Judge Mervyn King
GGI Good Governance Award 2015
Professor Mervyn King was honoured by GGI in 2015 with the Good Governance Award for his outstanding contributions to corporate governance, and his advocacy for ESG and integrated reporting, in South Africa and around the world.
Professor Mervyn King, also known as ‘Mandela’s Judge’, was commissioned by Nelson Mandela to layout a template for good governance to help bolster confidence in South African industry and public services as the country was transitioning from the difficult Apartheid years. From this work came the first King Code of governance. Professor King has developed the code over the last 30 years and it is now recognised as an international standard. The work developed by Professor Mervyn King and the King Commission has formed the basis of UN Human Rights to clean water, air and arable land.
Professor Mervyn King has for many years provided inspiration and focus for GGI’s work. In 2015, Professor King gave the keynote address which very much reinforced the emphasis that government should provide on the board’s duties to all stakeholders and indeed wider society. In a world where 52 of the top 100 economies are not nation-states but are other kinds of organisations, such as companies and corporations, then what happens in the boardroom really matters to the human species.
The duties of directors to report the performance of the enterprise they are accountable for needs to extend beyond profit and assets and should incorporate the social and environmental impact of any enterprise. This measured and broader accounting for impact has become known as ‘integrated reporting’.
