UN Global Compact relaunches its Uruguayan Network with the support of the UN Resident Coordinator’s Office

The re-launch of the Uruguayan Network takes place through a partnership with the UN Resident Coordinator’s Office in Uruguay.

MONTEVIDEO, Uruguay, 19 August 2021 — The United Nations Global Compact today relaunched its Uruguayan Network at an event attended by representatives from Government, business, civil society, academia and the United Nations.

The launch event featured commitments from CEOs in Uruguay on the role that the private sector can play in building a sustainable future through working closely with the UN System. The UN Resident Coordinator Pablo Ruiz Hiebra provided insight into the role of the UN Global Compact in the UN System, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and supporting the national cooperation agreement between Uruguay and the United Nations. Mariano Berro González, Executive Director of the Uruguayan Agency for International Cooperation explained how the private sector could work with the Uruguayan Government through Global Compact Network Uruguay.

The 200 people in attendance from over 50 companies in Uruguay have committed to the Ten Principles of the UN Global Compact on human rights, labour, environment and anti-corruption and to take action to advance the Sustainable Development Goals. They represent various industries, including finance, engineering, manufacturing and food and beverages. 

UN Global Compact CEO & Executive Director Sanda Ojiambo hailed the importance of the relaunched Network. “Accountable companies must lead the way for the private sector to achieve an inclusive, sustainable recovery from the devastation of COVID-19 and to advance progress on the SDGs and the Paris climate agreement,” she said in a video message.

The re-launch of Global Compact Network Uruguay is an essential step in that direction. The network’s value proposition includes local delivery of global programmes and active support for public-private partnerships.

Virginia Suárez, United Nations Partnership Officer, said: “We are relaunching the Global Compact Network during a special time. We are awakening consciousness for responsible business practices and developing a collaborative ecosystem for discussions for all of those who would like to contribute to the 2030 Agenda, be responsible actors in society and work closely with United Nations in Uruguay.”

The Uruguayan Network will begin its activities by aligning with the UN Resident Coordinator’s Office and Uruguayan Government on opportunities to engage the private sector. 

Global Compact Local Networks in more than 70 countries advance the UN Global Compact initiative and its Ten Principles  at the local and national level. Global Compact Local Networks provide a platform for business to engage with stakeholders from Government, the UN, civil society and communities to align their strategies. 

Contact details:

Paola Rapetti, Executive Director, Global Compact Network Uruguay, paola.rapetti@pactoglobal.uy and media@unglobalcompact.org

About the United Nations Global Compact:

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 Principles in the areas of human rights, labour, environment and anti-corruption. Our ambition is to accelerate and scale the global collective impact of business by upholding the Ten Principles and delivering the Sustainable Development Goals through accountable companies and ecosystems that enable change. With more than 12,000 companies and 3,000 non-business signatories based in over 160 countries, and 69 Local Networks, the UN Global Compact is the world’s largest corporate sustainability initiative — one Global Compact uniting business for a better world.

For more information, follow @globalcompact on social media and visit our website at unglobalcompact.org