More than 1,200 Chief Executive Officers from companies in over 100 countries have demonstrated their support for the United Nations and inclusive multilateralism by signing onto a powerful Statement from Business Leaders for Renewed Global Cooperation. This includes North Coast Strategies, a public relations consultancy, located just outside of Detroit.
The Statement has attracted signatures from some of the world’s largest brands along with hundreds of other large, small, and medium-sized enterprises participating in the UN Global Compact, the world’s largest corporate sustainability initiative.
The Statement of support – including the full list of CEO supporters – was presented to UN Secretary-General António Guterres by Sanda Ojiambo, the CEO & Executive Director of the UN Global Compact, at the opening of the Private Sector Forum on the sidelines of the High-level meeting of the General Assembly to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the United Nations.
“The Statement is a resounding endorsement of inclusive multilateralism. In no uncertain terms, it says that cooperation must cross borders, sectors, and generations for us to adapt to changing circumstances,” said Sanda Ojiambo. “In the course of just one month after we issued the Statement, it has been signed by 1,294 CEOs from large, medium, and small enterprises in virtually every industry and region. We deeply appreciate their commitment to global cooperation at a pivotal time for the UN and the world at large.”
“On behalf of North Coast Strategies, I am honored to join business leaders from all over the world, calling on others to stand behind the ten universal principles in the areas of human rights, labour, environment, and anti-corruption,” Daniel Cherrin, President & CEO of North Coast Strategies said. “It is important to lead by example to highlight how important this is, and you do not have to be a large company to be a part of this awesome network.”
The 75th anniversary of the founding of the United Nations comes at a time of unprecedented disruption and global transformation, serving as a stark reminder that international cooperation must be mobilized across borders, sectors, and generations to adapt to changing circumstances.
In the spirit of renewed global cooperation, public and private institutions need to show they are accountable, ethical, inclusive, and transparent.
The statement endorsed by CEOs states: “We, the business peoples, recognize that peace, justice, and strong institutions are beneficial to the long-term viability of our organizations and are foundational for upholding the Ten Principles of the UN Global Compact and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Now is our opportunity to learn from our collective experiences to realign behind the mission of the UN and steer our world onto a more equitable, inclusive, and sustainable path. We are in this together — and we are united in the business of a better world.”
Under the headline Uniting Business LIVE from 21-23 September, the Private Sector Forum is the first in a series of three events on the sidelines of the 75th session of the UN General Assembly organised by the UN Global Compact to promote principled business and the Sustainable Development Goals.
The CEO Statement also supports the objectives of Sustainable Development Goal 16: to promote peace, justice, and strong institutions. Through the UN Global Compact’s Action Platform on Goal 16, interviews with 60 senior executives in June and July revealed that – alongside environmental and social issues – they believe good governance lies at the heart of good business. See the full list of signatories here.
ABOUT THE UNITED NATIONS GLOBAL COMPACT
As a special initiative of the UN Secretary-General, the United Nations Global Compact is a call to companies everywhere to align their operations and strategies with ten universal principles in the areas of human rights, labour, environment and anti-corruption. Launched in 2000, the mandate of the UN Global Compact is to guide and support the global business community in advancing UN goals and values through responsible corporate practices. With more than 10,000 companies and 3,000 non-business signatories based in over 160 countries, and more than 60 Local Networks, it is the largest corporate sustainability initiative in the world.
ABOUT THE ACTION PLATFORM FOR PEACE, JUSTICE AND STRONG INSTITUTIONS (GOAL16)
The Goal 16 Action Platform comprises highly engaged businesses working to develop a framework for businesses to understand, implement, and report on Goal 16 through corporate governance and global governance. The patrons include: Baker McKenzie, L’Oreal, Nestle and participants include: Anglo-American, APCO Worldwide, Enel, Leonardo, Linklaters, LRN Corporation, Oando, RELX, Safaricom, Sumitomo Chemical, Thomson Reuters, White & Case.
For more information, follow @globalcompact and #UnitingBusiness on social media and visit our website at unglobalcompact.org.
