Corporate Social Review Magazine 1st Quarter 2012 | Page 21

But take a look at the seven core
aspects of social responsibility
as defined by ISO 26000: human
rights, organisational governance,
labour practices, the environment,
consumer issues, fair operating
practices and community involvement & development. As Jonathon
says: These core subjects are
seen to cover the most likely economic, environmental and social
impacts that should be addressed
by organizations.
Stop. Go back. Look at that list
again. What you are seeing is a
standard that cuts through every
area of your business – from Governance (and Ethics), through
your relationships with your clients
and your employees, all the way
through to the quality of the goods
and services you provide; the im-

pact you have on the environment;
the relationships you have with the
communities you serve; and how
you interact with all the people and
groups whose lives you directly
and indirectly affect.
As different regions and countries
tussle with these issues of responsibility, morality and ethics – and
as our shareholders, our clients
and customers, and our colleagues
hold us to increasingly high standards – these issues are taking on
greater and greater importance.
Indeed, in material we have been
working with from the Far East,
Crime & Corruption has been already been added to the CSR list
– an acknowledgement of business
realities and the increasing global
attention that is being paid to corporate and government criminality.

The International Organization for
Standardisation (ISO) launched
ISO 26000 in November 2010. In
the five years it was being developed, more than 450 expert representatives from 99 countries and
42 international organisations were
involved in its creation. It is currently available in 18 languages and
more than 50 countries have either
adopted it as a national standard
or are in the process of doing so.
In Europe, 25 out of 29 responding
members said they have adopted
ISO 26000 and it is also being
adopted in the Far East, the Middle East and Latin America.
The Organisation for Economic
Cooperation and Development
(OECD) guidelines recently expanded its chapter on ‘Consumer
Interests’ and added a chapter on
‘Human Rights’. Similarly the Euro-

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