UN business summit set to show globalization's bright side

GENEVA (AFP) - The United Nations' biggest ever meeting with business leaders in Geneva next month will present evidence that globalization is a catalyst for improvement of social and environmental standards, an official said Monday.

Brazil's President, Luis Inacio Lula da Silva, and his South African counterpart, Thabo Mbeki, are also due to join UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon as well as civil society groups and labor leaders, in the summit of the UN's Global Compact on July 5 and 6.

The Compact formed in 2000 brings companies together with UN agencies, labor and civil society groups in a pledge to support ten universal human rights, labor, environmental and anti-corruption principles.

About 4,000 companies have now joined.