The Global Compact

In his speech to the Davos World Economic Forum in January 1999, UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan proposed a Global Compact between the UN and business to uphold and promulgate a set of core values in the areas of human rights, labour standards and environmental practice.

His proposal was made against the background of a developing constructive new relationship between the United Nations and business - a relationship reflected in two joint declarations agreed between the Secretary-General and the ICC, wherein each side recognized that their respective goals are mutually supporting.

The Global Compact was formally launched on 26 July 2000 at a meeting at the United Nations chaired by Kofi Annan and attended, among others, by senior officers of some 50 major companies.

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