Tools about Business Social Responsibility: A new report in Spanish and English

April 22, 2004 -- ifPeople, which works to create value in responsible enterprises, and the Red Puentes, that promotes the development of business social responsibility practices in Latin America, announce a report with clear and practical information about the tools for Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).

"Survey on Tools for Corporate Social Responsibility", a freely available online resource, offers information about tools and their use. The objective of this report is to give civil society organizations and business access to and an understanding of the tools that foster CSR. The report, prepared by ifPeople, appears as part of the ongoing work of Red Puentes to foster CSR in Latin America.

The report includes the systematic evaluation of thirteen tools, a collection of official documents related to each tool, and links to the organization responsible for the production of the document. The tools surveyed, organized according to their characteristics, are characterized by their international acceptance and large range of application in businesses across the globe. All the tools have an extensive support of stakeholders and many are ratified by international organizations, such as the United Nations.

The report can be found at:
http://www.ifpeople.net -or- http://www.redpuentes.org

The information about use of these tools in civil society is the most original aspect of this research; this information currently can not be found in any other consolidated report. "It is important that civil society organizations be familiar with the internationally-accepted standards that cover different issues of Corporate Social Responsibility," explains Tirza Hollenshort, ifPeople researcher on the project, "and that they also know how to properly use them and choose among the available tools."

The Multilateral Tools Team of Red Puentes, with participants in five countries, coordinates the network's efforts in this field. The current research, carried out by Tirza Hollenhorst and Christopher Johnson, is part of a continuous project of the international network Red Puentes. The present report includes reviews of the follosing tools: AA1000, SA8000, the Global Compact, the OECD Multinational Business Guidelines, the Tripartite Declaration of the International Labour Organization (ILO) Principles on Multinational Business and Social Policy, ILO Conventions, International Right to Know, Forest Stewardship Council, Ibase's Social Balance, Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), Codes of Conduct, Socially Responsible Investing (SRI), and Fair Trade.

ifPeople (Innovation for People) is a responsible enterprise with headquarters in the United States and operations in South and North America. ifPeople works with clients from diverse sectors and industries to identify and capitalize on opportunities to create value with economical, ecological, and social benefits. ifPeople provides consulting, research and development services on issues such as Corporate Social Responsibility, Sustainability, Information Technology and complex systems. More information can be found at: www.ifpeople.net and the mirror site in Spanish at www.empresasustentable.com .

Red Puentes fosters the development of a culture and practice of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in Latin America from the perspectives and rights of civil society. Currently Red Puentes is made up of 18 institutions in 5 countries and a group of consultants. These institutions have working experience and programs about issues such as labour, environment, human rights, woman and gender, sustainability, health, economic and social development, and multinational corporations. The organizations and current members of the network are organized as National Groups and they establish their own forms of coordination and work. More information about the network, its members, and activities can be found at: www.redpuentes.org.



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