Submission writing

Submission writing

Submission Writing Each Global Compact Local Network (GCLN) is unique, but all share one goal: to advance the ten principles of the United Nations Global Compact. GCLNs are at the heart of the Global Compact - carrying out activities that encourage implementation of the principles and, thus, intensifying the initiative's potency and presence. This report takes stock of their work in 2008 - examining the many creative and inspiring activities and initiatives devised by the GCLNs to meet individual and shared challenges.

Results of the Local Network Survey are also featured, helping to demonstrate the ways in which networks serve Global Compact objectives.

The results include statistics on network governance, composition, activities, issues and communication. Among the findings:

• One out of four Local Networks are independent legal entities.

• Business participants hold the majority of seats on steering committees in 90 per cent of networks.

• “Learning” is now the most prevalent network activity, as compared to “outreach” in previous years. Learning activities such as workshops, trainings or regular working group meetings are designed for Global Compact participants to gain a better understanding of how to integrate the ten principles.

• Nearly half of activities in all regions address the Global Compact issue areas (human rights, labor, environment and anti-corruption) in a cross-cutting way.

With regard to individual issues, environment is the most frequent in Asia and Europe, labor in Africa, and partnerships for development in Americas. The report takes a deeper look at Local Network efforts in two areas of particular interest to the Global Compact: Communication on Progress (COP) and civil society engagement. With regard to the COP, this report examines how networks increase dialogue, foster learning and improve performance through the facilitation of COPs - all part of the social vetting process. Among the findings:

• COP facilitation is the most frequent activity of GCLNs, with more than 80 per cent of networks in all regions involved.

• Three-quarters of the networks conduct COP trainings and awareness-raising events, and about half of the networks have some kind of mentoring process. One-fourth of GCLNs are involved in peer review processes.

• Approximately one-third of networks engage others, including non-business stakeholders, in some kind of social vetting process. The report also looks at the involvement of civil society organizations (CSOs) in network activities. Among the findings:

• More than half of the networks have CSOs engaged in ...