All Articles About Economic, Social & Cultural Rights
BSR Insight Article: Free, Prior, and Informed Consent: New IFC Standards Raise the Bar on Stakeholder Engagement
Jasmine Campbell, EMEA Manager, BSR Advisory Services
Following a 2008 UN declaration regarding free, prior, and informed consent (FPIC) of indigenous peoples before states or companies operate in their areas, the International Finance Corporation (IFC) introduced new consultation standards and an accompanying guidance note in 2012 that increase requirements for community consultation for private-sector, IFC-funded projects. The mere recognition of FPIC by the IFC raises the bar on stakeholder engagement. The IFC’s requirements make project assessment and consultation processes, including mitigation and compensation measures, more stringent and inclusive of indigenous peoples. As a result, the extractives industry has had to adopt a more rigorous approach to consulting and engaging with local communities, particularly where there are national laws requiring full community consent before granting permits for new projects, such as in the Philippines. BSR will host a full-day workshop on FPIC, led by our energy and extractives experts and other private sector and NGO stakeholders, at the British Museum in London on June 19, 2012. For more information, please visit the event page. Read more
Blog: Expanding the Response to Conflict Minerals
Amaya Gorostiaga, Former Manager, Advisory Services
With a grant from the GE Foundation, BSR is exploring ways for companies to partner with key stakeholders to support local-development and capacity-building efforts in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Companies, in partnership with civil society and government representatives, can play a role in supporting targeted and strategic social initiatives that address local-development needs in the region. A number of companies have already joined a wide range of actors to drive progress toward stopping the indirect financing of armed rebel groups through mine-certification schemes and mineral traceability. But while there is much to be said of these important efforts to create a clean and legitimate minerals trade, the multi-stakeholder response should also go beyond supply chain traceability and focus more attention on the millions of livelihoods that depend on the artisanal mining sector. Read more →
Report: Catalyzing Social Investment in China
Adam Lane, Manager, Advisory Services; Brooke Avory, Manager, Partnership Development
In this paper, we analyze the various forces driving social investment in China. We define social investment as the contribution of resources by business, foundations, or nonprofits toward the creation of social, environmental, and economic development (also termed strategic philanthropy or community investment). As China rapidly changes, the expectations for, and implementation of, social investment programs are changing quickly as well. Read more
Blog: An Expert’s View on Labor Trends in China
Jason Ho, Manager, Advisory Services & CTI
I recently sat down with legal expert and Shenzhen University Professor Hou Lingling to discuss the implications of China’s 12th five-year plan. In particular, we focused on the new social insurance law, which guarantees five social insurances for workers, including: pension, unemployment, work injury, medical care, and maternity leave regardless of non-local residency. We also spoke about the collective bargaining mechanisms (CBM) that were developed in response to demands from a new generation of workers that is more conscious of their rights and frequently using collective action against their employers. Read more →
BSR Insight Article: Innovative Solutions to Improving Women and Children’s Health
Elissa Goldenberg, Associate, Advisory Services
A new UN report explores how to improve women and children’s health globally. The report details what’s needed for successful development programs, outlines critical health needs, and highlights 10 innovative business models (including BSR’s HERproject) for delivering health services and products. Read more
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