CSR & Business and Human Rights

Transcription

1 CSR & Business and Human Rights Dr. Brigitte Hamm VASS - Workshop Vietnam

2 Short introduction of INEF Global Economy as context for CSR CSR concept Definition of CSR CSR in a local context Actors Instruments Global Compact Widening the Perspective: Business and Human Rights A Critical Assessment of CSR for Vietnam

3 was found 1990 One of the first institutes in Germany to discuss the issue of Global Governance Long experience in CSR Existing project: Human Rights, Corporate Social Responsibility and Sustainable Development

4 Todays world is characterized by globalization and transnationalization Growing complexity and the weakening of the nation state leads to governance gaps A new role is ascribed particularly to business actors who increasingly take over responsibility With the beginning of the 1990ies an emerging antiglobalization movement put pressure on the neoliberal course of globalization and business actors

5 CSR as concept whereby companies integrate social and environmental concerns in their business operations and in their interaction with their stakeholders on a voluntary basis." (European Commission) corporate social responsibility involves the conduct of a business so that it is economically profitable, law abiding, ethical and socially supportive. To be socially responsible then means that profitability and obedience to the law are foremost conditions when discussing the firm s ethics and the extent to which it supports the society in which it exists with contributions of money, time and talent (Carroll 1983)

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7 State Civil Society Business Actors International Actors - Government, Parliament, Parties - NGOs, Media and Unions - SMEs, SOEs, TNCs - UN, ILO, Development Agencies - Support CSR initiatives - Enhance CSR policies - Blaming and - Codes of shaming Conduct - Promote CSR campaigns - implementation - Pursue the - Monitoring the of CSR topic of implementation Business and of CSR policies Human Rights - Participating in multistakeholder initiatives

8 Official goal of the Global Compact is the promotion of CSR Companies should respect and implement international accepted standards concerning Human Rights, Labour, Environment and Anti-Corruption Global Compact consists of 10 Principles

9 Human Rights Labour Principle 1: Businesses should support and respect the protection of internationally proclaimed human rights; Principle 2: make sure that they are not complicit in human rights abuses. Principle 3: Businesses should uphold the freedom of association and the effective recognition of the right to collective bargaining; Principle 4: the elimination of all forms of forced and compulsory labour; Principle 5: the effective abolition of child labour; Principle 6: the elimination of discrimination in respect of employment and occupation. Environment Principle 7: Businesses should support a precautionary approach to environmental challenges. Principle 8: undertake initiatives to promote greater environmental responsibility; Principle 9: encourage the development and diffusion of environmentally friendly technologies. Anti- for Development Principle 10: Businesses should work against corruption in allduisburg its forms, Institute and Peace University Essen Corruption including extortion and bribery.

10 GCNV was found in 2007 According to GCNV, the country has not yet developed an explicit CSR policy GCNV consists of about 75 members national and international companies

11 J. Ruggie, Special Representative of the UN Secretary General for business and human rights Ruggie elaborates a policy framework for shaping the human rights responsibility of business The focus is on the clarification of duties and responsibilities and the question how to ensure compliance The policy framework has been more concretely elaborated in the related UN Guiding Principles which have recently been accepted by the UN Human Rights Council

12 Policy Framework and Guiding Principles 1. state duty to protect 2. corporate responsibility to protect 3. access to remedies

13 The record of the situation of workers in the garment and textile sector is better in Vietnam compared to other countries The government takes over regulatory duties Attitude of CSR does exist CSR activities are transported to the country via international and transnational actors, e.g. GCNV, ILO Better Work Vietnam Program