Useful Links
Amnesty International – Business and Human Rights http://www.amnesty.org.uk/content.asp?CategoryID=10112
Anti-Slavery http://www.antislavery.org/
Business Action for Sustainable Development http://basd.free.fr/
Business Action for Sustainable Development (BASD) is a comprehensive network of business organizations that have come together under one banner in the interests of sustainable development. BASD is a joint initiative of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD).
Business in the Community http://www.bitc.org.uk/
Business in the Community is a membership of over 800 the UK’s top companies with the leadership to translate corporate values and commitments into mainstream management practice. These companies measure and report on progress and illustrate the action being taken to improve the impact oftheir operations, products and services on society and the environment.
Business Leaders Initiative on Human Rights http://www.blihr.org/
Caux Round Table http://www.cauxroundtable.org/
The Caux Round Table (CRT) is an international network of principled business leaders working to promote a moral capitalism. The CRT advocates implementation of the CRT Principles for Business through which principled capitalism can flourish and sustainable and socially responsible prosperity can become the foundation for a fair, free and transparent global society.
Chatham House http://www.chathamhouse.org.uk/
Christian Aid – Trade Justice http://www.christianaid.org.uk/stoppoverty/trade/index.aspx
Clean Clothes Campaign http://www.cleanclothes.org/
Co-op Group https://www.co-operative.co.uk/en/
A co-operative is a business, which acts together to meet the common needs and aspirations of its members, sharing ownership and making decisions democratically. Co‑operatives are not about making big profits for shareholders, but creating value for their members. Their top priority is to provide the best possible services for their members and to invest in the communities where they live. This gives co‑operatives a unique character and influences what they stand for.
Council for Ethical Leadership http://www.businessethics.org/
The Council for Ethical Leadership is an organization that, through its diverse membership, seeks to promote ethical leadership and accountability through advocacy of best ethical practices and applied ethics education.
CSR Europe http://www.csreurope.org/pages/en/about_us.html
CSR Europe is the leading European business network for corporate social responsibility with around 70 multinational corporations and 25 national partner organisations as members. CSR Europe is a platform for: Connecting companies to share best practice on CSR; Innovating new projects between business and stakeholders; and Shaping the modern day business and political agenda on sustainability and competitiveness.
Danish Institute for Human Rights – Human Rights and Business http://www.humanrights.dk/business
DfID – UK Department for International Development - http://www.dfid.gov.uk/
Ethical Consumer Research Association http://www.ethicalconsumer.org/aboutec/aboutus.htm
Ethical Consumer Research Association (ECRA) is a not-for-profit organisation owned and managed by its staff as a worker co-operative. The organisation exists to promote universal human rights, environmental sustainability and animal welfare by researching and publishing information on companies and their products:
Ethical Trading Initiative http://www.ethicaltrade.org/
The Ethical Trading Initiative (ETI) is an alliance of companies, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and trade union organisations. We exist to promote and improve the implementation of corporate codes of practice which cover supply chain working conditions. Our ultimate goal is to ensure that the working conditions of workers producing for the UK market meet or exceed international labour standards
Ethics & Compliance Officer Association http://www.theecoa.org/
The Ethics & Compliance Officer Association (ECOA) is a non-consulting, member-driven association exclusively for individuals who are responsible for their organization's ethics, compliance, and business conduct programs. The only organization of its kind, it is the largest group of business ethics and compliance practitioners in the world.
Ethics Resource Center http://www.ethics.org/
Ethos Institute http://www.ethos.org.br/ Ethos Institute is a leading CSR organization in Brazil and a global reference on the theme. Ethos mission is to mobilize, encourage and help companies manage their business in a socially responsible way, making them partners in building a sustainable and fair society.
European Commission, CSR Site http://ec.europa.eu/employment_social/soc-dial/csr/index.htm
European Fair Trade Association http://www.european-fair-trade-association.org/
Fair Labour Association http://www.fairlabor.org/
Fairtrade http://www.fairtrade.org.uk/
Fairtrade Labelling Organisation (FLO) International http://www.fairtrade.net/
Forum for the Future - http://www.forumforthefuture.org.uk/
A charity committed to sustainable development and working with over 120 leading businesses and organisations to bring about change. Activities: Showing organisations what a sustainable future could look like and challenging them to make a difference; Delivering practical solutions to help organisations change; Training leaders to bring about change, and educating the leaders of tomorrow; Communicating success stories.
Friends of the Earth http://www.foe.org/
Fund for Peace – Human Rights and Business Roundtable - http://www.fundforpeace.org/
Global Environmental Management Initiative http://www.gemi.org/
Since 1990, the Global Environmental Management Initiative (GEMI) has created tools and provided strategies to help business foster global environmental, healthy and safety excellence and economic success. GEMI provides a forum for corporate environmental leaders throughout the world to work together, learn from each other through the activities of work groups, benchmark with peers and create tools that can be used by GEMI members and others.
Global Mining Initiative http://www.icmm.com/
Global Reporting Initiative http://www.globalreporting.org/Home
The Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) has pioneered the development of the world’s most widely used sustainability reporting framework and is committed to its continuousimprovement and application worldwide. This framework sets out the principles and indicators that organizations can use to measure and report their economic, environmental, and social performance.
Global Witness http://www.globalwitness.org/pages/en/about_us.html
Halifax Initiative http://www.halifaxinitiative.org/
The Halifax Initiative is a Canadian coalition of development, environment, faith-based, human rights and labour groups. Its goal is to fundamentally transform the international financial system and its institutions, namely the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund and export credit agencies. By doing so, it hopes to achieve poverty eradication, environmental sustainability and the full realization of human rights.
Human Rights Watch – Business and Human Rights http://www.hrw.org/doc/?t=corporations
Institute of Business Ethics http://www.ibe.org.uk/
The IBE was established in 1986 to encourage high standards of business behaviour based on ethical values.
Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility http://www.iccr.org/
For thirty-five years the Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility (ICCR) has been a leader of the corporate social responsibility movement. ICCR's membership is an association of 275 faith- based institutional investors, including national denominations, religious communities, pension funds, foundations, hospital corporations, economic development funds, asset management companies, colleges, and unions. ICCR and its members press companies to be socially and environmentally responsible.
International Alert http://www.international-alert.org/
International Business Leaders Forum http://www.iblf.org/
International Chamber of Commerce – Business in Society http://www.iccwbo.org/policy/society/
International Commission of Jurists, Expert Legal Panel on Corporate Complicity in International Crimes, available at
http://www.business-humanrights.org/Updates/Archive/ICJPaneloncomplicity
International Confederation of Free Trade Unions http://www.icftu.org/
It is a Confederation of national trade union centres, each of which links together the trade unions of that particular country. Membership is open to bona fide trade union organisations that are independent of outside influence, and have a democratic structure. The ICFTU organises and directs campaigns on issues such as: the respect and defence of trade union and workers' rights, the eradication of forced and child labour, the promotion of equal rights for working women, the environment, education programmes for trade unionists all over the world, encouraging the organisation of young workers, sends missions to investigate the trade union situation in many countries.
International Council on Human Rights Policy – Business and Human Rights http://www.ichrp.org/
International Institute for Environment and Development http://www.iied.org
International Institute for Sustainable Development http://www.iisd.org/
International Labour Organisation http://www.ilo.org/global/lang--en/index.htm
International Organization for Standardization: http://www.iso.org/iso/home.htm
Kimberley Process http://www.kimberleyprocess.com/
The Kimberley Process (KP) is a joint governments, industry and civil society initiative to stem the flow of conflict diamonds – rough diamonds used by rebel movements to finance wars against legitimate governments.
Labour Behind the Label http://www.labourbehindthelabel.org
A campaigning organisation which gives insight into public pressures on retailers and corporations to behave ethically
Novartis Foundation for Sustainable Development http://www.novartisfoundation.org/
Office of High Commissioner for Human Rights – Business and Human Rights http://www2.ohchr.org/english/issues/globalization/business/index.htm
OECD www.oecd.org
OXFAM www.oxfam.org.uk
Plan International http://www.plan-international.org/
Founded over 70 years ago, Plan is one of the oldest and largest international development agencies in the world. It worksin 49 developing countries across Africa, Asia and the Americas. Plan works to achieve lasting improvements for children living in poverty in developing countries, through a process that unites people across cultures and adds meaning and value to their lives.
Realising Rights – the Ethical Globalising Initiative http://www.realizingrights.org/
Realizing Rights was founded in October 2002 by Mary Robinson, former President of Ireland (1990 - 1997) and former United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (1997 - 2002). It addresses five urgent issues required for greater human development and security: fostering more equitable international trade and development; strengthening efforts to realize the human right to health; shaping more humane migration policies; encouraging women's leadership; and influencing corporate social responsibility. The mission is to put human rights standards at the heart of global governance and policy-making and to ensure that the needs of the poorest and most vulnerable are addressed on the global stage.
Rights & Democracy http://www.dd-rd.ca/
Rights & Democracy (International Centre for Human Rights and Democratic Development), is a non-partisan organization with an international mandate. It was created by Canada's Parliament in 1988 to encourage and support the universal values of human rights and the promotion of democratic institutions and practices around the world.
Save the Children http://www.savethechildren.org.uk/
Social Accountability International http://www.sa-intl.org/
Social Venture Network http://www.svn.org/
Founded in 1987 by Josh Mailman and Wayne Silby, Social Venture Network (SVN) is a nonprofit network committed to building a just and sustainable world through business. SVN promotes new models and leadership for socially and environmentally sustainable business in the 21st century. They champion this effort through initiatives, information services and forums that strengthen the community and empower their members to work together on behalf of their shared vision.
Traidcraft – http://www.traidcraft.co.uk/
Mission is to fight poverty through trade, practising and promoting approaches to trade that help poor people in developing countries transform their lives. Established in 1979 as a Christian response to poverty, they combine a trading company and a development charity. They build lasting relationships with producers, support people to trade out of poverty and work to bring about trade justice.
Transparency International http://www.transparency.org/
UK Government’s Sustainable Development Unit http://www.sustainable-development.gov.uk/
UN Global Compact http://www.globalcompact.org/
UNICEF IRC http://www.unicef-irc.org/
The UNICEF Innocenti Research Centre (IRC) in Florence, Italy, was established in 1988 to strengthen the capacity of UNICEF and its cooperating institutions to respond to the evolving needs of children and to develop a new global ethic for children. It promotes the effective implementation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, in both developing and industrialized countries, thereby reaffirming the universality of children’s rights and of UNICEF’s mandate.
UN Special Representative on Business and Human Rights http://www.business-humanrights.org/Gettingstarted/UNSpecialRepresentative
Verite - http://www.verite.org/- American assessment and research NGO
War on Want – http://www.waronwant.org/
A campaigning organisation which give insight into public pressures on retailers and corporations to behave ethically
Work Foundation http://www.theworkfoundation.com/
The Work Foundation is a not-for-profit organisation, that brings all sides of working organisations together to find the best ways of improving both economic performance and quality of working life.
World Bank http://www.worldbank.org
World Business Council for Sustainable Development http://www.wbcsd.org/
The World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) is a CEO-led, global association of some 200 companies dealing exclusively with business and sustainable development.
World Economic Forum http://www.weforum.org/
World Health Organisation – Ethics, Trade, Human Rights and Health Law (ETH) http://www.who.int/eth/en/
INSTRUMENTS / INDICES / STANDARDS
CERES Principles: www.ceres.org
CERES (the Coalition for Environmentally Responsible Economies) announced the creation of the Principles (initially named Valdez Principles, later renamed CERES principles) in 1989. They constitute a ten-point code of corporate environmental conduct to be publicly endorsed by companies as an environmental mission statement or ethic. Today, over 65 companies are endorsing the principles and committing to a concurrent process of continuous learning and systematic public reporting. Endorsing companies can benefit from having access to a diverse array of experts in the network, covering a wide range of organisational and environmental issues.
Companies Act of 2006 http://www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts2006/pdf/ukpga_20060046_en.pdf
Dow Jones Sustainability Indexes http://www.sustainability-indexes.com/
Equator Principles http://www.equator-principles.com/
European Parliament – Code of Conduct for European Enterprises http://198.170.85.29/European-Parliament-Code.htm
FTSE4Good http://www.ftse.com/Indices/FTSE4Good_Index_Series/
The FTSE4Good Index Series has been designed to measure the performance of companies that meet globally recognised corporate responsibility standards, and to facilitate investment in those companies. Transparent management and criteria alongside the FTSE brand make FTSE4Good the index of choice for the creation of Socially Responsible Investment products.
Human Rights Act http://www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts1998/ukpga_19980042_en_1
Global Sullivan Principles http://www.thesullivanfoundation.org/gsp/default.asp
Good Corporation http://www.goodcorporation.com/
Assessment against the GoodCorporation Standard helps companies to systematically assess their business practices and make improvements. Successful organisations can use their GoodCorporation certification logo to demonstrate that they have met the minimum standard of good practice. It is the foundation of a certification system for organisations that succeed in demonstrating good practices across all employee, customer, supplier, community, environment and shareholder criteria.
IFC Guide to Human Rights Impact Assessment and Management – Road Testing Draft, 2007 http://www.ifc.org/ifcext/enviro.nsf/Content/OurStories_SocialResponsibility_HumanRights
IFC Environmental and Social standards http://www.ifc.org/ifcext/enviro.nsf/Content/EnvSocStandards
Investors in People http://www.investorsinpeople.co.uk/
The Investors in People Standard is a business improvement tool designed to advance an organisation's performance through its people. Developed in 1990 by a partnership of leading businesses and national organisations, the Standard helps organisations to improve performance and realise objectives through the management and development of their people.
Norms on the Responsibilities of Transnational Corporations and other Business Enterprises with regard to Human Rights U.N. Doc. E/CN.4/Sub.2/2003/12/Rev.2 U.N. Doc. E/CN.4/Sub.2/2003/L.11 at 52 (2003) http://www.unhchr.ch/huridocda/huridoca.nsf/(Symbol)/E.CN.4.Sub.2.2003.12.Rev.2.En?Opendocument
OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises www.oecd.org/daf/investment/guidelines
OECD Risk Awareness Tool for Multinational Enterprises in Weak Governance Zones http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/26/21/36885821.pdf
Office of Government Commerce, Guide on Fair and Ethical Trading http://www.ogc.gov.uk/social_issues_in_purchasing_fair_and_ethical_trade.asp
OGC has produced a guidance note for Departments on how to account for fair and ethical trading issues in public procurement - particularly in relation to Fairtrade products. This note outlines the action that can be taken, under the EU procurement directives and the Government's procurement policy, to meet Departmental fair trade objectives.
UNDP Human Development Reports http://hdr.undp.org/en/
UN Millennium Development Goals http://www.un.org/millenniumgoals/
Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights http://www.voluntaryprinciples.org/
DIRECTORIES/DATABASES
Business and Human Rights Resource Centre http://www.business-humanrights.org/Home
Business Link service/ Guide on Ethical Trading http://www.businesslink.gov.uk/bdotg/action/layer?r.l1=1073858802&topicId=1074297694&r.l2=1073878062&r.s=tl
The Business Link service is a crucial part of the government's campaign to promote enterprise and to make the UK the best place in the world to start and grow a business.
CorporateRegister.com http://www.corporateregister.com/about.html
Global directory of CSR related resources.
CSRwire http://www.csrwire.com/
CSRwire is the leading source of corporate social responsibility and sustainability news, reports and information. CSRwire members are companies and NGOs, agencies and organizations interested in communicating their corporate citizenship, sustainability, and socially responsible initiatives to a global audience through CSRwire's syndication network and weekly News Alerts
Ethical Corporation - http://www.ethicalcorp.com/
Provides articles, conferences, information and commentary on CSR issues
Ethical Performance – http://www.ethicalperformance.com/
Articles and commentary on ethical issues
Small Business Journey http://www.smallbusinessjourney.com/
The Small Business Journey is a way for small businesses to realise more value by behaving responsibly.
CONSULTANCIES/TRAINING
Business for Social Responsibility http://www.bsr.org/
Business for Social Responsibility (BSR) provides socially responsible business solutions to many of the world's leading corporations. Headquartered in San Francisco and with offices in Europe and China, BSR is a nonprofit business association that serves its 250 member companies and other Global 1000 enterprises. Through advisory services, convenings and research, BSR works with corporations and concerned stakeholders of all types to create a more just and sustainable global economy.
Fair Measures - http://www.fairmeasures.com/
Fair Measures specializes in training executives and managers in management practices that prevent costly employee lawsuits, and in training all employees to create fair and respectful workplaces.
IMPACTT http://www.impacttlimited.com/
Impactt helps companies to improve labour standards in their supply chains in a way that makes business sense.
Canadian Business for Social Responsibility http://www.cbsr.ca/
Founded in 1995, CBSR is a business-led, non-profitCSR consultancy andpeer-to-peer learning organization that provides its members with candid counsel and customized advisory services as they formulate powerful business decisions that improve performance and contribute to a better world.
SustainAbility http://www.sustainability.com/
Established in 1987, SustainAbility advises clients on the risks and opportunities associated with corporate responsibility and sustainable development. Working at the interface between market forces and societal expectations, they seek solutions to social and environmental challenges that deliver long term value.
COMPANIES
BP – Environment and Society http://www.bp.com
Shell – Environment and Society http://www.shell.com