FREE EDIT JOINS THE UNITED NATIONS GLOBAL COMPACT
We believe that a new era of awareness among companies and entrepreneurs must commence, aimed at fostering fairer and more sustainable growth, both economically and socially.
This is why we have chosen to become a member of the United Nations Global Compact, aligning ourselves with entrepreneurs worldwide in their dedication to taking tangible steps towards the development, implementation, and promotion of responsible and sustainable business practices.
UNITED NATIONS GLOBAL COMPACT – UNGC
The United Nations Global Compact (UNGC), also known as the United Nations Global Compact, was launched in 1999 during the World Economic Forum in Davos by the then United Nations Secretary–General, Kofi Annan. Its purpose was to promote a culture of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) worldwide. Secretary–General Annan convened leaders of the global economy to gather and endorse a global pact, committing themselves to uphold and advance the fundamental universal principles that underpin the work of the United Nations.
I call on you - individually through your firms, and collectively through your business associations - to embrace, support and enact a set of core values in the areas of human rights, labour standards, and environmental practices
Kofi Annan, Secretary General of the United Nations
The Covenant officially came into effect in 2000 and has since evolved into a global movement over the past two decades. Presently, it boasts over 12,000 participants (including companies and non-profit organisations) across 160 countries, all dedicated to the pursuit of sustainable corporate development.
The agreement recognises that business can also be a positive force for “good”, i.e. it can and should be a positive force for good.
As of now, the United Nations Global Compact stands as the world's largest corporate sustainability initiative. It advocates for communities, organisations, and businesses to establish a robust and sustainable economic, social, and environmental framework, ensuring equitable access to its benefits for all, both presently and in the future. Specifically, it is an invitation to the private sector to harmonise their business strategies and operations with the universal principles of human rights, labour standards, environmental protection, and anti-corruption. They are encouraged to undertake actions that promote, endorse, and implement this core set of principles within their own sphere of operations and influence. Such as:
Human Rights
Principle 1: promote and uphold universally recognised human rights.
Principle 2:: ensure non-complicity in human rights abuses.
Labour
Principle 3: uphold the freedom of association for workers and acknowledge the right to collective bargaining.
Principle 4 eradicate all forms of forced and compulsory labour.
Principle 5: effectively eliminate child labour.
Principle 6: abolish all forms of discrimination during employment and the workplace.
Environment
Principle 7: advocate for the application of the precautionary approach to environmental challenges.
Principle 8: pursue initiatives aimed at promoting greater environmental responsibility.
Principle 9: facilitate the development and dissemination of environmentally friendly clean technologies.
Anti-corruption
Principle 10: commitment to work against corruption in all its forms, including extortion and bribery.
In many countries, local Global Compact networks have been established over the years. These entities are dedicated to advancing the Global Compact at a national level, thereby contributing to the evolution of the global pact and the dissemination of its guiding principles.
In Italy, the Global Compact Network Foundation Italia (GCNI) operates in alignment with the ten principles of the United Nations Global Compact and offers assistance to participants within Italian territory.
Since 10th August 2020, Free Edit has pledged its participation in the corporate responsibility initiative of the United Nations Global Compact, aligning with its principles on human rights, labour, environment, and anti-corruption. Additionally. Furthermore, since 22nd September 2020, Free Edit has assumed the role of Founder of the GCNI (Global Compact Network Italy).
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SDGs – SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS
In September 2015, the 193 Member States of the United Nations endorsed the Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development, which primarily revolves around the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), i.e. key objectives set forth by the United Nations.
These objectives distinctly delineate the transformation that each government, civil society organisation, business, and citizen is urged to effectuate, thereby ensuring a brighter future for all in terms of peace, prosperity, societal well-being, and planetary health.
A key role in the achievement of the SDGs lies with the business community and the actions that private sector firms of all sizes and sectors can take to implement global goals in their local markets.
Through the Global Compact, companies worldwide are urged to make a tangible pledge towards accomplishing the SDGs by 2030, and Free Edit stands in support of the Sustainable Development Goals.
THE COMMITMENT OF FREE EDIT
By adhering to the United Nations Global Compact Free Edit has committed itself to:
- implement, disseminate and promote the Ten Universal Principles that underlie the United Nations initiative
- integrate the Global Compact and its Ten Principles into strategies, daily operations, and organisational culture
- incorporate the Global Compact and its Ten Principles into decision-making processes with regard to the highest governance body (e.g: Board of Directors)
- support the goals of the United Nations, including the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
- report annually to its stakeholders on progress in implementing the Ten Principlesby means of reports or public documents (called Communication on Progress – COP)
- promote the development of the Global Compact and responsible business practices by actively supporting and raising awareness among partners, customers, consumers, and all stakeholder organisations
Actively engaging with the UN Global Compact is a very important step for us because:
- the decision to join is entirely voluntary ,
- the public demonstration of a commitment to sustainable development is measured over time
- this underscores and attests to our steadfast commitment to equitable growth, underscoring our firm belief that one need not be a corporate giant to effect positive change towards a sustainable economy and better society
- we are dedicated to further embedding Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) into our corporate policies, a principle we wholeheartedly endorse and which forms an integral part of our organisational ethos .
- for Free Edit employees, this signifies the assurance of working for a company dedicated to upholding the 10 principles of the Global Compact.
COP – Communication on Progress 2021
