ISO 26000 gives
guidance on SR. It integrates international expertise on social responsibility
– what it means, what issues an organization needs to address in order to
operate in a socially responsible manner, and what is best practice in
implementing SR. It is intended for use by organizations of all types, in both
public and private sectors, in developed and developing countries, as well as
in economies in transition. ISO 26000 is a powerful SR tool to assist
organizations to move from good intentions to good actions. ISO 26000 contains
voluntary guidance, not requirements, and therefore is not for use as a
certification standard like ISO 9001 and ISO 14001. 2010 saw the launch of one
of the most eagerly awaited International Standards of recent years, ISO 26000,
which provides guidance to both business and public sector organizations on
social responsibility (SR).
Quality Glossary
Definition: ISO 26000: “ISO 26000 is defined as the international standard
developed to help organizations effectively assess and address social
responsibilities that are relevant and significant to their mission and vision;
operations and processes; customers, employees, communities, and other stakeholders;
and environmental impactâ€.
It is also
increasingly being used as a measure of their overall performance. Business and
organizations do not operate in a vacuum. Their relationship to the society and
environment in which they operate is a critical factor in their ability to
continue to operate effectively. It is also increasingly being used as a
measure of their overall performance. ISO 26000 provides guidance on how
businesses and organizations can operate in a socially responsible way. This
means acting in an ethical and transparent way that contributes to the health
and welfare of society. The ISO 26000 standard
provides guidance on:
·
Recognizing
social responsibility and engaging stakeholders.
·
Ways
to integrate socially responsible behavior into the organization.
·
The
seven key underlying principles of social responsibility:
1. Accountability
2. Transparency
3. Ethical behavior
4. Respect for
stakeholder interests
5. Respect for the
rule of law
6. Respect for
international norms of behavior
7. Respect for
human rights
·
The
seven core subjects and issues pertaining to social responsibility:
1. Organizational
governance
2. Human rights
3. Labor practices
4. The environment
5. Fair operating
practices
6. Consumer issues
7. Community
involvement and development
In addition to providing definitions and information to help
organizations understand and address social responsibility, the ISO 26000
standard emphasizes the importance of results and improvements in performance
on social responsibility.
User questions & answers