The UN Global Compact:An overview

Compiled & Presented by Anthony Rutabanzibwa

ILO Dar es salaam

Outline

Background What is the UN Global CompactUN-GC principles & how to

apply/ adhere to themState of applying the UN-GCConclusions

Background1:

• UN operates to achieve goals of peace, equality, susutainable development & respect for human rights

• Procurement function provides UN with means to carry out its activities & signals what’s important to the organization and concretely support sustainable development

• Values enshrined in UN Charter serve as overarching goals that UN suppliers are obliged to achieve

Background2: Business plan of 20 UN agencies, funds and programmes in Tanzania for the period July 2011 to June 2015.

Gender equality, environmental

sustainability, capacity development, results-based management, and a Human Rights-

based approach.

Delivery incumbent upon procuring

goods & services: best value for

money

UN Global Compact

• Strategic policy initiaive for businesses committed to aligning their operations & strategies with 10 universally accepted principles related to human rights, labour, environment & anti-corruption

• Hinged on UDHR

FP&RAW

Rio Declaration

UN Convention against corruption

HUMAN RIGHTS

LABOUR

ENVIRONMENT

ETHICS

UN Global Compact: Labour/ Human Rights principles

Understanding and applying the labour principles

• Uphold freedom of association and the effective recognition of the right to collective bargaining (UN Global Compact Principle 3)

Understanding and applying the labour principles

• Uphold freedom of association and the effective recognition of the right to collective bargaining (UN Global Compact Principle 3)

• Essence of FOA & CB in BusinessFOA: Protects both economic

interests & civil liberties; integral part of democracy

CB: forum for addressing working conditions and terms of employment; relations

Understanding and applying the labour principles

How can companies uphold freedom of association and the effective recognition of the right to collective bargaining?

• Respect the right of all workers to form and join a trade union of their choice

• Put in place non-discriminatory policies and procedures

• Provide worker representatives with appropriate facilities

• Recognize representative organizations

• Provide trade union representatives with access to real decision makers for collective bargaining

• Provide information • Address any problem-

solving or other needs of interest to workers and management

• Uphold the elimination of all forms of forced and compulsory labour (UN Global Compact Principle 4)

Understanding and applying the labour principles

• How can companies contribute to the elimination of forced labour ?

Adhere to provisions of national laws and regulations ensure that employment contracts are provided to all

employees Institute policies and procedures Exercise due diligence in dealings with other

businesses

Understanding and applying the labour principles

• Uphold the effective abolition of child labour (UN Global ompact Principle 5)

Understanding and applying the labour principles

• Uphold the effective abolition of child labour (UN Global compact Principle 5)

Understanding and applying the labour principles

What can companies do to uphold the effective abolition of child labour

(UN Global compact Principle 5)

• Adhere to minimum age provisions of national labour laws and regulations

• Use adequate and verifiable mechanisms for age verification

• take measures to remove them from work

• help the child removed from the workplace

• Exercise influence on subcontractors, suppliers and other business affiliates to combat child labour.

• Uphold the elimination of discrimination in respect of employment and occupation (UN Global Compact Principle 6)

Understanding and applying the labour principles

Elimination of discrimination in respect of employment and occupation (UN Global Compact Principle 6)

• allows companies to consider additional grounds where discrimination in employment and occupation may arise.

• Discrimination can arise in a variety of work-related activities

Access to employment Training and vocational guidance and social security With respect to the terms and conditions of employment

Modus Operandi

• Raising awareness of selected UN service providers on UN principles on labour and human rights

• Solicit commitment from service providers

40+ service providers

Managers, contract focal points, HR managers

Sectors:SecurityManufacturingMedia/ printing

Regulator/duty beareraka “AUDITOR”

UN-SP join TZA chapter of UN-GC

State of compliability with UN-GC

Freedom of

Association

Most commonly violated HR

Freedom from

Discrimination

Loopholes in the regulatory framework

Freedom from forced

labourCircumstances in which individuals are

forced to work

Conclusions

• Linking HR and procurement is nothing new• Agencies already seeking to forge some form

of linkage (UNDP, UNICEF, WB, ILO etc)• We took step in right direction

• Exploitation of comparative advantages of participating agencies

• Revise LTAs already signed off• Monitoring/ inspections: engage government

authorities

Conclusions

Organizations of the United Nations system give no preferential treatment to Global Compact signatories, but strongly encourage them to

subscribe to the Global Compact and support its underpinning principles.

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