The International Organization for Standardization Working Group continued moving toward forming a new international standard on social responsibility at a recent meeting in Thailand. The group agreed that ISO 26000 will give organizations harmonized, internationally agreed-upon guidance for social responsibility (SR), drawing on best practices and the relevant declarations and conventions of the United Nations and its constituents, most notably the International Labor Organization. The standard will not be used for certification purposes.

The Bangkok meeting was attended by experts from 54 ISO member countries (45 of which were participants, and nine of which were observers), plus 24 international liaison organizations, including the ILO. In all, 350 people attended the meeting, a significant increase from the working group’s first meeting, which was held in March in Brazil.

One of the principle achievements of the Bangkok meeting was the development of a structural outline for ISO 26000. The standard will be structured as follows:

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