How to Join the UN Global Compact in Malaysia, Brunei and Cambodia: A Step-by-Step Guide
Updated: Aug 14
The United Nations Global Compact is the world's largest corporate sustainability initiative, with over 25,000 participating companies across 100 countries. In Malaysia, Brunei, and Cambodia, the UN Global Compact is represented by UNGCMBC, the official country network that helps businesses integrate sustainability into their strategy and operations.
What Is the UN Global Compact?
The UN Global Compact is a voluntary initiative launched by the United Nations that calls on companies worldwide to align their strategies and operations with ten universal principles covering human rights, labour, environment, and anti-corruption. It also encourages businesses to take actions that advance the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Joining the UN Global Compact signals your company's commitment to responsible business practices and connects you to a global network of like-minded organisations. It is not a certification or a standard. Rather, it is a commitment framework that companies join voluntarily, agreeing to work progressively toward embedding the Ten Principles into their business operations and reporting on their progress annually.
The Ten Principles of the UN Global Compact
The Ten Principles form the foundation of everything the UN Global Compact stands for. They are drawn from the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Labour Organization's Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work, the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development, and the United Nations Convention Against Corruption. Learn more about the Ten Principles on the UNGCMBC website.
The principles are grouped into four categories.
Who Can Join UNGCMBC?
Membership is open to any business registered in Malaysia, Brunei Darussalam, or Cambodia. This includes corporations of all sizes, small and medium enterprises (SMEs), government-linked companies (GLCs), and non-business organisations such as academic institutions and civil society groups.
There are no industry restrictions. Whether your company operates in manufacturing, financial services, technology, agriculture, construction, retail, or any other sector, you are eligible to apply. Companies at every stage of their sustainability journey are welcome, from those just beginning to explore ESG concepts to established sustainability leaders.
The key requirement is a genuine commitment to integrating the Ten Principles into your business strategy and operations. The UN Global Compact is a commitment-based initiative, not a certification scheme, so the emphasis is on progress rather than perfection.
How to Join: Step-by-Step Process
What Is the Communication on Progress (CoP)?
The Communication on Progress is an annual disclosure that all UN Global Compact participants are required to submit. It serves as both an accountability mechanism and a tool for communicating your company's sustainability efforts to stakeholders.
The CoP is submitted through the UN Global Compact's online platform and covers three main areas: the company's actions to integrate the Ten Principles into business strategy and operations, progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals, and measurement of outcomes and results.
The CoP does not need to be a lengthy or complex document, particularly for companies in the early stages of their sustainability journey. What matters is honest, transparent reporting on what the company has done, what it has learned, and what it plans to do next. UNGCMBC provides templates, guidance, and clinic sessions to help participants prepare their CoP submissions.
Companies that fail to submit their CoP within the required timeframe are listed as "non-communicating" and may eventually be delisted from the initiative. Maintaining active status requires consistent annual reporting.
UN Global Compact Network Malaysia, Brunei and Cambodia (UNGCMBC) is the official country network of the United Nations Global Compact, supporting over 300 companies across the region in their sustainability journey. With 167 corporates, 131 SMEs, and 7 non-business organisations in our network, we represent 23.95% of Malaysia's GDP and over RM460 billion in combined revenue. Learn more about UNGCMBC or become a participant today.
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