The second Round Table of the CSR Multi Stakeholder Forum on CSR knowledge was held on 2-3 June. Stakeholders expressed interest in continuing the forum beyond its current end date of summer 2004, agreed to improve communication and focus on follow-up action. ... lees meer

(Gepubliceerd in Het Financieele Dagblad van 2 mei 2003). Leen Paape, Arco ten Klooster en Harry Hummels ondervroegen ondernemers, vertegenwoordigers van maatschappelijke organisaties en een staatssecretaris over maatschappelijk verantwoord ondernemen . De analyse van de interviews werd een boek: ‘De responsieve onderneming’. Conclusie: ondernemers en overheid worden niet vertrouwd, niet-gouvernementele organisaties wel. Het publiek en de media houden van de underdog. ... lees meer

Two leading international initiatives that promote corporate citizenship have agreed to strengthen their collaboration to help companies to improve their economic, social, and environmental performance. UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan’s Global Compact (GC) and the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) announced a new agreement that will see shared outreach, pilot programs, performance models, and technical activities aimed at elevating corporate involvement in sustainable development. ... lees meer

The progressive careers agency, Lifeworth.com, released their Annual Review of Corporate Responsibility, The Review describes a growing interest and concern about the relationship between corporations and governments Lobbying by companies and their trade associations against social and environmental regulations or against measures to help citizens in poorer countries is identified as an emerging concern. “NGOs are gearing-up to place the political activities of corporations and their associations firmly on top of the corporate responsibility agenda this year” said lead author Dr. Jem Bendell. “If you help people with one hand while lobbying against them with the other, it won’t take long for people to call it hypocrisy. Corporate lobbying is becoming a key business risk,” he said. ... lees meer

The UN Global Compact and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development will cooperate more closely for a coherent approach to corporate social responsibility The very distinct nature of the two organizations presents considerable scope for building on complementary strengths and creating synergy – the Global Compact being an open action and learning network and the WBCSD being a membership based organization dedicated to sustainable development and engaged in such programs as Sustainable Livelihoods, Advocacy and Communications, Accountability and Reporting and the Regional Network. ... lees meer

There was widespread recognition at the global summit meeting in Johannesburg last September that corporations are indispensable to sustainable development. Put simply, there can be little enduring social or environmental progress without active contributions from the private sector. Yet for corporations to meet such expectations, they must win the trust of all their stakeholders – investors, workers, consumers, communities. ... lees meer

Whether this past year in Washington or next week in Davos, “corporate responsibility” has become synonymous with combating company wrongdoing. But for the vast majority of global firms who play by the rules, the term signifies something rather different. What do companies mean when they say they are committed to operating responsibly? And what instruments do they find most effective in measuring and improving their impact on stakeholders and on society? A new statement from the United States Council for International Business (USCIB) provides much-needed answers. ... lees meer

Speech by Agnes van Ardenne (Dutch minister for Development Cooperation) at the International Small Business Congress, Amsterdam, 28 October 2002. ... lees meer

The Global Compact Office today (15 October 2002) announced the launch of a powerful Internet portal that is designed to promote on-line learning, dialogue and collaboration among global actors dedicated to advancing good corporate citizenship and responsible globalisation. -This is the first portal of its kind for the United Nations”, said Georg Kell of the Executive Office of the Secretary-General. -This establishes a powerful technology infrastructure to encourage the creation and sharing of critical content and information that is decentralized, thereby offering Global Compact participants from all over the world an opportunity to share activities and learn from others. For the national and local Global Compact networks that are springing up around the globe, this technology will give them a window on the world”. ... lees meer

Staatssecretaris Agnes van Ardenne (Ontwikkelingssamenwerking) sprak dinsdag 1 oktober op een bijeenkomst met vertegenwoordigers van maatschappelijke organisaties. De bijeenkomst, die werd geopend door minister-president Jan Peter Balkenende, werd gehouden op het ministerie van Buitenlandse Zaken in Den Haag. ... lees meer

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is a process that has been driven by globalization, deregulation and privatisation. For Trans National Corporations (TNCs) it is an outcome of public pressure arising from their operations in developing countries in relation to human rights, environmental pollution and labour issues. CSR is now being discussed and debated in the public policy sphere – the UK has a Minister for Corporate Social Responsibility. To date, CSR has been a Northern phenomenon in terms of its language and strategy. However, according to a UNIDO study expected later this month, entitled Corporate Social Responsibility: Implications for Small and Medium Enterprises in Developing Countries, “there is an abundance of evidence that -silent’ CSR is thriving in developing countries, albeit under a different name and with a different approach. There are some concerns that CSR has not focused enough on addressing issues of poverty, but the emergence of new partnerships with aid agencies, the UN and NGOs offers the opportunity to refocus that approach. In particular the role of business associations, both mainstream and those from the CSR movement, have an important part to play in creating a multiplier effect. ... lees meer