“Organizations around the world, and their stakeholders, are becoming increasingly aware of the need for and benefits of socially responsible behavior. The aim of social responsibility is to contribute to sustainable development.”

The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) has been working on ISO 26000: Guidance on Social Responsibility since 2005. The quote above is part of the introduction in a draft of ISO 26000 available online here.

The guidelines address trends, characteristics, and principles of social responsibility, guidance on core subjects (organizational governance, human rights, labor practices, the environment, fair operating practices, consumer issues, and community involvement and development), and how to integrate social responsibility in an organization.

ISO emphasizes that the guidelines are not meant as a management system standard or intended for certification purposes or regulatory or contractual use. Instead, ISO 26000:

• Provides guidance on the underlying principles of social responsibility
• Is intended to be useful to all types of organizations
• Is intended for use by those beginning to address social responsibility as well as those more experienced with its implementation

Ninety-one countries and 42 organizations are participating in the development of ISO 26000. The goal is to finalize and publish it as an International Standard in late 2010. As the organization notes in a brochure about the guidelines (available here -pdf), “The future ISO 26000 will distill a globally relevant understanding of what social responsibility is and what organizations need to do to operate in a socially responsible way.”

To learn more about ISO 26000, visit the Social Responsibility Web site here.

To read about corporate social responsibility, click on the following articles:

• Purpose-Inspired Growth
• Corporate Social Responsibility

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