The ISO 26000 Social Responsibility Management System is an international management system developed by the International Standards Organization (ISO) to help businesses effectively evaluate and address their mission and vision, process and procedures, their customers, employees and their social responsibilities that are relevant and meaningful to the environment. .
The ISO 26000 standard provides guidance to businesses in the following areas: recognizing social responsibility and engaging stakeholders, integrating socially responsible behavior into the enterprise as a whole and maintaining the seven underlying principles of social responsibility. These are: accountability, transparency, ethical conduct, respect for stakeholder interests, respect for the rule of law, respect for international norms of behavior and respect for human rights.
The ISO 26000 Social Responsibility Management System covers seven key issues related to social responsibility. These include organization management, human rights, business practices, environmental problems, equity, consumer issues and community involvement and development. The content of these core issues is different and businesses have to determine which topics are most relevant and meaningful to them, depending on their field of activity.
All businesses in the private, public and non-profit sectors can apply ISO 26000, regardless of size.
In general, the main objectives of the ISO 26000 Social Responsibility Management System are:
Respect cultural, social, environmental and legal differences and conditions of economic development and help businesses fulfill their social responsibilities
Guiding the operationalization of social responsibility
To increase the credibility of the reports and claims prepared on social responsibility and to support the identification and relationship with the stakeholders
Evaluate performance results and highlight improvements
To increase trust and satisfaction in relations between customers and other stakeholders
To be consistent with existing documents, international agreements, conventions and existing ISO standards
Develop a common terminology in the field of social responsibility
Expanding social responsibility awareness
The ISO 26000 standard is based on the SA 1997 Social Responsibility standard, published by the International Social Responsibility International (SAI) in 8000. This standard was developed and the ISO 2010 Social Responsibility Management System standard was published by the International Standards Organization (ISO) in 26000.
Organizations that implement the ISO 26000 standard have prepared the company infrastructure for sustainability. In this way, the social and environmental added value of the organization is increased. This standard provides improvements in many problematic areas such as the working conditions of the children, working hours of the employees, forced labor, the right of workers to form trade unions and collective bargaining, the health and safety conditions of employees, discrimination and disciplinary practices within the enterprise.
The reputation and respectability of the companies applying the ISO 26000 standard increases, their competitive advantages increase, they reach new markets more easily, the morale of employees, their loyalty to the enterprise and their productivity increase and the perception of the company changes positively.
In fact, the ISO 26000 standard is not intended to reduce the social responsibility of government agencies.
In the ISO 26000 standard, seven basic issues of social responsibility are described in the sixth article of the standard as follows:
Organizational governance: Decisions should be made considering the expectations of the society. Accountability, transparency, ethics and stakeholders should be the key factors in the organization's decision-making process.
Human rights: All people have the right to fair treatment and the elimination of discrimination, torture and exploitation. Sub-topics are: due diligence, human rights risk situations, avoidance of complexity, resolution of complaints, discrimination and vulnerable groups, civil and political rights, economic, social and cultural rights and basic principles and rights in the workplace.
Labor practices: Employees on behalf of the organization are not a commodity. The aim is to prevent unfair competition based on abuse and abuse. The sub-headings in this context are: employment and employment relations, labor and social protection conditions, social dialogue, occupational health and safety and human development and training in the workplace.
Environment: The organization is responsible for reducing and eliminating unsustainable production and consumption patterns and ensuring that per capita resource consumption is sustainable. Sub-topics are: prevention of pollution, sustainable use of resources, mitigation and adaptation of climate change and environmental protection, biodiversity and restoration of natural habitats.
Fair business practices: Establishing fair competition systems, preventing corruption, promoting fair competition and promoting the reliability of fair business practices help to establish sustainable social systems. Sub-topics are: anti-corruption, responsible political participation, fair competition, promoting social responsibility in the value chain and respecting property rights.
Consumer issues: It is the organization's responsibility to promote fair, sustainable and fair economic and social development in relation to consumer health, safety and access. In this context, the sub-headings are: Fair marketing, factual and impartial information and fair contract practices, protecting consumer health and safety, sustainable consumption, consumer service, support and resolution of complaints and disputes, consumer data protection and confidentiality, access to basic services and education and awareness .
Community involvement and development: The organization should be concerned with creating sustainable social structures with increasing levels of education and welfare. Sub-topics in this context are: community participation, education and culture, employment creation and skills development, technology development and access, wealth and income generation, health and social investment.
Social responsibility has become an important issue that has been expressed more and more with the increasing pressure from the public sphere in recent years. The objective of the social responsibility approach is to improve reliable reporting, accountability and market performance for businesses.
The ISO 26000 Social Responsibility Management System standard is the first global standard for corporate social responsibility. This standard, unlike other ISO management systems standards, is a guidance standard and is therefore not intended for certification purposes. This ISO 26000 standard applies to all types of businesses, regardless of size, activity area or location, and helps to implement socially responsible activities. To date, it is estimated that more than 80 countries have adopted this standard as a national standard. Adaptation is underway in more than 20 countries. This standard has also been translated into more than 30 languages.
In short, ISO 26000, the Social Responsibility Management System standard, is an international standard that provides guidance on how businesses meet their expectations and focuses primarily on human rights, working conditions, environmental conditions, consumer conditions, responsible social development, corporate governance and fair business practices.
First, it is determined whether the organization meets the mandatory requirements of the standard and whether to proceed to the next stage.
It is checked whether necessary procedures and audits have been developed and your institution's readiness for evaluation is reviewed.
The findings that arise in the first two stages are evaluated and after all corrective actions are reviewed, document preparation is started.
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