Communication
on Progress (CoP)

Reporting to stakeholders in a transparent and public manner is fundamental for companies committed to sustainability. Your company’s annual Communication on Progress (CoP) is a key component of your commitment to the UN Global Compact. 

In case of questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to info@globalcompact.ch or cop-support@unglobalcompact.org. More general information on the CoP as well as further guidance and on-demand courses can be accessed below.

Communication on Progress

The Communication on Progress (CoP) is the accountability mechanism of the UN Global Compact. It is an annual and mandatory requirement for all business participants of the UN Global Compact. The submission period for the mandatory 2025 Communication on Progress (CoP) opens on 1 April 2025 and closes on 31 July 2025.

For additional information, please refer to the 2025 CoP Policy, visit our CoP Readiness HuB or consult the resources at the bottom of this page.

Measure and demonstrate progress to stakeholders and the public on the Ten Principles and the Sustainable Development Goals in a consistent and harmonized way.

Build credibility and brand value by showing their commitment to the Ten Principles and the Sustainable Development Goals

Receive insights, learn and continuously improve performance by showing their commitment to the Ten Principles and the Sustainable Development Goals

Compare performance against peers through access to one of the largest sources of free, public and comparable corporate sustainability data

Benefits of the Communication on Progress

Requirements

List Title

CoP online questionnaire / sustainability report

Reporting on corporate action and performance related to the Ten Principles of the UN Global Compact and the Sustainable Development Goals. For the 2025 reporting year, a sustainability report uploaded through the digital platform can still be submitted in lieu of the CoP Questionnaire. Please reference the 2025 CoP Policy for more information.

CEO Statement of Continued Support

Publicly expressing your company’s ongoing commitment to the Ten Principles of the UN Global Compact at the highest level. The statement is a standardized template that is signed electronically.

Deadlines

The 2025 CoP submission period is from 1 April 2025 at 15 CEST to 31 July 2025 at 23:00 CEST.

The CoP is an annual, mandatory requirement for all business participants of the UN Global Compact. New joiners do not need to submit a CoP until the year after joining. For example, participants joining the Global Compact in 2025 do not need to submit a CoP until 2026. Participants, excluding new joiners, that fail to submit a 2025 CoP within the submission period will be listed as ‘Non-communicating’ on their participant profile.

‘Non-communicating’ participants that do not submit a late CoP by 31 December 2025 will be delisted from the UN Global Compact on 1 January 2026.

Preparing your Communication on Progress

Review the CoP Questionnaire to understand which data needs to be collected.
Use the CoP Guidebook for support in answering the questionnaire, such as calculation guidance and a glossary of key terms.
Optional: complete the CoP Questionnaire as a draft using the Excel or PDF version.
Begin your data collection process on time using CoP support materials on the CoP Academy page and the CoP Data Compilation Checklist (see p. 73).
Ensure that you have access to the UN Global Compact dashboard. Refer to the User's Guide to learn how to request credentials.

Submitting your Communication on Progress

Complete the CoP Questionnaire on our platform, accessible via your participant Dashboard. Note that the Excel file and PDF cannot be uploaded. Note that the CEO Statement of Continued Support is integrated into the platform and does not require a separate file. Participants are welcome to include supplementary materials in their CoP submission. Please note that such materials, along with the rest of the CoP, will be publicly available upon submission. Once submitted, the CoP will be available to download as a PDF file by the participant through the digital platform. Additionally, the CoP will be publicly available to view on each respective participant profile.

Please note that all data, including supplemental documentation that was submitted by a participating company through the CoP digital platform, will be made publicly available on the UN Global Compact website. This data may be used by the UN Global Compact in aggregate form to present trends or included in reports about the status of corporate sustainability. The UN Global Compact does not have any responsibility on the accuracy of the data submitted by its participating companies nor on how this public data will be used by other stakeholders.

Further Resources

What is the difference between the UN Global Compact and the UN Global Compact Network Switzerland & Liechtenstein?

The United Nations Global Compact is the world’s largest corporate sustainability initiative and aims to mobilize a global movement of sustainable companies and stakeholders. It provides a platform for business and non-business entities to proactively network and engage in the areas of human rights, labour, environment, and anti-corruption. Participation in the UN Global Compact is a visible commitment to the implementation, disclosure, and promotion of its Ten universal Principles. Local Networks, such as the Swiss & Liechtenstein Network, advance the initiative and its Ten Principles at the country level. Our role is to support organisations engage in the UN Global Compact with respect to the implementation of its principles and provide guidance to put sustainability commitments into action. By providing a platform for dialogue and learning, we create opportunities for multi-stakeholder engagement and collective action.
Who can join the UN Global Compact?

Participation in the UN Global Compact is open to any business genuinely committed to implementing the Ten Principles of the UN Global Compact throughout its operations and sphere of influence and communicating on its progress each year. Properly constituted (under prevailing national law) companies from any industry sector are eligible for participation, except those listed here. Non-business organisations (e.g. civil society organisations/NGOs, business associations, foundations, academic institutions, public sector organisations, labour organisations and cities) are also encouraged to become Participants of the UN Global Compact.
Can company subsidiaries join the UN Global Compact?

The UN Global Compact applies the leadership principle. If a parent company is a Participant to the UN Global Compact, the commitment is assumed to apply for all subsidiaries as well. Subsidiaries that wish underline their commitment and become a UN Global Compact signatory alongside their parent are invited to become a member of the UN Global Compact Network Switzerland & Liechtenstein and to actively participate in our activities at the local and global level. To learn more about how subsidiaries can join the UN Global Compact see here.
Why should my organisation join?

The UN Global Compact provides a universal language for corporate responsibility and provides a framework to guide all businesses regardless of size, complexity or location. We are your guide every step of the way. We’ll help you commit to, assess, define, implement, measure and communicate your sustainability strategy. Discover how you will benefit from the UN Global Compact here.
How much will it cost?

Please consult the UN Global Compact Network Switzerland & Liechtenstein’s dedicated Fee Sheet here.
How can my organisation join?

We are glad that you are interested in taking the next steps towards joining the UN Global Compact and to actively engage with the UN Global Compact Network Switzerland & Liechtenstein. Please consult the joining process here.
What will we have to do if we sign up?

As a voluntary initiative, the UN Global Compact seeks wide participation from a diverse group of businesses. As a participant of the UN Global Compact, a company: Sets in motion changes to business operations so that the UN Global Compact and its Ten Principles become part of strategy, culture and dayto-day operations; Is expected to publicly advocate the UN Global Compact and its principles via communications vehicles such as press releases, speeches, etc; and Is required to communicate with their stakeholders on an annual basis on progress (Communication on Progress) in: Implementing the Ten Principles and Efforts to support societal priorities. There are a number of ways that companies can take action to embed corporate sustainability into their DNA. Find out what you can do here.
What is the Communication on Progress (CoP)?

The Communication on Progress (CoP) is a required public and annual disclosure by business participants of the UN Global Compact with the following main objectives: Foster accountability on corporate sustainability performance to help safeguard the integrity of the UN Global Compact initiative; Promote continued learning and help drive corporate sustainability performance; and Enhance stakeholder access to information regarding participants’ implementation of the Ten Principles and contribution towards the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Click here for more detailed information on the CoP and its requirements.
Is there a possibility to extend the CoP deadline?

No. From 2024 CoP submissions are mandatory and need to be submitted via the digital platform by 31 July 2024 (at 5PM (ET)). A business participant will be designated as “non-communicating” on the UN Global Compact website if it fails to submit all elements of the CoP by the end of the submission period on 31 July. If a “non-communicating” business participant fails to submit a CoP by 31 December, it will be delisted from the UN Global Compact for “failure to communicate on progress” on 1 January of the new year. For more information, please refer to the 2024 CoP Policy.
Can we use the UN Global Compact Logo?

Participants and Signatories that wish to use a UN Global Compact logo are asked to seek permission in advance by using the online logo request system. An exception is the Communication on Progress (CoP) logo which is available for participants to include in their CoP without prior permission. For more information about how to use and request UN Global Compact logos, please click here. If you have any further questions, please contact us.
How do I update the contact information of my company?

To update contact information, Participants may login to the UN Global Compact website. In the “Contacts” tab of the dashboard, a new contact can be created, or an existing contact can be edited by clicking on the pencil picture under the appropriate contact name to modify its details.

For further information, watch our CoP introduction webinar, visit the CoP Readiness Hub on the Academy or browse additional resources in the drop-down menu below..

CoP Data Visualisation Tools

Access our Communication on Progress Data Visualisation Tools. Composed of 2023 and 2024 CoP Questionnaire submissions, these publicly available dashboards offer insights into the progress of UN Global Compact business participants in advancing the Ten Principles. See here an instructional video.

Explore data

Access here

CoP Mapping
based on the European Sustainability Reporting Standards

Compare with the CoP Mapping relevant reporting standards such as ESRS, CSRD or CDP with the CoP. Utilise synergies, overlaps and differences between the CoP and other reporting frameworks.