European Local Networks Forge a Path Forward for Corporate Sustainability
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Belgrade, Serbia
(Belgrade, 19 October 2012) – Global Compact Local Networks in Europe have concluded their regional meeting, hosted by the Local Network Serbia and the Serbian Chamber of Commerce. The annual meeting engages networks in sharing best practices and exploring areas of collaboration, in an effort to advance corporate sustainability throughout the continent.
Convened over two days, the regional meeting welcomed 140 representatives of Global Compact corporate participants representing 20 European Local Networks, including Serbia, Spain, Italy, Germany, United Kingdom, Bulgaria, Belgium and France. Among the speakers were Andrea Brbaklić, Chairwoman of the Steering Committee, Global Compact Network in Serbia; Miloš Bugarin, President of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Serbia; and William Infante, UN Resident Coordinator in Serbia.
Key topics addressed during the two-day meeting included outcomes from the Rio+20 Corporate Sustainability Forum, the post-2015 development framework and latest initiatives of the UN Secretary-General.
- The Global Compact Office presented the outcomes of the Rio+20 Corporate Sustainability Forum, which highlight leading corporate practices in key sustainability areas.
- The Global Compact Office launched a consultation process to engage European Local Networks in contributing to the post-2015 development framework, a process Governments have prioritized as most of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) targets set to expire in 2015. The private sector has been identified as a key stakeholder in this process.
- The UN Secretary-General’s Education First initiative was introduced to encourage businesses to support global education goals. The UN Global Compact is committed to advancing Education First by mobilizing its 7,000 corporate signatories globally and through Local Networks.
- Additional discussions showcased efforts to combat corruption in business activities, and profiled the roles of the financial sector and Local Networks in helping to achieve sustainability in the region.
For more information about the work of Global Compact Local Networks, please visit /NetworksAroundTheWorld/index.html.
Contact
Walid Nagi
Acting Head, Local Networks
UN Global Compact
nagi@un.org