How to Join

Membership

The GCNB membership is open to all organizations (for profit and non for profit) who are registered and operating in Belgium.

There are two types of membership: Associated Membership and Formal Membership.

All members (Associated and Formal) can participate in the activities organized by the GCNB.

Only official participants of the Global Compact can become Formal Members of the GCNB. Other organisations are welcome to join the GCNB as Associated Members, after an evaluation by the SC.

Only Formal Members have voting rights and are qualified to be elected for a mandate in the SC. Each Formal Member has one vote.

Membership fees only apply to Formal Members. The membership fee amount is set during the General Assembly of Formal Members.

Procedure for membership

• In case the organization is a (new) Global Compact Participant:
  • Once the organization submits its letter of commitment in order to become an official participant of the Global Compact, it automatically becomes an Associated Member of the GCNB. No separate application is required.
  • The SC contacts the participant in order to welcome it to the Belgian network and invites the organisation to join the GCBN as a formal member.
  • The Network Secretariat adds the name of the new member to the GCNB database and informs the network members.
     
• In case the organization is not (yet) a Global Compact Participant or does not (yet) meet the requirements posed by the UN Global Compact:
  • The organization applies for Associated Membership by sending a letter to the SC via the Secretariat or the GCNB web site.
  • The SC contacts the applicant and evaluates its intention in joining the GCNB and its commitment to the principles of the Global Compact.
  • In case of a positive evaluation, the Network Secretariat adds the name of the new member to the GCNB database and informs the network members

Termination of membership

Any member can choose to opt out from the network any time through a registered written notification, addressed to the Chairman of the Steering Committee via the Secretariat’s office address.

If a member is de-listed from the official UN Global Compact participants list, it is automatically removed from the list of the GCNB members.

In any case there will be no reimbursement of membership fees.

Rights and responsibilities of the members

Any Associated Member is entitled to:

• Participate in the trainings and other events of the GCNB;
• Participate in working groups, projects or other initiatives undertaken by the GCNB and its members;
• Propose working groups, projects or other initiatives to be conducted with other GCNB members;
• Leave the GCNB at any time;

Any Formal Member has the right to:

• Participate in the trainings and other events of the Network according to the procedures defined by the Steering Committee;
• Participate in working groups, projects or other initiatives undertaken by the GCNB and its members;
• Propose working groups, projects or other initiatives to be conducted with other GCNB members;
• Participate in the General Assembly of Members;
• Elect and be elected in Governance bodies of the GCNB;
• Propose changes to the Governance Principles in according with the procedures set out in the bylaws and other governance documents;
• Get advice from the GCNB Secretariat on their Communication on Progress report;
• Leave the GCNB at any time;

Any Member of the network shall:

• Respect the rights and integrity of other members and the Governance Principles of the GCNB;
• Adhere to the ten principles of Global Compact and annually release a Communication on Progress report and refrain from actions or strategies here against;
• Pay the applicable membership fees in due times;

Funding

The Global Compact Network Belgium is encouraged to explore their own sources of funding to support their activities by sponsorship and membership fee of a minimum amount of 500 euro on an annual basis.

Note: NGO’s and CSR organizations can become an Associated Member on a complementary basis.