November 1 marked the launch of one of ISO's most anticipated International Standards of recent years, ISO 26000: 2010, Guidance on social responsibility, which provides guidelines on social responsibility ( RS) to private sector companies and public sector organizations.
For Rob Steele, ISO Secretary General, “The publication of ISO 26000 is highly anticipated around the world by organizations of all types, private sector companies and public sector organizations. Social responsibility is becoming essential because society demands it more and more around the world. ISO 26000 differs from the many existing initiatives in the area of social responsibility in that it creates a real international consensus on the definition of social responsibility and the central issues that must be taken into account in order to implement it. It is further founded on the participation of a wide range of stakeholders - developing countries, businesses, governments, consumers, the world of work, non-governmental organizations and others. ”
Depending on the standard, the reality and perception of an organization's social responsibility performance can affect the following, among others:
- Its competitive advantages
- His reputation
- Its ability to attract and retain its employees or members, customers or users
- Maintaining the motivation and commitment of its employees, as well as their productivity
- The vision of investors, owners, donors, sponsors and the financial community
- Its relationships with businesses, public authorities, the media, suppliers, peers, customers and the community in which it operates.
ISO 26000 provides guidelines for all types of organizations, regardless of their size or location, regarding:
ISO 26000 is a voluntary standard that provides guidelines. It is not intended for certification purposes as are the ISO 9001: 2008 (quality management) and ISO 14001: 2004 (environmental management) standards.
Find out more: www.iso.org