I am pleased to announce that today; Intel became a supporter of the
United Nations Global Compact (UNGC).
The commitment to doing the right things the right way is culturally engrained at Intel. Uncompromising integrity and the highest standards of business ethics informs everything we do. That commitment determines how we run our daily operations around the world, and drives our approach to corporate social responsibility. We are actively engaged around the world with organizations, like the United Nations, that share the same commitment.
We have worked very closely with the United Nations over the years, so it was no surprise when prior to the 2009 World Economic Forum annual meeting, we received an email from the U.N. General Secretary's office asking to meet with Craig Barrett, Intel's Chairman, while he was in Davos. We, of course, readily accepted the meeting. In that meeting Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon made a formal request to Intel to support the United Nations Global Compact.
The Compact reflects shared values between the United Nations and businesses in the areas of human rights, labor standards, environmental protections, and anti-corruption. The UNGC recognizes that, because of the wealth that business creates, businesses are part of the solution to world peace and security and a decent standard of living and quality of life. During our Davos meeting, Georg Kell, the UNGC executive director, described UNGC support as "a journey, not a destination." This explanation resonated with us. It is the same way we have approached corporate responsibility at Intel over the years. We take a long-term view and focus on continuous improvement - from our multi-billion dollar investment in education to our ongoing commitment to find new ways to reduce our environmental footprint.
After that meeting, we launched a new interdepartmental review of UNGC membership, in the context of our own corporate responsibility journey. With this assessment, we concluded that the time was right to lend Intel's public support to help advance the values of the UNGC and leverage this collaboration to deepen own learning and growth in the coming years.
To learn more about UNGC, go to www.unglobalcompact.org.
