UN Global Compact LEAD Luncheon

Chaired by the UN Secretary-General, and co-hosted by the Swiss Government, the UN Global Compact, and Fondation Guilé, the UN Global Compact LEAD Luncheon marked the one year anniversary of the LEAD initiative and provided the opportunity for chief executives to engage in open and interactive discussions with UN leadership on the priorities of the Global Compact LEAD and preparations in the run up to the UN Conference on Sustainable Development in Rio in June 2011 (Rio+20).

Among the participants were UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, Heads of UN Agencies, Funds and Programmes, LEAD Chief Executives, high-level representatives from PRI and PRME, and other global leaders.

The LEAD Luncheon took place only five months prior to the UN Conference on Sustainable Development in Rio in June 2011 (Rio+20). It represented an important opportunity for chief executives to engage in open and interactive discussions with UN leadership on the future of corporate sustainability and expectations to the Rio+20 process. The objectives were:

to review the first year of Global Compact LEAD and discuss the future priorities of the initiative; and to identify priorities for the Rio+20 process and exchange views on the role and involvement of the private sector.

In the first part of the discussion, participants were invited to review the first year of Global Compact LEAD and discuss the future priorities of the initiative. While executives were welcomed to focus on any aspect of corporate sustainability leadership and voice any type of comment regarding the future of Global Compact LEAD, the moderator made sure that the following themes were covered by the discussion:

Board Oversight of Sustainability Collaboration with UN Collaboration with Investors Global Compact Local Networks Additional background information

The United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon kicked this part of the discussion off by outlining his ambitions for Rio+20 and by challenging companies to rise to the occasion and support the United Nations in making the

In response to the Secretary-Generals opening address, the discussion among participants allowed UN and business leadership to exchange views on the priorities for the Rio+20 process, focusing specifically on the role and involvement of the private sector. Participating executives contributed to the discussion by conveying their expectations to the Rio+20 process and by suggesting how corporate sustainability leaders, including their own organizations, can best contribute to a successful outcome. This included suggestions on the role that leading companies can play in calling on governments to put the right incentives and enabling environment in place.

For more information about both parts of the meeting, read the Background Note.