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UN Global Compact Russia

Events

The main results - 2017. Strategy - 2018

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On December 22, 2017, at Swissotel Red Hills, the Russian national network of the Global Compact summed up the year and presented an updated strategy for activities and partnerships in 2018.

The final consolidated report, including taking into account the results of the meeting, the report and the draft plan will be published at the beginning of the new year. We congratulate all the participants, colleagues and friends with wonderful winter holidays, wish you happiness and magic and look forward to seeing you in the new year.

Speech by the Chairperson of the Governing Council of the National Network of the Global Compact Association December 22, 2011

First of all, thank you very much for being with us today. This day, which brought together so many good people for several, I hope, pleasant hours, is very important for us.

We are summing up the first full year of existence of the national network of the Global Compact in a new format - the format of the Association.

Last year, speaking to the participants of the General Assembly and trying to look into the future, we talked about how many hopes and expectations we associate with a new stage in the history of the Global Compact in Russia. The fact that we look forward to a real reboot of our activities. And she took place!

It took place thanks to our active participants, partners and colleagues, your support and a general interest in success.

Due to the fact that the association is no longer just a country association of participants in the Global Compact, but an independent organization that has its mission and develops its own activities.

We sought to ensure that it acquired a system-project nature, focused on the priorities of sustainable development. Within the framework of the new concept of activity, we initiated systemic cooperation and partnership aimed at the future.

And they came to the conclusion that now our focus is not just modern megatrends in the field of sustainable development, but also a search for specific mechanisms for involving the participants in the Russian network of the United Nations Global Compact, an inventory of opportunities for Russian responsible business growth that the initiative provides.

To reflect in the short report the results of this eventful year is extremely difficult, and I will highlight only a few areas and examples.

The first. International cooperation at the Global Compact site.

We have begun active work on the synchronization of the projects of the Association and the main office of the UN Global Compact, including taking into account the new Strategy for the Initiative, which comes into force on January 1, 2018.

In 2017, we paid special attention to the main relevant materials of the Global Compact. For the first time, a system project was launched to translate its key documents into Russian. This work is also being carried out by our participants and partners (for example, Sakhalin Energy presented the 2017 Compass of the SDGs into Russian, KPMG is working to translate such a document as the SDG Matrices).

During the year, the Association became a participant in a number of webinars, online and offline meetings that were devoted to discussing the Global Compact's value propositions, quality standards of local networks, problems of adapting the global agenda to national contexts and much more.

Separately, I will say that in the past year the Global Compact launched the so-called action platforms - new tools for business participation in achieving a sustainable future that unite the Global Compact participants and partners within the framework of leadership communities.

These platforms include Reporting in the context of the SDGs, Breakthrough Technologies for the SDGs, Business as an Inclusion Factor, Low-Carbon Sustainable Development Paths, Financial Innovations for the SDGs, Collective Actions against Corruption, Guidelines for Leadership in the Context of the SDGs, Health is everyone’s business, Business actions for humanitarian needs and others.

The platforms are designed to broadcast system solutions to sustainable development problems with the goal of redirecting financial flows, stimulating innovation, identifying the best solutions in selected key areas.

GCLN Russia became a member of the Platform for Action “Decent work in global supply chains”, but next year we plan to expand our presence in other platforms.

Need to say about the main international events of 2017. Among them are two meetings of national networks in which we took an active part.

The first was held on April 28 in New Delhi (India). The three-day forum focused on the search for innovations, thanks to which local business can play a direct role in the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals and propose solutions to promote responsible business practices.

The second meeting - traditional for the national networks of the Global Compact of the European Region - took place on October 25-27 in Rome (Italy).

During the meeting, both strategic and technical issues of the initiative were discussed. The participants paid special attention to the new opportunities offered by the initiative.

Among the changes are, for example, the improved UNGC library, to which thematic materials created by reputable agencies will be added, which will simplify participants' access to the leading resources on sustainable development.

New digital platform "Navigator", which will provide benchmarking opportunities by sector and will offer recommendations adapted to the needs of a particular company.

Another innovation will be the UNGC  which will provide numerous training opportunities for participating companies.

The main event of the UN Global Compact at the international level is the Leaders Summit, which was attended by a delegation of the Russian network. The summit was held on September 21, 2017 in New York and was timed to coincide with the time of the UN General Assembly.

The main objective of the Summit was to identify the very best ways to help businesses achieve the Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Climate Agreement at both the local and global levels.

But the most significant for us - from the point of view of implementing the strategy to expand the possibilities of promoting Russian responsible business on international platforms - was, of course, the Forum on Business and Human Rights, which took place on November 27-29, 2017 in Geneva.

For the first time in the official business and cultural sections of the Forum, the Russian program was presented under the auspices of our national network.

The program began in Moscow, at the site of the leading business media holding RBC, where we announced the Forum in Geneva and features of the program of the Russian delegation.

The main feature of the 6th session of the Forum 2017 is the very existence of such a program and a panel with the national network of the Global Compact in Switzerland in a discussion format that covered a number of aspects related to the topic of business and human rights, including the central theme Forum 2017 - access to remedies.

We were preparing for the Forum with the hope of an interesting dialogue, which we will develop in the future. And he took place.

We reaffirmed the readiness of responsible Russian business for a serious discussion on the topic of business in the aspect of human rights, presented his experience in the field of human rights and showed a desire to harmonize their commercial strategies in accordance with international standards in the field of sustainable development.

In the context of the adaptation of international standards for business in the field of human rights to the national format, the national network of the Global Compact presented its work, which is also conducted in the framework of a specially created Working Group on Human Rights and Labor Relations.

At the Forum, we also presented an important result of our work in 2017 - an examination of the UN Guidelines on entrepreneurial activities in the aspect of human rights, which was performed according to the task of the national network by FBK professional lawyers Grant Thornton.

The results of the examination can be widely used both in the framework of practical activities of companies and organizations, and for further theoretical understanding of the topic, including the development of a National Action Plan for the implementation of the Guidelines or another country format of the adaptation document.

In addition to the business, we brought to Geneva a cultural program that included the photo exhibition Breathtaking Russia and the inclusive play I Dance, with the participation of children and adults with Down syndrome.

It was important for us to bring a personal attitude to the Forum's theme, therefore, from a variety of options, we chose those that best convey our willingness to communicate and at the same time reflect the systematic approach to supporting volunteer and charitable projects that responsible business in Russia has.

The Russian delegation sees participation in the Forum not as a result, but as a stage, another step for the deployment of more significant international cooperation in the field of sustainable development.

Therefore, in addition to the exchange of experience and expert discussion, the Russian delegation visited one of the partner enterprises and the school of sustainable development SUMAS, having signed the Agreement on cooperation in the field of sustainable development.

We thank colleagues from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia and the Permanent Mission of the Russian Federation in Geneva who helped organize the program, colleagues from the Swiss Embassy in Russia, as well as the official partners of the program - Severstal, Nordgold and those who supported the Sakhalin Energy and UC RUSAL programs.

Joint preparation for the Forum was an example of interested cooperation in the name of common values ​​of humanism, peace and human rights.

The second direction. The activities of the national network as an all-Russian platform.

Together with the members of the governing board and active participants of the network in 2017, we formed a list of the Association’s strategic projects for the coming years, including the development and promotion of responsible financial and investment practices, public non-financial reporting, participation in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, business and human rights, global climate agenda, education and education in the field of corporate social responsibility and sustainable development and many others.

We significantly increased our capabilities in all these and other areas in the outgoing year, because we attached great importance to partnerships, collective actions, and joint work where the UN Global Compact can be used as a resource, platform, tool in the interests of all parties.

With each of the participants and partners, we tried to work individually, choosing those topics and projects that are relevant for each of them, and jointly planning events or series of events, finding resources and platforms, discussing the desired results and the timing of their achievement.

In order to save time, I would single out two of the most important points.

The first. During the year, a whole series of own events were organized — namely by the network, the association in partnership with different colleagues.

There are a variety of formats in this series - from round tables (for example, our round tables on topics related to the climate agenda for business, the Sustainable Development Goals, a responsible procurement and supply chain, etc.) and special sections (for example, in the framework of Forum-exhibition ECOTECH) before expert meetings, thematic discussions and business breakfasts. Such a quantity and quality of own events is the precedent of this year.

The second important result. Run long-term programs and research.

The introduction of a system-project approach seems to us very important for the development of the national network, and in 2017 we started the implementation of two major programs at once.

The first is a regional program to promote the values ​​of the Global Compact in the field of sustainable development in the regions of Russia.

We began to acquaint the authorities, business, public leaders of the Russian regions with the opportunities and privileges that the participation in the UN Global Compact and other international initiatives in the field of sustainable development gives.

We initiate a discussion at the regional level of the best Russian practices and international experience in the field of sustainable development.

We plan to more broadly involve experts from the network and its partners, the UN agencies, to develop effective solutions in the field of sustainable regional development with the participation of business in the mode of mutually beneficial cooperation.

We want to show how you can shorten the path from an individual company or region to those sites where the global agenda is being discussed.

The regional program of the National Treaty Network Association was launched jointly with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Russian Federation.

In 2017, we visited this program in Kaluga at a meeting with the Governor of Kaluga Region, Anatoly Artamonov, and also held a seminar at the site of the Leningrad Regional Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

The second program is to promote the development of responsible financial and investment practices in Russia, which we started together with the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs, Sistema JSFC and Russ-Invest IC, with the support of the International Investment Bank, Vnesheconombank and the base, already formed coalition interested parties.

In particular, in October of this year, we held an orientation meeting on the basis of the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs, which resulted in the decision to approve the creation of a Working Group for the adjustment and subsequent implementation of the Development Program and the promotion of responsible financial and investment practices in Russia.

Separately, it should also be said about the national network program to promote Russian business, which is willing to participate in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals and is interested in building up its professional competencies in the context of the SDGs.

We started its discussion at the target round table in November of this year at the UN House and continue with expert meetings and events, including a study on the implementation of the SDGs in a business strategy, which we will begin this year together with ES GM

Colleagues, it is impossible not to say also about updating our information policy and approach to promoting the network and the interests of its members.

For the first time in 2017, we released a digest on the activities of the national network of the Global Compact, which has a talking subtitle - Impact Style.

The digest contains three sections: “Sustainable development. Strategy. Tactics. Actors "," UN Global Compact. Values Theory. Practices ”and“ National Global Compact Network. Synchronization. Meanings. Activity ".

This three-tier model reflects the specifics of the Global Compact, which allows companies to act not only independently, but also based on national communities of participants, while also being part of the UN.

In the first issue you will find the statements of the UNGC Executive Director Lise Kingo, get acquainted with the passport of cooperation with the UN, the results of the study of the significance of the Sustainable Development Goals for European business and the new UNGC strategy. Also in it are methodical recommendations on the compilation of the report of the UNGC participant and the portfolio of current projects of the national network for 2017-2018.

The digest is intended to be part of a new communication strategy for the national network of the Global Compact. This strategy is aimed at expanding and deepening information and analytical work, forming a database of relevant materials and research reflecting trends and events in the framework of the UN Global Compact in Russia and in the world, conducting a series of events dedicated to finding and discussing the meanings and values ​​of sustainable development.

In addition to issuing our own digest, we expanded the information platforms for promoting the values ​​of the Global Compact through partnerships.

For example, with the magazine “Strategy”, which now has a permanent thematic section, the Agency for Social Information, which was made in 2017 by our media partner and others.

Together with colleagues from the ACIG group of companies, we developed a new concept for the site, which will be launched in early 2018.

The main difference of the new site from the previous one is that it will cease to be only a means of informing about events and will become our common developing resource that will also solve image, analytical, research and other tasks, will become an expert platform for the national network of the Global Compact, on which each participant will receive a profile and the opportunity to talk about their activities in the field of corporate responsibility and sustainable development of both the Russian and international stakeholders.

A separate direction, which constitutes a significant part of the national network as a community of responsible companies, is the projects and programs of the Global Compact members themselves.

But with all the great desire it is impossible to present in the report this area even a little wide, since the activity is very extensive.

We will form such a report for the second issue of the national network digest, which will present the general results of 2017, and also include it in the general report of the network, which we will present to the management of the UN Global Compact and our partners in Russia.

I will only mention the dotted line and take this opportunity to thank you and those colleagues who could not be here today, but support us and adequately fulfill the undertaken obligations of the participants of the global initiative.

Our leaders, large companies active in the field of corporate responsibility and sustainable development, such as Norilsk Nickel, UC RUSAL, Rosneft, LUKOIL, Sakhalin Energy, Philip Morris Sales and Marketing, Polymetal, Russian Railways, AFK Sistema, International Investment Bank Vnesheconombank and others are always adequately represented at Russian, international and regional sites.

One of the features of this year is a clear turn towards the subject of the Sustainable Development Goals, which companies view as a business perspective, as well as environmental and climate issues in connection with the Year of Ecology in Russia.

These are companies that are directly involved in the formation of modern advanced approaches to the activities of Russian business in the field of sustainable development, in such very different segments of it as systemic charity, corporate volunteering, pro bono, non-financial reporting, low-carbon development, biodiversity conservation, anti-corruption practices and many others, and in all these areas, active work was carried out in 2017.

In 2017, we were joined by such important participants as RusHydro, the Interstate Development Corporation, the Eurasian Economic Cooperation Organization, with whom we are developing comprehensive cooperation programs now, as well as the company - the global brand Pirelli, which, as part of updating its corporate management policy our participation is the first for them in Russia dialogue with stakeholders.

In 2017, much was done by our not so large, but also worthy participants, such as IC “Russ-Invest” - in the field of green funding and promotion of this topic, Remmontazh and Russian carbon - in the field of ecology and climate, ACIG Group - in the sphere of promoting sustainable development in various industries, public organizations in various areas, such as Sail of Hope, ASI, Association of the Association of Indigenous Peoples of the North, Siberia and the Far East of the Russian Federation, International Academy of Communications and others.

Of course, the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs is one of the pillars thanks to which the Global Compact has been noticeably present in Russia since 2008 and which today also actively supports all new initiatives.

Of course, I call only the main thing, but this is quite enough to understand how it is multidirectional and how significant. And we are very inspired. Hope all of you too.

Of course, forming a plan of activities in 2018, we mean the development of all these areas, the continuation of all undertakings and the introduction of more serious formats. We did not formulate concrete plans, marking them for the time being precisely as a strategy for 2018. It is reflected in the portfolio of projects, I have already fully characterized it, speaking of new approaches to activities that we will develop next year.

I will designate only the main success factor of this strategy - this is our cooperation. Together we can achieve much more, and for this we already have both cohesion, and common experience, and mutual interest in each other and in promoting the values ​​of sustainable development.

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