Corporate Engagement
The General Board is an advocate for environmental stewardship, human and workers' rights, access to health care and sound corporate governance practices, in accordance with the Social Principles and The Book of Resolutions. Advocacy is an interpersonal effort that takes place through meetings and other discussions with company executives, letter writing, filing of shareholder resolutions and actively voting the proxy ballots of almost 3,000 companies annually.
Shareholder Resolutions
As company owners, shareholders may file shareholder resolutions. A shareholder resolution is a means of bringing important issues before management, directors and other shareholders at a company's annual meeting. A significant vote in favor of a resolution usually prompts management to adopt new policies or improve current practices. The General Board files more than 25 resolutions every year.
Corporate Dialogues
Before filing a resolution, the General Board frequently initiates a conversation with a company in order to raise issues of concern. In some instances, the General Board may withdraw a resolution when the company commits to taking certain actions that address a specific issue. The General Board also engages in conversations with a company to ensure compliance with existing standards or policies.
A list of the shareholder resolutions and corporate dialogues the General Board has been involved in over the last year is published on this Web site.
Advocacy Issues
All General Board shareholder advocacy work is based on the Social Principles and The Book of Resolutions, both of which summarize the official United Methodist position on a number of social, economic and political issues. The specific issues addressed in recent corporate engagements can be found on this Web site.
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