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UNI General Secretary Philip Jennings made a novel request to the United Nations in the aftermath of last week’s terror attacks in France by insisting his name plate be changed to “Charlie” during a top level U.N. meeting.

Attending the U.N. Global Compact board in New York, chaired by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, Jennings insisted, “My name is Philip Jennings but today my name is also Charlie.”

“It doesn’t matter whether we are business leaders or labour leaders, we must recognise that we all have a humanitarian responsibility to heal the economic and social divisions that scar our planet. Integral in the search for inclusion is freedom of expression and association.”

The United Nations Global Compact focuses on advancing responsible business practices and promoting 10 core principles including labour and human rights. 2015 is a key year in U.N. history with summits on sustainable development, financing for development and climate change.

Jennings underlined the importance of the labour movement in fighting extreme poverty. “It is a massive year for the fight against poverty. The Sustainable Development Goals must focus on the world of work, ensuring responsible business, and youth,” he said.

“The world has to do a better job of providing opportunity and hope to young people. The atrocities in recent weeks in Sydney, Peshawar, Nigeria and now Paris is a call to action against terror and for economic and social inclusion.”

“Unions are integral to the goal of extreme poverty reduction.”

Jennings attended a vigil for the victims of the French attacks in New York’s Washington Square. UNI Global Union staff joined the community of Nyon, Switzerland in a peaceful demonstration of support for tolerance in reaction to the events in France.