Towards Responsible Lobbying - AccountAbility

acknowledges these crises and commits to addressing them. The UN
Global Compact, for example, mobilises thousands of businesses worldwide
in the shared vision of the ten principles. Political lobbying is
arguably the most important opportunity for companies to deliver on
these commitments because it can reshape how economies and businesses
affect people and the environment.
Although some businesses, often working with civil society partners,
have used lobbying as a force for good, too often corporate commitments
to sustainable development or the Millennium Development
Goals evaporate in the face of lobbying for narrow commercial
interests.
This is no longer acceptable. Businesses cannot continue to make highprofile
commitments, and then contradict these commitments through
their less-visible lobbying. If businesses are to build trust and retain their
right to influence public policy, they must walk their talk.
There are equivalent issues for civil society and labour organizations
who must align their claims to legitimacy with the people they actually
represent. They must ensure that their media campaigns to inspire
public support for their policy proposals are firmly rooted in credible
evidence.
While it should be our right to influence governments by voicing our
interests and concerns, this right is only legitimate if balanced by the
obligation to act responsibly. AccountAbility’s ‘responsible lobbying’
initiative, in partnership with the UN Global Compact, is one contribution
to getting this balance right.
Our international consultations and discussions have confirmed that
there is no easy fix. The complex relationships between governments
and non-state actors, such as business, vary enormously across regions
and between the local, national and international levels. They have long
histories and can rarely be understood by looking at one issue, or one
set of interactions.
Despite this complexity, we have developed clear recommendations and
a practical framework for action, which are set out in this report.
6 TOWARDS RESPONSIBLE LOBBYING