March 2, 2022

Ukraine: A Checklist for CSR

The escalation of the conflict in Ukraine is a reminder for any CSR and ESG executive to review and update human rights policies and positions in their CSR strategies. On the assumption that doing business in conflict-affected areas will become more common in the near term, executives should be prepared to communicate and demonstrate their commitment to human rights more explicitly and more often. We’ve assembled a short checklist of actions CSR teams should be taking right now:

  • Protect international staff. Foremost, ensure any staff in conflict-affected areas are accounted for and safe. Provide channels of communication to those staff and their families, if possible. Create an internal communication to all staff on the status of the businesses and employees operating in the area of conflict, showing transparency as well as action. Be prepared to provide resources to support employee families coping with impact (eg, separation, mental health support).

  • Provide humanitarian aid. Use in-country resources to support local humanitarian efforts and aid agencies. Provide philanthropic donations to relevant non-profit organizations that are operating in the area of conflict. Activate employee donation programs, corporate gift giving, volunteering, and company-matching for employee donations. Partner with relevant non-profit organizations.

  • Modify business practices to support human rights policies. Review status of current and planned projects and investments and pause or discontinue them, if necessary, to ensure alignment with company policies. Work with business unit leaders to make supply chain adjustments, if required.

  • Align with international agencies. Work with relevant agencies, like the International Red Cross, UNICEF, UN Refugee Agency, and others, to provide assistance that aligns with your company’s expertise (eg logistics, communications, technology, or other products and services needed in-country. If your ecosystem of partners is not well defined, now is the time to do it.

  • Review/Update Human Rights policies. It is not uncommon for company human rights policies to be left unchanged for a few years. It is time to review these policies, and make updates that reflect the current geopolitical environment.

  • Communicate the company’s position.  The company should publicly communicate its position on the human rights issue, and the activities it is undertaking to demonstrate that support.  Executives should not be shy about publicly communicating their position, as well as all their activities, which strengthens brand value and customer loyalty.

While this list is not exhaustive, it should serve as a reminder that an international company operating in today’s geopolitical environment must be prepared to respond to the type of activities we have seen in Ukraine. The company has a social responsibility to respond to any events that run counter to its human rights policies, and communicate its activity to its staff, shareholders, and the public.

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