25 September 2018, Brussels (ITUC Online): The UN General Assembly
(UNGA) opened in New York this week with Assembly President María Fernanda Espinosa
Garcés saying, “The
world needs a social contract based on shared responsibility, and the only
forum that we have to achieve this global compact is the United Nations.”
The UN Global Compact Summit taking place alongside the UNGA brought
unions, business leaders and investors together with heads of government to
explore how to work together to build and invest in peace for all and advance
the Global Goals (SDGs). It is calling on stakeholders everywhere, including
business, to put people at the heart of sustainability strategies and practices
– ensuring a future where no one is left behind.
The UN
Global Compact was established by former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan in
2000 with the first Leaders’ Summit held in 2004. Its membership is based on
support for ten principles in the areas of human rights, labour, the
environment and anti-corruption.
Speaking
at the summit in New York, ITUC General Secretary Sharan Burrow said: “Today’s
fractured world requires a new social contract – a commitment to ensure that
full employment, rights and safety are respected by every business along with
universal social protection, a minimum living wage and collective bargaining to
guarantee wealth distribution with equality, the elimination of tax evasion and
secure public services. And we cannot compromise on climate action with Just
Transition measures for working people and their communities.
“The UN Treaty on Business and Human Rights with a mandated requirement
for due diligence, grievance and remedy is essential to eliminate modern
slavery and the oppression of the low-wage, precarious and unsafe work of
today’s corporate supply chains.
“The SDGs are a pathway for social justice – a zero-poverty, zero-carbon
world – but if we want to restore faith in democracy and create the enabling
environment for peace and prosperity, economic models must have people, decent
work and environment at the centre of development.”
Sharan
Burrow and Philip Jennings, former General Secretary of UNI Global Union, are
UN Global Compact Board members.
The ITUC represents 207 million members of 331 affiliates in 163
countries and territories.
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