With the launch of the voluntary Global Compact grouping business, United Nations agencies and civil society in Nigeria's capital, UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, on whose initiative the worldwide body was formed six years ago, expressed pleasure at seeing a major step taken to promote responsible corporate citizenship in Africa.
“I am pleased to send greetings to all participants in the 12th Nigerian Economic Summit. I am particularly delighted that your Summit marks the official launch of the Global Compact in Nigeria,” he said in a message.
“Today's inauguration represents a major step forward for the Global Compact in Africa. I am grateful to the Nigerian Government for its endorsement and support. I would also like to thank the African Leadership Forum and the Nigerian Economic Summit Group for introducing this initiative in your country,” he said.
The Compact enjoins members to observe principles derived from UN conventions governing such areas as human rights, labour, environmental and anti-corruption standards.
The leading yardstick of progress today, Mr. Annan said, is the extent to which countries are achieving the Millennium Development Goals MDGs.
The MDGs are a set of people-centred targets which were adopted by world leaders at the Millennium Summit in 2000. Mr. Annan noted that they range from halving extreme poverty to halting the spread of major diseases and providing universal primary education, all by the target date of 2015 and he said they are ambitious but achievable.
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