Communcation on Progress

One of the explicit commitments that a company makes when it participates in the Global Compact is to produce an annual Communication on Progress (COP). A COP is a communication to stakeholders (e.g., consumers, employees, organized labour, civil society, investors, media, government) on the progress the company has made in implementing the ten principles in their business activities and, where appropriate, supporting UN goals through partnerships.

A Communication on Progress (COP) seeks to inform a company's stakeholders about its progress in implementing the Global Compact's 10 principles. The purpose of the COP is both to ensure and deepen the commitment of Global Compact participants and to safeguard the integrity of the initiative. In addition, the collection of COPs on the Global Compact website creates a rich source of corporate practice examples that serve as a basis for learning and continuous performance improvement.

The COP policy is based on the concepts of public accountability, transparency and continuous improvement. It serves many important purposes, including:

• helping to ensure the credibility of corporate engagement in the Global Compact;
• providing a repository of data on corporate responsibility practices that can be used by companies and stakeholders for purposes of learning and analysis; and
• protecting the integrity of the Global Compact initiative.

 

COP Content
While there is no single COP structure, the communication must include three elements:

1.  A statement of continued support for the Global Compact, articulating the benefits of engagement for the company and signed by the Chief Executive, Chairman or equivalent. 
2.  A description of practical actions (i.e., commitments, systems, activities) the company has taken during the previous year to implement the Global Compact principles and to support broader development goals. 
3.  A measurement of outcomes using, as much as possible, indicators or metrics such as those developed by the Global Reporting Initiative’s (GRI) Sustainability Reporting Guidelines.

A COP is not a communication with the Global Compact Office or a Global Compact Local Network. Rather, it is a communication from a company to its stakeholders on progress made in implementing the ten principles. When possible, a COP should be integrated into a company’s existing communication with stakeholders, such as an annual CSR or sustainability report. A stand-alone COP should be created only if a company has no other vehicle to report on corporate citizenship issues.

Companies are expected to post an electronic version of their COP (and, if available, a link to the COP on the corporate website) on the Global Compact website. Additionally, they are asked to describe how the COP is being made available to stakeholders. This should be done as soon as possible after release of the COP.

For more information on creating, sharing and posting a COP, see the COP Resources on the Global Compact website.

COP Deadlines and Participant Status
Business participants are required to post their first COP on the Global Compact website within two years of the date of joining the initiative. Subsequent COPs are expected, annually.

In case a company fails to meet its initial COP posting deadline or a subsequent annual deadline, it will be marked as “non-communicating” on the Global Compact website. If a company misses two consecutive deadlines, it will be moved to the “inactive” list on the Global Compact website and no longer considered a participant.

“Inactive” companies may no longer use the Global Compact logo or take part in Global Compact events. After one year of “inactive” status, companies will be removed from the Global Compact website entirely.

“Non-communicating” or “inactive” companies must post a new COP on the Global Compact website in order to regain “active” status. Companies that have been removed from the Global Compact database after one year of “inactive” status must send a letter to the UN Secretary-General reconfirming their commitment to the initiative and post a current COP in order to rejoin the Global Compact.

Last update: 2009-10-21