BSR Insight Articles About Economic, Social & Cultural Rights

Conducting Site-Level Human Rights Impact Assessments

Alejandra Martin, Manager, Advisory Services

Although more than 270 companies have human rights policy statements in place, few have implemented the policies, and even fewer have conducted human rights impact assessments at the site level. These assessments are particularly relevant for companies operating in remote areas where local governments and civil society have limited experience interacting with the private sector. Read more →

Posted: March 29, 2011 | Topics: Community Engagement & Development, Consumer Products, Economic, Social & Cultural Rights, Energy, Financial Services, Food, Beverage & Agriculture, Health Care, Human Rights, Information & Communications Technology, Mining, Reporting & Communications, Stakeholder Relations, Strategy & Integration, Transportation, Travel & Tourism

Operating Locally: BSR’s Three-Step Approach to Delivering Lasting Value

Michael Oxman, Director, Advisory Services

Leading energy and extractive companies continue to develop new approaches to ensuring benefits to local communities and other key stakeholders from large capital projects and ongoing operations. These benefits include economic opportunities such as employment and the procurement of goods and services from local suppliers as well as benefits from social investments in education, health, and other community areas of need. Read more →

Posted: March 29, 2011 | Topics: Community Engagement & Development, Economic Development, Economic, Social & Cultural Rights, Energy, Human Rights, Mining, Strategy & Integration, Supply Chain

The Case (Book) for Responsible Labor

Terry Nelidov, Former Manager, Advisory Services

BSR's new "Stories From the Field" provides a reader-friendly collection of 14 case studies from our DR-CAFTA Responsible Competitiveness Project in Central America and the Dominican Republic, which BSR created and led to make the business case for responsible labor in the region. Read more →

Posted: March 22, 2011 | Topics: Community Engagement & Development, Consumer Products, Economic, Social & Cultural Rights, Food, Beverage & Agriculture, Governance & Accountability, Human Rights, Information & Communications Technology, Stakeholder Relations

Stories From the Field

Interview with Richard Feinberg, Professor, University of California, San Diego, by Terry Nelidov, Manager, Advisory Services, BSR

Terry Nelidov, project manager of BSR's DR-CAFTA Responsible Competitiveness Project, recently talked with University of California, San Diego Professor Richard Feinberg, a senior advisor to the project, about his insights gained from developing the case studies for it in BSR’s new compendium “Stories From the Field.” In excerpts below from the conversation, Professor Feinberg highlights both overall learnings from the three-year project and practical tools that companies anywhere in the world can apply to their labor and competitiveness strategies. Read more →

Posted: March 21, 2011 | Topics: Community Engagement & Development, Consumer Products, Economic Development, Economic, Social & Cultural Rights, Governance & Accountability, Human Rights, Information & Communications Technology, Stakeholder Relations, Strategy & Integration, Supply Chain

Closer Look: Understanding Land Deals in Africa

The International Institute for Environment and Development's new guide to understanding land deals in Africa explores the significant impacts land contracts have on agriculture and food security in recipient countries. Land contracts define the terms of an investment project, and particularly how risks, costs, and benefits are distributed and who has the authority to sign the contract and through what process. Read more →

Posted: March 15, 2011 | Topics: Civil & Political Rights, Community Engagement & Development, Economic, Social & Cultural Rights, Energy, Governance & Accountability, Mining, Stakeholder Relations, Strategy & Integration, Supply Chain