Human Rights, Sustainability Reporting and Responsible

Business Conduct – What does business need to know?

A workshop for companies, employers’ and business

organisations

Golden Tulip Hotel Kumasi

18 - 19 September 2017

Human Rights, Sustainability Reporting and Responsible Business Conduct –

What does business need to know?

A workshop for Ghanaian companies, employers’ and business organisations

Golden Tulip Hotel Kumasi

18 - 19 September 2017

Business and human rights, sustainability reporting and responsible business conduct more

generally are high on many agendas and growing in importance for business. Companies are

being confronted with these themes from various angles: human rights and responsible

business conduct are attracting increased media coverage; consumer organisations are

becoming more vocal in their demands for information on production conditions and routes to

market; non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and trade unions are approaching

companies with requests for information on human rights impacts on the societies in which

these businesses operate.

Society has made a new priority of transparency and credibility in business activity. Investors

also link their investment decisions to the human rights performance of companies.

Increasingly suppliers to large corporations have to comply with their corporate customers’

human rights, social and environmental standards and codes of conduct. Respecting human

rights and reporting transparently about it is becoming a precondition of staying in

business. Responsible business conduct and sustainability reporting have also become an

area for policy-making at national, regional and international level.

With the endorsement of the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGP)

by the UN Human Rights Council in June 2011, there is a general consensus on the respective

roles and responsibilities of governments and companies with regard to business and human

rights. Business organisations, such as the International Organisation of Employers (IOE), as

well as NGOs and trade unions, are supporting the UNGP. Moreover, governments around the

world have launched, or are in the process of launching, national action plans (NAPs) for the

implementation of the UNGP, which have also been integrated into many initiatives and

frameworks for responsible business conduct such as ISO 26000 and the OECD Guidelines

for multinational enterprises. To know the UN Guiding Principles and understand the

responsibilities of business, including ways to increase transparency, is a prerequisite

of meeting the demands of consumers and corporate customers, investors,

governments and society at large.

What is the aim of the workshop?

• to provide information on national, regional and global trends and developments

regarding business & human rights, sustainability reporting and responsible business

conduct.

• to raise awareness of the content of the main international instruments, initiatives and

policies and their impact on companies, such as the UN Guiding Principles on Business

and Human Rights, GRI, UN Global Compact, ISO 26000, ILO MNE Declaration and

the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises.

• to provide companies with guidance on how to implement the UN Guiding Principles

“step by step” and starting sustainability reporting.

• to assist employers’ organisations in developing a policy strategy and service offer in

the area of human rights, sustainability reporting and responsible business conduct.

• to know where and how to get support.

What is the target audience for the workshop?

Representatives of companies, particularly SMEs, as well as representative organisations of

employers and business.

What is the structure of the workshop?

The workshop will include a mix of presentations, panel discussions, group exercises and

exchanges of experiences.

Speakers include senior representatives from the Ghana Employers’ Association,

International Organisation of Employers, Global Reporting Initiative, and Centro Vincular.

Time & Place

Date: 18-19 September 2017

Venue: Golden Tulip Hotel Kumasi, Rain tree street, P.O. Box KS 5191 Kumasi

Telephone: +233 32 2083777 Fax: +233 322083711

AGENDA

Human Rights, Sustainability Reporting and Responsible Business Conduct – What does business need to know?

A Workshop for Companies, Employers’ and Business Organisations

Kumasi, Ghana, 18-19 September 2017

DAY 1: 18 September 2017

09:00 – 09:15 Welcome and Overview of the Workshop

Ghana Employers’ Association - Regional Advisory Committee Chairman

Peter Hall, Adviser for Business and Human Rights, International Organisation of Employers (IOE)

09:15 – 09:45 Responsible Business Conduct – Why does it matter? Setting the scene.

Ingrid Koch, Operations Manager, VINCULAR Center for Social Responsibility and Sustainable Development, Pontifical Catholic University of Valparaiso, Chile

09:45 – 10:45 Overview of the main international instruments on responsible business conduct and recent developments at international level

Peter Hall

• UN Global Compact

• OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises

• ILO MNE Declaration

• ISO 26000

• UN Treaty Process

• G20

• ILO ILC Supply Chain Discussion

10:45 – 11:00 Coffee Break

11:00 – 12:00 Recent developments on Responsible Business Conduct in Ghana

Kusi Boafo, CEO, Public Sector Reform Secretariat, Office of the senior Minister

12:00 – 13:00 Stakeholder expectations

Kusi Boafo

13:00 – 14:00 Lunch

SME WORKSHOP (half day)

14:00 – 14:15 Welcome SME Workshop and setting the context - The business case for responsible business conduct

Peter Hall

14:15 – 14:45 The UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights – What it is all about and why is it relevant for SMEs?

Ingrid Koch

• Presentation on the UN Working Group on Business & Human Rights

• Introduction to UN Guiding Principles – Pillars I – III

14:45 – 15:45 How to get started: Implementing policies and practices for responsible business conduct

Ingrid Koch

• Introduction to governance and leadership

• Defining material issues

• Embedding material issues with the governance of the enterprise

• Integrating the material issues within the management systems (

• Practical examples

• Reflections and final remarks

15:45 – 16:00 Coffee Break

16:00 – 16:30 Introduction into Sustainability Reporting and the IOE-GRI guidance publication for SMEs

Shivani Rajpal, Deputy Director Services, Global Reporting Initiative (GRI)

16:30 – 17:00 How to get started with reporting?

Shivani Rajpal

17:00 – 18:00 How does it work? Case studies from SME reporters

Shivani Rajpal

DAY 2: 19 September 2017

09:00 – 09:30 Recap of previous day

Peter Hall

09:30 – 10:30 Due Diligence: What does it mean – how does it work?

Ingrid Koch

The concept of due diligence – what do international standards say about this process

• The process according to the UNGP

• The scope of the due diligence – including the value chain and businessrelationships

• Dialogue with stakeholders – including the most vulnerable

• Practical examples

• Reflections and final remarks

10:30 – 11:00 Coffee Break

11:00 – 12:30 Diving deeper into sustainability reporting – GRI Standards & their structure

Shivani Rajpal

12:30 – 13:30 Lunch

13:30 – 15:00 What Role do Employers’ Organisations have? Which services for members on responsible business conduct are needed? Next Steps?

Peter Hall

George Aboagye-Attah, Ghana Employers’ Association (GEA) representative

15:00 – 15:15 Summary & Conclusions

15:15 Closing

LIST OF PARTICIPANTS (ALPHABETICAL ORDER BY LAST NAME)

NAME OF PARTICIPANT ORGANISATION

1. Mr Moses Abnory MAMAS ARK SCHOOL COMPLEX

2. Mr. Musah Adamu MOBI CRANE

3. Ms Naa Adokailey Amofa VOLTIC GHANA LTD

4. Mr. Kwame Agyemang ASPEE PHARMACEUTICAL LTD

5. Mr. Charles Randy Afful KUMASI ABATTOIR LTD

6. Ms Wilhemina Aklaku PICORNA HOTEL

7. Ms Julie Akyea GHANA CHAMBER OF MINES

8. Mr. Augustine Amakye Ansah FIRST ALLIED SAVINGS & LOANS

9. Mr. Bernard Anang PMMC

10. Mr Kwabena Aninkorah MCKEOWN GROUP

11. Dr. Raphael Asamoah SINAPI ABA SAVINGS & LOANS

12. Ms Petra Asamoah TV3 NETWORK LTD

13. Mr Peter Asante TOYOTA GHANA LTD

14. Miss Veronica Asante- Darko NEOPLAN GHANA

15. Ms Gladys Asare GRIDCO

16. Mr Kofi Asare Anyemedu GLOBAL REPORTING INITIATIVE (GRI)

17. Mr Francis Atobra GOLDEN TULIP

18. Mr. J.A.Bawuah NORPALM

19. Mr. Kwasi Baah Ofori BOPP

20. Ms Abena Boadu ACCRA BREWERY LTD

21. Ms. Margaret Darko NABH

NAME OF PARTICIPANT ORGANISATION

22. Apostle S. T. Debrah ST KEM LTD

23. Hon Opare Hammond PMMC

24. Ms Ellen Jonah TEMA STEEL CO. LTD

25. Ms Patience Korankye HULL BLYTH LTD

26. Mrs. Evelyn Kumi HR HAWKS AFRICA LTD

27. Mr. Osei Kwakye BAPTIST UNIVERSITY COLLEGE

28. Mr. J. J. D. Lambon UPPER QUARRY

29. Ms Joyce Lamptey NABH

30. Ms Gloria Opoku – Anti ZOOMLION GHANA LTD

31. Mr. Gadufia Pascal SALTPOND MANUFACTURING

32. Mr John Nimo COUNCIL OF INDIGENOUS BUSINESS ASSOCIATION

33. Mr. Ekow Nkrumah Bentum KINGS GROUP

34. Ms Joyce Sackitey Ahiadome VOLTIC GHANA LTD

35. Ms Evelyn Sarpong GHANA CHAMBER OF MINES

36. Mr Shallovern Srodah COUNCIL OF INDIGENOUS BUSINESS ASSOCIATION

37. Mr. Obed Tanlon WAYOE ENGINEERING

38. Mr. Samuel Tetteh ST. KEM CO. LTD

39. Ms Ruth Tonyigah NABH

40. Mr. Solomon Yawson GREL

SPEAKERS AND STAFF

NAME ORGANISATION

1. Mr Eugene Abraham GHANA EMPLOYERS’ ASSOCIATION (GEA)

2. Mr Peter Hall INTERNATIONAL ORGANISATION OF EMPLOYERS (IOE)

3. Ms Shivani Rajpal GLOBAL REPORTING INITIATIVE (GRI)

4. Ms Ingrid Koch CENTRO VINCULAR

5. Mr Kusi Boafo CEO, Public Sector Reform Secretariat, Office of the senior Minister

6. Ms Yvonne Asare-Yeboa GHANA EMPLOYERS’ ASSOCIATION (GEA)

7. Ms Anetha Awuku INTERNATIONAL ORGANISATION OF EMPLOYERS (IOE)

8. Mr George Aboagye-Attah GHANA EMPLOYERS’ ASSOCIATION (GEA)

9. Mr. Aboasu Amponsah Koduah GEA REGIONAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN

ABOUT

The Ghana Employers' Association (GEA) is a

national Employers' Organisation whose

membership comprises enterprises operating in all

sectors of the economy. After independence in 1957,

workers were organised under a central trade union

and given powers under the Industrial Relations Act,

1958 to negotiate, enforce collective agreements,

and defend their interests in all establishments. It

therefore became not only logical but also imperative

that employers should come together to enhance

and protect their interests as well as provide a forum

for consultation among themselves and share

experiences, hence the GEA was formed in 1959.

Website: http://www.ghanaemployers.com

Email: gea@ghanaemployers.com

Tel: +233 302 678455/ +233 302 678449

The International Organisation of Employers (IOE) is

the largest network of the private sector in the world,

with more than 150 business and employers’

organisations as members in 144 countries. The IOE

supports and represents the worldwide business

community in international labour and social policy

forums with the aim of ensuring that such policy

promotes the viability of business, making it the

Global voice of business

Website: www.ioe-emp.org

Email: ioe@ioe-emp.org

Tel: +41 22 929 00 00

Centro Vincular forms part of the Pontifical Catholic

University of Valparaiso in Chile and has 15 years’

of experience in integrating sustainability into

business and organisational strategies. The Centre’s

experience includes applied research projects;

capacity building of business executives on

sustainability topics as well as certified training

courses such as the Global Reporting Initiative

(GRI); consultancy work on sustainability strategies

and reporting; as well as the promotion of public

policy on sustainability at the national, regional and

global levels. Centro Vincular has implemented

capacity building programmes in Latin America.

Website: http://www.pucv.cl/

Email: contacto@vincular.cl

Tel:+56 2 2344 5800 /+56 32 2273500

GRI is an international independent organization that

helps businesses, governments and other

organizations understand and communicate the

impact of business on critical sustainability issues

such as climate change, human rights, corruption

and many others. Its mission is to empower decision

makers everywhere, through our sustainability

standards and multi-stakeholder network, to take

action towards a more sustainable economy and

world.

Website: www.globalreporting.org

Tel: + 31(0) 20 531 00 00