The document discusses several international CSR instruments including the UN Global Compact, UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises, ISO 26000 Guidance Standard, and ILO MNE Declaration. It summarizes surveys and studies on company awareness and use of these instruments, noting the UN Guiding Principles and ISO 26000 have relatively high awareness. The document also outlines challenges companies face in implementing human rights due diligence approaches and managing supply chains responsibly.
College students and new graduates have always been attractive candidates for internships and starter positions at non-governmental organizations (NGOs). These citizen groups are recognized as key policy actors addressing issues of public good.
Given their funding constraints, NGOs are constantly in need of interns and entry level team-members. They seek candidates from a variety of backgrounds whom are interested in international politics and policy-making.
Most NGOs are dynamic, multi-cultural working environments, where people learn from each other, making it a great place for International Relations college graduates to begin their careers. By working for a non-governmental organization, one can gain experience in teamwork, communication, analysis, and other important skills featured in listings for competitive jobs in the field of International Relations.
Business Reference Guide UNITED NATIONS DECLARATION ON THE RIGHTS OF INDIGEN...Dr Lendy Spires
The United Nations estimates that there are roughly over 370 million indigenous peoples living around the world, from the Arctic to the South Pacific, in over 90 countries. Indigenous peoples are responsible for a great deal of the world’s linguistic and cultural diversity, and their traditional knowledge is an invaluable resource; it is estimated that indigenous peoples occupy approximately 20 per cent of the world’s land surface, yet steward 80 per cent of the planet’s biodiversity. Combined with their unique cultural and spiritual ties to ancestral lands and territories, indigenous peoples are often fitting custodians of natural resources and ecological knowledge.
This often symbiotic relationship with land can on one hand make indigenous peoples sought after as potential partners for business ventures in various industries, and on the other hand make them vulnerable to potential negative impacts of commercial development. Historically, many indigenous peoples have suffered from abuse, discrimination, and marginalization, and in many areas this continues today. As a result, many indigenous peoples live in poverty and poor health and their cultures, languages and ways of life are threatened. Indigenous peoples comprise 5 per cent of the world’s population, yet they make up 15 per cent of the world’s poor and one-third of the world’s extremely poor.
In many areas, their average life expectancy is shorter than non-indigenous people. Facing these realities, indigenous peoples are often particularly vulnerable to the negative impacts of commercial development and business activities. There may be a sense of distrust by indigenous peoples towards the business community and State actors as a result of historical mistreatment such as dispossession and degradation of land and various human rights abuses. Harm has occurred when indigenous peoples unwittingly become parties to an agreement without informed understanding of its full implications.
Further, indigenous peoples and their cultures often lack full legal protection at the State level. Unfortunately, some businesses have either directly or indirectly caused or contributed to adverse impacts on indigenous peoples’ rights, and in some cases such impact has been irremediable. Business faces both challenges and opportunities when engaging with indigenous peoples. When businesses collaborate with indigenous peoples, they are often able to achieve sustainable economic growth, for ex-ample, by optimizing ecosystem services and harnessing local or traditional knowledge.
Positive engagement with indigenous peoples can also contribute to the success of resource development initiatives – from granting and maintaining social licenses to actively participating in business ventures as owners, contractors and employees. Failing to respect the rights of indigenous peoples can put businesses at significant legal, financial and reputational risk. For example, for a world-class mining
Promote the Effective and Comprehensive Dissemination and Implementation of t...MYO AUNG Myanmar
Promote the Effective and Comprehensive Dissemination and Implementation of the Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights
http://www.ohchr.org/Documents/Publications/GuidingPrinciplesBusinessHR_EN.pdf
Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights
Implementing the United Nations “Protect, Respect and Remedy” Framework
http://www.ohchr.org/EN/Issues/Business/Pages/WGHRandtransnationalcorporationsandotherbusiness.aspx
College students and new graduates have always been attractive candidates for internships and starter positions at non-governmental organizations (NGOs). These citizen groups are recognized as key policy actors addressing issues of public good.
Given their funding constraints, NGOs are constantly in need of interns and entry level team-members. They seek candidates from a variety of backgrounds whom are interested in international politics and policy-making.
Most NGOs are dynamic, multi-cultural working environments, where people learn from each other, making it a great place for International Relations college graduates to begin their careers. By working for a non-governmental organization, one can gain experience in teamwork, communication, analysis, and other important skills featured in listings for competitive jobs in the field of International Relations.
Business Reference Guide UNITED NATIONS DECLARATION ON THE RIGHTS OF INDIGEN...Dr Lendy Spires
The United Nations estimates that there are roughly over 370 million indigenous peoples living around the world, from the Arctic to the South Pacific, in over 90 countries. Indigenous peoples are responsible for a great deal of the world’s linguistic and cultural diversity, and their traditional knowledge is an invaluable resource; it is estimated that indigenous peoples occupy approximately 20 per cent of the world’s land surface, yet steward 80 per cent of the planet’s biodiversity. Combined with their unique cultural and spiritual ties to ancestral lands and territories, indigenous peoples are often fitting custodians of natural resources and ecological knowledge.
This often symbiotic relationship with land can on one hand make indigenous peoples sought after as potential partners for business ventures in various industries, and on the other hand make them vulnerable to potential negative impacts of commercial development. Historically, many indigenous peoples have suffered from abuse, discrimination, and marginalization, and in many areas this continues today. As a result, many indigenous peoples live in poverty and poor health and their cultures, languages and ways of life are threatened. Indigenous peoples comprise 5 per cent of the world’s population, yet they make up 15 per cent of the world’s poor and one-third of the world’s extremely poor.
In many areas, their average life expectancy is shorter than non-indigenous people. Facing these realities, indigenous peoples are often particularly vulnerable to the negative impacts of commercial development and business activities. There may be a sense of distrust by indigenous peoples towards the business community and State actors as a result of historical mistreatment such as dispossession and degradation of land and various human rights abuses. Harm has occurred when indigenous peoples unwittingly become parties to an agreement without informed understanding of its full implications.
Further, indigenous peoples and their cultures often lack full legal protection at the State level. Unfortunately, some businesses have either directly or indirectly caused or contributed to adverse impacts on indigenous peoples’ rights, and in some cases such impact has been irremediable. Business faces both challenges and opportunities when engaging with indigenous peoples. When businesses collaborate with indigenous peoples, they are often able to achieve sustainable economic growth, for ex-ample, by optimizing ecosystem services and harnessing local or traditional knowledge.
Positive engagement with indigenous peoples can also contribute to the success of resource development initiatives – from granting and maintaining social licenses to actively participating in business ventures as owners, contractors and employees. Failing to respect the rights of indigenous peoples can put businesses at significant legal, financial and reputational risk. For example, for a world-class mining
Promote the Effective and Comprehensive Dissemination and Implementation of t...MYO AUNG Myanmar
Promote the Effective and Comprehensive Dissemination and Implementation of the Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights
http://www.ohchr.org/Documents/Publications/GuidingPrinciplesBusinessHR_EN.pdf
Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights
Implementing the United Nations “Protect, Respect and Remedy” Framework
http://www.ohchr.org/EN/Issues/Business/Pages/WGHRandtransnationalcorporationsandotherbusiness.aspx
Eliminating the root causes of inequality are a pre-requisite for sustainable development. At the Rio+20 summit on sustainable development in 2012 it became once more clear, that better laws to ensure gender equality and reduce income inequalities are an essential first step, alongside reforming the macro-economic causes, such as unfair and unsustainable trade and investment regimes. More than 50,000 representatives of social movements and civil society organisations took the streets in Rio de Janeiro in June 2012, to demonstrate against unfair and unsustainable economic policies.
At the same time, 30,000 participants of the United Nations “Rio+20” conference contributed to the document “the Future we Want” which has set the path towards the “Sustainable Development Goals”, which will replace the Millennium Development Goals after 2015. WECF took a leading role in the 2012 Rio+20 conference, as co-facilitator of the “Women’s Major Group”, one of the nine groups of civil society which have a space in the UN policy process, and are allotted speaking time and contribute to the proposed negotiation text.
WECF’s role was to facilitate the 300 organisations through virtual and face to face meetings, develop joint text proposals for the negotiation text, organise meetings with country negotiators, as well as organising events in which to present the priorities of women’s organisations. One of the main highlights was the “Women Rio+20 Award”: out of 100 applications women’s organisations from the global South were celebrated for their successful and innovative projects on sustainable development. In total 10 female ministers took part in the Award Ceremony, as well as 300 participants and a lot of Brazilian TV and newspapers.
As a result of all these many activities by all civil society groups some positive commitments on equality and environmental safe-guards were assured in the results of the Rio+20 conference. In the coming 2 years these commitments need to lead to implementation and commitments for a financial reform towards investments in sus-tainable and equitable development.
For WECF and partners, the main effort in 2012 was of course to demonstrate local solutions for inclusive and environmentally friendly development, with full participation and leadership of women. In Uganda and South-Africa women training and development of food gardens and organic agriculture started, as part of the “Empower Women benefits All - EWA” program.
Hello, friends,
It is a second time, we are wishing you a happy new year in 2022. This time it is the tiger happy new year 2022. However, to understand our present world and with the wish to build back better in 2022, we need both happy new years 2022. Our world is global and it is a fusion between the occident and the orient. This happy new year is presented through the viewpoint of different logical thinking: Descartes analysis, Pascal analysis, resiliency principle, and the Asian Ying Yang. We are building a 2022 year with the global and supervisory thinking of the west, and Asia seeing itself, inside the world landscape. It is the world we want and transforming our world with the different stakeholders: Civil Society, Multinationals, UN staffs, states individuals, households..Etc. It is helping to get unity and solidarity. All the ingredients are in the Microsoft powerpoints. Find out inside the Happy New Year 2022 we want which is the tiger year, to protect ourselves, and also, to protect our nature, for peace security, prosperity for all, wellbeing, and healthy life.
Happy New Year 2022 with the tiger.
In 2014 UNDP launched the Innovation Facility to support innovation in addressing development challenges. The Innovation Facility was made possible with the generous contribution of the Government of Denmark and co-investments from UNDP’s core resources.
This review lays out why innovation is becoming increasingly important in international development and for UNDP. It describes our approach to innovation as well as brief descriptions of the initiatives funded by the Innovation Facility in 2014, though many more UNDP projects not highlighted in this report embraced and tested novel methods. UNDP has invested over time in the uptake of new ways of doing business and over the past three years has invested in strategically exploring innovation under the motto “innovation happens in practice.” Through the Innovation Facility we strive to accelerate this approach by putting innovation in development solutions on a new trajectory.
Shalni Arora is Senior Adviser to Transparency International’s Pharmaceuticals & Healthcare Programme and CEO of Savannah Wisdom.
Shalni is a Chartered Accountant and was the Finance Director of a successful Biotechnology Company. Having exited the business Shalni completed a Masters in International Development at the University of Manchester and became CEO of Savannah Wisdom, a charitable foundation. She also holds a degree in Genetics from Cambridge University and commenced her career at Arthur Andersen before moving to AstraZeneca, where she left in 2000 to found DxS, a venture capital backed company specialising in cancer diagnostics.
Shalni graduated from The University of Manchester with a Masters in International Development: Poverty, Conflict & Reconstruction in 2011.
Eliminating the root causes of inequality are a pre-requisite for sustainable development. At the Rio+20 summit on sustainable development in 2012 it became once more clear, that better laws to ensure gender equality and reduce income inequalities are an essential first step, alongside reforming the macro-economic causes, such as unfair and unsustainable trade and investment regimes. More than 50,000 representatives of social movements and civil society organisations took the streets in Rio de Janeiro in June 2012, to demonstrate against unfair and unsustainable economic policies.
At the same time, 30,000 participants of the United Nations “Rio+20” conference contributed to the document “the Future we Want” which has set the path towards the “Sustainable Development Goals”, which will replace the Millennium Development Goals after 2015. WECF took a leading role in the 2012 Rio+20 conference, as co-facilitator of the “Women’s Major Group”, one of the nine groups of civil society which have a space in the UN policy process, and are allotted speaking time and contribute to the proposed negotiation text.
WECF’s role was to facilitate the 300 organisations through virtual and face to face meetings, develop joint text proposals for the negotiation text, organise meetings with country negotiators, as well as organising events in which to present the priorities of women’s organisations. One of the main highlights was the “Women Rio+20 Award”: out of 100 applications women’s organisations from the global South were celebrated for their successful and innovative projects on sustainable development. In total 10 female ministers took part in the Award Ceremony, as well as 300 participants and a lot of Brazilian TV and newspapers.
As a result of all these many activities by all civil society groups some positive commitments on equality and environmental safe-guards were assured in the results of the Rio+20 conference. In the coming 2 years these commitments need to lead to implementation and commitments for a financial reform towards investments in sus-tainable and equitable development.
For WECF and partners, the main effort in 2012 was of course to demonstrate local solutions for inclusive and environmentally friendly development, with full participation and leadership of women. In Uganda and South-Africa women training and development of food gardens and organic agriculture started, as part of the “Empower Women benefits All - EWA” program.
Hello, friends,
It is a second time, we are wishing you a happy new year in 2022. This time it is the tiger happy new year 2022. However, to understand our present world and with the wish to build back better in 2022, we need both happy new years 2022. Our world is global and it is a fusion between the occident and the orient. This happy new year is presented through the viewpoint of different logical thinking: Descartes analysis, Pascal analysis, resiliency principle, and the Asian Ying Yang. We are building a 2022 year with the global and supervisory thinking of the west, and Asia seeing itself, inside the world landscape. It is the world we want and transforming our world with the different stakeholders: Civil Society, Multinationals, UN staffs, states individuals, households..Etc. It is helping to get unity and solidarity. All the ingredients are in the Microsoft powerpoints. Find out inside the Happy New Year 2022 we want which is the tiger year, to protect ourselves, and also, to protect our nature, for peace security, prosperity for all, wellbeing, and healthy life.
Happy New Year 2022 with the tiger.
In 2014 UNDP launched the Innovation Facility to support innovation in addressing development challenges. The Innovation Facility was made possible with the generous contribution of the Government of Denmark and co-investments from UNDP’s core resources.
This review lays out why innovation is becoming increasingly important in international development and for UNDP. It describes our approach to innovation as well as brief descriptions of the initiatives funded by the Innovation Facility in 2014, though many more UNDP projects not highlighted in this report embraced and tested novel methods. UNDP has invested over time in the uptake of new ways of doing business and over the past three years has invested in strategically exploring innovation under the motto “innovation happens in practice.” Through the Innovation Facility we strive to accelerate this approach by putting innovation in development solutions on a new trajectory.
Shalni Arora is Senior Adviser to Transparency International’s Pharmaceuticals & Healthcare Programme and CEO of Savannah Wisdom.
Shalni is a Chartered Accountant and was the Finance Director of a successful Biotechnology Company. Having exited the business Shalni completed a Masters in International Development at the University of Manchester and became CEO of Savannah Wisdom, a charitable foundation. She also holds a degree in Genetics from Cambridge University and commenced her career at Arthur Andersen before moving to AstraZeneca, where she left in 2000 to found DxS, a venture capital backed company specialising in cancer diagnostics.
Shalni graduated from The University of Manchester with a Masters in International Development: Poverty, Conflict & Reconstruction in 2011.
Business and human rights, particularly in developing countries are under increasing scrutiny. Allegations of sweatshop factories, dangerous working conditions and child labour have been made against a wide-range of companies, particularly those reliant on foreign supply and value chains. The resulting impact to reputation and sales can be hugely detrimental, reflecting an increased ethical awareness amongst customers and investors who are quick to disassociate themselves from tainted brands. This session aims to provide an overview of the issues you should be aware of.
This presentation was conducted on 31 October 2013 by Eversheds' Martin Warren, Partner, and Jane O'Rouke, HR Consultant.
Towards fair supply chains a practical guide for trade unionsCNV Vakcentrale
The ‘Ruggie Principles’ are the new UN Principles for both exposing and preventing violations of human rights in
companies, sectors and industries worldwide. Especially for trade unions and Works Councils, the Ruggie Principles are
a useful and effective resource for addressing companies about compliance with internationally recognised labour
standards. Moreover, the principles provide additional possibilities for promoting the Decent Work agenda and
international solidarity and collegiality.
With this guide, the CNV is actively bringing the Ruggie Principles to the attention of trade union leaders, trade union
officials and members of Works Councils in the Netherlands, and, translated into English, French and Spanish, partner
organisations in Asia, Africa, Latin America and Eastern Europe.
Take advantage of this new resource! Instead of long texts about background circumstances, we give you tips, ideas and
examples to help you apply Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in the chain. It is a manual for putting the principles
into practice.
This manual is also available in Dutch http://www.slideshare.net/Vakbond/cnv-mvo, and on demand to internationaal@cnv.nl in French and Spanish.
More information on corporate social responsibility: http://www.cnvinternationaal.nl/en/csr/
Inernational labour organization by Maged ElsakkaMaged Elsakka
The ILO was created in 1919, as part of the Treaty of Versailles that ended World War I, to reflect the belief that universal and lasting peace can be accomplished only if it is based on social justice.
Financial Sector Responsibility for Human Rights Conduct of Borrowers: What W...Larry Catá Backer
Extractive industries have been at center of CSR and environmental responsibilities debates at the national and international level
The sector faces unique social and environmental challenges when operating in developing countries. Faced with these challenges, a number of Canadian companies are engaging in corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives, generally defined as the voluntary activities undertaken by a company to operate in an economically, socially and environmentally sustainable manner. Building the Canadian Advantage: A Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Strategy for the Canadian International Extractive Sector
To what extent are financial institutions responsible for the human rights breaches of their borrowers?
“While the obligation for the protection of human rights lies with the state, IFIs and their member states also have responsibilities to ensure that activities they support do not cause, or contribute to, human rights abuses by putting in place adequate safeguards.” Statement of Global Initiative for Economic, Social and Cultural Rights to UN Human Rights Council. How might these obligations constrain borrowers?
1. REPRESENTING EMPLOYER ORGANIZATIONS THROUGHOUT THE WORLD
Experience of international business in
application of OECD Guidelines for
Multinational Enterprises and CSR principles
in their daily operation
LDDK CSR Conference
Matthias Thorns
Senior Advisor - IOE
7 November 2013
2. REPRESENTING EMPLOYER ORGANIZATIONS THROUGHOUT THE WORLD
What is the IOE ?
•
Peak international organisation representing employers
organisations and their members.
– Private and voluntary.
– Not part of ILO - Not paid by ILO – Independent.
•
Most representative global business organisation : 150 EOs in
144 countries. E.g. LDDK
•
Established in 1920
2
3. REPRESENTING EMPLOYER ORGANIZATIONS THROUGHOUT THE WORLD
Situating the IOE
EMPLOYERS
UNIONS
GLOBAL
OECD
IOE
BIAC
ITUC
TUAC
EUROPE
Businesseurope
ETUC
3
4. REPRESENTING EMPLOYER ORGANIZATIONS THROUGHOUT THE WORLD
Global Employer Representation
IOE
NATIONAL ORGS
SECTORAL / REGIONAL ORGS
(SOME COUNTRIES ONLY)
INDIVIDUAL EMPLOYERS /
BUSINESSES
4
5. REPRESENTING EMPLOYER ORGANIZATIONS THROUGHOUT THE WORLD
Main international CSR instruments and tools
• United Nations Global Compact
• United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human
Rights
• OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises (OECD
Guidelines)
• ISO 26000 Guidance Standard of Social Responsibility (ISO
26000)
• ILO Tripartite Declaration of Principles concerning Multinational
Enterprises on Social Policy (ILO MNE Declaration)
5
6. REPRESENTING EMPLOYER ORGANIZATIONS THROUGHOUT THE WORLD
2011 CSR Communication of the EU
Commission
The Commission invites:
• All large European enterprises to make a commitment by 2014
to take account of at least one of the following sets of principles
and guidelines when developing their approach to CSR: the UN
Global Compact, the OECD Guidelines for Multinational
Enterprises, or the ISO 26000 Guidance Standard on Social
Responsibility.
• All European-based multinational enterprises to make a
commitment by 2014 to respect the ILO Tri-partite Declaration
of Principles Concerning Multinational Enterprises and Social 6
Policy.
7. REPRESENTING EMPLOYER ORGANIZATIONS THROUGHOUT THE WORLD
EU study on References made by large EU
Companies to internationally recognised CSR
Guidelines and Principles
• 68% of the sample companies make reference to CSR, 40%
refer to at least one internationally recognised CSR instrument.
• 33% meet the European Commission's call to refer to at least
one of the following: UN Global Compact, OECD Guidelines for
Multinational Enterprises, or ISO 26000.
• 2% meet the European Commission's call to refer to the ILO
MNE Declaration.
• 3% refer to the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human
Rights.
• The UN Global Compact and the Global Reporting Initiative,
with 32% and 31% respectively, are the most commonly
7
referenced instruments.
8. REPRESENTING EMPLOYER ORGANIZATIONS THROUGHOUT THE WORLD
CSRforAll Project
• Survey of at least 100 companies per country (Croatia,
Macedonia, Montenegro, Romania, Turkey).
• The UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights were
best known by company representatives in Croatia (21%),
Montenegro (40%) and Turkey (63.8%).
• Awareness of ISO 26000 also ranked high in all of the countries
except Croatia (22% in Macedonia, 25% in Montenegro, 18% in
Romania and 39% in Turkey).
• Whereas in Macedonia 6%, in Romania 11.93%, in Montenegro
17% and in Turkey 24.5% of the companies which are aware of
at least one of the above mentioned instruments make use of at
least one of them; in Croatia the number is markedly higher at
57.4%.
• The reason for the gap between awareness and use of the
8
instruments might indicate training needs by companies.
9. REPRESENTING EMPLOYER ORGANIZATIONS THROUGHOUT THE WORLD
UN Global Compact
• Has its origins in a speech by the then UN Secretary-General
Kofi Annan at the 1999 World Economic Forum in Davos, where
he called on the business community to join with the UN in
helping to put a human face on globalisation
• 10 principles on Human Rights, Labour Standards,
Environment, Corruption
• More than 10,000 participants, including over 7,000 businesses
in 145 countries around the world.
• GC office in New York has a budget of US $ 9 million
9
10. REPRESENTING EMPLOYER ORGANIZATIONS THROUGHOUT THE WORLD
UN Global Compact issues
• Loss of focus: Compact has moved away from focusing on the
principles and engaging through the responsible UN agencies,
to being a multi-stakeholder, open-based platform covering a
range of issues as for instance the engagement in the
Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) debate.
• Stronger formalisation: Reporting requirements.
• Lack of Governance: GC Leaders Summit, Local Networks,
Local Networks Forum, GC Board, GC Donor Group.
• Efforts to establish Local GC Networks as the recognized
national business voice, instead of national Employers and
business federations.
10
11. REPRESENTING EMPLOYER ORGANIZATIONS THROUGHOUT THE WORLD
UN Guiding Principles for Business and Human
Rights
• In June 2011 the UN Human Rights Council endorsed the UN
Guiding Principles for Business and Human Rights and
• decided to establish to set up a Working Group on business and
human rights to promote the effective and comprehensive
dissemination and implementation of the UN Guiding Principles
on Business and Human Rights.
• UN Guiding Principles address states and companies.
• Operationalization of the “protect-respect-remedy” framework.
11
12. REPRESENTING EMPLOYER ORGANIZATIONS THROUGHOUT THE WORLD
The five independent members of the Working Group are:
• Mr. Michael Addo (Senior Lecturer in international human rights
law at the University of Exeter)
• Ms. Alexandra Guaqueta (Attached to the School of
International Studies at Flinders University)
• Ms. Margaret Jungk – Chair (Director of the Human Rights &
Business Department at the Danish Institute for Human Rights)
• Mr. Puvan Selvanathan (UN Global Compact)
• Mr. Pavel Sulyandziga (Member of the Public Chamber of
Russia and working on the issue of the protection of indigenous
rights)
12
13. REPRESENTING EMPLOYER ORGANIZATIONS THROUGHOUT THE WORLD
The Working Group pursues three work streams through which it
will deliver its mandate:
• Global dissemination
• Promoting implementation
• Embedding in global governance frameworks
Current Projects:
• UN Forum on Business and Human Rights
• Country Visits (Mongolia, USA, Russia, Ghana, …)
• Company and government Survey
• Global Community of Practice Initiative
• GP Laboratory
13
14. REPRESENTING EMPLOYER ORGANIZATIONS THROUGHOUT THE WORLD
UN Forum on Business and Human Rights
• The first UN Forum on Business and Human Rights took place
on 4 and 5 December 2012 in Geneva.
• The event took a constructive approach and focused on the
challenges of implementing the UN Guiding Principles.
• The next UN Forum on Business and Human Rights will be
on 3 and 4 December 2013 in Geneva. Business PreMeeting on 2 December in the afternoon.
14
15. REPRESENTING EMPLOYER ORGANIZATIONS THROUGHOUT THE WORLD
Company Survey
• The results of a company survey jointly undertaken by the IOE,
ICC, Global Business Initiative and the University of Denver on
the challenges of implementing the UN Guiding Principles were
presented at the Forum. According to the survey,
– 96% of companies engage in philanthropy and other voluntary activities that
contribute positively to society, and this over and above their compliance
with national law.
– 83% of companies have made a public commitment to respect human
rights, and
– 86% have signed up to voluntary initiatives that address the respect of
human rights.
• The IOE, ICC and the Global Business Initiative are
currently undertake a follow-up survey! Please join!
15
16. REPRESENTING EMPLOYER ORGANIZATIONS THROUGHOUT THE WORLD
Challenges for Companies
• What does a HR due diligence approach looks like
• Doing Business in WGZ
• Supply Chain Management
16
17. REPRESENTING EMPLOYER ORGANIZATIONS THROUGHOUT THE WORLD
Government survey
• The UN Working Group also undertook a government survey
with regard to the implementation of the UN Guiding Principles.
• From 193 UN members states only 24 participated in the
survey.
• Key topics for governments: Equal opportunities and gender
equality at the workplace (21 states), migrant workers (16
states), freedom of association (16 states), child labour and
environmental pollution (15 states).
• Conclusion: “The state survey indicates that governments are
still in in the initial phase of the implementation of the UN
Guiding Principles”.
• The UN Working Group sets up a NGO survey on the
implementation of the UN Guiding Principles, on questions
17
on how involved they are in remedy processes
18. REPRESENTING EMPLOYER ORGANIZATIONS THROUGHOUT THE WORLD
Webcast of the Business and Human Rights
Webinar is now available
• On 20 December 2012 IOE Secretary-General Brent Wilton
delivered a webinar on the UN Guiding Principles on Business
and Human Rights to provide employer organisation members,
and their member companies, with a preliminary update on the
implementation of the Guiding Principles, as well as to discuss
challenges and obstacles.
• A webcast of this webinar is now available via the following link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jpYTfIItm1I&feature=youtu.be
18
19. REPRESENTING EMPLOYER ORGANIZATIONS THROUGHOUT THE WORLD
ISO 26000
• Adopted in Nov. 2010.
• Guidance Standard on the social responsibility of all kinds of
organisations.
• Not a management system standard, nor is it intended or
appropriate for certification purposes or for regulatory or
contractual use.
19
20. REPRESENTING EMPLOYER ORGANIZATIONS THROUGHOUT THE WORLD
What are the main strengths of ISO 26000?
• It reflects broad international consensus on the elements of
social responsibility, drawn from authoritative international
instruments.
• As such, it serves as a good basis for cross-border discussions
on social responsibility.
• It provides good orientation for starting a social responsibility
journey.
• It contains a good basis for engaging in stakeholder dialogue
and other external discussions.
• It allows for freedom of use: users may draw upon as much or
as little of the guidance as necessary to help inform their own
social responsibility policies or practices.
20
21. REPRESENTING EMPLOYER ORGANIZATIONS THROUGHOUT THE WORLD
What are the main weaknesses of ISO 26000?
• Unlike most international SR instruments, ISO 26000 is not
freely available and must be purchased at a cost of between
€50 - €160.
• At 118 pages, ISO 26000 is long, complex and difficult to read;
• Many sections of the guidance are clearly oriented more toward
larger organizations and will not be relevant for smaller or
medium-sized organizations.
• The guidance tends to dictate actions by the reader rather than
to explain the benefits of SR and encourage action by the user.
• Even though ISO 26000 is explicitly not for certification, it has
been misused by many who have offered certification services. 21
22. REPRESENTING EMPLOYER ORGANIZATIONS THROUGHOUT THE WORLD
ISO 26000 Issues
• Development of national certifiable standards based on ISO
26000 (Denmark, Spain).
• Efforts to develop ISO 26000 further at international level (The
Netherlands Standardization Institute (NEN) submitted a
proposal to ISO’s Technical Management Board (TMB) for the
development of an ISO International Workshop Agreement
(IWA) on self‐declaring the application of ISO 26000 (July
2012). French, Dutch, Swedish follow-up initiative.
• The discussion about ISO 26000 since it was launched has
been dominated by the issue of certification, rather than
focusing on efforts to increase dissemination and use of ISO
26000 (ISO workshop in November 2012).
22
23. REPRESENTING EMPLOYER ORGANIZATIONS THROUGHOUT THE WORLD
• On 15 October 2013, ISO launched a five-month Systematic
Review of ISO 26000 (please see attachment). The question
being put to the national ISO member bodies is: Should ISO
26000 be confirmed, revised/amended, converted into another
form of deliverable, or withdrawn?
• It is therefore of the utmost importance that you engage with
your national standardisation body to ensure that there is no
request from your country for new standard setting for a
certifiable ISO 26000.
23
24. REPRESENTING EMPLOYER ORGANIZATIONS THROUGHOUT THE WORLD
ILO Tripartite Declaration of Principles
concerning Multinational Enterprises on Social
Policy
• It is an instrument negotiated and adopted by governments,
worker and employer organisations, and is therefore based on
broad consensus.
• By contrast with the OECD Guidelines for Multinationals, the
ILO’s Tripartite Declaration of Principles targets companies and
governments in all countries and is therefore also supported by
governments and social partners in developing countries.
• Unlike the OECD Guidelines, it only deals with social policy
themes.
24
25. REPRESENTING EMPLOYER ORGANIZATIONS THROUGHOUT THE WORLD
• ILO MNE is not well known. On the other hand it has to be
recognised that the provisions of the ILO Tripartite MNE
Declaration are (partly) included in the OECD Guidelines and
ISO 26000. Thus, the impact of the Declaration might be higher
than the low number indicates at first sight.
• 2011 CSR-Communication of the EU Commission invites “All
European-based multinational enterprises to make a
commitment by 2014 to respect the ILO Tri-partite Declaration of
Principles Concerning Multinational Enterprises and Social
Policy.”
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26. REPRESENTING EMPLOYER ORGANIZATIONS THROUGHOUT THE WORLD
Challenging wording in the ILO MNE
Declaration
• MNEs should provide wages and benefits “not less favourable”
than those offered by “comparable employers in the country
concerned.” If no comparable employers exist, companies
should “provide the best possible wages, benefits and
conditions of work, within the framework of government policies.
These should be related to the economic position of the
enterprise, but should be at least adequate to satisfy basic
needs of the workers and their families.”
• Important Link to the OECD Guidelines for Multinational
Enterprises
Danger of NCP Case!
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27. REPRESENTING EMPLOYER ORGANIZATIONS THROUGHOUT THE WORLD
Activities regarding the ILO MNE Declaration
• Promotional activities of the ILO (e-learning tool, etc)
• Follow-up survey.
• Helpdesk for companies.
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28. REPRESENTING EMPLOYER ORGANIZATIONS THROUGHOUT THE WORLD
ILO Helpdesk for Business on International Labour Standards
The ILO Helpdesk is a free and confidential service that can help
companies align their operations with international labour
standards.
Contact: assistance@ilo.org or +41 22 799 62 64
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29. REPRESENTING EMPLOYER ORGANIZATIONS THROUGHOUT THE WORLD
Thank you very much for your attention!
Matthias Thorns
Phone +41 (0) 22 929 0021
thorns@ioe-emp.org
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