03 July 2015 - The Philippines reaffirmed its partnership with the United Nations Global Compact with a growing local network of Philippine corporations as active members.
The Permanent Mission of the Philippines to the United Nations today co-hosted the UN Global Compact Luncheon on “Corporate Leadership for Transformational Change” at the UN Headquarters, together with the Permanent Missions of Germany and Nigeria to the UN.
The event, attended by Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) of large international corporate players, was aimed at exchanging views on how the private and public sectors can further work together in implementing the post-2015 development agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
“The Philippines is proud to have had an active Global Compact Local Network since 2002. This Local Network now has 55 active members… reflecting the mainstreaming of corporate social responsibility into their (Philippine companies) cultures as well as the enabling environment provided by the government,” Ambassador Lourdes O. Yparraguirre, Permanent Representative to New York, said in her remarks.
This “enabling environment”, she elaborated, includes the adoption and implementation of policies and laws on good governance, transparency, rule of law and anti-corruption. It also includes partnerships with concerned government agencies for workshops and training on human rights, gender mainstreaming, and international labor and environmental standards and principles.
“Particular attention is placed on MSMEs (micro, medium and small enterprises), which we believe are critical drivers of the economy and hence, a priority of our government,” she added.
Launched in 2000, the UN Global Compact is a call to companies to align strategies and operations with universal principles on human rights, labor, environment and anti-corruption, and take actions that advance societal goals.
It is the world’s largest voluntary corporate sustainability initiative, with more than 8,000 corporate and 4,000 non-business participants worldwide.
Ambassador Yparraguirre also called on large corporations to share best practices with MSMEs to help empower the latter in their commitments to the UN Global Compact. END