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 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.

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/)

Uniting against Corruption: A Playbook on Anti-Corruption Collective Action was developed as part of the UN Global Compact multi-year project Scaling up Anti-Corruption Collective Action within Global Compact Local Networks. With the six-step approach and deep dives on key roles throughout the Collective Action process, the Playbook enables readers to make a clear diagnosis of their local corruption landscape, identify and engage stakeholders and apply the Collective Action methodology to address identified corruption challenges and mitigate potential business risks. Ultimately this Playbook aims to mainstream the understanding and uptake of Collective Action among Global Compact Local Networks, businesses and other relevant stakeholders.

The UN Global Compact’s Action Platform for Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions promotes business engagement on SDG 16, including through the SDG 16 Business Framework I Inspiring Transformational Governance. In order to inform the Framework and to explore the themes of peace, justice and strong institutions within a national and regional context, a series of 14 country consultations were held with representatives from business, Global Compact Local Networks, civil society, government and academia in attendance. The following synthesis of these discussions.

The UN Global Compact’s Action Platform for Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions promotes business engagement on SDG 16, including through the SDG 16 Business Framework I Inspiring Transformational Governance. In order to inform the Framework and to explore the themes of peace, justice and strong institutions within a national and regional context, a series of 14 country consultations were held with representatives from business, Global Compact Local Networks, civil society, government and academia in attendance. The following is a compilation of the reports from these workshops.

Executive Summary of the SDG 16 Business Framework: Inspiring Transformational Governance. The Framework provides companies with guidance on strengthening business culture, ethics and performance and supporting public institutions, laws and systems. It sets out the theory of transformational governance and how it is underpinned by the targets and tenets of SDG 16: peace, justice and strong institutions. It presents the what, why and, most importantly, how of transformational governance through guidance and examples for each target of SDG 16.

Businesses are facing increasing demands from their stakeholders to be more transparent about their practices and exposure to risks related to their environmental, social, and governance (ESG) performance. Pushing against the trend for more transparency are the costs of data collection, requirements for assurance, exposure to legal jeopardy, and legitimate perceptions of reputational risk. This report navigates this ‘transparency dilemma’, to build a better understanding of the risk/return profile of transparency and thereby help companies to balance competing interests.

Provides guidance on the evolving business and human rights legal landscape and the consequent legal considerations that apply to multinational companies. Today, multinational companies must navigate increasingly complex human rights obligations, identify human rights risk in supply chains through due diligence, and take steps to mitigate such risks or make public disclosures. This topic is relevant to professionals tasked with embedding sustainability and human rights considerations in their business strategy. This report was developed by Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP with input from the participants of the UN Global Compact Decent Work in Global Supply Chains Action Platform.

The Decent Work Toolkit for Sustainable Procurement will enable companies, procurement professionals and suppliers to develop a common understanding on how to advance decent work through purchasing decisions and scaling up efforts to improve lives around the globe. With a focus on trust and transparency, the Decent Work Toolkit for Sustainable Procurement is publicly available to all and contains real-life examples of buyers and suppliers jointly addressing decent work concerns in global supply chains.

Building on the original Guide for General Counsel on Corporate Sustainability published in 2015, Version 2.0 provides further guidance to General Counsel to ensure they are better placed and better equipped to drive change and deliver value to their organizations through an increased focus on corporate sustainability. Topics include: Corporate Sustainability and Business Integrity Corporate Sustainability and Business Integrity Human Rights and Supply Chain Due Diligence Corporate Sustainability and Grievance Mechanisms Challenges to Corporate Sustainability - Managing a Crisis Please fill out the form below to download the full guide.

This guide aims to help companies set effective site water targets that are informed by catchment context, which can create value and lessen risks for the company and support collective action. This guide is intended for site staff or technical water specialists responsible for water management, and relevant corporate staff. This guide lays out three key elements for setting effective site water targets: Water targets should respond to priority water challenges within the catchment; The ambition of water targets should be informed by the site’s contribution to water challenges and desired conditions; and Water targets should reduce water risk, capitalize on opportunities, and contribute to public sector priorities.