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Communicating Progress 

One of the explicit commitments that a company makes when it joins the UN Global Compact is to produce an annual Communication on Progress (COP). This is a requirement of participation which serves several important purposes:

  • to instill accountability;
  • to drive continuous improvement;
  • to safeguard the integrity of the UN Global Compact as a whole;
  • and to contribute to the development of a repository of corporate practices.

In recent years, more and more companies – both large and small -  have developed corporate sustainability reports. The COP policy is a reflection of this trend towards greater accountability and transparency. A COP is a disclosure to stakeholders (e.g., investors, consumers, civil society, governments, etc.) on progress made in implementing the ten principles of the UN Global Compact, and in supporting broad UN development goals (as expressed in the second objective of the UN Global Compact).

Business participants are required to annually submit a COP on the UN Global Compact website and to share the COP widely with their stakeholders.The COP is an important demonstration of a participant's commitment to the UN Global Compact and its principles, and as such a violation of the COP policy will result in the change in a participant's status and eventually in the delisting of the participant. As of March 2009, nearly 1,000 companies have been delisted (see link below for a full description of the COP Policy).

The COP should be mainstreamed in the company's existing communications methods. While the format for a COP is flexible, it must contain three important elements:

  1. A statement by the CEO (or equivalent) expressing continued support for the Global Compact and renewing the participant's ongoing commitment to the initiative and its principles;
  2. A description of practical actions (i.e., activities and, if applicable, policies) the company has taken to implement the Global Compact principles and to support broader development goals. During the first five years of participation, a COP must address at least two of the Global Compact's principle issue areas (human rights, labour, environment, anti-corruption), while all four must be addressed after five years;
  3. A measurement of outcomes (i.e., identify targets, define performance indicators, or measure outcomes).

Non-business participants are not required to prepare and submit a COP on the UN Global Compact website.

The Global Compact Office and local networks have developed tools and guidance to assist participants of all sizes in the process of preparing a COP.

In 2004, the UN Global Compact Office introduced the "Notable COP" program to highlight and recognize outstanding Communications on Progress. COPs featured in the Notable COP program are selected because of their strong adherence to the COP policy and because they represent illustrative and inspirational examples of communicating progress.

Communication on Progress: Policy Update

(April 2009) - Following extensive deliberations with business and Local Networks, the UN Global Compact Board agreed to simplify the COP process, clarify minimum requirements and improve searchability. Updates include:

  • New business participants will be given one year from the date of joining to prepare and submit their first COP.
  • During the first five years of participation, a COP must address at least two of the UN Global Compact’s four principle issue areas, while all must be addressed after five years.
  • The COP submission form on the UN Global Compact website will require additional information to improve searchability.
  • The “inactive” participant status currently in use will be eliminated. Business participants that have been “non-communicating” for one year or more will be delisted and removed from the UN Global Compact website.

The policy will become effective on 1 July 2009 for new business participants joining on or after this date. It will be applicable to all business participants as of 1 July 2011.

Key Information:

Contact

Simon Gargonne
COP Analyst
UN Global Compact
cop@unglobalcompact.org
+1  212 963 1519

(Last Update 23 June 2009)