30.08.2019

Within the framework of the “Armenia: Promoting Anti-Corruption Conduct and Reforms” project implemented by the the “Center for International Private Enterprise” (CIPE) the “Armenian Lawyers’ Association” NGO (ALA) undertakes the commitment to introduce the Anti-Corruption Compliance (ACC) Programs at the Armenian business community, which will contribute to the dissemination of corporate governance and ethical values in Armenia.

By continuing our awareness campaign on the ACC we are introducing to business companies about the world's largest initiative, the “UN Global Compact” aimed to ensure the corporate sustainabilit. It proposes business companies to comply their strategies and activities with the universal principles of human rights, employment, the environment and the fight against corruption. The latter has no mandatory force.Up to date, more than 12,000 organizations have joined the “UN Global Compact”, of which 8,000 are businesses and 4,000 are non-profit organizations.

The ten principles of the “UN Global Compact” are derived from the “UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights”, the “ILO” Declaration of Fundamental Principles and Rights of Labor, the “Rio Declaration on the Environment and Development” and the “UN Convention against Corruption”.

Those principles are:

1. In the framework of human rights businesses should:

- support and respect the protection of internationally proclaimed human rights;

- make sure that they are not complicit in human rights abuses.  

2. In the framework of labor relationships businesses should: 

- uphold the freedom of association and the effective recognition of the right to collective bargaining,

- eliminate of all forms of forced and compulsory labour;

- abolish the child labor; 

- eliminate discrimination in respect of employment and occupation. 

3. In the framework of environment protection businesses should: 

- support a precautionary approach to environmental challenges;   

- undertake initiatives to promote greater environmental responsibility; 

- encourage the development and diffusion of environmentally friendly technologies. 

4. In the framework of fight against corruption businesses should:

- work against corruption in all its forms, including extortion and bribery;

- proactively develop policies and specific programs, in particular to combat potential corruption within the business organization and in the supply sphere. 

 

In the framework of fight against corruption businesses should undertake the following measures:

- Internal: As a first and primary step, to introduce anti-corruption policies and programs in their organizations and within their business activities;

- External: to report on anti-corruption activities in “Annual Communication on Progress” and exchange best experience by sharing specific examples and storie;

- Collective actions: to combine industry sphere partners and other stakeholders to direct anti-corruption efforts to create equal opportunities and ensure fair competition for all. Companies can use the “Anti-Corruption Collective Action Hub” to create a personal page of the company, offer programs, find partners and ongoing programs, as well as find resources to conduct collective anti-corruption activities. 

- The assignment of Anti-Corruption Call to Action. 

 

The “UN Global Compact’s” Anti-Corruption Call to Action

The Call to Action was put forth as an appeal by the private sector to Governments to promote anti-corruption measures and to implement policies that will establish systems of good governance. The Call to Action urged Governments to underscore anti-corruption and good governance as fundamental pillars of a sustainable and inclusive global economy and include them as important tenets of the now-adopted 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The Call to Action was launched in 2014 and continued its advocacy efforts until the adoption of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in 2015. Over 250 companies and investors worldwide have signed on to the Anti-Corruption Call to Action.  What was the business-led appeal to Governments?

- “to implement fully and enforce the tenets of the UN Convention against Corruption by strengthening anti-corruption policies, laws and enforcement mechanisms to create a level playing field and incentivize good behavior;

- to make a commitment to reduce corruption risks from procurement and contract processes of large-scale projects that are designed to support sustainable development;

- to commit to engaging in competitive and transparent procurement processes through public advertising of all Government procurement cases;

- to achieve greater transparency in relation to revenues received by Governments from private sector companies;

- to support corporate efforts to enhance anti-corruption implementation, corporate governance, innovative collective action, and public-private partnership initiatives”.

If you are a business company and would like to join the “UN Global Compact” initiative, join the Anti-Corruption Call, for that you should write a letter by expressing support and commitment to prevent any manifestation of corruption, including bribery and extortion. The letter is signed by a member of the board responsible for corporate governance or a representative of the (senior) executive body. The signed letter should be sent to anticorruption@unglobalcompact.org e-mail and the Call to Action should be promoted on their own websites and social pages using the hashtag #BizAgainstCorruption: 

 

The link of the “UN Global Compact” Principles  https://www.unglobalcompact.org/what-is-gc/mission/principles,

The link of the “Anti-Corruption Collective Action Hub” https://businesspartnershiphub.org/anti-corruption/,

The link of the “UN Global Compact’s” Anti-Corruption Call to Action https://www.unglobalcompact.org/take-action/action/anti-corruption-call-to-action.