But what is the UN Global Compact?

Established in 2000 by the United Nations, the Global Compact is now the world’s largest voluntary Corporate Sustainability initiative, uniting over 20,000 Companies and Organizations from more than 160 countries. Its Mission is clear: to mobilize the Private Sector and Institutional Partners to align strategies and operations with 10 universal principles in the areas of Human Rights, Labor Rights, the Environment, and Anti-Corruption.

The Ten Principles of the UN Global Compact are derived from four universally accepted declarations and conventions:

• > Universal Declaration of Human Rights;
• > International Labor Organization Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work;
• > Rio Declaration on Environment and Development;
• > United Nations Convention against Corruption.

In Europe, the UNGC network has been consolidating itself as a space for cooperation, learning, and sharing best practices, stimulating the integration of SDGs into corporate and institutional agendas. In Portugal, the Global Compact Network Portugal is now one of the driving forces behind this mobilization, promoting initiatives, Training Programs, and strategic reflection sessions that bring together Companies, Academia, the Public Sector, and Civil Society.

Santa Casa da Misericórdia de Lisboa joined the UNGC in 2018, committing to comply with, promote, and disseminate the fundamental principles of the initiative. It is with great responsibility that we serve on the Board of Directors of the Portuguese Network of the UNGC, represented by Nuno Comando, Director of the Department of Entrepreneurship and Social Economy, which encompasses the Sustainability and Social Responsibility Unit.

“Waves of change”: the countdown to 2030

There are five years left to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, and every second counts! The 2025 edition of SDG Flag Day comes under the motto “Waves of Change,” symbolizing the urgency of generating concrete waves of transformation that mobilize the business and institutional fabric to achieve the 2030 Agenda. With only five years until the deadline for achieving global goals, this is a decisive moment in which it is crucial that, as an Organization and Community, we reinforce our commitments and accelerate the implementation of solutions.

The event program will feature representatives from prominent entities, including the National Statistics Institute (INE), PlanAPP, the SDG Observatory of the Católica Lisbon School of Business & Economics, companies such as Galp and EDP, and the Global Compact Network Portugal itself.

Nuno Comando, who will represent Santa Casa da Misericórdia de Lisboa, will also play an active role: in addition to hosting the event, he will share case studies of Companies that are accelerating the 2030 agenda and how our Institution has committed itself in practical terms, through concrete measures, to supporting the Sustainable Development Goals. In this way, we want to reinforce our institutional position as active participants in the UNGC and members of the Portuguese network, always focused on the 2030 Agenda. It is our commitment as a mobilizing Institution and Strategic Partner in building sustainable and transformative responses in Lisbon and Portugal.

With this event, SCML reaffirms its role not only as a historic agent of Solidarity and Social Innovation, but also as an active voice in the Global Movement for a more sustainable, fair, representative, and inclusive future.