Decent work essentials for social auditors

The course is a self-guided eLearning course, hosted in the ITCILO eCampus over a period of 8 weeks, for an estimated total of 12 learning hours. This course aimed to enhance the capacities of social auditors to perform social audits based on a deeper understanding of International Labour Standards (ILS), the brands legal due diligence requirements, and the business and human rights agenda. It clarified auditors’ guidance on the linkages between sustainable development, decent work and Responsible Business Conduct (RBC), based on the expectations expressed in ILS. It deepened social auditors’ understanding of ILS and how they set the basis for the RBC and Human Rights Due Diligence (HRDD) agenda.

OBJECTIVES

The objectives of this course were to strengthen the knowledge, capacities, and sense of purpose of social auditors to:

• Have a clear understanding of the ILO Decent Work Agenda, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the role of enterprises.

• Understand how different RBC instruments and frameworks in particular the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises, the UN Global Compact and the ILO Tripartite Declaration of Principles for Multinational Enterprises and Social Policy complement each other and bring coherence for the realization of decent work for all.

• Have an overview of key regulatory frameworks on responsible business conduct and decent work.

• Be better equipped to navigate the vast landscape of sustainability initiatives and have a better understanding of the evolving role of social audits within the context of RBC and in particular HRDD.

• Learn and explore ILO tools and resources for the identification and assessment of actual or potential adverse labour rights impacts.

• Identify main challenges faced by social auditors to assess, evaluate, and ultimately improve suppliers’ performance in respecting labour rights, practical tips and good practices to overcome them and enhance transparency through the audit evaluation.

CONTENT

This course provided social auditors with state-of-the-art knowledge, tools and skills to engage effectively in understanding ILS and the critical guidance they provide to enhance the effectiveness of social auditing, especially in light of the rapid developments in RBC and HRDD, which are significantly (re)shaping expectations for business practices and redefining the role of social auditing.