Ryerson CSR Institute Session: ISO 26000 Social Responsibility Standard - Where to from here?

The ISO 26000 International Standard -- Guidance on Social Responsibility was developed by a global working group with 450 participating experts and 210 observers from 99 ISO member countries and 42 organizations in liaison.  ISO 26000 was developed under the auspices of the Technical Management Board (TMB) of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). Described as a meta-organization, ISO is a non-state standards body, a federation of some 160 national standards bodies.  

Although ISO is a private body, remarkably, the development of ISO 26000 attracted the participation of peak inter-governmental bodies such as the UN Global Compact (UNGC), the World Health Organization (WHO), the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP), the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development( UNCTAD), the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), and the UN International Labour Organization (ILO).  All of the G7 governments participated in the development of ISO 26000, as did many other governments from developed and developing countries.  

Peak industry bodies and individual companies participated, such as the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), the International Organization of Employers (IOE), the International Council on Mines and Metals (ICMM), and IPIECA, the global oil and gas industry association devoted to environmental and social issues.  Rivalrous standards bodies also participated (e.g., ISEAL/SA 8000, AA 1000 and Global Reporting Initiative), as did peak global labour organizations, consumer organizations, standards representatives, and others.

The resultant International Standard therefore represents an important statement of the global community concerning what is expected of organizations on social and environmental issues, no matter where they operate. ISO 26000 provides practical guidance on the principles of social responsibility, explains the core subjects of social responsibility, and offers approaches for implementing socially responsible behavior into everyday operations.

While the standard ISO 26000-Guidance on Social Responsibility was agreed to and published internationally in 2010, it has only recently been adopted as a National Standard of Canada as CAN/CSA ISO 26000 Guidance on Social Responsibility.  The purpose of this seminar is to explore the standard’s development at the international level (and international variations), its position in the emerging global standards infrastructure, its structure and content, its current applications by organizations around the world, stakeholder perspectives, and possible next steps for Canada.   

This event is co-sponsored by the Ryerson CSR Student Association, the Ryerson Commerce and Government Association, and the Ryerson Law and Business Student Association.

Dr. Kernaghan Webb (Associate Professor, Ryerson University)

David Simpson (Director, InterPraxis; Chair, CSA Technical Committee on Social Responsibility)

Dr. Jonathan Fowler (CEO, J.A. Fowler and Associates Inc.)

Robert White (President, BRI International)

Howard Deane (Member of the Board of Directors, Consumers Council of Canada)

Dr. Ana-Maria Tomlinson (Project Manager, CSA Group)