UN Global Compact and Siemens AG Join Forces in Global Effort to Fight Corruption

(3BLMedia/theCSRfeed) (New York, 9 December 2010) – On the occasion of International Anti-Corruption Day, the United Nations Global Compact today announced the launch of two global projects to advance implementation of its anti-corruption agenda.

The projects are funded by grants from the Siemens Integrity Initiative, which was launched in December 2009 as part of the comprehensive settlement between Siemens AG and the World Bank signed in July 2009. Funds provided by the Initiative will support organizations and projects that fight corruption and fraud through collective action, education and training.

Under the terms of the agreement, the Global Compact and its partner organizations will receive a total of approximately USD 4.35 million over four years to promote collective action on anti-corruption in key markets and to better integrate anti-corruption issues in business school curricula:

• Sensitizing Future Business Leaders: Developing Anti-Corruption Guidelines for Curriculum Change

The Global Compact and the Principles for Responsible Management Education (PRME) will develop anti-corruption guidelines for management schools, including academic modules to address transparency, ethics and anti-corruption in the classroom. Topics to be addressed include corporate governance; business ethics; the business case for anti-corruption; corporate compliance; collective action; the UN Convention against Corruption; the Global Compact’s 10th Principle; public contracting/procurement; and supply chain management. Building on existing resources and incorporating stakeholder input, the guidelines will be disseminated to the more than 300 PRME-affiliated academic institutions around the world. Project success will depend in part on the ability of future business school graduates to demonstrate a better understanding of various anti-corruption and ethical decision-making strategies.

• Promoting Collective Action through UN Global Compact Local Networks

Global Compact Local Networks in Brazil, Egypt, India, Nigeria, and South Africa will launch and implement high-impact collective-action platforms on anti-corruption. By facilitating ongoing dialogue between the private and public sector, this project will offer an opportunity for a wide range of stakeholders to explore how collective action can create incentives for ethical business performance, and to discuss areas for further improvement. The project also seeks to scale up existing anti-corruption efforts in the target countries, and provide participants with knowledge, skills, strategies and resources to promote ethical practices and transparency in business operations, within each country, as well as in international cross-sectoral relations. Finally, the project will emphasize the role of local actors in each of the target countries, engaging and building capacity of local stakeholders who are faced with corruption in their routine transactions and business relationships. Project partners are the Ethos Institute (Brazil); the Egyptian Junior Business Association; the Global Compact Society India; the Nigerian Economic Summit Group; and the National Business Initiative (South Africa).

“Corruption in all its forms remains a cross-cutting challenge of momentous proportions,” said Georg Kell, Executive Director of the UN Global Compact. “In order to mount an effective response to the scourge of corruption, we need targeted, collective action that can stimulate lasting behavioral change. The funding from the Siemens Integrity Initiative will be critical in this effort.”

“Siemens stands for top performance with the highest ethical standards,” said Peter Y. Solmssen, Member of the Managing Board and General Counsel of Siemens AG.  “Together with the World Bank, we want to promote integrity and fair competition worldwide. With the selection of the projects for the Siemens Integrity Initiative, we have taken the first important step in this direction.”

For more information about the Siemens Integrity Initiative, visit:
www.siemens.com/sustainability/en/compliance/collective_action/integrity_initiative.php

About the United Nations Global Compact
Launched in 2000, the United Nations Global Compact is a call to companies around the world to align their strategies and operations with ten universal principles in the areas of human rights, labour, environment and anti-corruption, and to take action in support of broader UN goals. Through the development, implementation, and disclosure of responsible corporate policies and practices, business can help ensure that markets advance in ways that benefit economies and societies everywhere. The Global Compact is not a regulatory body, but a voluntary leadership platform for dialogue and learning. With more than 8,800 signatories in more than 135 countries, it is the world’s largest corporate responsibility initiative. www.unglobalcompact.org

About Siemens AG
Siemens AG (Berlin and Munich) is a global powerhouse in electronics and electrical engineering, operating in the industry, energy and healthcare sectors. For over 160 years, Siemens has stood for technological excellence, innovation, quality, reliability and internationality. The company is the world’s largest provider of environmental technologies, generating some €28 billion – more than one-third of its total revenue – from green products and solutions. In fiscal 2010, which ended on September 30, 2010, revenue totaled €76 billion and net income €4.1 billion. At the end of September 2010, Siemens had around 405,000 employees worldwide. www.siemens.com

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