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What is ISO 26000?
The standard “ISO 26000 Guidance on Social Responsibility” can be considered an interesting experiment. This type of “guidance standard” is new and the world needs to learn that it offers recommendations, advice, proposals, and orientation; nothing less, nothing more. It does not contain requirements and is voluntary in use. It is directed to organizations, not to individuals. It was published in November 2010, and one of its greatest benefits so far is boosting the global discussion on social responsibility, i.e. the discussion “on what should be a better social behaviour of organizations”.
Here is the ISO 26000 table of contents

Website structure and links for quick access:

Author served as head of corporate standardization and regulation at SIEMENS, for many years, and held various leading positions in standardization related organizations like

  • DIN, Advisory committees to the Director of DIN
  • DKE Steering committees (DKE is the German national member of IEC)
  • CENELEC Vice-President
  • Co-chair of the TABD Working Group on standardization and conformity Assessment (Trans-Atlantic Business Dialogue)
  • Co-founder and co-chair of ICSCA, the industry cooperation on standardization and conformity assessment
  • IEEE Standards Association, member of the Board of Governors

He is bearer of the DIN-Ehrennadel (DIN needle of honor) and has been honored with the IEEE Standards Medallion.
In 2011 he received the 40 years sponsor award of Bethel (Bodelschwingh Foundation).

He was a member of the ISO/TMB/SAG Special Advisory Group on Social Responsibility, representing the interests of European industry and backing his contributions through dialogue with some 70 enterprises (2003-01 till 2004-06).

In the succeeding ISO/TMB/WG SR, which was tasked to draft the

ISO 26000 Guidance Standard on Social Responsibility,

he continued engagement as a member of the ISG (Industry Stakeholder Group) and an ICC (International Chamber of Commerce) “observer” to the WG SR. Since March 2010 he served as a NORMAPME “expert” (European Office of Crafts, Trades and Small and Medium-sized Enterprises for Standardisation). From July 2013 onwards he is engaged as ISO 26000 representative of IFAN, die International Federation of Standards Users.

His practical experiences include a family owned enterprise with 30 employees at 3 locations, producing fertilizer, and many contacts with SR practising companies. In May 2009 he joined the FOUNDATION FOR A NEW ETHICAL BUSINESS as a friend.

He is author of the book
“Standardization – challenge and opportunity; what management and staff should know”,
which is going to be published in spring 2011.
The German edition “Normung – Herausforderung und Chance, was Führungskräfte und Mitarbeiter wissen sollten” has been published in October 2010, by the Austrian Standards Institute, ISBN 978-3-85402-224-4, http://www.austrian-standards.at/index.php?id=guido_guertler

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