A vivid tradition of responsibility

The date: January 31, 2001. The location: the World Economic Forum, in Davos. Then-UN Secretary General Kofi Annan calls on companies that operate internationally to take an active stance in meeting the challenges presented by globalization. His vision: a global pact based on universally accepted social and environmental principles.

Today, companies from more than 80 countries, international employee associations, civil society organizations, governments, and United Nations organizations are involved in the Global Compact. Under the auspices of the current UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-Moon, the world’s largest Corporate Citizenship initiative is moving forward.

The ten principles on which the pact is based, covering the areas of human rights, labor standards, environmental protection, and the fight against corruption, have long formed part of the Corporate Values of tesa. Our membership in the Global Compact underscores this vivid tradition. All of tesa SE’s activities related to commitment and involvement are subject to a continuous improvement process. In our Communication on Progress 2009, we present a look at the development of our activities and projects – with regard to the ten principles of the UN Global Compact and our own Corporate Responsibility Strategy.

The ten principles of the UN Global Compact

Principle 1: Businesses should support and respect the protection of internationally proclaimed human rights; and
Principle 2: make sure that they are not complicit in human rights abuses.
Principle 3: Businesses should uphold the freedom of association and the effective recognition of the right to collective bargaining;
Principle 4: the elimination of all forms of forced and compulsory labour;
Principle 5: the effective abolition of child labour; and
Principle 6: the elimination of discrimination in respect of employment and occupation.
Principle 7: Businesses should support a precautionary approach to environmental challenges;
Principle 8: undertake initiatives to promote greater environmental responsibility; and
Principle 9: encourage the development and diffusion of environmentally friendly technologies.
Principle 10: Businesses should work against corruption in all its forms, including extortion and bribery.