Mexico champions list of idle Global Compact members

In August 2008, on the occasion of his first official visit to Mexico, United Nations secretary-general Ban Ki-moon met with business participants of the Mexican Global Compact Network.

The 18 executives who met with Mr. Ban made a commitment to take the Network to "its next level of development and create a truly business-led, nationally owned, multi-stakeholder platform for corporate responsibility". In a Mexico Declaration presented during the meeting, participating companies pledged to position the Global Compact Mexico Network as a platform to:

- advance the UN Global Compact and the implementation of the ten universal principles throughout the Mexican business and social environment;
- strengthen the role of the Network in facilitating multi-stakeholder partnerships and collective action with other companies; and
- engage in advocacy and policy dialogues on global challenges, including climate change and the Millennium Development Goals.

At the time, the secretary-general commended the Mexican Network for its "focus on training sessions and developing materials, helping to ensure that Mexican signatories to the Compact 'walk the talk' and are equipped to act on their commitments to engage responsibly."

Now, more than a year after Mr. Ban's visit to Mexico, the Mexican Global Compact Network is among the most deficient local networks of the UN Global Compact. According to the Compact's database, 203 Mexican companies are currently listed as "inactive", which means that they have failed to submit a Communication on Progress (COP) to the Global Compact Office within three years of joining the Compact or that they have failed to submit a COP within two years of submitting their last COP. Additionally, 26 companies are listed as "non-communicating". There are only 76 active business participants in Mexico, which is about 25 percent of the total number of Mexican Global Compact members. This makes Mexico the country with the largest number of inactive Global Compact participants in the world.

At least Mr. Ban's visit to Mexico in 2008 seems to have offered a great photo opportunity for the executives who committed to the ill-fated Mexico Declaration.

© Photo by UN Photo / Evan Schneider.