The UN Global Compact’s governance framework was adopted by then UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan on 12 August 2005. The resulting governance framework distributes governance functions among several entities so as to engage participants and stakeholders at the global and local levels in making decisions and giving advice on the matters of greatest importance to their role and participation in the UN Global Compact, and to reflect the initiative’s public-private and multi-stakeholder character.

In 2017, in line with its recently developed 2020 Global Strategy and the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the UN Global Compact undertook a year-long Governance Review, co-led by Lise Kingo, Executive Director of the UN Global Compact and Sir Mark Moody-Stuart, Vice-Chair of the UN Global Compact Board, and carried out by Carnstone Partners LLP. The 2017 Governance Review was informed by an extensive consultation process involving UN Global Compact stakeholder interviews, presentations, webinars and online engagements. 300 stakeholders were consulted in total, including Local Networks and Governments. This review led to an evolution of the UN Global Compact’s governance framework with the aim to make the Compact fit for purpose to deliver on its mandate to “mobilize a global movement of sustainable companies and stakeholder to create the world we want,” rather than a radical restructure.

Governing bodies of the Association are:

• Superior governance body – the General Assembly of the Association;
• Collegial governance body – the Board of the Association;
• Individual executive body – Executive Director of the Association.

General Assembly

The General Assembly of the members of the Association is its supreme governing body, providing for compliance with the purposes of the Association.

The competencies of the General Assembly include determining the standards for admitting members to the Association and expelling them from it, determining the priority areas of the activities of the Association and the principles of forming and using its property; approving annual reports and accounting (financial) statements of the Association; determining the number of members in the permanent collegial governing body of the Association, their election and early dismissal from office; electing and prematurely terminating the powers of the Executive Director; etc.

The Board

The Board is the permanent elective collegial governing body of the Association. The Board carries out the day-to-day management of the Association and is accountable to the General Assembly. The Board of Governors is elected by a special majority of the members of the General Assembly in an open ballot vote.

The competencies of the Board include unifying and coordinating the activities of the Association, approving working plans and reports on the activities of the Association, submitting draft amendments and (or) additions to the Charter to the General Assembly for consideration, approving the Provisions on branches and representative offices of the Association, nominating candidates to the position of Executive Director of the Association at the General Assembly, approving plans and reports on the activities of the Executive Directorate of the Association, etc.