CEC leaders sign the Universal Humankind Rights’ Declaration in Paris
CEC European Managers has become the first European Commission social partner to sign and endorse the Universal Declaration of Humankind Rights. Its President, Maxime Legrand, endorsed the statement yesterday in Paris and officially signed the Déclaration Universelle des Droits de l’Humanité (DDHU) on behalf of the 1 million European leaders represented by our Confederation. “It is an important day. As leaders and managers we should contribute to the future of humanity”, said President Legrand.
Both Legrand and Madeléine Gilbert, National Secretary of the French Confederation CFE-CGC, were welcomed by Corinne Dominique Marguerite Lepage, former French Minister of the Environment (1995-1997), Member of the European Parliament (2009-2014), and founder and President of the Citizenship, Action, Participation for the 21st Century.
The DDHU statement recalls that humanity and nature are at risk due to the adverse effects of climate change, the acceleration of biodiversity loss, and the degradation of land and oceans. Moreover, the DDHU highlights all of these elements as severe violations of fundamental rights and as unacceptable threats to present and future generations and represents a strong reminder of the 1972 Stockholm Declaration on the Environment, the 1982 New York World Charter for Nature, the 1992 Rio Declaration on Environment and Development, the 2000 United Nations General Assembly resolutions “Millennium Declaration” and “The Future We Want” of 2012.
It is an important day. As leaders and managers we should contribute to the future of humanity
Maxime Legrand
CEC European Managers has long been committed to guiding leaders towards a more sustainable approach and best practices. In that sense, the platform Sustainable Leader has been presented on several occasions before the EU institutions, such as the EU Parliament, and several statements, position papers, and reports have been disseminated. As an example, you can download the “Mainstreaming Sustainable Leadership in Europe.”
In this sense, The Universal Declaration of Humankind Rights underscores our rights and obligations as stewards of life on Earth. From intragenerational and intergenerational responsibility, equity, and solidarity, to non-biased discrimination, it is a relevant moral memorandum. And why is that important for leaders and managers? As our new Deputy Secretary General, Silvia Pugi, said during her election speech in Copenhagen on 6 June 2024, “Managers have a social role to play.” By using our leadership and appearing as responsible members of our communities, we can foster and promote these values and vision.
“With this signature, our confederation’s consistency and commitment with the pillars of our working groups on Sustainable Leadership, Smart Change, Gender equality and diversity, and Artificial Intelligence are receiving a new impulse,” added Maxime Legrand.
To support this statement, we invite you to download and read the recently published position paper on Smart Change and make use of the Sustainable Leadership Model.
