 Author |
 Post
|
 |
|
GSimon
Joined: Mar 29, 2006
Posts: 62 (view all)
Poster Rank:
Talkative
User is
Offline
Gender & Age: Male & 32
Country: Canada
Province/State: Ontario
City: Toronto
|
Reflexions on the UN Global Compact
November 17, 2007 - 12:57 AM
|
|
The UN Global Compact is an initiative put in place in 2000 after the 1999 Davos Summit, by Kofi Annan. It basically represents a voluntary agreement for company of every size -but in practice almost multinationals- to adhere to 10 principles following the triple bottom line : namely, human rights, labor rights, the environment and good governance/anti -corruption. (see http://www.unglobalcompact.org/)
For some, the Global Compact is a step forward to engage the business community into the adoption of sustainable practices. For its detractors, companies can pride itself on being labelled as a participant Global Compact without acting in the right way as such ("bluewhasing" derived from "greenwahsing"*. The Global Compact has some mechanisms to "delist" previous members that do not disclose their performance or advancements on human rights, labor rights, the environment or anti-corruption.
As young people what do you think are the limits and prospects of the UNGC? (broad / not specific commitments?)
Do you think you would buy products of company that show at least a commitment on the GC principles? How to make pressure so that company adhere to the GC principles?
As young people or young activists, it is more and more important to think about how the business community can contribute to a better wold. While this is a complex issue, I really would like to hear from you.
I would love to know what you think! * It is important for youth & civil society to take a lead on those issues as it shapes our society of tomorrow!
This post was edited on: 2007-11-27 at 08:24 PM by: GSimon
This post was edited on: 2007-11-27 at 09:59 PM by: GSimon
|
|
back to top |
link to this post
|
|
rohit saroj
Joined: Dec 4, 2007
Posts: 30 (view all)
Poster Rank:
Talkative
User is
Offline
Age: 27
Country: India
|
Re: Reflexions on the UN Global Compact
December 4, 2007 - 05:32 AM
|
|
hi gsimon,
today industries are re -equipping themselves in accordance to the UNGC guidelines and have incorporated the GRI as a practic and have made commitments to generate "responsible profits".
but to put it in plain words, such commitments are shear paper tigers and any effort thereoff is mere a survival strategy than an attitude or value...
.i do agree with you that as youths and global citizens, we need to make concious and informed choices...
|
|
back to top |
link to this post
|
|
GSimon
Joined: Mar 29, 2006
Posts: 62 (view all)
Poster Rank:
Talkative
User is
Offline
Gender & Age: Male, 32
Country: Canada
Province/State: Ontario
City: Toronto
|
Re: Reflexions on the UN Global Compact
December 5, 2007 - 04:14 AM
|
|
The Global Reporting Guidelines (GRI) is indeed a interesting tool so that companies can disclose specific information on the environment, labor and human rights, governance and anti corruption mechanisms. This is far for being perfect but it is better in my view than nothing.
I understand when you say that those commitments are "shear paper tigers". Sometimes a company reports some of its policies but there are no external audits of management systems in place , and the reliability of the information can be put into question. However, as you may see multinational companies are often compelled to publish a corporate social responsibility (CSR) report. I my opinion, though it is the beginning and sometimes very "fluffy", it is a good start so that extra purely financial issues can be integrated in the business strategy of a company. Maybe it will be considered in the future as a competitive advantage!
I mean, as a consumer would you rather buy products of a company that publishes this information or appears to have CSR policies in place?
Concerning youth engagement, I do think that some initiatives or discussions should be led by young people regarding CSR issues. As far as I know, few young people participate in the deliberations of the UNGC. As a young people, I often have misconceptions of the corporate world and the multinationals.
This post was edited on: 2007-12-08 at 05:31 PM by: GSimon
|
|
back to top |
link to this post
|
|
Joel Gatama
Joined: Aug 29, 2006
Posts: 24 (view all)
Poster Rank:
Talkative
User is
Offline
 Virtual Volunteer
Country: Kenya
Province/State: Rift Valley
City: Nanyuki
|
Re: Reflexions on the UN Global Compact
December 5, 2007 - 08:27 AM
|
|
i sometimes think that in most Cases those policies end up on papers only. It is had for especially the Africans to take to task the multinational on their CSRs so companies will just be in good terms with the country leadership and their CSR will be rated as the best. Of course the UN does try but we are along way to getting there.
|
|
back to top |
link to this post
|
|
GSimon
Joined: Mar 29, 2006
Posts: 62 (view all)
Poster Rank:
Talkative
User is
Offline
Gender & Age: Male, 32
Country: Canada
Province/State: Ontario
City: Toronto
|
Re: Reflexions on the UN Global Compact
December 8, 2007 - 05:45 PM
|
|
I somewhat agree that those CSR initiatives are first and foremost in place to ease relations with stakeholders. But my point is that we often have misconceptions of the potential the business community has and the leadership it can demonstrate in alleviating poverty and supporting local development. For instance the GBC (Global Business Coalition) gathers 220 companies including multinationals. Young people often are not aware that some companies offer internships and sponsorship for them.
In my view a company should of course address its negative impacts first before offering such programs. But nowadays multinationals are major actors in the globalization and we are obliged to engage with them in a better dialogue. That is why I think youth initiatives are important. As representatives of the civil society, it is important that our voices are being heard by CEO's and the wider business community. It is important that pure economic development be mitigated though our input. It is important to raise our peers' awareness.
|
|
back to top |
link to this post
|
|
rohit saroj
Joined: Dec 4, 2007
Posts: 30 (view all)
Poster Rank:
Talkative
User is
Offline
Age: 27
Country: India
|
Re: Reflexions on the UN Global Compact
December 9, 2007 - 05:00 AM
|
|
i sometimes wonder about the lofty claims that get reported in the annual corporate sustainability report by the corporates...most of the times, the data that is diplayed in these reports are exxegeration of the real efforts. not only this. there also seems to be a repetation of the earlier efforts. the GRI norms and the indices are not only flexible but cumulative as well. most of the companies in india that adhere to the global compact and the GRI norms are very complacent about it and the so called " youth" are engagrd in fabricating data and the reporting system hat mimics the GRI reporting format....there is also a concern that maost of these young professionals are "killing the spirit behind the reporting forma."
please do not misunderstand me as a skeptic or a person with a negative outlook, but the reality is that our youth population who is at the management grade or at the excutive grade is using her/his all potentials, skills in manipulating facts...that is why i contest that it is ap paper tiger....
moreover, the so called developed countries have moved far beyond the threshold of exployting people, stripping them from their basic rights, raping nature that it has become indespensable to adhere to these norms for their sustenance....these MNCs/TNCs now realised that there numero-uno motive is hampered and thus have started thinking otherwise...
thus adherence to these norms are not out of "free will" but out of " compulsion". it is because of these inherent and latent fear that there is no willingness....do these companies really think about people for the peoples sake or is it because the civil society is forcing them to do so?..such reporting formats are viewed as "safety valves" and many companies find it very covenient to "twist" facts and figure to "silence the civil society.."
|
|
back to top |
link to this post
|
|
|
Display posts from:
|
