CSR - Human Rights [Archived]

Issues

Whilst the European Union has no explicit human rights policy that cuts across all its sectoral activities, it is a signatory of all the major international conventions on the protection of human rights. Within the context of CSR, the Commission does not want to introduce any more conventions, codes or regulations, but is seeking to encourage companies to use and abide by existing tools such as the "OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises." The EU was actively involved in the recent revision of these guidelines that extended their coverage to the full spectrum of CSR issues, including for the first time human rights.

• For an overview of the issues that business identifies as falling within the area of CSR and human rights, see CSR Europe's  Issues and Dilemmas 
• For an overview of the factors that business identifies as influencing the inclusion of human rights commitments in corporate principles see Business Impact's  The business case for human rights 

Timeline

A Communication on CSR was published by the European Commission on 2 July 2002, and it is currently being discussed by the European Parliament. As a follow-up to the CSR Communication,  stakeholders have met in the framework of a series of round tablesto discuss the appropriateness of establishing common guiding principles for CSR practices and communication.  

External Links

Non-assigned links

• European Commission:Communication concerning Corporate Social Responsibility: A business contribution to Sustainable Development(2 July 2002) [FR] [FR] [DE]
• Eur-Lex:Green paper: Promoting a European framework for Corporate Social Responsibility, COM(2001) 366 final, (18 July 2001) [ FR FR DE
• Eur-Lex:Commission Communication on the European Union's Role in Promoting Human Rights and Democratisation in Third Countries(8 May 2001) [FR] [FR] [DE]
• Commission:Strategy to promote core labour standards and social governance globally(18 July 2001)
• EP OEIL:EU criteria for European companies operating in developing countries: towards a European code of conduct(1999)
• DG Employment & Social Affairs:Corporate Social Responsibility
• UN Commission on Human Rights / Sub-Commission on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights:Responsibilities of Transnational Corporations and Other Business Enterprises with Regard to Human Rights
• ILO:International Labour Standards and Human Rights
• OECD:Corporate Responsibility
• OECD:Text of the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises
• United Nations:The Global Compact
• Business Impact:Human Rights
• Business for Social Responsibility:Human Rights
• CSR Europe:Business and Human Rights
• International Chamber of Commerce:Global Compact page
• International Business Leaders Forum:Business and Human Rights
• World Business Council for Sustainable Development:Corporate Social Responsibility
• BP:Human Rights
• Reebok:Human Rights
• Shell:Human Rights Impact Assessment
• Nike:Global Citizenship
• University of Minnesota:Multilateral Instruments and Guidelines for Corporate Behaviour
• Amnesty International:UK Business Group
• Business and Human Rights:Resource Centre
• Human Rights Watch:Corporations and Human Rights
• Lawyers Committee for Human Rights:Protecting Workers Rights
• Social Accountability International:Standard for workplace conditions - SA 8000
• International Right to Know:Home Page
• Global Exchange:Home Page
• Global Corporate Accountability:Home Page
• Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies / European University Institute (Tonia Novitz):Promoting Core Labour Standards and Improving Global Social Governance: An Assessment of EU Competence to Implement Commission Proposals(2002)