After 12 months of becoming a signatory the organisation is required to produce an annual Communication on Progress (CoP), outlining how the organisation has addressed the 10 guiding principles. The report needs to be submitted annually and is uploaded onto the UN Global Compact’s website.
The UN Global Compact is not an auditable standard – it is based on self-disclosure.
The 10 principles include:
HUMAN RIGHTS
– Principle 1: Businesses should support and respect the protection of internationally proclaimed human rights; and
– Principle 2: make sure that they are not complicit in human rights abuses.
LABOUR
– Principle 3: Businesses should uphold the freedom of association and the effective recognition of the right to collective bargaining;
– Principle 4: the elimination of all forms of forced and compulsory labour;
– Principle 5: the effective abolition of child labour; and
– Principle 6: the elimination of discrimination in respect of employment and occupation.
ENVIRONMENT
– Principle 7: Businesses should support a precautionary approach to environmental challenges;
– Principle 8: undertake initiatives to promote greater environmental responsibility; and
– Principle 9: encourage the development and diffusion of environmentally friendly technologies.
ANTI-CORRUPTION
– Principle 10: Businesses should work against corruption in all its forms, including extortion and bribery.
If your organisation needs help identifying which certification scheme or framework best suits your business or sustainability strategy, please get in touch. We welcome the opportunity to help you develop your sustainability program.
SA8000 (Social Accountability)
Issues addressed: labour rights standards including child labour, forced labour, health and safety, freedom of association and the right to collective bargaining, discrimination, disciplinary practices, working hours and remuneration
SA8000 is an auditable certification standard that encourages organisations to develop, maintain and apply socially acceptable practices in the workplace and to incorporate them into a management system.
The SA8000® Standard can be applied to any company of any size worldwide. Adopting SA8000 certification means an organisation must consider the social impact of their operations in addition to the conditions under which their employees, partners and suppliers operate.
One of the key requirements of the SA8000® Standard is for workers (usually factory workers) to be paid a living wage. Wages shall be sufficient to meet the basic needs and to provide discretionary income – in some cases this may be more than the minimum wage determined by the law of the sovereign state.
The table below outlines stats relating to the number of facilities that are certified to SA8000, the countries represented, the industries represented and the number of employees who are working in SA8000 certified facilities.
- Number of employees -1,998,17
- Certified facilities-3,860
- Countries represented-64
- Industries represented -56