Training

International labour standards and corporate social responsibility: the labour dimension of human rights due diligence

This five-day course aims to strengthen the capacity of participants to understand the principles of international labour standards as they relate to company operations (including due diligence related to labour rights) and how those principles can be most effectively implemented in company operations.



The course aims to strengthen the capacity of participants to understand the principles of international labour standards as they relate to company operations (including the labour dimension of human rights due diligence), and how these principles can be most effectively implemented in company operations along their supply chains. As a result of stakeholder expectations, reporting requirements, conditions for tendering and so on, companies are under increasing pressure to conduct due diligence on human-rights issues in own operations and with business partners in their supply chains. Labour rights have become a critical component and basic pillar of any due diligence process. However, proper due diligence on labour issues begins with a good understanding of what is expected of companies when it comes to respecting workers' rights. Drawing on the experience of the ILO Helpdesk for Business, breakout sessions will provide participants with opportunities to discuss and debate some of the complex issues companies face when putting principles into practice, e.g. what to do when national law is not consistent with international labour standards; how to balance competing rights; what to do when the government is not fulfilling its duty to protect.

Target audience:

This course is designed for CSR professionals (in companies, consulting firms and CSR initiatives) seeking to align operations, including supply chains, with ILS principles or dealing on a daily basis with the challenge of respecting workers' rights. Managers of companies supplying to brands which are facing many, often conflicting demands may find this course particularly useful. This course will also be of interest to employer organizations, trade unions, civil society organizations and government officials dealing with national CSR policies and/or national action plans for business and human rights.

Objectives:      
The course overall objective is to strengthen the capacity of participants to understand the principles of ILS as they relate to company operations and the implications for CSR and sustainability policies and practices geared towards decent work and sustainable development.

At the end of the course, participants will
  • be familiar with ILO’s core labour standards (child labour, forced labour, non-discrimination, and freedom of association and collective bargaining), their function and formulation as well as implementation and other relevant ILO tools relevant from a CSR and sustainability perspective;
  • be able to analyse international instruments and frameworks on CSR referencing International Labour Standards;
  • understand the different roles of governments, the private sector, and employers’ and workers’ organizations could play in the development and implementation of CSR and sustainability policies and practices; be updated on company practices, selected from a variety of geographical, sectoral and operational contexts;
  • be able to describe the entire due diligence cycle with specific emphasis on labour rights related issues;
  • be able to better advise and serve their institutions, organizations or enterprises in the area of ILS and Decent Work and in their daily operations.
More information on the course can be found here.