Launched in 2000, the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC) is a global initiative that serves as a call to companies to align strategies and operations under the framework of the 10 UNGC Principles on Human Rights, Labor, Environment and Anti-corruption. Today with more than 9,500 business and 3,000 non-business organizations based in 160 countries and more than 72 local network, the UNGC is the world’s largest corporate initiative that encourages Businesses to adopt sustainable and socially responsible policies and report on them.
The UN Global Compact Network Egypt was launched in Cairo, in February 2004 by Mansour Group and the UNDP Egypt. In 2015, Global Compact Network Egypt became an independent entity in the form of a foundation, which hosts the UN Global Compact Network Egypt Secretariat that manages the operation of the Local Network. In 30 April 2018, The Global Compact Network Egypt has been chosen to chair the Middle East Region at the UNGC Regional Council of Eastern Europe and the Middle East and holds a voting seat at the UNGC Global Council chaired by the UN Secretary General from 2018 – 2020. Today, it has 128 Participants representing a diverse background of sectors and extends support to other local networks in the region, such as in Tunisia, the United Arab Emirates, Lebanon and Morocco.
The UN Global Compact Network Egypt (GCNE) works on advancing the 10 Principles, Issue Platforms and the 17 SDGs at the country level. The GCNE assists companies in understanding what responsible business means within the Egyptian national, cultural, development and local context through outreach, awareness-raising, policy dialogue, collective actions and partnerships. The local Network connects its members with other businesses and stakeholders from civil society, Government and academia, and guide them in turning their sustainability targets and goals into action.
UN Global Compact Network Egypt is also committed to provide its members with the necessary tools, resources and networks to enable both small and large businesses to pilot profitable, inclusive and sustainable business models. The past two years have been for the GCNE office after hosting and partnering in over 50 events. The most recent one was the 2018 Business for Peace Global Event that Egypt hosted for the first time after it being held in Istanbul, New York, Dubai and Bogota. The event served as a platform to promote the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Business for Peace Platform, which focuses on how businesses are key players in upholding peace and bettering the lives of their surrounding communities and within their countries.
The Global Compact Network Egypt ensures having a vast and diversified partnership with all parties involved in development to make sure that development’ initiatives and programmes reach the real and in-need beneficiaries, leaving no one behind. For instance, the local network works in partnership with most of the international development organizations, including the UN system such as UNDP, UN Women, UNICEF, UNIC, UNODC, ILO, IOM, and the International Finance Corporation (IFC), and is currently discussing partnership with UNIDO and UNESCO. GCNE has already implemented many projects and programmes and conducted many events with the mentioned agencies. It is working specifically on women empowerment with the IFC and UN Women and they already conducted many joint events on women’s economic empowerment. Together with the Egyptian Exchange (EGX), they hold annually the ‘Ringing the Bell for Gender Diversity’ event to promote gender diversity in the businesses’ sphere in our quest of empowering women financially, for them to be more independent and providing them with the opportunity to open their businesses.
Apart from the UN system, the UNGC has also collaborated with (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit) GIZ in Egypt, and with SIDA (Swedish International Development Agency in Egypt). Moreover, the Egyptian Network works closely with the Federation of Egyptian Industries, a key business player in the country, in addition to chambers of commerce as well as with the academic sector, such as the AUC (American University of Cairo) – for research and raising awareness related to SDGs and the Egyptian SDS 2030- and with October Six University, in addition to the Arab Academy for Science, Technology and Maritime Transport- providing training and raising awareness on environment protection.