Roundtable Meeting on Global Compact in Russia
The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs brought together Russian businessmen with key Russian Ministries and UN Organizations to launch in November 19, 2001 at the President Hotel, the Global Compact for Russia.
The Global Compact was initiated by the United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, in 1999. It calls on companies to embrace nine universal principles in the areas of human rights, labour standards and the environment. In particular, it includes four principles of the ILO Declaration of Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work, adopted by the tripartite ILO constituents in 1998. These principles are:
1. freedom of association and collective bargaining
2. the elimination of all forms of forced and compulsory labour
3. the effective abolition of child labour
4. the elimination of discrimination in respect of employment and occupation.
A global initiative, this Compact brings companies together with the United Nations organizations, international labour organizations, NGOs and other parties to foster partnerships and to build a more inclusive and equitable global marketplace. It aims to contribute to the emergence of "shared values and principles, which give a human face to the global market". Corporations engaged in the Global Compact (so far already more than 300) commit to support and publicly advocate the Global Compact and its nine principles and enter in partnerships with UN agencies for the promotion of the Global Compact values.
The ILO, by its very nature, has always worked with the private sector; it was involved from the outset in the establishment of the Global Compact, and is already engaged in developing related activities. The ILO Moscow Office has already started developing technical activities closely involving the private sector. Ms Barrett-Reid, director of the ILO Moscow Office and representative of the ILO Director General at this event, reaffirmed the central role business community has to play to promote decent work, and the hope of the ILO Moscow Office to see Russian Business community fully involved in the Global Compact.
The Global Compact was initiated by the United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, in 1999. It calls on companies to embrace nine universal principles in the areas of human rights, labour standards and the environment. In particular, it includes four principles of the ILO Declaration of Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work, adopted by the tripartite ILO constituents in 1998. These principles are:
1. freedom of association and collective bargaining
2. the elimination of all forms of forced and compulsory labour
3. the effective abolition of child labour
4. the elimination of discrimination in respect of employment and occupation.
A global initiative, this Compact brings companies together with the United Nations organizations, international labour organizations, NGOs and other parties to foster partnerships and to build a more inclusive and equitable global marketplace. It aims to contribute to the emergence of "shared values and principles, which give a human face to the global market". Corporations engaged in the Global Compact (so far already more than 300) commit to support and publicly advocate the Global Compact and its nine principles and enter in partnerships with UN agencies for the promotion of the Global Compact values.
The ILO, by its very nature, has always worked with the private sector; it was involved from the outset in the establishment of the Global Compact, and is already engaged in developing related activities. The ILO Moscow Office has already started developing technical activities closely involving the private sector. Ms Barrett-Reid, director of the ILO Moscow Office and representative of the ILO Director General at this event, reaffirmed the central role business community has to play to promote decent work, and the hope of the ILO Moscow Office to see Russian Business community fully involved in the Global Compact.