7.06.2007 - 06:59am ET

(CSRwire) July 6, 2007- The United Nations Global Compact, the International Finance Corporation (IFC) and the Global Leadership Network (GLN) have formed a joint partnership to help UN Global Compact signatories, IFC clients and the wider private sector in emerging markets integrate corporate citizenship into business strategy and performance. The new partnership will be unveiled during the closing plenary session at the UN Global Compact Leaders Summit in Geneva on July 5, 2007.

Founded by IBM, AccountAbility, the Boston College Center for Corporate Citizenship, and nine other industry leaders, GLN has created a landmark community to define and achieve performance excellence in corporate citizenship. The network continues to grow in stature and size, to over thirty leaders from around the world with regional networks in China, Brazil and Europe and partners such as the Chinese Federation for CSR, Rever Consulting and the Corporate Citizenship Company.

GLN has established a learning, benchmarking and leadership group striving to embed responsible business practices as a driver of long term, sustainable competitive performance. Now, this unique partnership will allow companies of all sizes, sectors and regions to use GLN’s frameworks and tools by providing them with free access to GLN’s interactive strategic planning and assessment tool.

The tool draws on an extensive database of good practice case studies, real-time benchmarking and automated reporting to provide users with the necessary information on key strategic alignment efforts. For UN Global Compact signatories in particular, the GLN Global Compact Implementation Tool will enable companies to:

determine strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats; identify mission critical citizenship priorities; set plans for action, specify targets and support Communications on Progress

As a result, companies will be able to assess how the Global Compact principles and other sustainability issues serve as productive drivers of business performance that add value for owners and society alike.

A free tool will also be made available to IFC clients and companies in emerging and developing markets. "For corporate citizenship to deliver on its potential it must become fundamental to strategy and operations," says Steve Rochlin, Head of AccountAbility North America. "The partnership among GLN, the UN Global Compact, and IFC now enables companies around the world to reach this potential."

The new tool will be accessible via an exclusive website at www.gln-openaccess.org. A preview will be available throughout the Summit at the E-library, "Hall des Pas Perdus" of the General Assembly building.

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