This progress report is a follow-up to the Social and Economic Council’s Statement on International Corporate Social Responsibility. In that statement, the central employers’ organisations and trade union federations call on businesses to develop initiatives for responsible supply chain management based on guidelines and recommendations of the ILO, OECD and the international Chamber of Commerce (ICC). It was agreed at the time that the SER would issue an annual progress report.
The Second progress report reveals that many international corporate social responsibility (IMVO) initiatives are being developed in relevant businesses, sectors and trade associations. For instance, various sectors have introduced sustainability agreements and are demonstrating increasingly sustainable processes and several commodity boards have launched specific projects.
The progress report includes an investigation into the sustainable purchasing policy of Dutch businesses. The investigation shows that more is taking place than businesses are reporting. Attention for sustainable purchasing appears to be increasing as businesses deal with more non-western suppliers. At the same time, the investigation highlights a number of challenges.
This progress report also focuses on the deepening of the basic philosophy of the IMVO Committee by assessing remedy mechanisms, as part of the Ruggie framework, Protect, respect and remedy, and the scope of supply chain management.
In 2012, there will be a final evaluation of the SER IMVO initiative, in which more policy-related conclusions will be drawn. However, one conclusion is already clear: IMVO/CSR is never finished, because it is a process that continues in parallel with developments in society and within the business community.