Document Abstract
Published:
2007
The CSR navigator: public policies in Africa, the Americas, Asia and Europe
Public policy making and CSR.
This paper explores how governments can contribute to shaping a fair and balanced process of globalization by working together with private and civil society actors. It argues that incorporating
corporate social responsibility (CSR) into national policies can be seen as a first important step towards
this new, shared governance approach. By investigating drivers behind national CSR policymaking,
analysing existing instruments and highlighting the respective maturity of CSR policies in selected contexts
around the globe, the paper develops a CSR public policy profiles for each of the 13 countries analysed.
The paper aims to give policymakers and consultants worldwide a simple and flexible method to analyse the various CSR activities that are taking place in different national contexts. It also aims to provide a systematic overview of CSR public policy instruments, and build an accurate understanding of the current state of CSR in various countries. It stresses that governments around the world are clearly beginning to realise the benefits of using a range of instruments to align CSR and CSR-related policies with important goals in all policy fields. CSR policymaking can develop when it builds on a country’s existing instruments and the paper identifies deficits in key focal points: the economy, civil society, politics and strategies for cooperation. It further points out that a company which is serious about respecting human rights faces great and potentially costly ethical duties when operating in authoritarian countries. These duties can be rejected only by rejecting the human rights perspective. There are a number of important lessons on how to implement CSR, learnt during the projects implemented to date. These include:
corporate social responsibility (CSR) into national policies can be seen as a first important step towards
this new, shared governance approach. By investigating drivers behind national CSR policymaking,
analysing existing instruments and highlighting the respective maturity of CSR policies in selected contexts
around the globe, the paper develops a CSR public policy profiles for each of the 13 countries analysed.
The paper aims to give policymakers and consultants worldwide a simple and flexible method to analyse the various CSR activities that are taking place in different national contexts. It also aims to provide a systematic overview of CSR public policy instruments, and build an accurate understanding of the current state of CSR in various countries. It stresses that governments around the world are clearly beginning to realise the benefits of using a range of instruments to align CSR and CSR-related policies with important goals in all policy fields. CSR policymaking can develop when it builds on a country’s existing instruments and the paper identifies deficits in key focal points: the economy, civil society, politics and strategies for cooperation. It further points out that a company which is serious about respecting human rights faces great and potentially costly ethical duties when operating in authoritarian countries. These duties can be rejected only by rejecting the human rights perspective. There are a number of important lessons on how to implement CSR, learnt during the projects implemented to date. These include:
- CSR activities are most effective when development cooperation simultaneously addresses all relevant intervention levels
- Government cooperation can potentially strengthen a projects’ positive impact on the poor, but it is no substitute for commitment on the part of the private sector
- a multistakeholder dialogue is crucial for ownership
- development organisations should actively engage in CSR-related PPPs and offer support during the design and implementation phases.
