Ethics and Corporate Social Responsibility : Human Rights / Sustainable Development

Human rights are universal and every person around the world deserve to be treated with dignity and equality. While governments have the duty to protect individuals against human rights abuses, businesses are recognizing their legal, moral and commercial need to get involved.

As stated in the preamble of Universal Declaration of Human Rights, “every individual and every organ of society to promote and respect human right”. Every individual and every organ of society excludes no one, no company, no market, no cyberspace. The Universal Declaration applies to them all.

Gender equality is at the very heart of human rights and United Nations values. Gender equality requires equal enjoyment by women and men of socially-valued goods, opportunities, resources and rewards. It does not mean that women and men have to become the same, but that their rights, responsibilities and opportunities will not depend whether they are male or female. Gender equity is the process of being fair to women and men. Equity is a means; equality is the goal.

Sustainable development encompass the triple bottom line – economic prosperity, environmental quality and social equity. Some of the primary goal of sustainability are:

The end of poverty and hunger
Better standards of education and healthcare (water quality and better sanitation)
To achieve gender equality
Sustainable economic growth while promoting jobs and stronger economies
The effects of climate change, pollution and other environmental factors that can harm and do harm people’s health, livelihoods and lives.
Sustainability to include health of the land, air and sea

I have learned that every human beings should be treated equally. It does not mean that we are all the same. Each of us is different but we also have the common qualities that make us all humans. So each of us should be treated with respect, fairly and dignity; and in return, treat others in the same way. We are all part of the environmental problems. Our consumption generates pollution which leads to poor air quality and acid rain which turn to ozone depletion; sustainable development enable us to become more responsible in our consumption so we will be able to protect our natural resources. Empowering our communities will provide quality education for future generations.