June 23, 2010

Publication of ISO 26000, which provides voluntary guidelines for social responsibility, is expected by the end of the year.

The multi-stakeholder ISO Working Group on Social Responsibility (SR), which includes experts and observers from 99 ISO member countries and 42 public and private sector organizations, recently approved the draft ISO 26000 for processing as a Final Draft International Standard.

ISO 26000 will provide global agreement on definitions, principles, and core subjects of SR, as well as guidance on how to integrate SR throughout an organization. As a voluntary guidance standard, ISO 26000 will not include requirements and will not be a certification standard.

"ISO 26000 will provide organizations in both public and private sectors with a new paradigm for helping them to operate in the socially responsible way that society now expects," said Jorge E.R. Cajazeira, chair of the Working Group.

ISO 26000 website.