As many of you know, I have been a strong and passionate advocate of the work of the United Nations, as it has applied to matters relating to governance, intellectual property and the protection of rights, particularly for small business. More recently I have taken the decision to align my business interests with those of the United Nations through the signing of the United Nations Global Compact. I am pleased to inform SansGov partners and clients that this morning I signed the final remaining letter of intent from the UN Secretary General in order for SansGov to become a full member of the Compact. You may wonder what the Compact is all about and perhaps, more importantly, what it means to you as a client or as a partner.

The Global Compact is a framework for businesses that are committed to aligning their operations and strategies with ten universally accepted principles in the areas of  human rights, labour, the environment and anti-corruption . As the world's largest, global corporate citizenship initiative, the Global Compact is first and foremost concerned with exhibiting and building the social legitimacy of business and markets.

Business, trade and investment are essential pillars for prosperity and peace. But in many areas, business is too often linked with serious dilemmas - for example, exploitative practices, corruption, income equality, and barriers that discourage innovation and entrepreneurship. Responsible business practices can in many ways build trust and social capital, contributing to broad-based development and sustainable markets. 

The Global Compact is a purely voluntary initiative with two objectives:

• Mainstream the ten principles in business activities around the world
• Catalyse actions in support of broader UN goals, such as the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)

To achieve these objectives, the Global Compact offers facilitation and engagement through several mechanisms: Policy Dialogues, Learning, Local Networks, and Partnership Projects.

The Global Compact is not a regulatory instrument - it does not " police", enforce or measure the behaviour or actions of companies. Rather, the Global Compact relies on public accountability, transparency and the enlightened self-interest of companies, labour and civil society to initiate and share substantive action in pursuing the principles upon which the Global Compact is based. The Global Compact involves all the relevant social actors: governments, who defined the principles on which the initiative is based; companies, whose actions it seeks to influence; labour, in whose hands the concrete process of global production takes place; civil society organizations, representing the wider community of stakeholders; and The United Nations, the world's only truly global political forum, as an authoritative convener and facilitator.

As a client of SansGov you can expect that our business practices and work ethics are strongly aligned with worlds best standards and that in everything we do as an organisation, we do it as the result of principles founded in the provision of quality services. As a partner of SansGov you can expect that everything we proposition to a client, either directly or as a member of a consortia, follows the same standards. This includes our advice to Government on matters of public, social and economic policy.

Finally, I encourage all business leaders and organisation to step forward and join the Compact - the symbol of the United Nations remains a powerful element for business, and the alignment with it can also provide a tangible competitive edge.

For details of how to join the Compact please log on to the following: http://www.unglobalcompact.org/index.html

Matthew Tukaki is Director of SansGov and leads the organizations government policy, advisory and services practice. Matthew is the former General Manager of Education at IT&T Education, former Head of the review into Knowledge and Information Management Strategies at both the Joint House Department of the Parliament of Australia and the Australian Communications Authority, former Head of Government, Knowledge Management and Education at Dattatech Samsung SDS and former Chairman of both the National Skills for Schools program and the Government Policy Advisory Panel.