Introduction
Congratulations! Your company has taken an important step towards strengthening corporate sustainability worldwide by becoming a United Nations Global Compact participant. Now that your company has committed to implementing the ten principles into your strategies and operations, it is time to consider its next steps. The following tools and resources provide an overview of what is expected of Global Compact participants, as well as opportunities to further engage.
Additional tools, resources and information on the communication on progress, trainings and webinars, local networks and the annual contribution policy can be found by browsing the left hand navigation.
Reading Material
Guide to Corporate Sustainability
Lays out five defining features of corporate sustainability, which the Global Compact asks businesses to strive towards – looking at why each element is essential, how business can move forward and what the Global Compact is doing to help.
- Guide to Corporate Sustainability
After the Signature
Provides a basic introduction to the UN Global Compact, outlining the commitment that you have made to the initiative, such as implementing the ten principles and producing an annual COP report.
Activity Report
A comprehensive annual study that assesses how – and to what extent – participating companies are implementing the ten principles; taking action in support of broader UN goals and issues; and engaging with the Global Compact locally and globally.
A Practical Guide to the United Nations Global Compact for Higher Education Institutions
Offers guidelines for higher education institutions in implementing the Ten Principles of the UN Global Compact within the organization and then leading their global adoption.
Integrity Measures
With the aim of assuring that the integrity of the UN Global Compact is safeguarded at all times, the UN Secretary-General has adopted the following integrity measures.
Monthly Bulletin
As a Contact Point, you will receive the Monthly Bulletin by email. The Bulletin is designed to keep participants up to date on news, engagement opportunities, resources and events.
Browse past issues
Tools and Resources
Additional guidance material for implementing the UN Global Compact principles.
Browse the library of tools and resources
The Communication on Engagement
Overview
As a public document, uploaded to the Global Compact website, the COE is an important demonstration of a non-business organization’s commitment to support the Global Compact and promote the implementation of the ten principles among businesses. Failure to submit a COE to the Global Compact website every two years will result in a change of participant status, and can eventually lead to theexpulsion of the organization from the initiative.
What is required?
While the overall COE format is flexible, each COE must contain the following three elements:
- A statement by the chief executive, or equivalent, expressing continued support for the UN Global Compact and renewing the participant’s ongoing commitment to the initiative and its principles.
- A description of practical actions that the organization has taken to support the UN Global Compact principles and to engage with the initiative. Practical actions should relate to one or more of the specific activities suggested to each type of non-business participant in support of the initiative.
- A measurement of outcomes, including qualitative and/or quantitative measurement of results.
Non-business participants must submit their COE within two years from the date of joining – or two years from 31 October 2013 for existing non-business participants. All subsequent COEs are due within two years following the previous submission.
Consequences of Failure to Submit a Timely COE
Non-Communicating Status
A non-business participant will be designated as “non-communicating” on the Global Compact website if it fails to submit a COE by the required deadline.
Expulsion from the UN Global Compact
If a non-communicating participant fails to submit a COE within a year of becoming non-communicating, it will be expelled from the Global Compact. The name of expelled participants is publicly available on the Global Compact website. All organizations that have been expelled need to reapply if interested in rejoining the initiative.
Format and Language
To make the COE widely available to all stakeholders, it should be fully integrated in the participant’s main medium of stakeholder communications, e.g. an annual report. In the event that a participant does not prepare formal reports, a COE can be created as a stand-alone document. COEs should be written in the language(s) of the organization’s predominant stakeholder group. The Global Compact Office welcomes COEs in all languages.
More Information
More information about the COE Policy is available on the Global Compact website (www.unglobalcompact.org) under “Reporting” in the section “Communication on Engagement.” You may also contact your Relationship Manager for guidance on preparing and submitting the COE.
