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The United Nations Global Compact which has local networks in over 80 countries with 10 of them in Africa, including Ghana with the focus to mobilize companies in their countries and run projects, initiatives and advocate the Ten Principles of the UN Global Compact & the UN Sustainable Development Goals has been joined by the Artisans Association of Ghana.

The concerns over the lack of human rights in business, in 1999, got the late Kofi Annan, then Secretary General of the United Nations, addressing the Davos Event in Switzerland advocated for a new type of social contract between business and the people.

In his statement, he quoted “I propose that you, the business leaders . . . and we, the United Nations, initiate a global
compact of shared values and principles, which will give a human face to the global market.”

Over 80 business leaders accepted this idea.

The result was the launch of the UN Global Compact with the commitment of 40 companies.

Today the UN Global Compact has commitments from over 11,000 companies worldwide making it the largest corporate sustainability initiative in the world.

The Artisans Association of Ghana is a social enterprise that enables sustainable livelihoods for men, women, and youth in the informal sector, skill training, and upgrading in the artisan industry. The association, which can boast, of over 26,000 members where 75% are youths ages of 18-35 and 36 and above are 25% has a linked collaboration with National Vocational Training Institute (NVTI), Council for Technical and Vocational Education and Training.(COTVET).

In addition to other training provider, train in trade skills such as Masonry, Electricals, plumbing, steel bending, welding, tiling, landscaping, etc.

The Association has many successful projects with the Global communities, Gratis Foundation, African Career Centre,
BUSAC FUND, Skill development Fund, and World University Service of Canada (WUSC,) etc.

The President of the Artisans Association of Ghana, Mr. Gideon Bidor express his sincere gratitude and excitement for the association in joining the United Nation global compact to help keep the sustainable development goals at every aspect of activities of the association.

He acknowledges that the joining has come in at the time of the world experiencing COVID-19 pandemic and the need for business to strive on strategies and policies to better its members and the world in general.

We are grateful to be a partnering member of this wealthy course and just like we always deliver on every important mandate, keeping the ten principles of the UN Global Compact (Human Rights, Labor, Environment, and anti-corruption) will be added to our hallmark and observe by every member of the association.

He highlighted that the construction industry has become core and important to every national economy.

The UN Global Compact helps companies bring change to the world by adopting the Ten Principles in the areas of human rights, labor, environment and anti-corruption, in their business practices and policies. It has the resources to equip companies to transform themselves into better and more sustainable companies. Some of the resources available include SDG Ambition Program, SDG Action Manager Tool, Decent Work Tool, The UN Global
Compact Academy, SDG Pioneer Program, and Sustainable Finance.

In Ghana, the UN Global Compact Network has a number of initiatives that it is running. These include: The West Africa Gender Equality Initiative (WAGE), Poverty Alleviation (Business response to COVID 19), SDG Pioneer Program, The Ethically Aware Supplier Induction Program (Partnership with the Ethics Institute, South Africa)