The UN Global Compact celebrated its 15th anniversary and held Global Compact +15: Business as a force for Good, at the United Nations Headquarters in New York , between June 23rd– June 25th, 2015. The three day conference brought together “business and civil society to show how the private sector is taking action and partnering to advance societal priorities, with an emphasis on the United Nations global agenda for sustainable development to be released later this year (the Sustainable Development Goals – SDGs)”. The key agendas for discussion during the three day event ranged from “Business For Peace” and “Caring For Climate” to “Supply Chain Sustainability” and “Anti Corruption“.
On Day 3 of the conference, over 1,000 participants, including leaders of major organizations from around the world convened at the UN General Assembly, which has been the site of many historic events in the past. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon addressed the General Assembly advocating the need for partnership and urged more companies to pick up the pace and deepen their commitment to sustainability. This was followed by business leaders, including Paul Bulcke, CEO of Nestlé; Paul Polman, CEO of Unilever; Erika Karp, Founder and CEO of Cornerstone Capital Inc; and members of the academia and civil society emphasizing the global opportunities of sustainable development. Global Compact +15: Business as a force for Good
Georg Kell, current Executive Director of the UN Global Compact concluded the conference by stating, “Businesses around the world are awakening to their role in society and have started making important strides to operate more responsibly and innovate for a greener and more sustainable future. But there is still a long way to go. We need companies everywhere to step up to the realities of our time, understanding that healthy societies and healthy markets go hand-in-hand.”
At the end of the three day event, Lise Kingo was appointed as the new Executive Director of the United Nations Global Compact. She will succeed Georg Kell, who retires later this year after over 25 years of service to the United Nations. Ms. Kingo, assumes her role as the Executive Director of the UN Global Compact on 1 September 2015.
Global Compact +15: Business as a force for Good