UNGCN Italy News - UN Global Compact Network Italia

Twenty-five years ago, nearly 50 pioneering companies joined forces with the United Nations to align their operations and strategies to advance a more sustainable world.

On 26 July 2000, then-UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan launched the UN Global Compact with a bold vision: to unite businesses around the world in advancing human rights, labour standards, environmental stewardship and anti-corruption. This was the beginning of a powerful partnership between businesses, Governments and civil society to create a more inclusive and ethical global market.

With less than five years to go until 2030, the year set for achieving the 2030 Agenda, the world is behind schedule in achieving the 17 Sustainable Development Goals and 169 targets. Humanity is facing unprecedented geopolitical, economic and environmental challenges, which are redefining the role of businesses and the scope of their commitment to sustainability from an environmental, social, economic and governance perspective.

On the occasion of International Women's Day, UN Global Compact Network Italy, Borsa Italiana and Women in ETFs are promoting the event “International Women's Day | Ring the Bell for Gender Equality - Closing the Gap: Accelerate action,” the ceremonial event organized annually by more than 100 stock exchanges around the world to dedicate the opening of financial markets to the theme of Gender Equality.

The event will be held March 7 in Milan at the headquarters of Borsa Italiana. Attendance in person is strictly by invitation, but the ceremonial will be live streamed open to all on the UN Global Compact Network Italy YouTube channel.

At the High-Level Political Forum in New York, the UN Global Compact Network Italy (UNGCN Italy) unveiled its Position Paper on Transformational Governance. This document, developed in collaboration with 54 leading Italian companies, highlights innovative strategies for embedding sustainability into business operations.

UN Global Compact Network Italy publishes the English version of the Guidelines “How to develop a Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Policy”, produced in 2023 as part of the D&I Observatory and in collaboration with the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the Italian Association of Staff Management (AIDP).

The document presents the main trends on DE&I among the Italian private sector and shares useful recommendations for drafting and adopting corporate policies on Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, through the perspective of processes, contents as well as roles and responsibilities related to its implementation. The document also presents a number of best practices collected between the Observatory’s participating companies, with reference to their own DE&I policies, strategies and projects.

In the framework of the 2023 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP 28), UN Global Compact Network Italy presents the results of the research “Italian business commitment towards net-zero”, developed with the support of Ipsos.

The study outlines the state of the art regarding the Climate Action of Italian companies and, in particular, their contribution to the reduction of carbon emissions and to the net-zero target. It analyzes which are the main drivers, challenges to be faced and opportunities to be seized, also through thematic focuses.

With the 2022 Activities Report, we go through another year of engagement alongside enterprises and organizations, promoting sustainable development through the Ten Principles of UN Global Compact and the 17 SDGs of the UN 2030 Agenda. In 2022, about 1,900 people were involved in our programmes and events. More than 80 thematic experts and professionals have spoken in support of the Network’s initiatives. 40 business cases have been presented during these occasions.

Dear Participants of the UN Global Compact,

With 2023 underway, there’s no doubt we live in a fragile, fractured world. The war in Ukraine, energy and food crises, climate change, extreme weather, threats to democracy, the ongoing pandemic and many other headwinds like inflation, currency fluctuation and looming recession undermine our efforts for a sustainable world.

These are global challenges we must rally behind addressing. Let’s make sure that 2023 is a year that turns the tide back to progress. Solutions are always near. We have a number of important opportunities in front of us that can contribute to a more sustainable and inclusive world.

With the world facing extraordinary crises, the UN Global Compact and its 62 Local Networks are supporting companies to take measurable, accountable actions for a sustainable world. It’s the right thing to do and good for business.

CEOs are facing an enormously challenging global context, with the vast majority (93%) experiencing 10 or more simultaneous challenges to their businesses and 87% warning that current levels of disruption will limit delivery of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), finds the largest CEO study on sustainability ever conducted by the UN Global Compact and Accenture (NYSE: ACN). While CEOs are increasingly concerned about these headwinds, nearly all (98%) agree that sustainability is core to their role, a sentiment that has grown 15 percentage points over the last 10 years of the study.

The 12th United Nations Global Compact-Accenture CEO Study draws on insights from more than 2,600 CEOs across 128 countries, 18 industries, and over 130 in-depth interviews — making this the largest-ever sampling of executives, including the biggest group of CEOs from the Global South, since the start of the CEO study program in 2007. In the study, CEOs forewarn about the impact of converging setbacks for business and society, from faltering multilateralism and socioeconomic instability to supply-chain interruptions and the immediate effects of climate change.

The 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence is an annual international campaign that kicks off on 25 November, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, and runs until 10 December, Human Rights Day.
The campaign was started by activists at the inauguration of the Women’s Global Leadership Institute in 1991. It continues to be coordinated each year by the Center for Women’s Global Leadership. It is used as an organizing strategy by individuals and organizations around the world to call for the prevention and elimination of violence against women and girls.
In support of this civil society initiative, the United Nations Secretary-General launched in 2008 the campaign UNiTE by 2030 to End Violence against Women, which runs parallel to the 16 Days of Activism.
Every year, the UNiTE Campaign focuses on a specific theme. This year’s theme is “UNITE! Activism to end violence against women and girls” and invites everyone to play their role in ending violence against women and girls, show support and solidarity to women’s rights activists and to resist the rollback on women’s rights. You can access the concept note here.

The supply chain sustainability will be the main focus of the UN Global Compact Network Italy (UNGCN Italy) participation at COP27, the United Nations Climate Change Conference scheduled until November 18^th in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt.

UNGCN Italy, which represents the United Nations Global Compact - the world’s largest corporate sustainability initiative - across Italy, will launch internationally the Position Paper on companies’ commitment in Sustainable Supply Chain Management.

The document is the brainchild of the work carried out since February 2022 by UN Global Compact Network Italy with a highly-committed working group of more than 30 Italian business participants of the United Nations Global Compact. This paper discusses the theme in terms of three main pillars, namely: the reduction of Scope 3 emissions, the promotion of human and labour rights and the circular management of negative externalities.

For the first time, UN Global Compact Network Italy is going to attend the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP), the main global event on Climate, with the international launch of the Position Paper “Sustainable Supply Chains: Responsibilities and Opportunities for Businesses”.

The Document was developed by the Italian Network with the contribution of more than 30 member companies of the UN initiative and particularly committed to the issue. The Paper focuses on the sustainable management of supply chains. It identifies challenges and opportunities with insights on the following topics: the reduction of Scope 3 emissions; the promotion and protection of human rights and decent work; and the management of negative externalities through circular solutions.

As the world faces many economic, political and climate-related challenges, the upcoming United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP 27) is more important than ever. From higher food prices and fuel costs to a lack of financing and political cohesion to tackle these challenges, we find ourselves in a global bind.

COP 27 is about closing the gap between ambition and action. At this defining moment, the UN Global Compact, the world’s largest corporate sustainability initiative, aims to accelerate private sector action to prevent the worst impacts of the climate crisis.

Starting from the trends of participants in the initiative over the last few years, and proceeding with a focus on the activities carried out and the communication and financial results achieved by the Italian Local Network, we share with you another year of commitment, alongside companies and organizations, in order to promote sustainable development through the Ten Principles of the UN Global Compact and the UN 2030 Agenda.

On 29 June 2022, Sanda Ojiambo - Assistant Secretary-General and CEO of the UN Global Compact, met with the Board of Directors of the UN Global Compact Network Italy. The meeting, held at the Circolo degli Esteri in Rome, was an extraordinary opportunity for discussion and exchange on achievements, challenges and future scenarios in the Decade of Action for Sustainable Development. The Italian Network presented also its trends over the last few years, showing a tremendous increase in the number of companies that support and apply the Ten Principles of the Global Compact and are engaged on critical issues such as Climate Action and Gender Equality.

According to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, more than 4 million Ukrainians have left the country, losing their homes, jobs, and sources of income. Moreover, 79% of Ukrainian companies were forced to stop entirely or almost entirely operating. Even after the end of hostilities, Ukrainians will not be able to immediately return home due to economic crisis, destroyed infrastructure and other factors that will take time to resolve.

UN Global Compact Network Ukraine, together with UN Global Compact Network Poland, launched the “Give a job for UA project”. The initiative aims to help Ukrainian refugees with employment and offers businesses from around the world an opportunity to support Ukraine by hiring them.

UN Global Compact Network Italy launches the English version of the paper “Guidelines on Diversity & Inclusion in the workplace”. The paper was produced in December 2021 by the Italian Network of the UN Global Compact, in partnership with ILO - International Labour Organization (Italian Office) and AIDP - Italian Association of Staff Management, as final output of the D&I Observatory, established in the same year by the UNGCN Italy with the participation of 17 Italian companies adhering to UN Global Compact.

The guidance paper collects several business best practices related to “Principle 6” of the UN Global Compact, which promotes the elimination of all forms of discrimination in respect of employment and occupation. The paper shows business initiatives, projects and strategic approaches on the topics of inclusive leadership, equal opportunities and treatment, considering specific groups of people: women, migrants and young people. Particular attention is also given to the disability management.

In the light of the analysis of the regulatory context and the experiences described, the Guidelines formulate a series of Recommendations addressed to business organizations and applicable across all levels and functions within them.

The UN Global Compact stands with the United Nations and world leaders in expressing our deep concern about the ongoing war in Ukraine and unequivocal demand for peace. This unlawful and unprovoked attack by Russia serves as a timely and tragic reminder that we need to reject conflict anywhere as an affront to peace everywhere.

The member states of the United Nations have responded to this war quickly and almost unanimously, deploring “in the strongest terms the aggression by the Russian Federation against Ukraine.” The message is loud and clear: End hostilities in Ukraine — now. Silence the guns — now. Open the door to dialogue and diplomacy — now.

The security situation in Ukraine deteriorated rapidly following the launch of a Russian Federation military offensive on 24 February 2022. The intense military escalation has resulted in loss of life, injuries and mass movement of the civilian population throughout Ukraine and to neighbouring countries, as well as severe destruction and damage to civilian infrastructure and residential housing. For a rapid scale-up of principled and effective humanitarian response in existing and new areas of Ukraine for a duration of three months from March to May 2022, humanitarian partners require US$1.1 billion to help more than 6 million people in need.

» Learn how the private sector can help in this brief OCHA Business Guide to the Ukraine Humanitarian Crisis.

"We are seeing Russian military operations inside the sovereign territory of Ukraine on a scale that Europe has not seen in decades.

Day after day, I have been clear that such unilateral measures conflict directly with the United Nations Charter.

The Charter is clear: “All members shall refrain in their international relations from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state, or in any other manner inconsistent with the Purposes of the United Nations.”

The use of force by one country against another is the repudiation of the principles that every country has committed to uphold.

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