Sandra Waddock and Georg Kell (eds.), Greenleaf Publishing, Sheffield, UK.

From the Forward by Kofi Annan, Former UN Secretary-General:

When I first introduced the Global Compact at the World Economic Forum in Davos in January 1999 I warned that unless more serious consideration were given to social and environmental issues the global economy would grow ever more fragile. I called on business leaders to join a Global Compact as a vehicle for exercising enlightened self-interest: to embrace universal principles in the area of human rights, labour and the environment and to support United Nations goals to contribute to more stable and inclusive markets.

I am delighted to say that business has heeded the call to action. More than 1,200 companies from over 70 countries, as well as dozens of civil-society organisations and global trade unions, are learning how to work together through learning and dialogue. The Compact has inspired a range of new projects on the ground, and many corporations are addressing issues such as human rights for the first time.

In Chapter 20 Steve Waddell discusses the Global Compact’s strategy as a Global Action Network.