Frequently Asked Questions

  • Who will participate?

    The Global Compact Leaders Summit will be an historic gathering of approximately 1,000 top executives of participating companies, heads of international labour, civil society and United Nations agencies, in addition to select government officials. Participants will reflect the composition and regional distribution of the various stakeholder groups within the Compact.

  • How the Leaders Summit will work

    The Leaders Summit will commence on 5 July 2007 at 9 am with an opening plenary and will be followed a series of three roundtables. The final session will end around 13:00 on 6 July 2007.

    The Summit is exceptional in design and format so as to maximize interaction between participants and to further their commitment to United Nations goals. Instead of prepared speeches, the Summit will consist primarily of roundtable discussions.

    Participants will be seated at roundtables of 8-10 people with leaders of commensurate level. Each roundtable will be multi-stakeholder in nature, with leaders from business, labour, civil society and governments represented. Leaders Summit participants will receive their seating assignments upon arrival on 5 July.

    All roundtables of the first day will focus on the same topic. At the end of each session, 6-8 tables will be randomly selected to report back to plenary the results of their discussions. The results of the other roundtables will be collected and analyzed so that all tables' input will contribute to the final report of the Leaders Summit and to the strategic exercise of planning the future activities of the Global Compact. The roundtable sessions are considered "closed", that is, restricted to Leaders Summit participants only. However, the opening and closing sessions, as well as key speeches and presentations, will be open to media.

  • How to prepare

    The Leaders Summit's final agenda will be mailed to participants in May 2007, together with a number of other background documents. Participants can prepare according to the Leaders Summit's key agenda elements:

    1. Experience

      For the roundtable discussions, leaders should be prepared to discuss their experiences in the implementation of the Global Compact and its principles, and to share successful examples of initiatives and projects undertaken.

    2. Vision

      Participants will be asked to discuss key challenges of national and global governance, as well as potential ways and frameworks needed to help to reduce poverty and to support multilateral cooperation and the development of a sustainable and inclusive global economy.

    3. Scaling Up

      Finally, leaders should consider how they might involve other stakeholders in their Global Compact activities, while being open to exploring/ joining initiatives presented by other leaders at the Leaders Summit. Potential partnerships and "next steps for the Compact" will be the focus of the fourth roundtable occurring in the afternoon session. A worksheet will be available to record such initiatives, which will allow the Global Compact to follow up with all proposals after the Leaders Summit.

  • If the top executive is unable to attend, can he/she designate a substitute?

    If a company's chief executive officer is unable to participate, C-suite officers, board members or presidents (or equivalent rank) of country or regional subsidiaries are welcome instead. The Global Compact Office may approve a senior executive of lower rank as a substitute; however, such participants will be seated with attendees of similar or equivalent rank and cannot be accompanied by another colleague.

  • Can the top executive (or equivalent substitute) bring a colleague to the Leaders Summit?

    Yes, top executives of large companies (with over 250 employees) can bring one colleague, provided the colleague holds a senior position at the company. Preferably this person should be the focal point of Global Compact activities in the organization. These "Associates" will be seated at tables with participants of similar or equivalent rank, and will participate in the same roundtable discussions. We see their ideas and contribution as a valued input to the Leaders Summit. Top executives of small and medium sized companies can not be accompanied by a colleague.

  • Do all participants (including Associates) need to register in advance to attend the Leaders Summit?

    Yes. All participants must register on the official Leaders Summit website. Emails and letters to the United Nations Secretariat or the Global Compact Office cannot be processed in lieu of the online registration. Security passes allowing entrance into United Nations Headquarters will only be issued to registered attendees.

  • Can a top executive bring his/her executive assistant?

    No. The Global Compact Leaders Summit can only accommodate invited participants.

  • What will be the language of the Leaders Summit?

    The Leaders Summit will be held in English. However, simultaneous interpretation of all speeches and roundtable reports into French, Spanish, and Chinese will be offered. No interpretation will be available during roundtable discussions. Participants that do not feel comfortable using English in discussions are asked to contact the registration team at info@globalcompactsummit.org

  • Is there a registration fee?

    The Global Compact Leaders Summit relies on sponsorship and contributions from participants. Before completing the registration process, all Summit participants must pledge a contribution to help cover the costs of the Summit. The amount of the contribution varies depending on the type and size of the organization.

    A number of attractive sponsorship options are also available. For more information on how to become a Summit sponsor, click here.

  • Have hotel reservations been made?

    A limited number of rooms have been pre-reserved for participants. Please refer to Logistical Information to make a reservation.

  • How can a leader showcase his/her organization's activities?

    All experiences will be shared through dialogue at the roundtables. Leaders and associates should not bring printed or other materials to the Leaders Summit as there will be no opportunities or facilities for distribution or display of banners, posters, publications, etc. The Global Compact Office encourages companies to submit examples or projects to the Global Compact website prior to the Leaders Summit, and submit to the website their Communication on Progress describing the ways in which they have implemented the principles.

  • How do Leaders Summit attendees gain access to the United Nations Office Geneva - Palais des Nations?

    Registration will begin at 08:00 on 5 July 2007. Click here for logistical information.