The GRI’s success
in establishing a global presence and credible guidelines setting process
continues to gain momentum. Underlying
this success is a continued need to ensure that the GRI has the resources,
legitimacy, technical excellence and global standing to achieve its mission
in the long term. The establishment
of the GRI as a permanent, independent and international institution in 2002
is a critical part of this mission.
In 2000, the GRI Steering
Committee, in consultation with many stakeholders and the advice of external
experts, outlined a structure of this new institution. Beginning in 2001, the GRI will implement
an aggressive transition plan that will have the GRI fully constituted as
a legal institution by early 2002.
Key aspects of this
transition are:
Establishment of a permanent
GRI Board of Directors (Fall 2001)
Formation of the Stakeholder
Council (End of 2001)
Siting of the new GRI
Secretariat (early 2002)
Staffing of permanent
GRI Secretariat (2002)
Formation of the Technical
Advisory Council (2002)
Over the coming months
we will be communicating the status on different activities related to the
institutional process as they become more fully developed. In addition we will seek your active input
related to calls for Board nominations and other recommendations for participants
in elements of the new structure. You can follow the GRI progress towards full institutionalisation
on the GRI website at (www.globalreporting.org
Within
this transition plan, a major activity for early 2001 is the selection of
a permanent GRI Board of Directors.
The Board will have the legal and fiduciary responsibility for the
new institution. In December
2000, the GRI Steering Committee decided to establish an independent Nominating Committee,
to manage and implement the Board selection process.
The Nominating Committee
is an ad hoc, temporary body, composed of five to seven (5-7) individuals
of international reputation representing various constituencies and regions.
It will be charged with selecting, in iterative consultation with the
GRI Steering Committee, approximately a dozen individuals to become the first
Board of the permanent GRI. We
are delighted to have Jonathan Lash, President of the World Resource Institute
as the Chair of the Nominating Committee.
The Nominating Committee will disband upon the completion of this mandate,
sometime in the Fall of 2001.
We are currently seeking
your recommendations for members of the Nominating Committee. Please provide to us prior to 15 February 2001 recommendations
for individuals to invite to serve on the Nominating Committee.
The
key criteria for Nominating Committee members are as follows.
1. Individuals known for their wisdom, respect
and international reputation.
2. Individuals who are representative
of the constituencies of the GRI: business, NGO’s (social, environmental
and human rights), Governments, Labour, Accountancy, Research/Academia and
Multilateral Organisations.
3. Individuals who are either already
familiar with the GRI and/or sophisticated in international institution building.
4.
4.
4. Individuals who can serve in a personal capacity.
Please send your recommendations
to Bridget Leigh Snell (snell@globalreporting.org), GRI Secretariat coordinator
for the Nominating Committee. Include the person’s organisational affiliation(s), title,
contact information, and a short statement of the person's credentials.
Again, the closing date for recommendations for the Nominating Committee
is 15 February 2001.
Thank you for your continued contributions to the GRI’s
success.