Davos Launches Global Businesses Partnership For Global LGBTI Equality

An ambitious new global partnership to accelerate inclusion for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) people – the Partnership for Global LGBTI Equality – was announced at the World Economic Forum’s Annual Meeting in Davos.

Discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity not only violates universal basic human rights, it also adversely impacts the long-term economic prospects of individuals, businesses and countries. A 2017 UNAIDS study estimated the global cost of LGBTI discrimination at $100 billion per year. Businesses have an important role to play in respecting and protecting human rights through fostering workplace inclusion for LGBTI people.

To advance this agenda, a consortium of leading multinational companies (Accenture, Deutsche Bank, EY, Mastercard, Microsoft, Omnicom, Salesforce), in collaboration with the World Economic Forum, is launching a global multistakeholder initiative to help business accelerate the inclusion of LGBTI people globally.

The United Nations LGBTI Standards of Conduct establishes the human rights and policy operating model framework for companies. To help business leaders realize LGBTI equality and inclusion for their global workforces, the Partnership for Global LGBTI Equality will operationalize the United Nations LGBTI Standards. By 2020, the project will:

• Enlist 50-100 companies from World Economic Forum members and beyond to join the Partnership for Global LGBTI Equality to implement UN LGBTI Standards
• Create a due-diligence framework for corporations to use in assessing the alignment of their policies with the Standards and to better understand the practical impact of their policies on LGBTI people
• Develop a repository of LGBTI best practices and case studies from companies across multiple sectors, sharing insights and information on effective strategies, policies and processes for gathering the information needed to ensure LGBTI people are not being discriminated against when it comes to hiring, retaining and promoting employees.
• Encourage new cross-sectoral and multi-stakeholder collaborations.

View from the C-Suite:

“The companies involved in this initiative are leading by example when it comes to the rights of LGBTQ people in the context of employment, and I support their efforts to extend the initiative to a greater number of private sector actors, as well as to engage with civil society,” said Michelle Bachelet, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.

“LGBTI inclusion is not only the right thing to do from an interpersonal point of view, it is also a business imperative because CEO’s recognize that a culture of equality creates trust, innovation and therefore business growth. As business leaders we need to set the right tone at the top and combine this with concrete actions to stimulate LGBTI grass roots networks in our companies and policies that ensure equality across the entire organization. Twenty-five percent of our people at Accenture are now active, visible and vocal allies to the LGBTI community – but we cannot effect change on our own. Now, more than ever, is the time for business to step up!”, said Sander van ‘t Noordende, Group Chief Executive Products at Accenture.

“Omnicom is committed to fostering diverse and inclusive workplaces where all employees, regardless of sexual orientation or gender, feel comfortable and confident in bringing their whole selves to work. Across our global network of communications and marketing consultancies, we promote awareness, acceptance and advocacy of the LGBTI community by engaging the community and its allies and creating opportunities for leadership, visibility, community involvement, networking and business development. It’s an honor to serve as a founding member of this important initiative to lay the groundwork for worldwide acceptance and inclusion of the LGBTI community in the global workforce.”—Tiffany R. Warren, Senior Vice President and Chief Diversity Officer for Omnicom Group

“According to the Forum’s Global Competitiveness Report, open, inclusive and diverse societies are also more innovative, which in turn leads to greater economic growth. Through this project we aim to provide a platform for leaders from the private sector to accelerate process towards LGBTI inclusion globally,”—Saadia Zahidi, Member of the Managing Board and Head of the World Economic Forum’s Centre for the New Economy and Society.

This initiative forms part of the World Economic Forum’s Centre for the New Economy and Society in collaboration with the World Economic Forum’s Civil Society team.