summit, an annual event designed to encourage and accelerate private sector progress toward sustainability. Among those attending were the Prime Minister of Spain and the President of Timor-Leste. The event featured more than 24 hours of discussions and strategy-sharing aimed at holding companies accountable. A strategy was announced to boost the impact of private sector players in China, and ten new Global Compact SDG Pioneers — business leaders doing exceptional jobs to advance sustainability — were announced. Read more here
- 102K impressions on UN Global Compact social media accounts (Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram) during the event
- 1.52K LinkedIn engagements
- 1.04M potential media reach and 1.48K media mentions
Watch our highlights video:
Uniting Business LIVE
UN Secretary-General António Guterres opened the 77th session of the UN General Assembly warning “our world is in big trouble” and calling for action to address inequality, injustice, war and other immediate crises. To help find solutions, the UN Global Compact held Uniting Business LIVE, where top Government officials, business leaders, experts and advocates shared their views and strategies on actionable solutions for driving the private sector towards shared global sustainability.
Over the course of three days, Uniting Business LIVE connected the high-level multi-stakeholder dialogues of the Private Sector Forum, the grounded local knowledge and implementation strategies of the Global Impact Forum, and the partnership and leadership examples of the SDG Business Forum into one inclusive and impactful event.
- 3.75K total mentions of our hashtag #UnitingBusiness on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube
- 438K impressions and 15.3K engagements on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn during the event
- 18.9M potential media reach
Watch the sessions here:
Global Africa Business Initiative
"The Global Africa Business Initiative is about Africa’s leaders resetting the global narrative and positioning key partnerships to deliver inclusive, sustainable growth for people and the planet,” said Amina J. Mohammed, UN Deputy Secretary-General. Launched during the UN General Assembly, the Global Africa Business Initiative highlighted and promoted business opportunities and development across Africa. Under the headline Unstoppable Africa, the Initiative provided Africa’s leaders with an opportunity to share insights and expertise on sustainable economic growth and investment.
Organized by the UN Global Compact in partnership with the African Union, UNDP Africa, the UN Economic Commission for Africa and the UN Office of the Special Advisor on Africa, the two-day event was supported by Afreximbank, Google, the Rockefeller Foundation and the Mastercard Foundation.
- 6.77K total mentions of our hashtag #unstoppableAfrica and/or #GABI on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube
- 334K impressions and 8.22K engagements on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn during the event
- 18.9M potential media reach
Uniting Business AFRICA
Uniting Business for a Better World
At COP 27 in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt, the UN Global Compact staged the third annual Uniting Business AFRICA. In collaboration with Global Compact Local Networks, the forum brought together leaders from business, civil society, Government and the UN. The event focused on how the private sector can accelerate and support climate change initiatives across the continent. Discussions addressed the challenges, successes and next steps towards implementing green supply chain policies and practices, the importance of food security and adaptation for the region, and renewable energy access and climate resilience.
- 4.38K total mentions of #UnitingBusiness Africa on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube
- 3.08M impressions & 6.79K engagements on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn during the event
Caring for Climate
Together with the UN Global Compact, UN Environment and UN Climate Change, the High-level Meeting of Caring for Climate brought together senior executives of business, finance, civil society, Government and the UN to drive forward a global response to the Paris Agreement. Participants discussed how to bring forward a strong business message of climate ambition, including solutions that lead to sustainable economic growth.
- 3.06M impressions and 2.09K engagements on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn during the event
Climate Action Now: A Critical Priority for African Business Leaders
At COP 27 in Sharm El Sheikh, the UN Global Compact convened prominent business leaders from the Africa Business Leaders Coalition (ABLC), UN officials, members of Governments and representatives of development agencies to discuss the perspectives of African business leaders on climate change, their commitments and their call to action for the global community. The event was an opportunity to present the Africa Business Leaders’ Climate Statement, outlining credible corporate commitments and actions anchored in the goals of the Paris Agreement, the Sustainable Development Goals and the UN Global Compact Ten Principles.
- 1.19K total mentions of #UnitingBusiness and Climate Action Now on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube
- 3.06M impressions & 2.44K engagements on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn during the event
UN Global Compact CEO appointed Assistant Secretary-General
At the beginning of the year, UN Secretary-General António Guterres appointed Sanda Ojiambo as Assistant Secretary-General of the UN Global Compact. As Assistant Secretary-General, Ms. Ojiambo is responsible for building innovative and strategic partnerships to drive impact and advocacy at local and global levels. She advises the UN Secretary-General and Deputy Secretary-General on the contributions of the private sector to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and manages engagement of the UN Global Compact in UN inter-agency affairs, working closely with relevant multilateral and international organizations.
OTHER EVENTS
Global Goals Business Forum at Expo 2020 Dubai
The Global Goals Thematic Business Forum called upon business leaders to take action in integrating the Global Goals into investment strategies. The high-level event convened industry leaders and UN Global Compact participants from across the world.
Sustainable Blue Economy Investment Forum
At a special UN Ocean Conference event, more than 150 major companies signaled their commitment to a healthy ocean by signing onto the UN Global Compact Sustainable Ocean Principles.
UN Ocean Conference Youth and Innovation Forum
In partnership with the Sustainable Ocean Alliance, the Youth and Innovation Forum brought together over one hundred youth delegates from around the world with a shared goal to protect the ocean.
SDG Investment Forums
Global financial officers, including members of the CFO Coalition for the SDGs, gathered at the European SDG Investment Forum and the SDG Investment Forum New York to share ideas and best practices to unlock private capital for the Global Goals and reshape the future of corporate finance.
Africa Business Leader Coalition Roundtables
Ahead of COP27 in Egypt, the Africa Business Leaders Coalition focused its efforts on bringing the perspectives of African CEOs and Board Chairs into the global conversation through roundtable discussions.
The United Nations Global Compact and the Principles for Responsible Management Education (PRME) convened business, education and Government leaders to discuss how to elevate education to the top of the global political agenda, mobilize action to recover from pandemic-related learning losses and transform education in a rapidly changing world.
Academy
The Academy is a digital learning platform providing business leaders and practitioners with actionable skills to help companies move further faster in implementing the Ten Principles of the UN Global Compact and the Sustainable Development Goals. This year, the Academy launched its Changemaker series, providing an opportunity for companies worldwide to learn from and connect with some of the most innovative and influential people working in or with business to make the world a better place.
It's Good for Business social media campaign
- From 1 March to 24 October, the UN Global Compact ran a social media campaign to drive business awareness and action in support of the Ten Principles and the Global Goals and how these values are good for business.
- 16K participants in the campaign across the world
- 6.76K total mentions of our hashtag #GoodForBusiness on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube
- 6.33K engagements on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn
- 3.2M social media reach
Programmatic Highlights
TOP PUBLICATIONS IN 2022
COMMITMENTS, COALITIONS AND TOOLS
China Strategy
In June of this year, the UN Global Compact launched its China Strategy with the goal of scaling the collective impact of business in China and driving progress towards the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Home to the largest number of Fortune 500 companies and more than 44 million SMEs, greater engagement with Chinese stakeholders supports the UN Global Compact Global Strategy 2021–2023, which aims to accelerate and enhance its reach and collaboration with the global South.
SDG Pioneers
The UN Global Compact announced a new cohort of ten UN Global Compact SDG Pioneers – business leaders from around the world who are doing an exceptional job of advancing the Sustainable Development Goals through the implementation of the Ten Principles on human rights, environment, labour and anti-corruption.
UN Global Compact Board
The UN Global Compact Board plays an essential role in shaping our strategy and policy. Designed as a multi-stakeholder body, the Board provides strategic and policy advice while advancing the mission of the UN Global Compact.
In 2022, with the participation of UN Secretary-General António Guterres, the Chair of the Board, meetings focused on assessing progress made on the 2021–2023 Strategy, key priorities and more.
We thank all our Board members for their contributions this year and commitment to uniting business for a better world.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR ENGAGEMENT AND SUPPORT
#UnitingBusiness
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