The International Integrated Reporting Council (IIRC) has announced that Unilever has joined its Integrated Reporting (IR) Framework.

The IIRC's pilot programme, which so far includes over 75 organizations and 25 investors from around the globe, is designed to test the principles, content, and practical application of IR and develop the IR Framework.

IIRC is preparing to release a consultation draft of the Framework in mid-2013, and publishing the final Framework later that year.

Paul Polman, CEO of Unilever, explained that 'business has to decide what role it wants to play. Does it sit on the side-lines waiting for governments to take action or does it get on the pitch and start addressing these issues? In Unilever we believe that business must be part of the solution.'

Paul Druckman, CEO of the IIRC says, 'The first year of the Pilot Programme has demonstrated that IR works across a wide range of industry sectors. Unilever is yet another large, global business forging and galvanising this change in corporate reporting to IR, and ultimately better decision-making.'