International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) Social Responsibility (SR) working group experts from a range of stakeholders' categories will meet in Colombo on March 3 to announce their support for ISO 26000 guidance on SR. After five years of work, ISO 26000 document has been given the 'Yes' vote to proceed to a final draft international standard.
ISO 26000 is designed to be a comprehensive and universally recognised frame of reference that harmonises language and approach towards social responsibility and sustainable development. This multi-year, multi-stakeholder international effort would be brought to a successful conclusion this year. In only a few years' time, many thousands of organisations around the world are likely to be using ISO 26000 as a foundation for their SR policies.
Some of the trends in SR are reflected in one of the reports on 'Corporate Contribution in Recent Natural Disasters: A Comparative Analysis of the Earthquake in Pakistan'. This research was conducted regarding earthquake of 2005 in Pakistan administered Azad Jammu & Kashmir.
The report basically compares the corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities with regard to three disasters which happened a few years ago, namely Tsunami, Katrina and the Earthquake in Pakistan. Although the report is mainly based on comparison of aid provided during these three disasters but it also provides some insight into general trends in CSR.
Why is ISO 26000 important? Sustainable business for organisations means not only providing products and services that satisfy the customer, and doing so without jeopardising the environment, but also operating in a socially responsible manner. Pressure to do so comes from customers, consumers, governments, associations and the public at large.
Engr M A Jabbar, Member of the Board of Directors of Pakistan Standards & Quality Control Authority (PSQCA), who has been invited to the ISO workshop, explained the process leading to finalisation of ISO 26000 as a foundation of SR policies by the organisations conducting various segments of economies with the assistance of human capital. The organisations own a responsibility towards consumers' satisfaction.
Before proceeding to Colombo, he told Business Recorder that the present several codes in practice by the organisations for settlement of the satisfaction of consumers exists in many forms and in many modes trying to sell the satisfaction of consumer buyers of their products and services.
The total quality management, production processes, technical balances fully screened to ensure and health and hygiene, the competitive cost of goods and services, the forcing of competition based on the level of CSR compliances and their existing stringencies have their own rules in different countries which are yet to be harmonised across the board. This harmonisation can help the movement of product and services based on adherence to the single corporate social responsibility structure.
The trade liberalisation is bringing the world closer in terms of free movement of goods and services as well as flow of foreign direct investment (FDIs) to relocate the same from one country to another. He said that WTO itself is based on the principle of promoting harmonisation in respect of all ingredients supporting the sale and purchase of goods and services.
The ultimate objective of all the production of the globe is to offer competitiveness to the buyers/consumers to exercise their right to select the origin and the organisation for meeting their requirements among fair competition based on harmonisation obligations. He said that in the construction and the closing of ISO 26000 all national standard bodies do matter in siding with the consensus on the final agreement to be finalised during the year.
The process of reaching consensus is also routed through the organisations of consumer interests which have played a very big role in lending the movements of the language of the ISO 26000, which presently is available as a draft for ensuring the transparency taking place.
Jabbar, a former vice-president of FPCCI, has been representing private sector on the board of directors of Pakistan Standards and Quality Control Authority under Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST), which body is a national standards body, or more commonly abbreviated as NSB, and a focal point on WTO.
National standards body is a necessary party in the ISO organisation. 'In Pakistan, we have to examine, in perspective, of what is the point of it all? Don't we already have enough guidance? The answer would be that the guidance relevant to other ISO standards is specific and the ISO 26000 is comprehensive and answerable to the need of corporate social responsibility".
He said that all exporters in Pakistan fairly know that SAS 8000 and even more is being asked for compliance by their importers. The franchise stores overseas, before retailing of the products made in Pakistan, do ensure that CSR is complied with a comfortable level. He said that such NTBs are more in common faced by the exporters of the country and hardly the government of Pakistan shows any concern towards the domestic consumers.
The ISO 26000 and others being asked for will actually create a compounding effect on correcting the working environment including protection of interests of consumers without which no economy can be considered to be having any reason to register the growth desired by the governments in dire need of generating employment such as Pakistan.
Sharing his views with others who are concerned with the outcome of the final ISO 26000 document, he said that the difference is best emphasised by the comprehensive scope of the guidance. ISO 26000 aims to be as holistic as possible with no specific responsibility focus area. The seven core principles covered are respect for human rights; transparency; accountability; ethical behaviour; respect for stakeholder interests; respect for rule of law and respect for international norms of behaviour.
If an organisation were to fully consider each of these seven principles it would be working beyond the majority understanding of terms such as Corporate Social Responsibility and Sustainable Development. In practical terms, the guidance aims to complement existing tools as a reference document to provide clarity, continuity and better awareness.
Comments
Comments are closed.