On September 18, 2013 on the eve of the UN Global Compact Leaders Summit, the UN Global Compact Network Russia hosted the news conference “Russia’s Hour. Investments of Russian Business in Sustainable Development” in the city of New York.

The main themes of the news conference were strengthening Russian business position on the international level, demonstration of achievements of the UN Global Compact Network Russia participants in corporate social responsibility and sustainable development, cooperation between government bodies and business including activity within the Global Compact.

Alexandr Ivanov, Chairman of the Steering Committee of the UN Global Compact Network Russia, Deputy Chairman, Board Member of Vnesheconombank said in his address that the number of Russian companies following principles of transparency and accountability, social and ecological responsibility continues to grow. The reason for it is Russian business expansion in international markets as well as companies’ determination to make their business more civilized, improve their image in the eyes of interested parties and reduce the level of non-financial risks.

In the attendance of the conference were also Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation to the UN in New York, Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador Vitaly Churkin, assistant to the UN Secretary General Thomas Gas, Executive Director of the UN Global Compact Georg Kell, OJSC SME Bank Board Chairman (Vnesheconombank Group) Sergei Kryukov, representatives of the Ministry of Economic Development of the Russian Federation, OJSC Transaero, State Unitary Enterprise “Vodokanal of Saint Petersburg”, the BATANI Foundation of the Indigenous Small-Numbered Peoples of the North, Siberia and the Far East of the Russian Federation and other participants of the UN Global Compact, as well as foreign missions to the UN, the American-Russian Business Council, Russian and American mass media.