The National Human Rights Commission of Korea (NHRCK), along with the Federation of Korean Industries (FKI) and Korean Corporate Citizenship Center, co-hosted an international conference about corporate social responsibility and commitment to sustainable development. The conference was held at the Federation of Korean Industries (FKI) Headquarters in Yeoido, Seoul on September 18, 2007. Over 250 individuals representing businesses, government bodies and NGOs participated in the conference.
The conference was arranged to discuss the meaning of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and its influence in society. With the growing influence of multinational corporations and companies, the importance of human rights within business environments is also increasing. Many corporation and company leaders now realize that corporations can and do impact human rights in the course of business.
Among the many topics discussed were ways through which CSR could be realized in the real world. Aron Cramer, President and CEO of the United States Businesses for Social Responsibility organization (U.S. BSR), delivered a presentation title, “Global CSR Trends and Approach Status of Multinational Corporations” Alan Knight, Head of Standards of AccountAbility, also spoke at the conference, with a speech titled, “Implications and Impacts of Global CSR Standardization”
Other corporate and NGO representatives presented at the conference. U.S. lawyer Michael Wright presented on the “Business and Human Rights Policies of Fortune 500 Companies” and Nam Young-Chan, the vice president of Korean telecommunications corporation SK Telecom, discussed the “CSR Status and Tasks of Korean Corporations” Lee Chang-Won, senior researcher at the Korea Labor Institute and Roh Han-Kyun , professor at Kookmin University, also attended the conference to participate in debates.
The FKI also hosted a successful dinner party at the FKI building attended by over 80 respected figures, including former Minister of Justice Kang Kum-Sil.
The National Human Rights Commission of Korea was established in 2001 to promote human rights education and defend those who have experienced discrimination, or have had a right violated, in Korea. The Commission offers counseling, full investigation and protection for residents, along with educational initiatives for organizations.
