Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A) are an extremely important facet of the global economy. This Good Practice Note seeks to provide guidance to corporate leaders and M&A practitioners at all levels across the corporate, finance, private equity and legal sectors on how the due diligence process within M&A is being utilized and can be utilized to enable companies to more effectively carry out their responsibility to respect human rights as contemplated by the UN Framework and Guiding Principles for Business and Human Rights.

It contains business perspectives and recommendations in three areas: determining the core of a post-2015 agenda, including suggested sustainable development goals and targets; how to engage business and investors towards sustainable development goals; and recommending ways that Governments can advance inclusive and sustainable markets. It is the culmination of UN Global Compact consultations and surveys with thousands of businesses in all major regions.

The United Nations has worked since its founding to achieve a shared, secure and sustainable future for all of the world's people. The vision and aspirations of the first United Nations members in 1945, as they set out to be "architects of a better world", remain a beacon today – not just for Governments, but also for the thousands of companies and civil society organizations that have become key partners in tackling our world's most pressing challenges. Chaired by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, the UN Global Compact Leaders Summit 2013: Architects of a Better World brought together chief executives with leaders from civil society, Government and the United Nations to unveil a new global architecture for corporate sustainability. Photo & Video Credits: Brian Thompson, Devin, euronews, Flashback (The New History GCSE Series), Intel Corporation, Jurjen Versteeg and Synple, Microsoft Corporation, Planetary Collective and Piranha, The Rock Family Worship Center, Silverstein Properties Inc, The U.S. National Archives and Records Administration

Organized by the Global Compact Network China, the China Summit on Caring for Climate aimed to raise awareness of climate change, disseminate best practices, and enable businesses from China and abroad to tackle the issue together through innovation and cooperation. The Summit, with support from the Chinese government, introduced national policies and regulations related to climate change. The outcomes of the meeting will be submitted to relevant Chinese authorities as well as the UN Global Compact Leaders Summit and Caring for Climate Business Forum.

Articulates why the business community should be engaged as a primary partner in this historic endeavor of defining the Post-2015 agenda; ideas from business in relation to developing the Post-2015 objectives and goals; and, how business (and the public sector working in long-term partnership with business) can best contribute to implementation efforts in the years and decades to come.

A collections of videos from the 5th Annual Women's Empowerment Principles Event in New York. These videos feature panelists showcasing what UN Global Compact participants are doing to contribute to gender quality and strengthening the Women's Empowerment Principles. Closing remarks by H.E. His Excellency Mr. Ban Ki-moon, United Nations Secretary-General

UN Global Compact Executive Director Georg Kell speaks with Matthew Bishop, New York Bureau Chief and Business Editor of The Economist, about the state of corporate sustainability around the world. Watch the complete interview at www.newswire.fm. (January 2013)

In many countries, businesses come across human rights challenges that affect Indigenous peoples, including discrimination, child labour and forced labour, lack of voice and/or effective participation in decision making processes, lack of decent work opportunities, and recognition of their land rights. This webinar, conducted by ILO experts on indigenous peoples, discussed contributions by government, enterprises, employers’ and workers’ organizations to the realization of indigenous peoples’ rights, as enshrined in ILO Convention No. 169 on indigenous and tribal peoples.

Social protection, and more specifically its global extension through national social protection floors, is on the agenda of major international summits. This webinar discussed how multinational enterprises (MNEs) can contribute to this global challenge as part of their commitment to socioeconomic development. Conducted by experts from the ILO Social Protection Department, with the participation of a Danone representative, the webinar explored the drivers, corporate strategies and concrete results of MNEs providing a minimum level of social protection for employees worldwide.

Facilitated by experts of the ILO’s Labour Migration Programme, this webinar provided practical guidance on how business can address the many challenges related to international labour migration while supporting migrant workers in line with the Labour Principles and the relevant international standards of the ILO. Participants were presented the “business case” for promoting migrants’ rights as well as examples of good practices and initiatives undertaken by the business community.

Web accessibility is a precondition for all persons with disabilities to enjoy the use of the internet. Without it, producers of web-based content, products and services may involuntarily exclude millions of users from their potential audience. This webinar featured examples from companies on how they have taken steps to assure the accessibility of their content. Additionally, how web accessibility is linked to the UN Convention of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities was reviewed. A live transcription of the webinar was provided to facilitate communication accessibility.

This webinar explores how companies can engage in sport sponsorship and hospitality in a transparent and ethical manner and aims to enhance the potential for sports to be a powerful tool to support peace, human dignity, and a culture of ethics and fair-play.