Origin of the idea: Kofi Annam, in Davos in January 1999, and operational launch in July 2000 at the UN in New York.

The Global Compact strives to promote the civil responsibility of companies in order to enable businesses to participate in the search for solutions to the problems caused by globalisation. The Global Compact is a voluntary initiative for responsible companies.

The Ten Principles

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. In other words, it is only in the fields that involve them that true changes are required from companies.

The Ten Principles are derived from the following instruments :
· The Universal Declaration of Human Rights
· The International Labour Organization's Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work
· The Rio Declaration on Environment and Development
· The United Nations Convention Against Corruption

The principles, category by category, are as follows :

Human rights:
· Businesses should respect and support the protection of internationally proclaimed human rights within their sphere of influence; and
· Make sure that they are not complicit in human rights abuses.

Labour :
· Businesses should uphold the freedom of association and the effective recognition of the right to collective bargaining;
· The elimination of all forms of forced and compulsory labour;
· The effective abolition of child labour
· The elimination of discrimination in respect of employment and occupation.

Anti-corruption :
· Businesses should work against corruption in all its forms, including extortion and bribery.