Background

The ASEAN has adopted the Roadmap for ASEAN Community 2009 - 2015 which contains blueprints for an ASEAN Socio - Cultural Community, with its strategic objectives to “ensure that Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is incorporated in the corporate agenda and to contribute towards sustainable socio - economic development in ASEAN Member States.”

The ASEAN CSR Network, launched on 11 January 2011, aims to provide opportunities for networking and exchange, to be a venue for discussing and addressing regional issues and concerns, and to be advocate and capacity builder for acceptance of international norms of CSR behaviour. It also seeks to serve as a centralised repository of all the information gathered and provide easy access to participating organisations and partners in the region.

Objectives

This statement outlines how businesses in the participating countries of the ASEAN CSR Network should take account of their economic, social and environmental impact in the way they operate. With commitment to CSR, businesses are expected to align their vision and business strategy with the needs and expectations of stakeholders while embedding such principles into their daily operations.

Companies should also seek to contribute to achieving the following United Nations 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

1. End poverty in all its forms everywhere
2. End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture
3. Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages
4. Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all
5. Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls
6. Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all
7. Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all
8. Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all
9. Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation
10. Reduce inequality within and among countries
11. Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable
12. Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns
13. Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts
14. Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development
15. Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss
16. Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels
17. Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the global partnership for sustainable development

There are useful benchmarks for responsible business such as ILO Tripartite Declaration of Principles concerning MNEs and Social Policy, the OECD Guidelines for MNEs and the United Nations Global Compact, ISO2600 and Global Reporting Initiative to achieve the MDGs.

This Statement supports the UN Global Compact principles and ISO26000, and defines business approach as engaging with stakeholders to achieve the greater goal of sustainable development.

1. Environment

In this policy statement businesses should be committed to:

• Support a precautionary approach to environmental challenges;
• Undertake initiatives to promote greater environmental responsibility;
• Encourage the development and diffusion of environmentally friendly technologies.

The Management will ensure that the business reduces the environmental impact of the Company by:

• Developing and implementing awareness-raising activities and emergency response procedures to reduce and mitigate environmental, health and safety impacts caused by accidents
• Reducing materials, water and energy use
• Implementing sustainable procurement in its purchasing decisions
• Assessing the environmental impact prior to the execution of a new project
• Using environmentally sound technologies and practices
• Continuously monitor and improve the environmental management
• Raising the awareness of the climate change within the organisation

2. Labour

In this policy statement businesses should be committed to:

• Uphold the freedom of association and the effective recognition of the right to collective bargaining;
• Eliminate all forms of forced and compulsory labour;
• Eliminate child labour;
• Eliminate discrimination in respect of employment and occupation.

The Management will ensure that the business

• Recognises the importance of secure employment to both the individual worker and to society.
• Ensures equal opportunities for all workers and not discriminate either directly or indirectly in any labour practice.
• Pays wages at least adequate for the needs of workers and their families.
• Respects the right of workers to adhere to normal or agreed working hours established in laws, regulations or collective agreements.
• Develops, implements and maintains an occupational health and safety policy based on the principle that strong safety and health standards and organizational performance are mutually supportive and reinforcing.

3. Anti-corruption

In this policy statement businesses should be committed to work against corruption in all its forms, including extortion and bribery.

4. Human Rights

In this policy statement businesses should be committed to:

• Support and respect the protection of internationally proclaimed human rights;
• Make sure that they are not complicit in human rights abuses.

The Management will ensure that the business

• Respects all individual civil and political rights including life of individuals, freedom of opinion and expression, the right to own property and freedom of peaceful assembly and of association.
• Facilitates access to, and where possible providing support and facilities for, education and lifelong learning for community members.
• Regularly assesses the impact of its policies and activities on promotion of equal opportunities and non-discrimination.

Every employee in the business is expected to give their full commitment to the above principles in their activities at work. Partners, vendors and suppliers are also expected to respect such principles. The effectiveness of the Policy Statement will be reviewed at least annually by the Management to monitor the business’ continuous compliance with any relevant legislation and to identify areas in need of further improvement and revision.

The ISO26000, international guidance on social responsibility, can be supplementary to this policy statement in implementing CSR principles. In communicating businesses’ CSR effort with stakeholders, the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) provides universal reporting framework and guidelines.

The business will also ensure that all areas are communicated among individual staff as necessary

To download the Asean CSR Network's policy statement click here.