All Articles About Economic, Social & Cultural Rights

BSR Insight Article: Doing Business With China's New Generation of Workers

Wei Dong Zhou, Former General Manager, Tanoto Foundation

In December 2009, Time magazine unveiled its short list for Person of the Year. Though the Chinese worker was eventually a runner up to Ben Bernanke, the second-place nomination belies huge changes sweeping across China, as “new generation” workers aspire to more than just higher wages and better working conditions. As we learn from a discussion with BSR’s China Director, these workers represent a significant shift taking place that has implications for global companies, consumers, and 800 million workers in a country that no longer wants to be “the sweatshop of the world.” Read more →

Posted: November 16, 2010 | Topics: Consumer Products, Economic, Social & Cultural Rights, Human Rights, Information & Communications Technology, Supply Chain

BSR Insight Article: Actress and Activist Challenges Us to 'Engage When the Going Gets Rough'

The BSR Conference 2010 plenary and I³ sessions featured global experts who shared ideas on how to integrate innovation into strategy and core business. Read more →

Posted: November 9, 2010 | Topics: Economic, Social & Cultural Rights, Human Rights, Labor Migration, Strategy & Integration, Supply Chain

BSR Insight Article: 'Workers' Rights' Tops List of Priorities in Year Ahead

According to one key finding from a new survey of nearly 400 BSR members (see chart below), workers' rights has jumped to the top of the list of significant priorities for companies' CSR/sustainability efforts in the year ahead, followed by human rights, climate change, and water quality/availability. Climate change dropped two spots from last year, when it was at the top of the list and workers' rights was third. Read more →

Posted: November 2, 2010 | Topics: Climate Change, Economic, Social & Cultural Rights, Supply Chain

Blog: Streamlining the Millennium Development Goals for More Impact

Aron Cramer, President and CEO

In New York last week, government, civil society, and business leaders converged to assess progress on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and raise additional funds at the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) in order to meet them. Despite a still sluggish economy, CGI managed to generate an impressive US$2.5 billion in pledges from its participants. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon added to this with a pledge of US$40 billion over the next five years to catapult progress toward the 2015 finish line, particularly targeting aid for women and girls. Great work, Bill! Read more →

Posted: September 29, 2010 | Topics: Economic Development, Economic, Social & Cultural Rights, Human Rights

BSR Insight Article: The Path to 'Conflict-Free': Risk Management or Responsibility?

Marshall Chase, Associate Director, Advisory Services

With recent headlines about the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) broadcasting strong claims like “Break the Link Between Laptops and War” and “Death by Gadget,” it’s easy to get the impression that the information and communications technology (ICT) sector is solely responsible for the violence in that country. These articles generally focus on the association between “conflict minerals” (tin, tantalum, tungsten, and gold) used in ICT supply chains and the ongoing violence in the eastern DRC that has contributed to the deaths of more than five million people during the past 15 years. Read more →

Posted: September 28, 2010 | Topics: Conflict Minerals, Consumer Products, Economic, Social & Cultural Rights, Human Rights, Information & Communications Technology, Supply Chain