Background on TMB/Social Responsibility
In September 2004 a working group was established within ISO, to develop an international standard providing guidelines for social responsibility (ISO/TMB/WG-SR). The objective is to produce a guidance document, written in plain language that is understandable and usable by non-specialists, and not a specification document or management systems standard (MSS) intended for third party certification. The work is intended to add value to, and not replace, existing inter-governmental agreements with relevance to social responsibility, such as the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and those adopted by the International Labour Organization (ILO). The standard should be usable for organizations of all sizes, in countries at every stage of development.
The standard is being developed using through balanced representation in the working group, of six designated stakeholder categories: industry, government, labour, consumers, nongovernmental organizations and others, in addition to geographical and gender-based balance. The designation of the standard is ISO 26000 and the target date for publication is October 2008.
The AIHA is represented in the United States Technical Advisory Group (TAG) by Jeffrey Hogue of the Stewardship and Sustainability Committee. The American Society for Quality was awarded the administration of the US/TAG on Social Responsibility by the American National Standards Institute.
Links/Contacts
Jeffrey Hogue MS, REA, CIH
AIHA Liaison D Expert to ISO WG/SR
AIHA USTAG/SR Representative
+1 (650) 846-7618 wk
+1 (650) 621-7918 fax
+1 (650) 444-8146 Mobile in The Americas and EMEA
+ 86 13921181256 Mobile in ASPAC
jeff.hogue@danisco.com
ISO WG/SR (ISO 26000) Update 4/29/2008
The breadth of international support for the development of the future ISO 26000 standard giving guidance on social responsibility was demonstrated a the fifth plenary meeting of the ISO Working Group on Social Responsibility (WG SR), held in Vienna, Austria, November 2007:
The meeting, which was hosted by the Austrian Standards Institute, was held with the support of the Austrian government and Austrian Development Agency, together with the United Nations Global Compact and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization. It attracted the record participation of some 400 experts representing the six participating stakeholder groups: industry; government; labor; consumers; nongovernmental organizations; and service, support, research and others. The number of developing country members has almost doubled since the beginning of the process and exceeds the number of developed country members.
AIHA was added as a Liaison D organization to the ISO WG/SR for the Vienna meeting. Jeffrey Hogue participated as the AIHA expert and was actively involved in the proceedings and critical elements of the standard that effect AIHA membership. He was also involved in commenting on Working Draft 4.1 (WD 4.1) to address questions raised by the Integrated Drafting Task Force.
ISO 26000 is intended for use by organizations of all types, in both public and private sectors, in developed as well as developing countries. ISO 26000 will contain guidance, not requirements. It is not a management system standard and will not be for use as a certification standard.
Almost 7,225 comments were received from the WG SR's experts on the third working draft of ISO 26000 (before Vienna). Enough key topics were resolved at the meeting to enable the work to be launched to produce a fourth working draft (WD.4). This draft is being developed by a new Integrated
Drafting Task Force, established at the Vienna meeting, with balanced stakeholder representation.
The WG membership has now reached 71 participating countries, with another eight as observers, plus 37 liaison organizations.
Next Steps
- A complete timeline can be found online.
- March 2008 - AIHA submitted comments on WD 4.1
- April 2008 - Comments were complied by the IDTF (SR N 142)
- June 2, 2008 - WD 4.2 to be completed and distributed to all experts. Jeff Hogue to work with AIHA representatives to collect and organize member comments.
- July 11, 2008 - Comments on WD 4.2 due to WG/SR Secreteriat
- August 11, 2008 - IDTF Secretariat to distribute pre-Santiago key issues to
be resolved
- September 2008 - The next meeting of the WG SR will be held in Santiago,
Chile, hosted by the national standards body, INN.
ISO/TMB/WG-SR Update 11/2006
- May 13, 2006 - Third meeting held in Lisbon, Spain to discuss Working Draft 1 (WD.1) based on design specifications agreed upon in the 2nd meeting in Bangkok in September 2005.
- October 6, 2006 - Working Draft 2 completed (WD.2), published as document N080. Comments required by December 4, 2006.
- November 3, 2006 - Meeting of US/TAG in Washington DC to define consensus issues for WD.2 and determine attendees for Sydney meeting.
- January 29, 2006 - Fourth meeting of international Working Group to be held in Sydney.