Corporate Social
Responsibility and the Non-Governmental Organizations
Linkages for
an enhanced sustainability
April 2012
Dr Elie Abouaoun
Executive Director
Only three decades ago, the role of Non-Governmental Organizations
(NGOs) in filling the gaps resulting from the public sector’s shortcomings was
intensively debated in a context of extreme caution (by governmental
stakeholders). It was perceived as an “invasion” of the “public” sphere by unknown
non-governmental actors. Nowadays, this role is more acknowledged than ever before
and the public sector cannot claim exclusivity in serving the public good anymore.
Exploring the synergies between the public sector, the NGOs and the private
sector is a studious assignment. This article tries to shed light on the main
elements of this complex but necessary relationship.
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is, in a
nutshell, the voluntary role and contribution on the part of the business
community towards a better social and environmental development. It consists of
a wide-range activities and programs looking at how to improve the social,
environmental and local economic impact of businesses, as well as their
influence on society, and social cohesion. Where do NGOs fit in this framework?
When NGOs engage in social development programs, they ensure
community participation to the developmental process. Because the CSR concept
assumes that businesses do not act as isolated entities or in detachment from the
surrounding society, the role of NGOs in involving the community as a major
actor is key to inclusiveness and hence to the prospects of sustainability.
NGOs are in a better position to understand the real
needs of the communities, to map the existing potential within these
communities and to act as a “conveyor” of relevant messages to the business
community. Through the interaction with NGOs, the business sector will have an
opportunity to look at the community needs and capacities from a different
perspective. An enhanced and multifaceted understanding of these needs and
capacities might be useful to the businesses at many levels, not the least
being a window to align the business goals to the community needs.
Some
literature describes the “triple bottom line” for businesses as “the obligation
to respect and promote human rights, labor
rights, and sustainable development”. The United Nation’s policy framework for
business and human rights is organized around the three foundational principles
of “protect, respect and remedy”.
Looking to fulfill such requirements is far easier in a framework
of partnership with NGOs compared to isolated approaches. As businesses go
further towards a substantial contribution in sustainable development, NGOs
become an increasingly important actor due to the expansion of their scope of
influence. Partnerships between businesses and NGOs are actively promoted by
multilateral institutions and mechanisms such as the UN’s Global Compact and
the World Bank’s World Social Forum and also encouraged by several governments.
While businesses contribute expertise, products or services NGOs provide outreach,
projects and knowledge - at least knowledge from a different perspective. Such
partnership also helps businesses to effectively move from trivial charity
giving to genuine commitment towards integrated approaches aiming at
sustainable development.
This partnership is not as simple as it might
look like. Both NGOs and businesses have to reflect on several questions such
as the extent to which such partnership may change business social behavior and
how much NGOs can convince capital holders to take a more sustainable and right
based approach in their CSR strategies.
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