Session organized by United Nations Global Compact, Global Compact Network Australia, Global Compact Network Brazil, Global Compact Network Colombia, Global Compact Network Germany, Global Compact Network France, Global Compact Network Indonesia, Global Compact Network Italy, Global Compact Network Poland, Global Compact Network Spain, Global Compact Network Switzerland and Alliance for IntegrityObjectivesThis session will explore how we can build on practical, positive and promising examples from the business community that have contributed to the prevention of corruption and human rights violations. UN Global Compact and Alliance for Integrity seek to demonstrate:
- the direct relation between corruption and the violation of human rights within the private and public sectors;
- good practices on how companies are reducing risks related to human rights and corruption through the implementation of meaningful and robust efforts, programmes, and due diligence processes;
- the importance of the joint work of these initiatives in order to train, inform and highlight good practices of the private sector in this area;
The session
complements a session led by the UN Working Group on Business and Human Rights on 25 November examining the links between anti-corruption and efforts to promote the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights.
BackgroundTransparency International’s
Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) is published annually and ranks 180 countries and territories by their perceived levels of public sector corruption. Overall, the CPI 2018 reflects a subsistent inability by most countries to substantially reduce all forms of bribery and corruption which ultimately affects their ability to promote peaceful, just and inclusive societies – all of which are covered by
Goal 16 of the Sustainable Development Goals.
There is growing recognition of the adverse and pervasive impact of corruption on the enjoyment and protection of human rights. Corruption has the capacity to directly and/or indirectly contribute to the violation of human rights, especially of vulnerable groups such as women, children and indigenous communities. The scourge of corruption has led to a decline in trust in public and private institutions and, more specifically, material financial and reputational exposure for businesses.
But what do these interlinkages mean for business action? A human rights based approach can be a valuable tool in the fight against corruption, and human rights standards and principles must be reflected in anti-corruption strategies and interventions by both the public and private sector. A multi-stakeholder approach and strong partnerships are key to the success of meaningful corporate action in this space.
This session will explore successful examples of:
- how codes of conduct and policies can look at this issue holistically,
- how systems and supply chains can be mapped in a systematic and structured way,
- how learnings from anti-corruption compliance can be applied to human rights due diligence,
- how staff can be sensitized in context-oriented trainings,
- but also how learnings can be applied within SMEs.
About organizers- As a special initiative of the UN Secretary-General, the United Nations Global Compact is a call to companies everywhere to align their operations and strategies with ten universal principles in the areas of human rights, labour, environment and anti-corruption, and to take action in support of UN goals. With more than 9,500 companies and 3,000 non-business signatories based in over 160 countries, and more than 70 Local Networks, it is the largest corporate sustainability initiative in the world.
- The Alliance for Integrity is a business-driven, multi-stakeholder initiative seeking to promote transparency and integrity in the economic system. To achieve this goal, it fosters collective action of all relevant actors from the private sector, the public sector and civil society. The Alliance for Integrity currently operates from offices in regional hubs in Brazil, Germany, Ghana, India and Mexico; additionally, its compliance training programme is carried out across Latin America.
