Much is currently being said about the topic of Social Responsibility, both nationally and internationally,…
- But we have asked ourselves what is Social Responsibility? What does it imply? What is its scope? What is really the commitment?
According to the green paper of the Commission of the European Communities based in Brussels, to promote a framework in Europe on corporate social responsibility, social responsibility is:
"The voluntary integration by companies of social and environmental concerns in their business operations and their relationships with their interlocutors"
According to the Mexican Center for Philanthropy, a responsible company is one that bases its mission and social commitment on policies and programs that benefit its business and positively impact the communities in which it operates, beyond its obligations and expectations of the community ”
Background
Social responsibility is not something new in the business world, although in recent years it is acquiring a new dimension due to the special interest that it entails, since it has overcome the anecdotal or the philanthropic.
Since the end of the 19th century, social responsibility activities have been carried out in all European countries, including the United States. However, it is in recent years that significant guidelines and guidelines for action in this area appear at the hands of international organizations such as The United Nations and in particular the International Labor Organization, ILO, which has had a relevant role in this matter since its foundation in 1914. Thus, its declaration of fundamental principles and human rights is a basic point of reference. The new conception of SR in companies comes as a consequence of the inequality between countries that is generated through globalization, the deterioration of the environment, and social inequality.
What is the current scope of social responsibility?
The current concept of social responsibility, goes beyond the limits of the industry and its environment, it is no longer just talking about Social Responsibility of companies, but rather the Social Responsibility of Civil Society, which is in the duty to identify and contribute solutions to problems of public interest through citizen strategies and initiatives that are inspired by transparency, plurality, sustainability and civic ethics.
Social responsibility encompasses unimaginable issues such as the commitment to comply with tax responsibilities, with respect for society through the media, with respect for human rights, with better living conditions for the workers of a company, with its training and professional development, with facilities for the disabled that allow them to actively integrate into the activities of the common citizen, giving them transportation facilities, access facilities to commercial premises and buildings.
Being socially responsible does not only mean fully complying with legal obligations, but also going beyond compliance by investing more in human capital, the environment and relations with the interlocutors.
Social responsibility and the consumer
One of the most relevant aspects of social responsibility is the role of the consumer, in fact many of the global initiatives have been the product of pressure from consumers and NGOs.
At this point it is important to reflect on something that we never take into account when selecting our products and I think it is one of the issues where we should be most aware and these questions came up: Would you buy a product from a company that:
- Don't pay taxes? Hire minors? Offer commissions to your government buyers? Pollute the environment? Violate your workers' human rights? Be discriminatory regarding sex or race? Is there sexual harassment?
A good reflection… that leaves us to think…
Experience in Venezuela
In our country there are many experiences that have been developed in Venezuela since the beginning of the 20th century, as indicated by Lic. Charo Méndez in her book "Social Responsibility of entrepreneurs and companies in Venezuela during the 20th century", in addition to a series of events that the Venezuelan American Chamber Venamchan has held recently.
However, while it is true that great efforts have been made, it is no less true that many of them have been dedicated to social and philanthropic activities and as a result of the establishment of tax laws that allow the relief of these activities.
We still have a long way to go. For example, in terms of support for the disabled as well as other issues of national interest, we are quite far from this reality.
International standardization
In 2000, the Council of the International Organization for Standardization ISO urged the COPOLCO Committee on Consumer Policies to study the feasibility of drawing up the international standard on the topic of Social Responsibility, following the request for drawing up of a standard raised by the Israel standardization body, which was accompanied by the outline of the Israeli standard SI 10000 Social responsibility and community participation, among other documents that were reported to ISO at that time.
In that same year and through the Working Group, an electronic exchange on the subject was organized, which resulted, among others, in the recommendation to analyze the guidelines of the OECD (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development of the UN) that sets principles for companies to achieve levels of comprehensive protection (consumer, worker, community, including human rights) regardless of where they operate and the need to start feasibility and convenience work on the development of social responsibility standards, especially after the previous frustrated experience of having started standardization work in the aspect of hygiene and occupational safety.
In 2003, the ISO created the Advisory Group on the topic of Social Responsibility, identified as SAG. This SAG Group specifically advises the Technical Management Board TMB.
Recently, in June 2004, and during the conference held in Stockholm organized by ISO with the support of the Swedish Standards Institute (SIS) and AIDS, in which I had the opportunity to participate, the possibility of preparing a document was evaluated of an international nature that establishes common guidelines to the different countries that make it up on how to plan, implement and monitor these actions, in this conference the different positions that exist worldwide were known through presentations made by the different stakeholders called "Stakeholders * ”And what is its development and reach worldwide. The positions of those involved were heard, reaching interesting conclusions about the concept of social responsibility and its global reach.
As a consequence of this meeting, the ISO (Technical Management Board) TMB agreed to create a Working Group coordinated by Sweden and Brazil, to prepare said document, which will begin its work in January 2005, hoping to obtain a result in a period of 3 years.
National standardization
In Venezuela, Fondonorma, the national organization for quality standardization and certification, based on the experience of ISO and other countries such as Israel, Brazil, Colombia, England, and Mexico, has begun work in the area of Social Responsibility for which it called to a series of Institutions, linked to the subject in order to evaluate the Creation of a mirror Commission of the ISO Working Group. From said meeting came the recommendation to create such a Commission, which will be submitted to the Superior Council of Fund.
