'The report makes several recommendations that it expects will serve as a road map for better company reporting and labour standards compliance in the supply chain, and help foster collaborative action to eliminate workers’ rights abuses in global supply chains.

The report also notes that Hong Kong apparel brands are mainly Asia-pacific focused and have had limited exposure to the added pressures of more mature markets, which include more stringent reporting requirements, heightened consume more...

Urban governance must be gender-sensitive if it is to be equitable, sustainable and effective. Participation and civic engagement are critical determinants of good governance, a concept which addresses issues of social equity and political legitimacy and not merely the efficient management of infrastructure and services. The different ways in which women and men participate in and benefit from urban governance are significantly shaped by prevailing constructions of gender, whose norms, expectati more...

'As the World Bank hosts Extractive Industries Week, the story of the Mae Moh coal plant in Thailand shows why early community engagement is critical.'
Source: WRI, 2009

'Recent studies estimate that illegal logging may make up 8-10% of primary wood production, causing $15 billion in lost revenues to the countries in which it occurs. In some places, illegal logging may represent 50% of harvested wood. So with 18 million acres lost to deforestation each year—accounting for 15-20% of global greenhouse gas emissions and a host of other environmental and social consequences—illegal logging is a huge problem. At fault are weak governance and enforcement structure more...

'This U4 Brief describes how international partners and national procurement agencies have used information technology to improve transparency and increase accountability in procurement of HIV/AIDS medicines.'

This Practitioner’s Guide to Designing Inclusive and Accountable Local Democratic Institutions is the first of its kind to provide an overview of the current range of local representative arrangements and electoral systems in Asia and the Pacific. This easy-to-use guide will assist Country offices/teams and government partners as programmes are shaped to make local decision-making processes more inclusive and accountable to all citizens.

'Ethisphere’s World’s Most Ethical Companies ranking provides companies a chance to be recognized for their efforts in ethics and compliance. The winners of the World’s Most Ethical Companies are the standouts. This year Ethisphere received a record number of nominations from companies in over 100 countries and 35 industries, but 99 companies made the cut. Twenty companies dropped off the list from last year, and 25 companies were newcomers. A remarkable 44 companies are “three-peats,” more...

This Practice Note outlines a framework for human rights integration in poverty reduction and provides practical steps to guide UNDP programming. The framework is purposely kept generic, as it should be applicable to a range of country situations and programming modalities; whether the focus is on macroeconomics, trade policies, micro-finance, reporting on the Millennium Development Goals, or livelihood skills. Full Practice Note in PDF format (364kb); Number of pages: 19p

Companies and governments need to provide better quality information on extractive industries revenues if funds are to benefit all citizens and a country's development.

The Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises, adopted by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), provide a set of accountability standards that offer great potential for civil society to effectively combat private sector corruption.