SDG 16: Peace, justice and strong institutions
We cannot hope for sustainable development without peace, stability, human rights and effective governance, based on the rule of law. Yet our world is increasingly divided. Some regions enjoy peace, security and prosperity, while others fall into seemingly endless cycles of conflict and violence. This is not inevitable and must be addressed.
Armed violence and insecurity have a destructive impact on a country’s development, affecting economic growth, and often resulting in grievances that last for generations. Sexual violence, crime, exploitation and torture are also prevalent where there is conflict, or no rule of law, and countries must take measures to protect those who are most at risk
The SDGs aim to significantly reduce all forms of violence, and work with governments and communities to end conflict and insecurity. Promoting the rule of law and human rights are key to this process, as is reducing the flow of illicit arms and strengthening the participation of developing countries in the institutions of global governance. (UNDP, 2015)
Companies that are achieving this are:
CISCO (NASDAQ:CSCO)
Industry: Internet Services & Infrastructure, Technology Hardware, Storage & Peripherals
Headquartered in: US
1. Starting in fiscal 2020, a new engine built on a predictive algorithm helps Cisco identify high-risk deals based on variables such as product type, market segment, partner history and audit findings, discount trend analysis from recent years, and more. The algorithm generates a risk score for each deal. This score is sent to Cisco’s finance team for additional review, and Sales Account Managers for additional documentation to prove that it is legitimate. If Account Managers cannot produce sufficient proof, deals may be rejected or canceled. 2. Cisco has a Code of Business Conduct, a toolkit that employees can refer to to resolve ethical issues. They are continuously updating the COBC to keep it up to date, as well as to make it informative and engaging for readers.
Eli Lilly (NYSE:LLY)
Lilly trains all of its employees in ethical business practices and have systems in place to detect violations of laws, regulations and company policies, including those related to anti-corruption. It also expects its vendors to abide by Lilly’s human rights standards and its Supplier Code of Conduct, which can be found here: https://assets.ctfassets.net/srys4ukjcerm/4rTO0MGCFdeHv1zTSclAh0/5898fa00edb9c68e80442585c7620fa2/Lilly_Supplier_Code_of_Business_Conduct_2021.pdf
Industry: Pharmaceuticals
Headquartered in: US
Accenture (NYSE:ACN)
1. LEAD participant of the United Nations Global Compact (which we signed in January 2008), continuously adhering to the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. 2. Offers a broad range of resources to help our people better understand and fully engage with their COBE (Code of Business Ethics), including annual required Ethics & Compliance trainings, a Making Good Decisions tool, their COBE toolkit with downloadable job aids, an ethics helpline, an ondemand anonymous chatbot, and internal and external platforms for people to raise concerns, including anonymously. 3. Accenture employees (including part-time) must complete all required Ethics & Compliance training by July 31 each year to be fully eligible for year-end rewards (as permitted by law). 4. They continually assess the effectiveness of compliance-related processes across corporate functions through audits and risk assessments.