BULGARIAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY

The Global Compact in Bulgaria
Hotel Sheraton, January 29, 2003

Hundreds of companies, large and small, have become participants in the UN Global Compact initiative across the world. Launched by the Secretary General of the United Nations, Kofi Annan, the initiative calls upon companies to embrace nine universal principles in the areas of human rights, labor standards and the environment. It brings companies together with the United Nations to contribute to the emergence of shared values and principles, which give a human face to the global market.

On 29 January 2003, the Global Compact initiative will be launched in Bulgaria. The meeting will be held at the Sheraton Hotel in Sofia under the auspices of Georgi Parvanov, the President of the republic of Bulgaria and will be hosted by UNDP Bulgaria and all of the major Bulgarian business associations and employers organizations. It will bring together government ministers, business leaders from a broad spectrum of Bulgarian industries and services, representatives from municipalities, NGO's and business schools to discuss and identify ways in which the Global Compact principles can be promoted and implemented in the country, what are the implications of Corporate Social Responsibility in the local context, and how the business sector can participate, in liaison with UNDP and other public or private stakeholders, in concrete initiatives and projects to further UN development goals.

BCCI fully supports this initiative and will participate in this event. It encourages its members to participate in the initiative and to attend the Forum on the 29 of January.

Further information on the initiative and on the Forum can be obtained on
http://www.undp.bg/globalcompact/en/global_compact_main.html.

09 January 2003