A dramatic rise of interlinked global challenges is forcing business executives to navigate new levels of uncertainty. The war in Ukraine is producing alarming cascading effects across a world already impacted by COVID-19 and climate change. The risks of generations lost, as well as waves of food insecurity, energy shortages, unfolding debt crises, and social unrest are very real. In this context of uncertainty, more and more chief executive officers (CEOs) are stepping into broader leadership capacities, propelled by business necessity and by evolving societal expectations of their role. The UN Global Compact has compiled perspectives from CEOs across the globe, to provide policymakers, companies, and the public with practical insights into business leadership in today’s novel and dynamic operating environment. This report describes how today’s CEOs face complex challenges to their operations—and to their sustainability agenda.

Fifty global executives convened during the UN General Assembly’s week of high-level debates, to candidly share corporate approaches to converging global crises. This business-to-business discussion focused on complex dilemmas related to strengthening peace, justice, and strong institutions (Sustainable Development Goal 16). Discussion centered around three questions: 1. How are you managing increased pressure to take a stand on political and social issues? 2. How are you weighing the cost of doing something, versus the cost of doing nothing? 3. How can lobbying be part of an accountability framework regarding corporate actions in these areas? This document summarizes high-level take-aways.

The ILO Helpdesk is a service from the International Labour Organization that provides a one-stop-shop to help company managers and workers understand the application of international labour standards.

2022 marks the 10-year anniversary of the Children’s Rights and Business Principles developed jointly by UNICEF, UN Global Compact and Save the Children in consultation with children, businesses, investors, governments, civil society, trade unions, national human rights institutions and United Nations entities. The joint report “Charting the Course: Embedding children’s rights in responsible business conduct” elaborates key achievements and main gaps that need to be addressed to accelerate impact for children through business action and policy decisions. The report lays the foundation for raising the bar towards making business fit for children.  

  2022 marks the 10-year anniversary of the Children’s Rights and Business Principles developed jointly by UNICEF, UN Global Compact and Save the Children in consultation with children, businesses, investors, governments, civil society, trade unions, national human rights institutions and United Nations entities. The joint Brief “Charting the Course: Embedding children’s rights in responsible business conduct” summarizes the findings of a more detailed forthcoming report by the three organizations and aims to chart the course for the coming years. Impact at scale is yet to be achieved to put child rights at the heart of corporate sustainability, the time has come to raise the bar towards making business fit for children.

Guides companies around the world to better understand and address human rights impacts in their operations and supply chains. Users can access in-depth analysis of key human rights issues, due diligence recommendations, as well as case studies illustrating how other businesses have responsibly addressed human rights impacts.

This report examines the aggregate results of companies using the Women's Empowerment Principles Gender Gap Analysis Tool with an aim to provide insights on global and regional corporate performance on gender equality and showcase the efforts of partners and other stakeholders to drive women's empowerment around the world. The report concludes that while some progress has been made on advancing gender equality across regions and across issues, there is a need for more accelerated, urgent, impactful action across the board. This report is available in English, French, German, Chinese, Spanish and Portuguese.

The UN Global Compact partnered with the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) on a Business Guide to urgently respond to Ukraine’s humanitarian crisis. The Guide provides concrete action for businesses to support the Secretary-General’s three-month Flash Appeal for people in Ukraine, and a Regional Refugee Response Plan for the situation outside, under the leadership of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees.

Every year on 8 March, many companies take the occasion of International Women’s Day (IWD) to celebrate women in their workforce. This document aims to provide recommendations on how to meaningfully leverage IWD to advance gender equality and move the needle for women and girls. These recommendations are applicable for every day.

Developed by the United Nations Global Compact, UNICEF and Save the Children – the Children’s Rights and Business Principles are the first comprehensive set of principles to guide companies on the full range of actions they can take in the workplace, marketplace and community to respect and support children’s rights. While the business and human rights agenda has evolved significantly in recent years, a child rights perspective has not yet been explicitly addressed. (https://childrenandbusiness.org/)

This roadmap presents a framework for climate-smart MSP aiming to respond to the urgency of decarbonization that is needed to meet the meet the Paris Agreement temperature goal to limit global warming to 1.5°C. Specifically, it strives to support a more rapid, socially acceptable and just implementation of offshore renewable energy as one of the key clean energy sources for getting to net zero as quickly as possible. As such, the roadmap encourages not only an increase of offshore renewable energy — with offshore wind energy being the most promising option currently — but also its co-use with other climate-smart uses of the ocean and climate solutions — such as natural carbon sinks and nature restoration, low-trophic aquaculture and other innovative forms of renewable energy.

Identifies practices that businesses can implement to advance decent work and improve occupational safety and health (OSH) globally. Co-developed by the United Nations Global Compact and the International Labour Organization, the brief focuses on the role that businesses can play in ensuring safe and healthy workplaces, especially when operating in countries with deficient national safety and health and employment injury protection schemes. It further recognizes the important link between sound OSH practices and effective employment injury insurance schemes: the most desirable mechanisms to protect the incomes of workers who suffer work-related injuries and cover their medical costs.