The Global Compact is a voluntary initiative uniting private companies, UN bodies,business associations, NGOs, and trade unions in a real global forum to promote sustainable growth and good citizenship through committed and creative corporate leadership. On 31 January 1999, at the World Economic Forum in Davos, former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan challenged world business leaders to"embrace and enact" a set of universal principles within their sphere of influence.
The Global Compact's ten principles are focused specifically on the implementation of responsible business practices in the areas of human rights, labour standards, environmental performance and fight against corruption.
The Global Compact is a crucial component of how business can support the UN Millennium Development Goals and ensure that all people can share the benefits of globalization. The UN Millennium Development Goals are internationally supported development goals, which have been universally adopted by all the UN member states and will have to be achieved by 2015.
Today over 3000 companies are members of the Global Compact around the world. A growing number of leading companies have joined the programme in Bulgaria since its launch in January 2003, under the auspices of the President of the Republic, Georgi Parvanov. The Bulgarian Global Compact community of responsible companies plays a vital role in promoting the universally agreed principles whilst at the same time getting closer to meeting EU business standards and criteria to operate in the common European åconomic area.
Since its launch UN Global Compact Bulgaria brings together more than 120 members in a network. The Bulgarian Global Compact Network is an informal assembly of companies, non-governmental organizations and academia engaged in the Global Compact and Corporate Social Responsibility who strive to learn from each other, to communicate, to generate an advocacy impact and initiate dialogue or partnerships with other actors such as the government, local authorities, labour organisations, civil society organizations and academia. The Network takes the lead on initiatives that unite representatives of the private business, non-governmental sector and UN agencies. Among them are the projects: National Forum Global Compact +3 “Business against corruption”, Unleashing Entrepreneurship; Love Bridge; Health – Shared Responsibility of Private Companies; Sharing Best Practices in Corporate Social Responsibility.
In order to strengthen and enhance the role of the Global Compact Network in Bulgaria governance framework consisting of Advisory Board and Secretariat has been established in 2006.
More information:
For more information on Global Compact Bulgaria please contact: Ms. Elena Panova, Programme Officer, UNDP Bulgaria, tel.: 96 96 112; e-mail: elena.panova@undp.org; Ms. Maya Nyagolova, Manager Public Communications, UNDP Bulgaria, tel. 359 2 96 96 167 , e-mail: maya.nyagolova@undp.org
