Sixteen South African companies – including those involved in mining and related activities – have signed the United Nations (UN) Global Compact, which extends an opportunity to corporate entities to embrace, support and enact core values regarding human rights, labour standards, the environment and anticorruption principles.
So far, more than 5 000 companies in over 1 000 countries worldwide have committed to the initiative.
The Global Compact was launched in 2000. It was initiated by several dozen business leaders who decided at the UN headquarters to unite for an international campaign that is aimed at bringsmall scale mining equipment in dubaiing companies together with UN agencies, labour and civil society to advance universal social and environmental principles.
The initiative has since become the world’s largest voluntary corporate citizenship initiative.
The South African companies that have signed up include BHP Billiton, Declay preparation wet and dry methodloitte, Exxaro Resources, Impala Platinum, Sappi and the Richards Bay Coal Terminal (RBCT).
Outgoing RBCT executive chairperson Kuseni Dlamini says, “It is an important milestone for the RBCT to be part of such an initiative, which enables us to publicly commit ourselves to the ten principles concrete pump price dubaiof the UN Global Compact.
“The RBCT is proud to commit to making the Global Compact and its principles part of our strategy, culture and day-to-day operations. “As the single largest coal export terminal in the world, the RBCT takes seriously the issues laid out in the Global Compact. That is why we have been making tremendous improvements in our facility in terms of fighting HIV/Aids, optimising energy efficiency, creating opportunities for multistakeholder engagement and encouraging collaborative action by businesses in the Zululand region.”
Companies that sign the UN Global Compact will benefit from the opportunity to exchange experiences and good practices to motivate finding practical solutions to challenges; the opportunity for global dialogue and partnerships with other international companies and civil society; increased lawfulness and licence to operate because the business practices are based on universal values; and it will ensure that companies are held accountable and provide transparency through public communication.
The Global Compact in South Africa is managed by the National Business Initiative (NBI).
The NBI is a voluntary business coalition of 140 member companies working together on furthering sustainable growth and developing South Africa. Since the inception of the NBI in 1995, it has moved business resources towards a collective response to South African issues, such as skills development, education, enterprise development, climate change and energy efficiency.
“Participation of companies in the Global Compact is a symbol of good corporate citizenship in South Africa,” says NBI CEO André Fourie.