14.12.2011
Kyiv, Ukraine
Annual Meeting of the Global Compact Network Ukraine
Annual Meeting of the Global Compact Network Ukraine
The final Global Compact Annual meeting for the year took place in Kyiv-Mohyla Business School on December 14, 2011. Traditionally, the meeting was dedicated to the review of the Network’s progress in 2011 and the discussion of the Network’s plan for 2012.
In the beginning of the event Mr. Jock Mendoza-Wilson, Chair of the GC Steering Committee/ Director for International and Investor Relations in System Capital Management, and Mr. Oleksandr Savruk, Dean of the Kyiv-Mohyla Business School, addressed the audiencewith thewelcome remarks.
The central issue discussed during this year’s meeting was the 10th principle of the UN Global Compact, namely the role of business in fighting corruption. Ms. Victoria Tetera, with International Finance Corporation in Ukraine presented the major findings of the “Investment climate in Ukraine as seen by private businesses” research. According to the survey results, the main obstacle on the road to business development in Ukraine is a number of regulatory procedures such as permit obtainment, undergoing inspections, standardization and certification. Nearly half of Ukrainian businesses (46%) reported resorting to illegal mechanisms while undertaking these regulatory procedures. Research findings show that about 10 % of the businesses’ revenue is spent on unofficial payments. Among research recommendations was the proposition to make regulatory procedures more transparent and clear in order to release money for investment for both private and public sector development.
Highlights of the joint research on the role of business in fighting corruption in Ukraine, conducted using Dow Jones anti-corruption methodology were introduced by Ms. Maryna Saprykina, director of the Center for CSR Development, and Ms. Anna Danylyuk, GC Network Coordinator. In the study existing business’ as well as other stakeholders’ –donors and NGOs anti-corruption practices in Ukraine were analyzed. The conclusion was drawn that companies, donors and non-governmental organizations, mass media, as well as authorities should unite efforts to create a highly effective collective mechanism against corruption.
One of the existing collective actions in fighting corruption - “The world without corruption” - was introduced by the honored guest speakers – colleagues from the Global Compact Russia Mr. Anatoliy Golubev and Mr. Anatoliy Yakorev. Among the key areas of the initiative mentioned by the speakers were promotion of the effective anti-corruption practices; nurturing absolute public intolerance of corruption; strengthening cooperation and trust between businesses and public in order to fight corruption; cooperation with GC Networks and other institutions to have an international support in the anti-corruption actions.
In addition, Ms. Alla Voloshyna, Vice President of the Ukrainian non-governmental organization “Creative Union TORO” presented the public partnership initiative “Fair Public Procurement” aimed at reducing corruption in the pubic procurement, and encouraged the audience to join the partnership.
Setting up a working group on anti-corruption inside the Ukrainian Global Compact Network was defined as a priority area for the year of 2012.
Summarizing the results of the GC Network performance in 2011, Mr. Victor Kotusenko, Head of the Center for Sustainability in Kyiv-Mohyla Business School, reported that more than 36 interventions (seminars, conferences, meetings devoted to different aspects of CSR in particular) were conducted either by the Network or through partnerships. As a result of fruitful intellectual cooperation between Global Compact Network and Kyiv-Mohyla Business School the new “Global Compact Dilemma Game” was widely presented for both GC members and academia. In addition, representatives of the Network took part in different international meetings such as the Annual Forum of the GC Networks in Copenhagen (Denmark), Regional Meeting of the European GC Networks in Rome (Italy), and presented the GC Network Ukraine in Norway for local companies. The Global Compact Network in Ukraine continues to grow: 53 new members joined the network this year. The overall number of participants reached 197 organizations.
The meeting ended with concluding remarks made by Mr. Jock Mendoza-Wilson, Chair of the GC Steering Committee, underlining the Network’s funding issues as well as the election of the new Steering Committee of the Global Compact Network Ukraine2012-2013 in the first quarter of the next year.
The presentations from the Annual meeting are available here, while the photos are in the gallery.
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