| Title (date) | Author | Publisher | Summary |
| Regulating Corporations: A Resource Guide (2004) | Abrahams,
D. |
Geneva: United Nations Research Institute for Social Development (Provisional Edition) | This Resource Guide reviews a broad range of regulatory initiatives that relate to the social, environmental and human rights responsibilities and regulation of transnational corporations (TNCs), and gives a comprehensive overview of the main types of corporate regulation to date. Weblinks for each initiative plus a list of selected references are also provided. The report will be useful to anyone involved or interested in issues of corporate responsibility and regulation. |
| Barricades and Boardrooms: A Contemporary History of the Corporate Accountability Movement – Programme Paper No. 13 (2004) | Bendell, J. | Geneva: United Nations Research Institute for Social Development | The paper discusses the origin of the modern corporation, and the way that it has shaped various dimensions of modern life through influence over governments and the media. The current notion of world development is argued to have been shaped by corporate power, and thus a critique of it has major implications for development policy and research. |
| Flags of Inconvenience? The Global Compact and the Future of the United Nations (2004) | Bendell, J. | Nottingham University: International Centre for Corporate Social Responsibility (ICCSR) Research Paper Series No. 22-2004 | As it has grown, the role, effects, and accountability of the Global Compact initiative have generated some concern. Criticisms are reviewed, and suggestions made for addressing them. A new programme of work is proposed for the Compact, which would see it moving towards a systems view of corporate responsibility. As an inter-governmental body, the UN's Member States should not be held at arms length, but are central to the UN's role. The future of the Compact must consider how corporations can help and not undermine States. |
| Waking Up to Risk: Corporate Responses to HIV/AIDS in the Workplace - Programme Paper No. 12 (2003) | Bendell, J. | Geneva: United Nations Research Institute for Social Development | This paper looks at the response of large corporations to HIV/AIDS. The paper presents results and analysis from the first global survey of transnational corporations’ (TNCs) responses to the pandemic, as well as three surveys of large corporations in Brazil, the Philippines and South Africa, and case studies of selected corporations. |
| Private Sector Influence in the Multilateral System: A Changing Structure of World Governance? Global Governance. Vol. 10, No. 4, pp. 481-498 (2004) | Bull, B.; Bøås, M.; McNeill, D. |
Boulder, CO: Lynne Rienner Publishers in cooperation with ACUNS and the United Nations University | Private sector participation in the multilateral system has increased significantly over recent years. Critics have characterized this as a ‘privatization’ of the multilateral system, leading to a decreasing power of the institutions and the states that direct them. It is argued that multilateral institutions may gain new authority and legitimacy as nodes in complex networks of governance, depending on how the institutions manage the risks and opportunities involved in interaction with the private sector. |
| The Political Economy of Corporate Responsibility in Brazil: Social and Environmental Dimensions - Programme Paper No. 14 (2004) | Cappellin, P. and Giuliani, G. M. | Geneva: United Nations Research Institute for Social Development | This paper describes the corporate social and environmental responsibility (CSER) agenda in Brazil, examines its history, identifies the factors and actors that are encouraging firms to adopt CSER initiatives, and asks whether CSER is really making a difference in terms of social and sustainable development. |
| Corporate
Responsibility and Humanitarian Action: What relations between the business and humanitarian worlds?, International Review of the Red Cross, No. 844, pp. 947-968 (2001) |
Carbonnier, G. | Geneva: International Committee of the Red Cross | On the ICRC policy vs. private firms in conflict zones. Private firms are having to employ security personnel to protect their staff and facilities when operating in unstable areas, thus raising the question of the relevance of international humanitarian law for private sector activities. In order to enhance its ability to protect and assist victims of armed conflicts, the ICRC has decided to implement a specific strategy with regard to firms operating in war-prone areas, designed among other things to promote fundamental humanitarian principles and alert the corporate sector to specific humanitarian concerns through dialogue in the field. |
| Best Intentions, Complex Realities (2005) | Davies, R. | London: The Prince of Wales International Business Leaders Forum. | Lessons from the tsunami: how business can use its goodwill and resources to provide effective assistance to disaster relief and recovery efforts. This publication was originally published in December 2005, and a revised version was printed in March 2006 |
| Partnerships for Small Enterprise Development (2004) | Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Emerging Markets Ltd in close collaboration with UNDP and UNIDO | Prepared as a resource document for the "Partnerships for Small Enterprise Development" workshop, held on January 15 and 16, 2004 in New York | Deloitte was commissioned by the United Nations Development Programme and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization, under the auspices of the UN Global Compact, to provide a resource document for the workshop "Partnerships for Small Enterprise Development" held on January 15 and 16, 2004, in New York City. |
| Partnerships for Sustainable Development - Update to the SG report (2005) | Department of Economic and Social Affairs, DESA | New York: DESA/United Nations | The present report summarising recent trends in CSD-registered partnerships for sustainable development was submitted as a background paper for the thirteenth session of the Commission on Sustainable Development. |
| Chairman's Summary of the Marrakesh Forum on Partnerships for Sustainable Development (2005) | DESA | New York: DESA/United Nations | The Summary was also published as UN document E/CN.17/2005/7 in six official languages. The link to the list of CSD13 documents is: http://www.un.org/esa/sustdev/documents/docs_csd13.htm |
| Highlights of CSD13 Partnerships Fair Interactive Discussions (2005) | DESA | New York: DESA/United Nations | CSD-13
Partnerships Fair – April 2005: CSD Secretariat’s Note - Highlights From the “Partnerships in Practice” Interactive Discussion Sessions |
| Working Together for a Change: Government, Business, and Civic Partnerships for Poverty Reduction in Latin America and the Caribbean (1999) | Fiszbein, A., Lowden, P. | Washington, DC: World Bank | This book summarizes the lessons from the first year of an ongoing learning program, Partnerships for Poverty Reduction in Latin America and the Caribbean. The program's objective is to promote and facilitate collaboration among government, business, and civic organizations in initiatives to reduce poverty in the region. |
| Raising the Bar: Creating Value with the United Nations Global Compact (2004) | Fussler, C, Cramer, A and van der Vegt, S., eds. | Sheffield: Greenleaf Publishing Ltd | The book outlines how the Global Compact and its principles can stimulate organizational change while creating business value. It provides an essential framework for the credibility and effectiveness of companies and organizations engaged in the Global Compact, focusing on how frontline managers of large and small companies can translate the Global Compact into business practices. The book positions the classic elements of management excellence in the context of the challenges of sustainable development. It offers practical guidance with an inventory of knowledge, tools, examples and information sources, all organized around a basic Performance Model that embraces concepts familiar to most business people. |
| Partenariats Publics-Privé et Coopération Internationale: Annuaire suisse de politique de développement, Vol. 24, No. 2. (2005) | Graduate Institute of Development Studies of Geneva - IUED | Graduate Institute of Development Studies of Geneva - IUED | A multi-author publication on partnerships, which has recently been published both in French and German, but not in English. |
| Reducing Poverty through Exports ...by linking poor communities to international markets (2003) | International Trade Centre UNCTAD/WTO | Geneva: International Trade Centre UNCTAD/WTO | The fundamental conviction of the Export-led Poverty Reduction Program (EPRP), an initiative of the International Trade Centre UNCTAD / WTO, is that the poor have the will and basic capacity to participate in the value chain of marketable products and services. Through the successful inclusion of poor communities into domestic and export markets, sweeping and sustainable progress in poverty reduction can be achieved. To this end, EPRP supports national capacity building and the development of sustainable supplier-buyer relationships between community producer groups and more experienced private sector exporters. Thanks to the promotion of model cases, which feed back as positive examples into local and national policies, further poverty reduction impact can be expected through multiplier and spillover effects. |
| Voluntary Approaches to Corporate Responsibility: Readings and a Resource Guide (2002) | Jenkins, R., Utting, P. and Pino, R. A. (contributors) | Geneva: UN Non-Governmental Liaison Service, NGLS, and UNRISD (eds.) | The debate on corporate social and environmental responsibility has taken on a higher profile in recent years as increasing attention has been drawn to the need for a policy response to globalization which secures social cohesion and environmental protection. The volume in the series of Development Dossiers, is intended to provide an introduction to this debate, and serve as a resource guide for those who wish to engage further. |
| Learning to Talk: Corporate Citizenship and the Development of the UN Global Compact (2004) | McIntosh, M, Waddock, S and Kell, G , eds. | Sheffield: Greenleaf Publishing Ltd | Learning to Talk is a new book consisting of 27 essays from a broad array of contributors, detailing the inception and growth of the Global Compact. It provides an opportunity to reflect on the first steps of an initiative born in the aftermath of the Cold War, in the “triumph of global economic liberalism” and mass demonstrations against globalization. It contains reflections on the Global Compact's aims and origins; some stories of engagement; and discussion on how this initiative has quickly become an important reference point in the dialogue on global and corporate governance. |
| The Journal of Corporate Citizenship, Issue 11: The United Nations Global Compact (2003) | Guest Editors: McIntosh, M. with Murphy, D. and Shah, R. | Sheffield: Greenleaf Publishing Ltd | Special Issue on The United Nations Global Compact containing: World Review - A synopsis of the key strategic developments in corporate responsibility around the globe over the last quarter; Turning Point - Trust Building and Trust Busting: Corporations, Government and Responsibilities; Turining Point - Time for Investors to Stand Up and Be Counted; The Global Compact's Nine Principles; The Global Compact: Origins, Operations, Progress, Challenges; Learning from Experience: The United Nations Global Compact Learning Forum 2002; De-compacting the Global Compact; Corporate Citizenship in the Extended Enterprise: How the Global Compact Links Business and Society; Corporate Social Responsibility as Citizenship and Compliance: Initaiatives on the Domestic, European and Global Level; Labour Standards through International Organisations: The Global Compact in Comparative Perspective; Opportunities and Risks of the United Nations Global Compact: The Novartis Case Study; and United Nations Global Compact Cities Programme - The Melbourne Model: Solving Hard Urban Issues Together. |
| Assessing the Global Compact’s Impact (2004) | McKinsey & Company | McKinsey & Company | McKinsey & Company assessed the Global Compact's impact since the initiative's launch in 2000. The report was based on extensive data analysis, interviews and surveys conducted with a range of stakeholders, including Global Compact participants, as well as outside observers and detractors. The McKinsey report concludes: “Our impact assessment has found that the Global Compact has had noticeable, incremental impact on companies, the UN, governments and other civil society actors." However, the report also states: “As it transitions from its entrepreneurial, experimentation phase to a phase of sustained growth focused on impact, the Global Compact will need to manage participants' expectations by increasing the value of participation with more targeted businessoriented engagement mechanisms, robust local networks, and effective communication and collaboration with participants and partners.” |
| Enhancing Business-Community Relations: The Role of Volunteers in Promoting Global Corporate Citizenship - Global Report (2004) | Murphy, D.F. and Shah, R.S. | Bonn and Bath: United Nations Volunteers and New Academy of Business | This is a global report on an action research project that aimed to promote enhanced business-community relations and corporate citizenship practices at the local level in developing and transitional countries. The active participation of volunteers as facilitators of partnerships between UNV, businesses and local communities enabled the project to develop and promote innovative models of business-community relations. |
| Towards a Global Compact Agenda for African Enterprises, in Words into Action pp 7-12 (2002) | Murphy, D.F. | London: International Institute for Environment and Development | This paper is part of Words Into Action, an International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED) publication prepared for the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg. The publication attempts to combine the best ideas and perspectives from a broad range stakeholders from the UN and National Governments to NGOs and the private sector, from the North and South. |
| In the Company of Partners: Business, environmental groups and sustainable development post-Rio (1997) | Murphy, D.F. and Bendell, J. | Bristol, UK: The Policy Press | Published to coincide with the Earth Summit II in June 1997 and the fifth anniversary of the 1992 Rio Conference, this book offers a fresh analysis of sustainable development and partnership. It focuses on the emergence of business-environmental group partnerships and brings together a number of practical and innovative examples. It provides concrete evidence that business people and environmentalists are beginning to work together. |
| Partnering for Success: Business Perspectives on Multistakeholder Partnerships (2005) | Nelson,
J. and Prescott, D. for: World Economic Forum Global Corporate Citizenship Initiative (GCCI) |
Geneva: World Economic Forum Global Corporate Citizenship Initiative (GCCI), in cooperation with IBLF - The Prince of Wales International Business Leaders Forum and JFK School of Government, Harvard University | Nine out of ten surveyed CEOs feel that partnerships between business, government and civil society must play either a major role or some role in addressing key development challenges facing the world today. This is one of the key findings of this report, which focuses on the innovative approaches that the GCCI member companies are taking to build partnerships with other private enterprises, government bodies and civil society organizations to address key international development challenges, and to do so in a manner that makes sound business sense and does not replace or undermine the role of government. |
| Business and the Millennium Development Goals: A Framework for Action (2003) | Nelson, J. and Prescott, D. | London: The Prince of Wales International Business Leaders Forum. | This briefing provides a framework for how companies and business coalitions can work with the UN system, governments and civil society organisations to help achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). |
| Building Partnerships: Cooperation Between the United Nations System and the Private Sector (2002) | Nelson, J. | New York: United Nations Department of Public Information |
This
book, a joint venture of the UN Global Compact and the UN Department
of Public Information in cooperation with The Prince of Wales
International Business Leaders Forum (IBLF), provides a
comprehensive overview of the opening up of the UN to new types of
partnerships with business. The most comprehensive overview to-date of cooperation between the United Nations system and the business community (including over 150 examples from around the world). The book highlights both obstacles and opportunities and it makes a compelling case that despite the obstacles, partnerships between the UN system, governments, business and civil society organizations offer one of the greatest hopes for meeting the global challenges of the 21st century. |
| Business as Partners in Development: Creating Wealth for Countries, Companies and Communities (1996) | Nelson, J. | London: The Prince of Wales International Business Leaders Forum. | Published in collaboration with the World Bank and the United Nations Development Programme, this publication is aimed at every level of an organisation, and seeks to stimulate consideration of a new way of doing business. It explores the private sector’s leadership role in strengthening civil society through broad-impact partnership work, and illustrates some of the ways in which business is contributing to essential economic and human development, environmental sustainability, social cohesion, urban renewal, rural development and emergency relief. It draws on more than 150 case studies and vignettes from over 50 countries and a wide range of industry sectors, among them 24 detailed examples of multi-stakeholder partnerships between companies, international NGOs and development agencies. |
| Sustainable Business Assistance Program: Report to Donors (2003) | Oyewole, B. and Magradze, N. | Washington: International Finance Corporation | This report highlights the activities of the SBAP facilities after their first year of operation and confirms that their efforts are working toward helping developing countries meet the growing demand for more environmentally and socially responsible – yet profitable – investment in the private sector. |
| The Fortune at the Bottom of the Pyramid: Eradicating Poverty Through Profits (2005) | Prahalad, C.K. | London: Financial Times Prentice Hall | According to Mark Malloch Brown (former Administrator, United Nations Development Programme), this is "an important and insightful work showing persuasively how the private sector can be put at the center of development, not just as a rhetorical flourish but as a real engine of jobs and services for the poor." |
| Critical Choises The United Nations, Networks, and the Future of Global Governance (2000) | Reinicke, W. H. and Deng, F. with Witte, J.M., Benner, T., Whitaker, B. and Gershman, J. | Ottawa: IDRC Books | Economic and political liberalization, together with accelerating technological change, are driving "globalization." This new global environment requires new approaches, new ideas, and innovative tools. Critical Choices looks at one such tool: global public policy networks. In these networks, governments, international organizations, the corporate sector, and civil society join together to achieve what none can accomplish on its own. The authors explore both the promises and the limitations of this new form of global cooperation. They discuss how such networks might contribute to manage the risks and make use of the opportunities that globalization presents. Finally, they offer provocative advice and solid recommendations on how the United Nations can foster such networks in the years ahead. |
| We the People’s or We the Corporations: Critical Reflections on UN-Business Partnerships (2003) | Richter, J. | Geneva: International Baby Food Action Network and Geneva Infant Feeding Association | Many citizen action groups working towards Health for All are sometimes confused as to what public-private 'partnerships' really are and how they affect their work. What questions should or could NGOs ask about them? How should they respond to them? What alternatives to UN-business 'partnerships' could they offer? This paper attempts to provide some answers. |
| Partnership Principle: New Forms of Government in the 21st Century (2004) | Seligmann, E. and Stern, S. (eds) | London: Archetype Publications | The Partnership Principle contains 38 contributions from internationally renowned experts on different aspects of governance, from security and peace-keeping to human rights and international justice; from the fight against poverty, disease and corruption to sustainable development and corporate social responsibility. |
| Gearing Up: From Corporate Responsibility to Good Governance and Scalable Solutions (2004) | Sustainability and the UN Global Compact Office | London: Sustainability Ltd | The Global Compact Office commissioned SustainAbility to assess the current state of corporate responsibility and what it will take to scale up efforts. The report concludes that while the CR movement has made real progress, it is constrained by a lack of appropriate links to wider global, regional and national governance frameworks. While a small, but growing, number of companies have made considerable strides, their numbers will remain small as long as the business case for CR remains weak. The report argues that corporate citizenship must be linked with public policy. |
| The Case Study Toolbook (2006) | Hurrell, S., Hussain-Khaliq, S. and Tennyson, R. on behalf of The Partnering Initiative | London: The Partnering Initiative | An increasing number of individuals are becoming involved in commissioning, researching, writing or disseminating partnership case studies. The Case Study Toolbook is designed to help individuals to create their own case studies more successfully. It is aimed at partnership practitioners worldwide, irrespective of their sector or their partnering role(s), whether they are working on partnerships at an operational or a strategic level and whether they are ‘internal’ or ‘external’ to the partnership being studied. |
| The Brokering Guidebook (2005) | Tennyson, R. | London: The Partnering Initiative | The Brokering Guidebook has a focus on partnership 'brokering' as intermediary function that enables partners to work well together and ensure the maximum effectiveness of their partnership. |
| The Partnering Toolbook (2004) | Tennyson, R. | London and Geneva: The Partnering Initiative in co-operation with the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN) and The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) | The Partnering Toolbook offers a concise, step-by-step overview of the essential elements that make for effective partnering. In addition to the original English version, the Toolbook is now available in Spanish, Chinese and Russian. Further language versions available by the end of October include Amharic (Ethiopia), Arabic, Farsi (Persian), French, German, Hindi, Portuguese, Swahili, Vietnamese. Also under development are versions in Bhasa (Indonesia), Croatian, Polish and Urdu. |
| The Guiding Hand: Brokering Partnerships for Sustainable Development (2000) | Tennyson, R. and Wilde, L. | New York: United Nations Department of Public Information | Successful partnerships for sustainable development need to be developed, nurtured and managed systematically. The Guiding Hand explores how skilled individuals, acting as the partnership's 'broker' steers and supports the process and leads the partnership to maturity and operational independence. |
| The United Nations and Business: A Partnership Recovered (2000) | Tesner, S., with the collaboration of Kell, G. | New York: St Martin's Press | Research investigating the relationship between the UN and the private sector. After starting with the somewhat troubled history of that relationship prior to Kofi Annan’s outreach to the private sector in 1997, Tesner seeks to explain why the newly strengthened relationship should be so important, what the obstacles to its efficiency are and how it can best be taken forward. She looks at recent efforts of cooperation and describes the formats of partnerships in the four main areas of policy, fund-raising, advocacy and awareness, and operations. |
| Communicating Business Contributions to the Millennium Development Goals (2004) | The Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) | The Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) | Communicating
Business Contributions to the Millennium Development Goals
helps businesses manage their progress towards the MDGs, and reveals where
actions they are taking could be improved to meet these goals. Businesses
can thus draw on GRI’s credible framework for sustainability reporting,
and use indicators that have been developed through a rigorous,
multi-stakeholder process that ensures that they accurately capture and
reflect activities and impacts. About GRI: The Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) is a multi-stakeholder process and independent institution whose mission is to develop and disseminate globally applicable Sustainability Reporting Guidelines. These Guidelines are for voluntary use by organisations for reporting on the economic, environmental, and social dimensions of their activities, products, and services. The GRI incorporates the active participation of representatives from business, accountancy, investment, environmental, human rights, research and labour organisations from around the world. Started in 1997, GRI became independent in 2002, and is an official collaborating centre of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and works in cooperation with UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan’s Global Compact. |
| The Development Dimensions of the UN Global Compact, Final Report (2003) | The RING Alliance of Policy Research Organisations | Prepared by the Regional and International Networking group (RING) Alliance of Policy Research Organisations for the United Nations Global Compact | The report focuses on the relationship between business and development in the context of the Global Compact's activities and presents a number of recommendations to reinforce the development dimension of the Global Compact. |
| Enterprise Solutions to Poverty: Opportunities and Challenges for the International Development Community and Big Business (2005) | The Shell Foundation team: Hoffman, K., West, C., Westley, K. and Jarvis, S. Produced and edited by Lopatin, M. | London: Shell Foundation | Enterprise Solutions to Poverty argues that enterprise and business thinking must be placed at the heart of the war on poverty. The report contains the latest information about Shell Foundation pilots across the developing world and shows how the value-creating financial assets of companies can be harnessed to provide greater social returns on investment. Enterprise Solutions to Poverty ends by calling for partnership between government, civil society and big business to be recast in 2005 so that business thinking can be applied to the poverty challenge. |
| Switzerland’s Position Paper on Cooperation with the Private Sector | The Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation | The Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation | The Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation has prepared a position paper – “Cooperation with the Private Sector” - that provides a basis for SDC’s cooperation with the private sector with the goal of promoting MDG initiatives for the poor. It defines principles and development policy guidelines, clarifies role and responsibilities of the private sector, and establishes a strategic framework for SDC and the private sector. |
| Evaluating The World Bank's Approach to Global Programs: Addressing the Challenges of Globalization (2004) | The World Bank's Independent Evaluation Group (IEG) | The World Bank's Independent Evaluation Group (IEG) | The World Bank's Independent Evaluation Group (IEG), the independent evaluation office within the World Bank, has released its report on The World Bank's Approach to Global Programs. This report entitled Addressing the Challenges of Globalization, which follows on a Phase 1 report (2002) and a meta-evaluation of the CGIAR (2003) completes IEG 's evaluation of the Bank's involvement in global programs. Based on lessons derived from studies of 26 of the Bank supported 70 global programs the report looks across these cases to draw cross-cutting lessons about the design, implementation and evaluation of global programs. |
| Unleashing Entrepreneurship, Report of the Commission for Private Sector and Development (2004) | UN Commission on the Private Sector & Development | UN Commission on the Private Sector & Development | The Commission’s Report – Unleashing Entrepreneurship: Making Business Work for the Poor - was presented on March 1, 2004 to UN Secretary General Kofi Annan. The Commission focuses on how business can create domestic employment and wealth, free local entrepreneurial energies and help achieve the MDGs. The report is focused on why the private sector is important in alleviating poverty; constraints on the private sector in developing countries; unleashing the potential of the private sector; engaging the private sector in development; and recommended actions. |
| HOW TO GUIDE: Facilitating high-impact Global Compact networks (2005) | UNDP, Europe and the CIS Bratislava Regional Centre (UNDP RBEC) | Bratislava: UNDP, Europe and the CIS Bratislava Regional Centre | The guide is on-line support to all country office managers facilitating Global Compact and it offers step-by-step guidance and practical how-to advice on launching the GC and establishing the country/regional GC networks. It was created by a group of UNDP RBEC country office and Global Compact Office practitioners in response to many requests for a ‘beginner’s guide’. Their experiences are captured in the form of stories and tips throughout the guide. Please note that this is only a first version. UNDP RBEC are committed to continuous improvements and warmly welcome your experiences, resources, comments. Contact person is: Karolina Mzyk, Private Sector Engagement Analyst, Email: karolina.mzyk@undp.org. |
| Toolkit for Private Sector Development (2006) | UN Development Programme | UN Development Programme |
This
interactive version of the first draft of the PSD Tool Kit has been
developed in close cooperation with UNDP Bureaux, country offices
and external partners including bilateral and multilateral agencies
and the private sector. It
is anticipated to be a guide to assist UN country staff to work with
stake holders in their respective countries to assist the government
in developing domestic private sector.
The tool kit can be accessed at http://www.undp.org/psd-toolkit/ The draft is being circulated for feed back and comments. It is anticipated that the final version of the tool kit will assist the countries in integrating private sector development as a component of its national planning strategies including PRSPs. We also anticipate the tool kit to provide a framework for integrating activities of various UN agencies on domestic private sector development. Accordingly, a critical element of the work in the next phase will include incorporating activities of other UN agencies including but not limited to ILO, UNCDF, UNV, UNIFEM, UNFPA, UNIDO, etc. Kindly provide your feedback on the current version and your thoughts on the possible next steps to: Arun Kashyap, Advisor, Private Sector Development at email: arun.kashyap@undp.org by no later than end June 2006. Please also contact him in case you would require a printed copy. |
| Talk the Walk - Advancing Sustainable Lifestyles through Marketing and Communications (2005) | UN Environment Programme in co-operation with the UN Global Compact Office and Utopies | The United Nations Environment Programme, Division of Technology, Industry and Economics (UNEP DTIE) | This publication aims to respond to the following questions frequently raised by the business community. Can corporate marketing foster sustainable consumption? What are the business drivers? What are the key tips to communicate effectively on sustainability issues? Developed in co-operation with the UN Global Compact Office and Utopies (a French consultancy firm specialized in sustainable development strategies), Talk the Walk gives an overview of existing research on consumers' attitudes towards sustainable products, highlights successful case studies from various industry sectors and provides a toolbox for marketing and communication experts. |
| The Stakeholder Engagement Manual - Volume 1: The Guide to Practitioners' Perspectives on Stakeholder Engagement (2005) | Stakeholder Research Associates Canada Inc., with contributions from the UN Environment Programme and Accountability | Stakeholder Research Associates Canada Inc., with contributions from the UN Environment Programme and Accountability | This Guide to Practitioners' Perspectives on Stakeholder Engagement and its sister volume The Practitioner's Handbook on Stakeholder Engagement (Accountability et al, 2005) are the result of UNEP's interest in producing a best practice guide to stakeholder dialogue, with the broader aim of promoting the use of stakeholder engagement worldwide as a way of advancing sustainable development goals. |
| The Stakeholder Engagement Manual - Volume 2: The Practitioner's Handbook on Stakeholder Engagement (2005) | Accountability, with contributions from the UN Environment Programme and Stakeholder Research Associates Canada Inc. | Accountability, with contributions from the UN Environment Programme and Stakeholder Research Associates Canada Inc. | The Handbook and its sister document, the Guide to Practioners’ Perspectives on Stakeholder Engagement, together provide guidance to especially corporate, but also non-corporate users on how to practice effective stakeholder engagement. The Handbook is accompanied by a range of MS-word and -excel documents, which resemble the templates for managing engagement that are presented and explained in the handbook. |
| The
Global Compact's Business UNusual: Facilitating UN Reform Through Partnerships (2005) Part 1 Part 2 |
UN Global Compact | New York: UN Department of Public Information | Global Compact report launched in the morning of 13 September at New York University, New York, which was recently presented at the 2005 World Summit. The report explores how partnerships with business act as a catalyst for reform and institutional innovation throughout the UN organization by infusing private sector management practices and performance-based thinking. “Business UNusual” concludes that partnerships have an increasingly important role to play as a complementary approach to the conventional instruments of international cooperation and development. |
| A Practical Guide to Communication on Progress (2005) | UN Global Compact | New York: UN Department of Public Information | This new tool was designed to provide simple advice and practical tips for Global Compact companies of every size, industry and geographical origin in the preparation of their Communication on Progress (COP). |
| Who Cares Wins: Connecting Financial Markets to a Changing World (2004) | UN Global Compact | New York: UN Department of Public Information | The mainstream financial industry today is presented with a unique opportunity to bring social and environmental issues into investment analysis, research and recommendations. Nearly 20 major investment companies, under the auspices of the Global Compact, developed and endorsed the Who Cares Wins initiative and report, which sets out bold recommendations on how the industry and other financial stakeholders should be addressing the issues. |
| The Global Compact: A Network of Networks (2004) | UN Global Compact | New York: UN Department of Public Information | The Global Compact country and regional networks have helped to link a global community of likeminded companies, individuals and organizations committed to promoting responsible corporate citizenship. Nearly fifty networks have been launched to this effect. Most are selforganizing, multi-stakeholder initiatives and are highly autonomous and self-driven. They are also in an ideal position to place the discussion of global issues in a specific local and regional context. Their presence on the ground enables more frequent dialogues between companies and other stakeholders, facilitating the sharing of good practices. Their knowledge of the local business environment and their familiarity with social, cultural and political factors are positive drivers for the implementation of the principles and for collaborative problem-solving. Networks tend to reach out to and have an impact on business communities, and focus on engagement mechanisms, such as Communications on Progress, global and regional multi-stakeholder dialogues, learning forums and partnership projects. |
| Enabling Economies of Peace: Public Policy for Conflict-Sensitive Business (2004) | UN Global Compact | New York: UN Department of Public Information | Enabling Economies of Peace: Public Policy for Conflict-Sensitive Business identifies a range of concrete actions that Governments and international organizations can undertake to better assist private-sector efforts to promote effective conflict-sensitive business practices. The recommendations focus on strengthening existing initiatives and developing mechanisms, by which current institutions of peace promotion can incorporate attention to the role of the private sector in conflict prevention and peace-building. |
| The Global Compact Leaders Summit, Final Report, United Nations Headquarters, 24 June 2004 (2004) | UN Global Compact | New York: UN Department of Public Information | On 24 June 2004, Secretary-General Kofi Annan convened the Global Compact Leaders Summit at United Nations Headquarters in New York. Nearly 500 leaders attended the Summit - including chief executive officers, government officials, and the heads of various labour groups, civil society organizations and UN agencies — to discuss and debate the Global Compact and the topic of global corporate citizenship, and to produce strategic recommendations and action imperatives related to the future evolution of the initiative. |
| Embedding Human Rights in Business Practice (2004) | UN Global Compact and Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights | New York: UN Department of Public Information | This publication explores the application of the Global Compact’s human rights principles. It offers a thorough analysis of the human rights principles from the perspective of the UN, business, academia and civil society. The main focus is the practical meaning of the principles for companies, presenting four case studies and a policy report on business practice in different industries. The main conclusion drawn from these cases is that proactive efforts to address human rights concerns better equipped businesses to manage risks and helps secure and maintain their license to operate. |
| Investing in Development: A Practical Plan to Achieve the Millennium Development Goals (2005) | UN Millennium Project | Earthscan in the UK and USA | The UN Millennium Project is an independent advisory body commissioned by the UN Secretary-General to advise the UN on strategies for achieving the Millennium Development Goals. The UN Millennium Project is an independent advisory body and has recently presented its report, “Investing in Development: A Practical Plan to Achieve the Millennium Development Goals”, to the Secretary General. |
| Task Force Reports | UN Millennium Project | UN Millennium Project | Research of the Millennium Project is performed by more than 265 development experts through 10 Task Forces. Each Task Force comprises independent experts drawn from academia, the public and private sectors, civil society organizations, and UN agencies. Detailed analysis and recommendations of the United Nations Millennium Project Task Forces are presented in a series of in-depth reports. |
| Business Contributions to UN Emergency Relief Efforts: An Orientation Guide | UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs | http://ochaonline2.un.org/businesscontributions | This
inter-agency business guide describes the role of various UN agencies
during an emergency, and identifies ways in which companies can support
relief efforts in a timely and appropriate manner, be it through cash
contributions, in-kind donations, or volunteer expertise. Businesses that
are interested in selling products or services to the UN to meet emergency
relief needs should contact the appropriate UN procurement service. The Orientation Guide is divided into the four sections and is intended to provide information that will help organisations make a contribution with the greatest positive impact on communities affected by a humanitarian crisis. A review of this guide is highly recommended before contacting the UN, particularly for companies considering donations of products or services rather than financial contributions. |
| The Private Sector and Volunteerism for Development (Work in progress) (Draft as of 6/05/2005) | UN Volunteers | Bonn: UN Volunteers | A Guidance Note for Volunteer-Involving Organisations including the UN system as they pursue partnerships with the private sector in support of volunteerism for development. Contact for comments and edits: mae.chao@unvolunteers.org. |
| Rethinking Business Regulation: From Self Regulation to Social Control. UNRISD Programme Paper TBS 15 (2005) | Utting, P. | Geneva: United Nations Research Institute for Social Development | This paper examines contemporary aspects of business regulation associated with CSR with a view to understanding its considerable influence in business, civil society, governmental and multilateral circles; as well as to assessing its potential to counter the perverse effects of economic liberalization and corporate-led globalization, and reassert social control over markets. |
| Corporate Responsibility and the Movement of Business, Development in Practice, Volume 15 (2005) | Utting, P. | Oxford: Development in Practice, c/o Oxfam GB Routledge Publishing | This paper examines the reasons for civil society mobilisation on CSR issues, the types of organisations involved, and their different forms of activism and relations with business. It then identifies the ways in which big business is engaging with and shaping the CSR agenda, but questions whether this agenda can effectively contribute to development. The paper argues that mainstream approaches to CSR may deal with some of the worst symptoms of maldevelopment, but that they generally fail to address the key political and economic mechanisms through which transnational companies undermine the development prospects of poor countries. A final section considers how the CSR agenda may evolve on the basis of recent developments in CSR activism and regulation. |
| Corporate Social Responsibility and Development: Towards a New Agenda?, UNRISD Conference News, Report of the UNRISD Conference 17-18 November 2003 (2004) | Utting, P., with assistance from Abrahams, D. and Tombez, A. | Geneva: United Nations Research Institute for Social Development | In November 2003, UNRISD held a two day conference in Geneva entitled “Corporate Social Responsibility: Towards a New Agenda?” Its four main objectives were: -To present findings from UNRISD and other research on the developmental implications of CSR policies and practices; -To engage UN agencies and other actors in critical reflection and debate on the developmental challenges confronting the current CSR agenda and public-private partnerships; -To consider new approaches and proposals related to corporate regulation and accountability; and, -To examine the role of the UN in global governance arrangements involving corporate regulation and CSR. |
| Corporate Social Responsibility and Business Regulation - UNRISD Research and Policy Brief 1 (2004) | Utting, P. | Geneva: United Nations Research Institute for Social Development | More recently there have been increasing calls for corporate accountability and a renewed interest in international regulation of transnational corporations (TNCs). From the perspective of development and good governance, how effective are the different approaches? The Policy Brief provides a concise format that should be of use to policy makers, scholars, activists, journalists and others. |
| UN-Business Partnerships: Whose Agenda Counts? (2000) | Utting, P. | Paper presented at seminar on ‘Partnerships for Development or Privatization of the Multilateral System?’ organized by the North-South Coalition, Oslo, 8 December 2000 | This paper questions the validity of the partnership approach from the perspective of fulfilling the UN's goal of promoting development and human rights for all. It begins by briefly describing the changes that have occurred in UN-business relations during the past three decades. It then identifies the various forces and rationales that are driving the partnership phenomenon, and suggests that some of these give rise to concerns about the motivations and agendas underpinnning partnerships. It goes on to look at certain problems that have arisen with partnerships as they operate in practice. The paper concludes by suggesting that the goal of promoting greater corporate environmental and social responsibility requires the UN to be an ally of the global corporate accountability movement. Currently, however, the partnership approach seems to be straining, rather than strengthening, relations between the UN and certain actors in this movement. |
| Public-Private Partnerships in the Social Sector: Issues and Country Experiences in Asia and the Pacific (2000) | Wang, Y. | Asian Development Bank Institute | This
is a comprehensive publication providing concepts of and issues on
partnerships by drawing attention to model of public and private
involvement in health and education sectors, and the impact of the
traditional values and information-technology on forming partnerships.
Potential roles of the public and private sectors in terms of their
contributions, strengths and weaknesses, and obstacles in forming
partnerships is also discussed. These are explained through experiences
drawn from countries that have practices of involving the private sector
in financing and delivery of services. Finally, the book provides insights
based on country experiences from Asia and the Pacific. These experiences
are presented from the perspectives of governmental, private sector,
non-governmental, and multilateral organizations. Successful examples as
well as failures are openly discussed. Edited by Yidan Wang, Asian Development Bank Institute. Inquiries@adbi.org or tel.: +81 3 3593 5500. |
| Public-Private Partnerships in Health: Their Targets; Their Diversity; Their Future Directions (2001) | Widdus, R. | World Health Organization | If appropriately motivated, pharmaceutical companies can bring to partnerships expertise in product development, production process development, manufacturing, marketing, and distribution--all of which are lacking in the public sector. A large variety of public-private partnerships, combining the skills and resources of a wide range of collaborators, have arisen for product development, disease control through product donation and distribution, or the general strengthening or coordination of health services. Administratively, such partnerships may either involve affiliation with international organizations, i.e. they are essentially public-sector programs with private-sector participation, or they may be legally independent not-for-profit bodies. “Public-Private Partnerships in Health” makes suggestions for public, private, and joint activities that could help to improve the access of poor populations to the pharmaceuticals and health services they need. |
| Development at Risk: Rethinking UN-Business Partnerships (2003) | Zammit, A. | Geneva: United Nations Research Institute for Social Development and The South Centre | This study concludes that there are limits to the improvements in CSR that can be achieved through the current arrangements in place under the Global Compact and, that if the UN is serious about speeding up development in the South while involving the private sector in a more purposeful manner, it is crucial that a new strategy and policy framework be devised. |
| Disclaimer The opinions, findings and contents of the above listed publications and the linked websites do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the United Nations or the United Nations System Staff College. Links to the websites of the cited organisations have been included wherever possible, however it is not intended to indicate any preference on the part of the UNSSC. |
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