Vnesheconombank views its engagement in the UN Global Compact network as a unique strategic opportunity to promote sustainability principles across the Russian business community. In this way, we expresses our active stance on building a global partnership between the public and corporate sectors to address emerging global challenges.
Vnesheconombank joined the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC) in December 2011 to confirm its commitment to the 10 principles of the UNGC and its intention to contribute to a stable and open global economy.
Since its joining the network, Vnesheconombank has been consistently expanding its operations within the initiative both domestically and internationally. In 2013, Vnesheconombank took over the leadership in the UN Global Compact Network Russia and set itself ambitious targets to boost the network’s activities, increase its membership and intensify relations with public authorities.
In April 2013, at Vnesheconombank’s initiative, members of the UNGC Network Russia took part in the International Interbank Conference “Man as Capital”.
Vnesheconombank has been organising the annual International Interbank Conference “Man as Capital” since 2006. The Conference has already acquired the status of a leading venue in Russia for HR leaders to share their professional experience and innovative ideas and establish new business contacts.
In 2013, the Conference was attended by more than 120 representatives of personnel management services from leading Moscow and regional banks, offices of foreign banks, and Russian and international consulting companies. The participants discussed the emerging issues of personnel management and opportunities for spreading the best employment relations practices across the business community.
On 5 June 2013, Alexander Ivanov, Deputy Chairman of Vnesheconombank and Member of the Management Board, was elected Chairman of the Steering Committee of the UN Global Compact Netowrk Russia.
In his comments on the election, Alexander Ivanov noted: “A core objective of the Network for the nearest future will consist in the institutional development and transition to a fundamentally new level by actively promoting the principles of the UNGC in the business community, engaging regional participants in the network’s activities, and maintaining close relations with public authorities.”
In July 2013, Alexander Ivanov, Chairman of the Steering Committee of the UN Global Compact Network Russia took part in the session of the UN Foundation “Sustainable Energy for All”.
In 2013, Moscow hosted for the first time the meeting of the Board of the UN Foundation, an organisation established in 1998 to unite the efforts of all nations in addressing the most important and consequential international issues. The discussions at the meeting were focused on the “Sustainable Energy for All” initiative by the UN Secretary-General that aims to ensure universal access to electricity, double the share of renewable energy sources in the global energy balance and the global energy efficiency growth rates.
The position of the Russian business community was presented at the session by Alexander Ivanov, Chairman of the UN Global Compact Network Russia. In his speech, Mr Ivanov told about the activities of the UN Global Compact Network Russia, its priorities in development and interaction with public authorities to promote sustainability principles in the Russian business community.
On 19 and 20 September 2013, New York hosted the 4th UN Global Compact Leaders Summit that was attended by Alexander Ivanov, Chairman of the Steering Committee of the UNGC Network Russia.
The UN Global Compact Leaders Summit is one of the top events of the United Nations that takes place every 3 years and is a unique venue to discuss the accumulated positive experience and to explore the opportunities for further integration of the UNGC principles into the business strategy and business practices. In 2013, the Summit was presided by the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. The Summit gathered leaders of major companies, civil society organisations, governments and UN agencies.
The Summit’s participants discussed how to build a new sustainability concept for the period after 2015 whose global priorities would be to prevent climate changes, provide all social groups with access to water and food, observe human rights, combat discrimination, and promote decent work and education. The Summit specifically focused on corporate social responsibility initiatives by the business community that have a material impact on achieving the sustainability goals.
The Summit included a special event on “State-Owned Enterprises as Vehicles for Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability” that discussed issues related to government policies on corporate social responsibility and mechanisms that encourage the business community to expand their efforts in this area.
“Russia’s Hour. Investments of Russian Business in Sustainable Development” press conference was held in New York in the run-up to the 4th UN Global Compact Leaders Summit, which was attended by the delegation of the UNGC Network Russia.
The “Russia’s Hour. Investments of Russian Business in Sustainable Development” press conference was organised at the initiative of Vnesheconombank as leader of the UNGC Network Russia. This event was primarily focused on providing international media and business communities with reliable information on achievements of the UNGC Network Russia members in the corporate social responsibility and sustainability areas. The press conference also discussed such issues as achieving a stronger international position for Russian business and promoting relations between public authorities and the business community, including within the UN Global Compact.
The Russian delegation was led by Alexander Ivanov, Chairman of the UNGC Network Russia’s Steering Committee. The press conference was also attended by representatives of member organisations of the UNGC Network Russia, Vitaly Churkin, Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation to the United Nations and Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, Thomas Gas, Assistant Secretary-General of the United Nations, Georg Kell, Executive Director of the UN Global Compact, Sergei Kryukov, Chairman of SME Bank’s Management Board, representatives of the Russian Ministry of Economic Development, and other officials.
On 17 December 2013, the UNGC Netwrok Russia held a meeting of its members in Moscow where the participants discussed their performance in 2013 and the priorities for 2014.
At the annual meeting of the UNGC Network Russia, the participants discussed Vnesheconombank’s initiatives on the network’s institutional development, including on determining its legal status, setting up the mechanisms to finance its operations, ensuring more transparency, intensifying relations with regional authorities, businesses and not-for-profit organisations.
The meeting’s participants approved the network’s performance report for 2013 and its key development areas for the next year:
In connection with the 5th anniversary of the UNGC Network Russia, the general meeting included an awards ceremony for the most active members of the network in such categories as “For Input in the Development of the UN Global Compact Network Russia”, “For Promoting the Principles of the UN Global Compact in Russia and Internationally”, “For Leadership and Active Involvement in Events of the UN Global Compact Network Russia”. The meeting issued letters of acknowledgement to Rosneft, Sakhalin Energy, Transaero, Vodokanal Sankt-Peterburga, and to the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs, International Foundation BATANI, the UNDP’s Project Support Office in the Russian Federation, and the UN Information Centre in the Russian Federation.
International Business Conference «Investment in Sustainability. Unlocking an Innovative Business Potential»
On 10 and 11 December 2013, Vnesheconombank held its 4th International Business Conference “Investment in Sustainability. Unlocking an Innovative Business Potential”. This was already the 4th event of a similar level out of a series of conferences under an umbrella name of “Investment in Sustainability” that are organised by Vnesheconombank on an annual basis.
In 2013, the conference focused on a stronger role and efficiency of the business community in achieving sustainability objectives in Russia in line with global trends and approaches. The participants discussed the global issues on forming new development goals developed by the United Nations instead of the Millennium Development Goals, and Russia’s role in general and the Russian business community in particular in global sustainability processes.
Specific attention was paid to the issue of a green economy and green finance, the practices of non-financial reporting and stakeholder relations, and market mechanisms to enhance the social responsibility of the business community.
The conference was attended by more than 300 leaders of public authorities, representatives of the business community and renowned experts.
The conference was supported by the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs, International Financial Corporation (IFC), Ernst & Young, United Nations Environment Programme Finance Initiative, UNCG Network Russia, Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Social Information Agency and “Sustainable Business” magazine.