CSR Press Release

ATHENS, Greece, Oct. 03 /CSRwire/ - EuroCharity published its first Communication on Progress (COP), the most important expression of a participant's commitment to the UN Global Compact and its Ten Principles, in September 2012.

The company became a founding member of the Global Network Network Hellas (www.globalcompactnetworkhellas.gr/portal/mainEN.php?lang=EN), which was launched in May 2006, just two years following EuroCharity's establishment. The Network's main objectives are to promote the UN Global Compact and its principles in Greece, to create opportunities for multi-stakeholder alliances and collective activities to support wider UN goals through activities and events related to all stakeholders. It does not have a formal structure and is hosted by the Hellenic Network for Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR Hellas), of which EuroCharity is a member.

As a business participant in the UN Global Compact, EuroCharity has made a commitment to make the Global Compact's Ten Principles part of its business strategies and day-to-day operations. At the same time, EuroCharity is required to issue an annual COP, a public disclosure to stakeholders on progress made in implementing the Ten Principles of the UN Global Compact, and in supporting broad UN development goals. The COP requirement serves the following important purposes:

• advancing transparency and accountability;
• driving continuous performance improvement;
• safeguarding the integrity of the UN Global Compact and the United Nations; and
• helping build a growing repository of corporate practices to promote dialogue and learning.

In its COP, EuroCharity emphasises on some of its actions between the company's foundation in 2006 until December 2011, while committing to additional actions related to human rights, labour standards, the environment and anti-corruption initiatives, in its future plans.

EuroCharity's COP includes examples of synergies that the social enterprise has been involved in or has facilitated as well as the social enterprise's collaborations with the UN Global Compact, the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), CSRwire as well the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).

In the introductory quote, EuroCharity's COP mentions, among others: "EuroCharity will take further effective measures to put the Principles of the Global Compact into practice and action, and shall continue to be pro-actively engaged in encouraging other companies, organisations and professionals, especially EuroCharity's growing network of corporate and non-corporate members, to commit to these Principles, now and in the future."

EuroCharity has made a make a commitment to issue an annual Communication on Progress from now onwards (every September), while EuroCharity’s inaugural COP can be downloaded at www.globalcompactnetworkhellas.gr/portal/mainEN.php?lang=EN and on EuroCharity's popular portal at www.eurocharity.gr/files/eurocharity_communication_on_progress_2011.pdf.

About the UN Global Compact's Ten Principles

The UN Global Compact's Ten Principles in the areas of human rights, labour, the environment and anti-corruption enjoy universal consensus and are derived from:

1. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights
2. The International Labour Organisation's Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work
3. The Rio Declaration on Environment and Development
4. The United Nations Convention Against Corruption

The UN Global Compact asks companies to embrace, support and enact, within their sphere of influence, a set of core values in the areas of human rights, labour standards, the environment and anti-corruption:

Human Rights

• Principle 1: Businesses should support and respect the protection of internationally proclaimed human rights; and
• Principle 2: make sure that they are not complicit in human rights abuses.

Labour

• Principle 3: Businesses should uphold the freedom of association and the effective recognition of the right to collective bargaining;
• Principle 4: the elimination of all forms of forced and compulsory labour;
• Principle 5: the effective abolition of child labour; and
• Principle 6: the elimination of discrimination in respect of employment and occupation.

Environment

• Principle 7: Businesses should support a precautionary approach to environmental challenges;
• Principle 8: undertake initiatives to promote greater environmental responsibility; and
• Principle 9: encourage the development and diffusion of environmentally friendly technologies.

Anti-Corruption

• Principle 10: Businesses should work against corruption in all its forms, including extortion and bribery.

About the Global Compact Network Hellas

The Global Compact Network Hellas was launched on May 28, 2008 during an event organised by the Hellenic Network for Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR Hellas) and the UNDP (United Nations Development Programme) Management Office in Athens. During the inaugural event, 50 Greek companies, including EuroCharity, handed to the Head of the Global Compact Networks & Global Compact Partnerships, Mr. Soren Petersen, a letter to the UN Secretary-General, H.E. Mr. Ban Ki-moon, with which they commit themselves in keeping the ten Global Compact principles during their production procedures and other transactions.

CSR Hellas has undertaken the co-ordination of its activities and secretarial support. The Network has a five-member Secretariat, which consists of two members of the Board of CSR Hellas. The Manager and two other members are elected every two years by Global Compact Network Hellas participants.

The Global Compact Network Hellas’s membership currently consists of 70 organisations, enterprises, academia and NGOs. The Network's objectives include:

• promoting the UN Global Compact and its principles in Greece;
• supporting business, academia and organisations that are committed to it and in relation with the continuous implementation of its Ten Principles
• disseminating the Ten Principles to the business world
• attracting new members
• creating opportunities for multi-stakeholder alliances and collective activities
• supporting the wider UN goals for the millennium through activities and events related to all stakeholders
• training and supporting its members regarding the preparation and submission of their Communication on Progress
• organising thematic workshops and conferences based on the ten principles
• developing communication channels with other Global Compact Networks especially with those based in South-East Europe for the exchange of experiences, the localization of global challenges and to find common approaches for working with them

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