Albania

Hungarian business leaders join Global Compact

Hungarian business leaders and UNDP launched the country's first Global Compact network for good corporate citizenship in December, with the fight against corruption and improving the situation of the Roma identified as priorities of the new business grouping.

Government officials and executives from some 40 companies in Hungary attended the inaugural event in Budapest, which was opened by Kalman Mizsei, UN Assistant Secretary-General and UNDP Regional Director.

Georg Kell, Executive Head of the UN Global Compact and a featured speaker, underscored the crucial role the private sector can play in development and the benefits to business of joining the Global Compact.

"We need business solutions to solve global problems," he said. "In turn, companies participating in the network win international recognition and trust, which is a strong competitive advantage on today's highly competitive global markets."

The founding members of the Global Compact in Hungary include Central Europe's leading oil concern, MOL, the Budapest Stock Exchange, Holcim, Adecco, Radio C, Ernst & Young, Hungarian Business Leaders Forum, ABB Hungary, MAM Hungaria KFT, Elektrotemperatura Development Services, Szakály Kft., Autonómia Alapítvány and Clean Air Action Group/Levegő Munkacsoport.

Mr. Mizsei spoke of the Global Compact challenge to corporations to advance certain values within their sphere of influence, and emphasized the need for companies in Hungary to focus on issues of local concern.

"In Hungary, the fight against corruption, and improving the situation of the Roma population are expected to be the focus of the national network," he said.

Sandor Kalman, MOL communications director, said MOL would take the lead and publish an annual report to convey the company's progress in the area of corporate social responsibility. "MOL’s responsibility is primarily to the stock exchange and shareholders but it is also responsible to employees and society," he said.

 

Launched by UN Secretary General Kofi Annan in 1999, the Global Compact is a set of 10 principles of corporate social responsibility and good corporate citizenship.  They emphasize in particular human rights, labour standards, environmental protection, and anti-corruption measures.  More than 2400 organizations in 70 countries have signed on to the Global Compact, which is supported by the World Bank, International Labour Organization, and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

In Central and Eastern Europe, the Global Compact has enrolled over 300 companies since it was first launched in Poland in March 2001. In addition to pursuing socially responsible policies, member companies have sponsored business incubators, initiated university courses in business ethics and supported education for young leaders.

Visit the Global Compact website: www.unglobalcompact.org

 

For more information, please contact:

Stanislav Saling
CST Communication and Public Private Partnership Officer
UNDP Bratislava Regional Centre
+421 2 59 337 222
stanislav.saling@undp.org

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