Explores the role of company-level grievance mechanisms, their benefits and limitations, their relationship to other means of addressing stakeholder concerns, and some key considerations when designing a mechanism to be effective in practice. Examples and perspectives from business representatives are also shared.

Aims to familiarize Global Compact Local Network representatives with the Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights and provide an introduction to the National Human Rights Institutions as potential partners for advancing Human Rights at the local level. The first webinar features panelists from the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, the Global Compact Network Germany, the Canadian Human Rights Commission and the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights. The second webinar includes presentations from the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, the Global Compact Network Australia and the Australian Human Rights Commission.

Addresses how responsible businesses can mitigate the risk of association with human trafficking and forced labour in their operations or supply chains. The dilemma for business is how to detect, prevent and take corrective measures against these hidden forms of exploitation. The webinar also explores suggested best practices to help companies mitigate related risks.

Introduces examples of innovative approaches to empowering women in the workplace, marketplace and community, focusing on private sector women’s health initiatives. These inspirational examples illustrate some of the concrete ways in which companies can and are taking action to implement the Women’s Empowerment Principles.

Examines how responsible businesses, as well as suppliers and partners, can ensure a living wage for employees when the host country does not have a statutory minimum wage or when it fails to provide an adequate standard of living. It also explores the issue of working hours in the context of international standards, overtime and the pressure on some labourers to work excessive hours.

Addresses how businesses can operate responsibly in conflict-affected or fragile countries and weak governance zones to ensure that operations contribute to peace-building. Suggested best practices to help companies mitigate the risks of operating in conflict-affected environments are also explored.

Addresses how responsible businesses can ensure respect for human rights when working with public security forces. In particular, the webinar examines the reputational and legal risks posed by public security providers over which companies have limited control. The webinar provides good practice examples to help companies mitigate risks as they seek to protect their personnel and assets.

Provides an overview of how responsible businesses can mitigate the risks associated with human trafficking and exploitation of migrant workers in their operations and supply chains. Participants will examine situations where migrant workers form a significant part of the workforce and do not have adqueate protection from the government. Issues include violation of international standards, lack of monitoring mechanisms or human rights trainings for relevant state authorities. The webinar will also explore best practices to help multinational companies detect, prevent and take corrective measures against such hidden forms of exploitation.

Helps companies engage in sport sponsorship and hospitality in a transparent and ethical manner and aims to enhance the potential for sports to be a powerful tool to support peace, human dignity, and a culture of ethics and fair-play. Developed by a special task force of the Anti-Corruption Working Group following a public consultation process.

Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A) are an extremely important facet of the global economy. This Good Practice Note seeks to provide guidance to corporate leaders and M&A practitioners at all levels across the corporate, finance, private equity and legal sectors on how the due diligence process within M&A is being utilized and can be utilized to enable companies to more effectively carry out their responsibility to respect human rights as contemplated by the UN Framework and Guiding Principles for Business and Human Rights.

It contains business perspectives and recommendations in three areas: determining the core of a post-2015 agenda, including suggested sustainable development goals and targets; how to engage business and investors towards sustainable development goals; and recommending ways that Governments can advance inclusive and sustainable markets. It is the culmination of UN Global Compact consultations and surveys with thousands of businesses in all major regions.

The United Nations has worked since its founding to achieve a shared, secure and sustainable future for all of the world's people. The vision and aspirations of the first United Nations members in 1945, as they set out to be "architects of a better world", remain a beacon today – not just for Governments, but also for the thousands of companies and civil society organizations that have become key partners in tackling our world's most pressing challenges. Chaired by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, the UN Global Compact Leaders Summit 2013: Architects of a Better World brought together chief executives with leaders from civil society, Government and the United Nations to unveil a new global architecture for corporate sustainability. Photo & Video Credits: Brian Thompson, Devin, euronews, Flashback (The New History GCSE Series), Intel Corporation, Jurjen Versteeg and Synple, Microsoft Corporation, Planetary Collective and Piranha, The Rock Family Worship Center, Silverstein Properties Inc, The U.S. National Archives and Records Administration