UN Global Compact - Transforming business, changing the world.

UN Global Compact aims to mobilize a global movement of sustainable companies and stakeholders to create a sustainable future for the world. It promotes corporate responsibility and provides a framework to guide all businesses regardless of size, complexity or location.

UN Global Compact supports companies to:

1. Do business responsibly by aligning their strategies and operations with ↗︎Ten Principles on human rights, labour, environment and anti-corruption; and
2. Take strategic actions to advance broader societal goals, such as the ↗︎UN Sustainable Development Goals, with an emphasis on collaboration and innovation.

The UN Global Compact invites Businesses, civil society organizations, business associations, labour organizations, academic institutions and cities join in shaping a sustainable future with respect to the 17 Sustainable Development Goals.  As of April 2018, more than 9,000 business participants and 4,000 non-business participants already partner with the UN Global Compact and they are already changing the world. They’re helping alleviate extreme poverty, address labour issues, reduce environmental risks around the globe, and more.

BPW International is one of partner of UN Global Compact to promote SDGs, with 2017-2020 triennium theme “Empowering Women to Realize the Sustainable Development Goals”. 

> Read more on UN Global Compact and WEPs

The Women's Empowerment Principles (WEPs) are a set of 7 Principles for business offering guidance on how to empower women in the workplace, marketplace and community.

The WEPs are built on existing standards, initiatives and best practices related to business and women, and seek to fill gaps to present a coherent vision for business to maximize the positive impacts and minimize negative impacts on women.  

 Since UN Women and the United Nations Global Compact jointly launched WEPs on 8 March 2010, BPW International has been working in partnership with them to encourage BPW affiliates to invite CEOs in their countries to sign Statement of Support. 

> Read more on BPW works to promote WEPs

BPW International collaboration with UN Global Compact began when Ursula Wynhoven, Special Assistant to the Executive Director of the UN Global Compact, gave a talk at BPW Workshop on Corporate Social Responsibilities to Empower Women Economically at UN Headquarter during the 52nd session of UN Commission on Status of Women on 25 February 2008.   

Since then executives and/or representatives of UN Global Compact had been given talks at various BPW International Congresses in Mexico City, Mexico in 2008; Helsinki, Finland in 2011; Jeju, Korea in 2014 and Cairo, Egypt in 2017.