Sets out a simple and thorough process for any company, but particularly small and medium-sized enterprises, to get started with identifying its potential human rights impacts on those people directly affected by its activities, and those whose lives it touches through its relationships with suppliers or other parties. It provides tools and approaches to understand what the business already does to address these impacts, and where it can improve.

Learn about how companies in the Global Compact LEAD are taking action to advance corporate sustainability around the world.

Various stakeholder groups are mounting calls for Boards of Directors to take sustainability into account while adhering to their legal duties to shareholders. This puts questions about fiduciary duty front and center. Careful legal analyses of such questions have been prepared over the past year by law firms all over the world. The collection of memoranda below will inform and enrich discussion among Board directors, and the lawyers who counsel them, about how changing circumstances near and far are affecting their ability to meet fiduciary duty requirements. 

 Prof. Robert G. Eccles and Tim Youmans of Harvard Business School have led this collaboration which included the UN Global Compact, the American Bar Association’s Task Force on Sustainable Development and PRI, Their aim was to gather legal perspectives from law firms in a wide range of countries. Each participating law firm used a standard research template developed by Linklaters in the UK to structure their respective legal memo. The legal memos are posted below with the permission of the participating firms. To further grow the research, enquiries from law firms in countries that do not already have a legal memo are welcome. If you do not see your country listed and want to know if one is being prepared, please contact Ingvild Soerensen (soerensen@unglobalcompact.org).

A collection of interviews with 30 leaders reflecting on sustainable business. The book presents a number of stories about the importance of corporate sustainability and what is next for businesses that seek to be active, engaged and responsible. The interviews offer key takeaways in relation to leadership, governance, transparency, metrics, sharing and inspiration.

Learn about how companies in the Global Compact LEAD are taking action to advance corporate sustainability around the world.

Identifying the importance of gender equality to the business case, companies around the world have taken steps to advance and empower women.

Provides guidance on how businesses and business schools can collaborate to co-create solutions for sustainability challenges. The toolkit and brochure feature inspiring examples of partnerships, categorized under five themes: influencing, training, collaborating, researching and consulting.

Provides instruction on how businesses can develop and implement a human rights policy within their companies. The second edition of How to Develop a Human Rights Policy was designed by Human Rights and Labour Working Group member Ernst & Young - Japan.

Lays out five defining features of corporate sustainability, which the Global Compact asks businesses to strive towards – looking at why each element is essential, how business can move forward and what the Global Compact is doing to help.

Showcases core business solutions to address global challenges. This compilation of case examples features Global Compact LEAD companies that have taken action to advance sustainable development

Presents examples of how business associations can and are contributing to sustainable development. This collection of case examples demonstrates how business associations can help their members advance sustainable development through information and knowledge diffusion; capacity building and education; technical standards and specifications; policy advocacy and public affairs; and fostering and brokering partnerships.

Seeks to advance the discussion on how the private sector can make positive contributions to peace in conflict-affected and high-risk areas around the world and, as a result, help to the realization of SDG16. This document complements existing materials such as the UN Global Compact’s Guidance on Responsible Business in Conflict-Affected and High-Risk Areas with a new perspective on deliberate contributions to peace by companies.