4.30.2003 ET

(CSRwire) UNITED NATIONS -- The U.N. Global Compact reports several new initiatives
including:


Hewlett-Packard & Pfizer Help Launch North American Learning Forum

Leading companies in North America met on 29 April in Palo Alto,
California, at Hewlett-Packard Headquarters to establish a North America
Global Compact Learning Forum. Convened by Hewlett-Packard and Pfizer, the
meeting brought together 50 participants representing a broad spectrum of
industries as well as academia. (See UN Global Compact)

Launch of South African Network

On 24 April, the Global Compact was launched at UNISA, Pretoria, South Africa. At the invitation of the Universities of Cape Town, Stellenbosch Business School, the African Institute of Corporate Citizenship and the United Nations Information Centre Pretoria, approximately 200 representatives of South African companies and South African subsidiaries of multinational firms attended. The Republic of South Africa, the base of a large number of domestic and foreign companies operating in sub-Saharan Africa, is of crucial importance to the Global Compact initiative. (See UN Global Compact)


Global Compact Launched in Sri Lanka

As part of its expanding worldwide outreach, the Global Compact was launched in Sri Lanka on 21 April, an event that included senior government officials, representatives from the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce and leading Sri Lankan companies, as well a delegation of U.S. business executives. Bradman Weerakoon, Secretary to the Prime Minister, delivered the keynote address in which he emphasized the critical importance of the Global Compact in helping to promote sustainable growth at a time when Sri Lanka is aggressively pursuing peace and economic stability. Mr. Weerakoon noted that key features of the Global Compact are complementary to the government's Regaining Sri Lanka strategy, which envisions a greater socio-economic development thrust led by the private sector. (See UN Global Compact)


Nine Chilean Companies Commit to Global Compact

On 9 April more than 400 representatives of companies, civil society and government participated in the Seminar on Corporate Social Responsibility in Chile, an event organized by PROhumana Foundation and UNDP. Participating in the launch were Nicolás Eyzaguirre, Finance Minister; Juan Claro, President of the Corporation of Production and Commerce (CPC); Soledad Teixidó, Executive Director of PROhumana Foundation; and Thierry Lemaresquier, Resident Representative in Chile of UNDP. Nine companies with headquarters in Chile signed on to the Global Compact in the presence of Mark Malloch Brown, the Administrator of UNDP, who was visiting the country. (See UN Global Compact)


Workshop Held on NGO Accountability

As part of an international research project on "The 21st Century NGO", the Global Compact Office and SustainAbility convened a workshop at UN Headquarters on 3 April, focusing on the topics of the accountability and governance of NGOs. The all-day workshop titled "Who Guards the Guardians?" featured more than 30 non-governmental organizations as well as representatives from the Global Compact Office and SustainAbility. Dr. Kumi Naidoo, Secretary-General of CIVICUS, delivered the keynote address. (See UN Global Compact)


China Establishes Learning Centre

The China Reform and Development Forum Committee, under the auspices of the Chinese Academy of Social Science (CASS), is establishing The Global Compact Learning Forum China Centre to help advance the principles of the Global Compact and the tenets of corporate citizenship in all sectors of the Chinese economy. Acting as the learning hub for the Global Compact in China, the Centre will work in cooperation with a broad range of stakeholders including business, government, academia, labour and civil society. (See UN Global Compact)

For more information please contact: