The Global Compact is a United Nations-sponsored voluntary initiative that guides businesses around the world in practicing corporate responsibility. Basically, it’s an effort to make corporations keep their business practices morally upright. The compact is made up of ten principles in the areas of human rights, anti-corruption, labor, and the environment. Through discussion and networking, businesses strive to achieve the goals set down in all ten principles.

The four main components of the Global Compact are:

• Human Rights: Issues relating to human rights make up the first two principles of The United Nations Global Compact. They basically state that businesses should always protect and support people’s human rights.
  
• Labor: These four principles state that businesses should uphold fair and non-discriminatory standards of labor for all of their employees.
  
• Environment: Environmental stewardship is the topic of three of the principles in Compact. These principles state that a company should support and promote environmental responsibility in all of its corporate endeavors.
  
• Anti-Corruption: The final principal of the Compact says that businesses should work against all forms of corruption, including extortion and bribery.