Update on UN Global Compact Participation: 2015 Midyear Status

(New York, 30 June 2015) – The United Nations Global Compact continues to see growth in the number of participants as well as an overall improvement in the quantity and quality of the reports submitted. Reporting among small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) remains a challenge, and the UN Global Compact continues to scale up its efforts to better support these participants.

The rate of companies joining the UN Global Compact has grown with 637 companies joining since the beginning of 2015, compared to 566 companies joining during the same period in 2014. This brings the total number of business participants to 8,326.

The increased quality of reporting is noted in the higher number of COPs submitted at the GC Active and GC Advanced levels this year compared to the same period in 2014. In the first half of 2014 a total of 2,089 COPs were submitted at these levels. In the same period in 2015 the number increased to 2,654. Please refer to the Communication on Progress: 2014 Key Facts released in December 2014 for more detailed COP information.

A total of 559 companies have been expelled in the first half of 2015 for failure to communicate progress (view the list of expelled companies). 88% of these companies are SMEs, which have historically shown a lower rate of COP submission compared to larger companies. The Global Compact continues to offer customized and direct support to participants, including SMEs, through its Relationship Management and Reporting teams, as well as through its Local Networks in 88 countries.

A Communication on Engagement (COE) policy, introduced in October 2013, also requires non-business participants (totaling 4,692 as of 30 June) to disclose specific activities in support of the initiative to stakeholders every two years, as well as results. Non-business participants that fail to submit a COE every two years will also face expulsion from the initiative as of 31 October 2015. Since the implementation of the COE, 289 COEs have been submitted.

The Global Compact urges the international community to utilize this information and encourage more companies and other organizations to make a serious and enduring commitment to responsible business practices.

• Click here for an overview of trends on the Communication on Progress during 2014
• Learn more about the Communication on Progress
• Review all companies expelled for not communicating progress

Contact

Ana María Blanco
Interim Head, Reporting
UN Global Compact
blanco@unglobalcompact.org