December 2009

SA8000 Certified Facilities Industry Chart
SA8000 Certified Facilities Industry Chart
Released in May 2009, "SA8000: The First Decade" provides perspective over the years and sets an agenda for the next decade. This book commemorates the certification of over one million workers. Businesses, NGOs, academics and trade union leaders provide much-needed perspective on the lessons learned from SA8000 and set an agenda for the next decade.

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Holiday Greetings from SAI

On behalf of everyone at Social Accountability International, we wish you peace, love, good work, and the time to enjoy it for the holiday season and throughout the New Year.

Please make a Resolution to Support Human Rights at Work
this year and in the New Year! 

 To start now, click here!

In This Issue
Certification Statistics
European Parliament Member Visits SAI
SAI Central America Update
Key Performance Indicators for Social Compliance in the Supply Chain
SAI Interactive Follow-Up Seminar with Suppliers in India
Corporate Programs Member Update: Anvil Knitwear and the Otto Group
SAAS Update: Tirupur Steering Group and New Accreditation-Eurocert
News & Publications
Meet SAI's New Intern
Announcements & Upcoming Events

Certification Statistics



Summary Statistics as of September 30, 2009

Certified Facilities: 2093
Countries Represented: 64
Industries Represented: 66
Number of Employees: 1,150,644

For more information, click here to view the SAAS Certified Facilities Page

European Parliament Member Visits SAI



From left: Patrick Doherty, NYC Comptroller Office; Alan Spaulding, UFCW; Julia Ponce, SAI; Joleen Ong, SAI; Dr. Morton Winston, TCNJ; Richard Howitt, MEP; Rainer Braun, Columbia University; Judy Gearhart, SAI; Erik Detiger, SAI.
On November 17th, at SAI's New York headquarters, Mr. Richard Howitt, Member of European Parliament (MEP) meet with SAI staff, board members, and colleagues in an effort to build further links between his work in the EU and progress being made in the US.  Attendees, seen above, represented government, labor, academia, and international human rights, and engaged in a high level discussion of CSR initiatives and vision for the future. Mr. Howitt iterated his interest in the SA8000 standard, and its fit with European business' desire to have more "filtered", stringent standards in light of the exponential growth of certifications and standards. SAI agrees, and hopes to contribute to this vision to further our work in Europe.

Mr. Howitt has an extensive background in human rights and labor, and has been a Labour MEP since 1994. He is Vice Chair of the Human Rights Sub Committee, a member of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, Human Rights, Common Security and Defence Policy and is the Labour European Spokesperson on Foreign Affairs.  He is also a member of the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs, and serves as European Parliament Spokesperson on CSR.

Central America Update



SAI's Joint Program in Central America Receives "Excellent" Ratings

SAI is pleased to report that its joint program -- with Rainforest Alliance, World Wildlife Fund and O'Brien & Associates International - received "excellent" ratings for the first year implementation of Component C of the USAID Program Environmental and Labor Excellence (ELE) for CAFTA-DR.

In ELE, the teams are working to integrate incentive structures for labor rights performance into the buyer-producer relationships, to improve compliance capacities at the producer level, and to  "create spaces" for social dialogue on labor rights. With Rainforest Alliance, SAI is also promoting integrated labor and environmental performance, by developing joint audit procedures for SA8000 and Rainforest Alliance Certification.

Now, SAI is reaching out to stakeholders in the pineapple and melon sectors of Costa Rica to join in a series of multi-stakeholder meetings and training workshops during the first half of 2010.

Click here to learn more about the SAI program under ELE. 

FAO World Banana Forum


On December 7-8, the first meeting of the "World Banana Forum (WBF)," a multi-stakeholder forum on sustainable banana production and trade, convened in Rome and welcomed varied SAI participants: two Advisory Board members - George Jaksch [Chiquita's Senior Director of Corporate Responsibility and Public Affairs] and Sylvain Cuperlier [Dole's Director of Corporate Social Responsibility]; SAI Project Manager Matt Fischer-Daly; and Project Cultivar Partner Alsides Brea Franco  [Executive Director, INCAP].

The Secretariat of the Multi-Stakeholder Forum Project of the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) focused the meeting on organizing permanent multi-stakeholder dialogue, building on lessons learned from previous international meetings on bananas, in 1998 and 2005.  Industry stakeholders' interest in the forum was demonstrated in significant participation by trade unions, brands, retailers, producers and producer organizations, including: Latin American Coordinator of Banana and Agro-industry Unions (COLSIBA); the principal fruit trading companies - Chiquita, Dole, Del Monte, Bonita (NOBOA) and Fyffes; and retailers such as Tesco, Wal Mart and Carrefour.    

"Let's be pioneers for other sectors," was the inspiring opening statement of Iris MunguĂ­a Figueroa, Coordinator of Women at Work, COLSIBA. Later in the meeting, Mr. Jaksch and Mr. Cuperlier both noted the spirit of shared principles that characterized the two-day meeting and reiterated the call to action for the established forum.

Pascal Lui, Secretariat of the WBF, led the 150 participants to a consensus on the mission of the Forum as a space for stakeholders to discuss the multi-faceted challenges facing the banana sector and jointly seek solutions. Its activities focus on seeking collaborative, practical solutions. There are three immediate, concrete and promising outcomes of this meeting in the form of establishing consultative and action groups: a permanent forum housed at the FAO, a steering committee, and thematic working groups. With the working groups, the WBF established an international architecture for multi-stakeholder dialogue on laborghts, environmental sustainability, and financial equity throughout the banana supply chain.

SAI's Project Cultivar offers an example which can be built on by the Forum of progress on establishing local and national spaces for dialogue and linking them to the international level. Building on the momentum created by the WBF, SAI is reaching out to Forum participants to coordinate Project Cultivar's training and social dialogue activities with the international dialogue process.

For more information about the forum, please visit
http://www.fao.org/economic/worldbananaforum

SAI Develops Protocols for
Central America Labor Inspectors

SAI has been working with the Ministries of Labor- and specifically with the offices of the inspectorates-of Central America countries to develop inspection protocols and codes of ethics for labor inspectors. This work is part of  "Comply and Win," a project funded by the US Department of Labor. It is one of several projects aimed at building the capacity of labor ministries and other actors to both create a enabling environment for workers' rights and also to strengthen compliance with national and international labor norms.

SAI brings its practice of multi-stakeholder involvement to the development of these tools. Consultative workshops have included representatives of the three main actors: government labor inspectors, workers' organizations and employers' organizations. Protocols being developed include those guiding challenging and complex issues, such as Freedom of Association and Collective Bargaining.  Additional protocols will address labor issues or sectors as prioritized by the national  Ministries of Labor.

Consultative workshops have taken place in Guatemala, El Salvador and the Dominican Republic. Participants, particularly those representing a Ministry of Labor, have been satisfied with the progress in these areas. All concur that the tripartite nature of the discussions helps strengthen social dialogue while building a culture of compliance.

Last November, an El Salvador national journal--El Diario co Latino-highlighted Yolanda Brenes' leadership of the tripartite workshop in El Salvador.

Click here to access the full article, available in both English and Spanish.

A Look Inside SA8000: The Next Decade

Book excerpt: SA8000: The First Decade. Implementation, Influence, and Impact, edited by Deborah Leipziger, published by Greenleaf.
 
Chapter
8: Key Performance Indicators for Social Compliance in the Supply Chain

"The CSR field has been searching for simple ways to measure the social compliance of companies and their supply chains. The environmental model of CSR has come up with the "carbon footprint." Simple. Quantifiable. Memorable.

Social compliance in the supply chain is a highly complex issue. It is dealing with issues that are of grave importance to people's lives. It is rooted in the ongoing struggle to bring fairness and dignity to workers... The challenge is to distill the measurements in a way that is credible to all parties in the multi-stakeholder community: to distill without losing the essence and to distill without forgetting the true purpose of the battle for continual improvement in the supply chain.

In searching for the social equivalent of the carbon footprint, I believe that the most important indicator is the degree to which a brand or retailer has truly integrated its social compliance policy into the day-to-day activities of its merchandising and sourcing departments. The degree of integration is the social KPI for all stakeholders to measure a company's social compliance performance in its supply chain. It is simple, quantifiable, memorable, and credible."
 
This chapter was written by Craig Moss, Director of Corporate Programs and Training, SAI. For more information or to order
a copy of this book, click here

This holiday season, SAI will send all donors a gift copy of "SA8000: The First Decade." Click here to donate to SAI

Implementing a Socially Responsible Supply Chain


SAI Interactive Follow-Up Seminar with Suppliers in India
 
This December, SAI carried out two two-day Professional Development training seminars in Mumbai and Bangalore, which addressed "Implementing a Socially Responsible Supply Chain."

The December seminars were a follow-up to SAI's Professional Development seminars that took place in Bangalore, Mumbai, and Pune last April, "Enhancing Competitiveness through Improving Social Compliance." The December seminars built on the learnings from April, and highlighted key concepts of social compliance, explaining the management systems required and demonstrating practical techniques for building internal social compliance teams.

The seminars brought together a mix of returning participants and newcomers. Returning participants were encouraged to bring 2-3 key suppliers in an effort to extend social compliance systems further into the supply chain. Returning participants also engaged in dialogue about progress since last April and about their next steps.

On December 3-4, in India's commercial city of Mumbai, the two-day seminar had over 30 participants from diverse sectors-manufacturing, automotive, retailing, global sourcing, banking, information technology, garment and textiles, engineering, and pharmaceutical healthcare. The seminar was jointly led by Craig Moss, SAI's Director of Corporate Programs and Training, Badri Gulur, SAI Authorized Representative and Lead Trainer, and Madhuri Lele, SAI Authorized Representative.

On December 7-8, in Bangalore, India's 'Silicon Valley,' the seminar's 30-plus participants represented engineering, manufacturing, textile, pharmaceutical, and automotive sectors. This seminar was led by Craig Moss, Badri Gulur, and Pramitha Achaiah, SAI Authorized Representative.

At the heart of the program is SAI's Tiered Rating System. Designed for use in a company and its supply chain, the process-based rating system focuses on measuring and improving social performance. Participants did a self-assessment and identified specific areas for improvement in their company and among their suppliers.

Several participants commented that they were impressed with the "practicality" of the tiered system with its 'measure and improve' approach, and pledged to integrate it immediately in their companies.

These seminars in India were made possible thanks to the generosity and support of GTZ, the German Technical Cooperation Agency.

These seminars are aspects of SAI's Professional Development Series (PDS). First launched in Fall 2008 in New York, PDS training consists of one- and two-day courses targeted to the specific needs of sourcing personnel, corporate compliance managers, suppliers and auditors. Professional Development courses offered include: Building internal Compliance Teams, Control of Sub-Contractors, Management Systems for Social Compliance, Integrating Sourcing and Compliance.

For more information about SAI's Professional Development Series click here
To view the current course training schedules, click here

Corporate Programs Member Update


Anvil's "TrackMyT.com" Website Wins Award
 
SAI is pleased to report that on December 4, Anvil Knitwear's interactive new website, www.TrackMyT.com was named Best Site of the Day from the Favourite Website Awards (FWA).

As reported in our November newsletter, at the time of the website's launch. The "TrackMyT" website enables consumers to follow a product's journey and explore the cotton farms, gin and spinners, as well as Anvil's textile mills, cut and sew plants, and distribution facility-- just through entering the tracking number printed on each shirt. SAI congratulates Anvil's efforts towards  in  transparency, social and environmental responsibility, and its expansion of the scope of its audience to include youth with this educational and interactive website.

Anvil Knitwear, Inc. has been a signatory member of SAI's Corporate Programs since 2007, which is the strongest level of company commitment towards the SA8000 standard.

For more information about Anvil, please visit www.anvilknitwear.com and www.anvilcsr.com

The Otto Group's Joint Venture with the Grameen Trust
 
In November 2009, SAI Corporate Programs member, the Otto Group, teamed up with the Grameen Trust in an innovative joint venture--the Grameen Otto Textile Company-- a modern social business for the production of textiles. This joint venture will be set up as a "Factory of the Future" in Dhaka, Bangladesh. All profits from this joint venture will go to a foundation-the Grameen Otto Trust- rather than being distributed to owners or investors; the Trust will invest all profits for improving living conditions of employees, their families, and sponsored communities.

"Poor people do not ask for charity, as charity is not a solution for poverty. They want to work in order to earn their livelihood," said Nobel Laureate, Dr. Muhammad Yunus, founder of the Grameen Trust, "the Grameen Otto Textile Company creates work for the poor. It will act as an example against poverty in the world."

The "Factory of the Future," with an initial workforce of 500-700 people, will produce clothing for export, under socially and ecologically sustainable conditions. The aim of the project is to break the cycle of poverty in Bangladesh by providing good jobs, opportunity, and community investment.

Dr. Michael Otto, co-initiator of the project and Chairman of the Otto Group's Supervisory Board, added, "the Grameen Otto Textile Company will show that it really is possible to reconcile ecological and social criteria with economic goals. It should become a model for textile production in Bangladesh and for similar factories all around the world."

The Grameen Otto Textile Company aims to grow in a sustainable way, with expansion of the factory at the Dhaka site planned for the second phase, and expansion to other sites in Bangladesh and abroad in its third, long-term phase.

Based in Hamburg, Germany, the Otto Group is the largest mail-order group in the world, as well as the biggest online retailer in Germany. It was a founding member of SAI's Advisory Board, and joined SAI's Corporate Programs in 1999 at Supporting level.

For more information on how to become a member of SAI's Corporate Programs, click here  
To read the Otto Group's full press release, click here
For further information, please visit www.ottogroup.com

SAAS Update


SAAS Executive Director Meets with Tirupur Steering Group
 
In early November, SAAS Executive Director Rochelle Zaid participated in a meeting of the Tirupur Steering Group (TSG) in Tirupur, India. Workers and representatives of trade unions, NGOs, academics, and government officials participated in this meeting, where they discussed research related to major social and environmental issues in the Tirupur garment sector.

An Indian NGO, Prakruthi, convened the TSG in 2006, as described in our September newsletter. The TSG is composed of seven trade unions and four national NGOs; the members cooperate to make social audits in the garment sector more effective in addressing labor and environmental issues. Since a majority of the garment companies in Tirupur have adopted SA8000 standards, TSG works with the SA8000 systems.  SAI and SAAS have worked with the TSG since its founding,  to identify best practices in stakeholder consultation and effective ways for certifiers to interact with stakeholders and continuously improve SA8000 audits' quality.

TSG publications, identifying issues and recommendations, include a newsletter-- "Knitting Together"-- and a descriptive booklet jointly published with Solidaridad South and South East Asia--"Steering Corporate Social Responsibility: Making Social Audit Work in the Tirupur Garment Cluster."  The latter highlights TSG work with SA8000 and the positive impact of its multi-stakeholder activities.

For more information about the TSG, and its work advancing human rights in the workplace, please visit their website: http://www.tirupursg.org

European Certification body, Eurocert S.A., becomes SAAS' 19th
Accredited Certification Body
 
Social Accountability Accreditation Services (SAAS) is pleased to announce the accreditation of certification body, Eurocert S.A., to perform SA8000 audits and issue certifications. Eurocert S.A. is a European inspection and certification company that has a worldwide range of activities, with offices in Greece, Cyprus, Turkey, Bulgaria, India, Romania, Italy, China, Israel, Russia, France, and Korea. For more information, visit the website: http://www.eurocert.gr

Certification of compliance to SA8000 and other verification codes within the SAAS scope of accreditation is available only through qualified CBs granted accreditation by SAAS. There are now 19 certification bodies worldwide that are SAAS accredited and have received that formal recognition of competence.
For more information about the accreditation process, visit saasaccreditation.org

News and Publications

Last month, SAI President, Alice Tepper Marlin participated in three important meetings about international initiatives for better workplaces: the MFA Forum's 4th Annual Meeting in London which focused on the new Sustainable Apparel and Footwear Initiative (SAFI); a seminar hosted by the Ethical Trading Initiative (ETI) to discuss the proposal of the Asian Floor Wage Alliance for a regional living wage for the garment industry; and the conference "Harnessing Global Incentives for Development" co-hosted by the International Finance Corporation (IFC) and the International Labour Organization (ILO) in Washington, DC. This last focused on lessons learned in the past decade from experiences of Better Factories Cambodia, an initiative under the joint IFC-ILO Better Work partnership program.

To read SAI's November report on the Asian Floor Wage Alliance, click here. To read the proposal for a regional living wage for the garment industry, "Stitching a Decent Wage Across Borders," click here
To learn more about the Better Work Program, please visit www.betterwork.org/public/global

Embedding Human Rights in Business Practice III
On December 10, 2009, the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC), in recognition of Human Rights Day, released the third volume of the "Embedding Human Rights in Business Practice" series.  SAI Executive Director, Eileen Kaufman, is a member of the series' Editorial Board, along with 11 other experts from organizations, businesses, and multilateral institutions.  

Embedding Human Rights in Business Practice III is a collection of eight case studies highlighting companies from around the world, including ASN Bank, Denmark; Cadbury, United Kingdom; Engro Chemical, Pakistan; Ford Motor Company, United States. Each case study illustrates processes and procedures that these companies have adopted in their efforts to respect and support human rights. Aligned with the first two volumes, Embedding Human Rights in Business Practice III reinforces that embedding human rights in an organization is an opportunity, not simply a risk to manage.
To download a copy of Embedding Human Rights in Business Practice III, click here

Sustainable Lifestyles -- Results of a survey of young Brazilians
The Akatu Institute for Conscious Consumption in Brazil, directed by SAI Advisory Board member, Helio Mattar, in partnership with Ipsis Public Affairs, recently shared promising findings about sustainability and youth in Brazil. Their findings were concluded from survey results, entitled "Sustainable Lifestyles - Results of a survey of young Brazilians." The survey maps how young people perceive, think, and share sustainable practices, and seeks to identify how to incorporate sustainable practices and lifestyle of the public. The survey found improvements in the awareness of young Brazilians on sustainability, and suggested that young people need more information about what to do to adopt more sustainable livelihoods.

The research is part of the mapping of Global Survey on Sustainable Lifestyles, coordinated by UNEP (United Nations Environment Program).

SAI Board of Directors member, Riccardo Bagni, Vice-President and Managing Director of Coop Italia, recently went  to Burkina Faso, where he reviewed an innovative project supported by Coop Italia. The project established,  and purchased produce from, two farmer cooperatives, involving over 5000 families. Coop Italia generously gave support to the farmer cooperatives in their efforts to grow string beans during this winter season and subsequently sold them in its supermarkets in Italy. Coop Italia's efforts are a demonstration of a way to promote development. community income, and respect for workers' rights.
For more information, please visit www.e-coop.it

SAI Advisory Board Member, Joseph Iarocci, Chief of Staff at CARE, has been elected to the board of directors of the Georgia Center for Nonprofits, which has the mission of serving, strengthening, and supporting, the State of Georgia's nonprofit community.
For more information, please visit www.gcn.org
 
Honoring Neil Kearney

In the November 2009 newsletter, we gave a tribute to Neil Kearney in the wake of his death. Since that time, we have received a number of heartfelt, poignant notes from colleagues in all corners of the world. Please visit SAI's tribute page to view these notes, and to get a glimpse of his legacy from a few of the very many whose lives he touched-- http://www.sa-intl.org/HonoringNeilKearney

Meet SAI's New Intern

Interns play an important role here at SAI. This season we have Christine Moser joining our organization from Germany, who is contributing both her expertise and her keen international perspective. We are pleased to welcome Ms. Moser, and to introduce her, in her own words:
I recently moved to New York, and in October received my Master Degree in Political Science from the University of Muenster in Germany. I wrote my thesis on NGO influence and cooperation with corporations and the sustainability of their global value chains. Aligned with my studies, my personal interest is in identifying the role that private actors can play in international sustainable development. Through my research, I was introduced to SAI.

Prior to my internship, I obtained hands-on experience in a community development project in rural Zimbabwe. I also gained experience from interning at the German Federal Foreign Office, and the German Technical Cooperation (GTZ) agency, where I worked in development cooperation and Public-Private Partnerships (PPP). Additionally, I have done work for the UN Global Compact German Network's Focal Point, where I helped to write background papers on its 2010 topics of supply chains and biodiversity. I enjoyed learning and contributing my time to these two institutions because it helped me to understand the multifaceted processes of facilitating multi-stakeholder dialogue between corporations, NGOs, governments, and academia.

At SAI, I hope to gain experience in learning more about the processes of cooperation, especially with their multi-stakeholder approach. I am excited to learn about the impact that SA8000 has on the working conditions and value chain governance around the world. I am currently working with SAI Executive Director, Eileen Kaufman on several projects including the evaluation of how SA8000 helps UN Global Compact participants support the corporate social responsibility principles to which they have committed themselves.

Announcements and Upcoming Events

Carnegie Council's Workshop for Ethics in Business Luncheon
13 January 2010, New York, NY
This will provide a platform for prominent experts to articulate their forecasts about the ethical implications of global political risk for 2010.  Aimed at decision makers in corporate, government, and nonprofit sectors, the panel seeks to provide a stimulating preface to the critical global political, social, and economic shifts in the year ahead.
For more information, click here or contact Stefanie Ambrosio at [email protected]

International Conference: Corporate Responsibility for Human Rights
Concepts, Examples, Approaches
21 January 2010, Berlin, Germany
In line with its goal to promote equitable globalization, the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) is administering a forum for national governments, businesses and other social actors to assume responsibility for human rights particularly in developing countries.  Workshops will be held to allow exchange of initiatives and discussion of relevant issues.
For more information, click here, or contact Albrecht Ansohn or Judith Klemmer at [email protected]

Intertek's Ninth Annual Ethical Sourcing Forum

March 18-19 2010, New York City

The Ethical Sourcing Forum (ESF) industry event brings together members of the global sustainability community in order to address emerging sustainability and ethical supply chain challenges. Intertek reports that attendees of the ESF will find applied innovation and the latest solutions-development processes that yield social and environmental progress while advancing core business objectives. Attendees will also learn how these decision-making elements can drive sustainability success.
For more information, click here

2010 Internships with SAI and SAAS

SAI and Social Accountability Accreditation Services (SAAS) seek highly motivated interns interested in promotion of ethical workplaces worldwide.

Preferred applicants are graduate/undergraduate students that can work independently, and meet deadlines effectively. All applicants must have strong writing and research skills, and be interested in the field of human rights, corporate social responsibility, elimination of child labor and sweatshops. Internship positions are unpaid and based in SAI's New York headquarters.

For more information about internships with SAI, and to apply click here

For more information about internships with SAAS, and to apply click here

We invite you to continually send any updates for us to publish in our monthly newsletters!

Social Accountability International (SAI) is a non-governmental, multi-stakeholder organization whose mission is to advance the human rights of workers by promoting decent work conditions, labor rights, and corporate social responsibility through voluntary standards. SAI established one of the world's preeminent social standards- SA8000- a recognized benchmark among the voluntary codes and standards initiatives that companies and factories measure their performance.
 
SAI and the SA8000 standard focus on the human elements of the workplace and the supply chain. SA8000 is the standard that considers the importance of each job and strives to recognize the equal dignity of each person involved in the supply chain - from the worker to the retailer to the consumer. Today SA8000 certification covers over 2000 facilities in 64 countries, across 66 industries, and over 1.1 million employees. SAI is one of the world's leading social compliance training organizations, having provided training to over 15,000 people.
 
SAI is headquartered in the United States with representations in Brazil, China, India, the Netherlands, Nicaragua, Spain, and Vietnam.

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Website: http://www.sa-intl.org

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[email protected]