It was Lord Kelvin who uttered the words "If you can not measure it, you can not improve it", which became more famously paraphrased as "what gets measured gets managed". Lord Kelvin knew a thing or two about measurement; he is the guy who put his name on "absolute zero" and on the Kelvin temperature scale. (Of course, he ALSO thought that heavier-than-air flying machines were impossible, just to show that all of us make mistakes). This maxim holds true for human rights -- and so, let's talk.
I have reviewed many of the international protocols and agreements on human rights, including the United Nations Global Compact and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. From this review, I have identified areas the meetings/event industry should be aware of in regard to human rights:
- Hours of work and fair remuneration (equal pay for equal work). This might be less applicable in North America and Europe than in developing areas, but keep in mind the plight of the Hyatt housekeepers last year, which, if not a perfect example, is at least in the ballpark.
- The supply chain. Ever wonder where those trinkets, registration bags and ribbons are made, and by who? A lot of products are made overseas, and there is the possibility that they were made with child or forced labour.
- The region you are meeting in. What are the human rights policies of the areas you are meeting in? Not to say you shouldn't meet there, but inserting a contract clause or having suppliers sign a code of conduct is a good idea.
- The environment and human rights. What are the environmental policies of the region you meet in? Everyone has the right to clean air and clean water.
- Freedom of association. What is the policy of the region/country on freedom of association? Can labour unionize? Is there political and social freedom?
I suggest that you take a look at your organization and see where your meeting might intersect a human rights issue. Create a policy that might have these areas:
- Non-discrimination
- No forced labour
- Anti-corruption policies
- Health and safety
- Fair/equal remuneration
- Hours of work
- Freedom of association
- Environment and human rights
Sustainable events begin with "people, planet and profit". Awareness, discussion and a commitment not to be complicit in human rights abuses further the progress of sustainable events.
All the elements you've listed are tremendously important. But the supply chain leaps out at me for a couple of reasons.
ReplyDeleteFirst, it's one of the most important places to look for improvements on all dimensions of sustainability -- human rights and social, as you've said here, but also environmental and economic.
But second, looking ahead to one of your more recent posts, attending closely or comprehensively on the meetings supply chain is a great way for a sustainable meetings practitioner to be labelled and treated as a Cassandra -- not because the concern is anything less than essential, but because it's far beyond the focus of too many people in our industry. The conversation becomes that much more difficult whenever we encounter questions about the reliability or completeness of data for assessing a supply chain against a sustainability standard.
I don't see an easy answer here, but I think you were absolutely right to give supply chain issues a prominent place in this post.
John Donne said that "no man is an island" and it can be rightly said that no meeting is one, either. The sustainability of a meeting depends on how meeting professionals make decisions about their supply chain. To badly paraphrase Hamlet: "To buy or not to buy; that is the question" This holds true for destination, accommodation and venue selection as well as fundamentals like food, beverage and transportation. The decision has repercussions on the community, the environment and has profound economic considerations as well.
ReplyDelete