Private Sector

Corporate Social Responsibility

Focus Area

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) has over the last decade emerged as a significant issue in the global business community and is now viewed as a central consideration in the way many companies conduct their business. Stakeholders ranging from investors, consumers, communities, employees and government officials are increasingly demanding that companies behave responsibly and look at how their positive impact on society can be maximized.  UNDP views CSR as a spectrum of business activities ranging from philanthropy on one end via strategic social investments to how business processes can become more sustainable and contribute more effectively to equitable development.

UNDP Role

UNDP’s work on CSR includes supporting multi stakeholder activities with companies of all sizes, from multinational corporations to local indigenous enterprises, to develop accelerated solutions for achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). UNDP’s work can typically be clustered into two main types: i) engaging the private sector in policy dialogue around development priorities and CSR issues; and ii) engaging the private sector in concrete partnership projects in support of development priorities.

As part of its efforts to advocate for CSR practices and engage the private sector in policy dialogue, UNDP plays a lead role in the UN Global Compact, which today is the largest CSR initiative in the world. UNDP facilitates Global Compact networks in 43 developing countries and countries with economies in transition. These are voluntary networks that bring together businesses, civil society organizations, labour and academia to discuss human rights, labour standards, environment and anti-corruption and to take collective action in these areas through public private partnerships.

UNDP has also engaged in more than 100 partnerships with the private sector. For example, in the countries affected by the tsunami in 2004, UNDP has worked with Coca Cola and the UN Foundation to support rehabilitation of water and sanitation systems; in Angola UNDP works with ChevronTexaco to promote small enterprise development; and in China the world’s largest steel company Arcelor Mittal works with UNDP on a range of environment and energy efficiency issues.

More on how UNDP works with the Global Compact