UNIDO and the Global Compact

2006: Responsible Trade - view or download publication -

This UNIDO study, published in 2006, is intended to contribute to the debate on the equity, fairness and inclusiveness of globalization. It examines both the opportunities and the obstacles faced by small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in developing countries as they seek to gain access to international markets. The paper provides a thorough analysis of various initiatives and approaches to responsible trade and studies its role in poverty reduction and entrepreneurship development in developing countries.

 

2006: Sustainable Supply Chains - view or download publication -

Global Compact participants quickly identified supply chain management as a key challenge facing companies in global markets. This 2005 publication is a first step toward answering some of the questions relating to the complexity of many global supply chains representing a major obstacle to a consistent implementation of the Global Compact principles. The paper also intends to contribute to a better understanding of the distinct challenges facing small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) that seek to implement the Global Compact principles.

 

April 2004: view or download publication -

Prepared by Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Emerging Markets Group as a resource document for the workshop Partnerships for Small Enterprise Development, held on January 15 and 16, 2004 in New York City, this document highlights some concrete examples of initiatives by large companies (Corporations) that support small enterprises in developing countries.

 

March 2004: view or download publication -

UNIDO has released a Survey of Small and Medium Enterprises in The Global Compact. The survey ascertains the motivations of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in joining the Compact, their expectations, and the extent of their current commitment to/implementation of Corporate Social and Environmental Responsibility (CSER). 


As of June, 2003 UNIDO is the fifth UN core agency of the Global Compact. The invitation to UNIDO to join the Global Compact as a core agency arose from the need to pay more attention to the specific needs and support requirements of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) - an area in which UNIDO's expertise is globally acknowledged. UNIDO now has special responsibility for small and medium-sized enterprises engaged in the initiative.

The Global Compact is an initiative of UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan that brings businesses together with UN agencies, governments, labour and civil society to support nine principles in the areas of human rights, labour and environment, for a more sustainable and inclusive global economy. Through the power of collective action, the Global Compact seeks to advance responsible corporate citizenship so that business can be part of the solution to the challenges of globalisation. Over 1,000 companies from more than 50 countries are now engaged in the Global Compact. Of these, almost 25 percent are classified as small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

UNIDO programmes and networks of particular interest to Global Compact SMEs are:


In addition, the UNIDO/UNEP Network of National Cleaner Production Centers (NCPCs) promotes environmentally responsible entrepreneurship and the transfer of clean technology.

A perspective on UNIDO's role in the Global Compact can be drawn from the UNIDO study Corporate Social Responsibility: Implications for Small and Medium Enterprises in Developing Countries (view or download the study) which reviews the relevance and implications for SMEs in developing countries of the increasing adoption of corporate responsibility approaches by transnational corporations.

The other four core agencies are: the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR); the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP); the International Labour Organization (ILO); and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

For the latest news on the Global Compact, visit the Global Compact homepage at www.unglobalcompact.org.

 

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