Enterprises and other organizations, as employers, procurers, providers of goods and services or otherwise, are more and more aware of the role they can play to positively contribute to a diverse and inclusive society. Elements of a diverse and inclusive society are, among other things, a labour market that is accessible to all, social trust, economic development and opportunities for all individuals, a socially safe and respectful work environment, opportunities to participate in all parts of society including sports, education (e.g. traineeships), and cultural institutions.
Diversity and Inclusion policy (D&I) can provide an important added-value to organizations to foster a diverse workforce and inclusive business environment, which results in several economic and social beneficial impacts to the companies directly. In recent years, procurers have taken a stronger role in stimulating D&I throughout their entire supplier chain: as D&I policy within organizations are becoming more and more important, companies may demand a similar approach from their suppliers as well. A common understanding of the actions supporting a D&I would be beneficial to strengthen the buyer-supplier relationship.
The objective of this planned CEN Workshop Agreement (CWA) is to provide organizations with a tool to shift towards, or improve, their organizational culture as part of a diverse and inclusive society. It will consist of two parts: Part 1-Guidelines and Part-2 Guidance on self-declaration. It will provide guidance to organizations that wish to develop, implement and continuously improve a policy for D&I, and (optionally) draft and publish a self-declaration. The planned CWA is intended for implementation by all types of organizations, public and private, small, medium or large, and regardless of their sector of activities. It is intended to be used by organizations as part of their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) or Environmental, Social and Governmental (ESG) policies, or to support the implementation of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The kick-off meeting will be held on Thursday, 21 April 2022, from 13:00 to 16:00 CET as an online meeting.
Requests to participate in the kick-off meeting can be expressed via the online registration form (please note this is not yet a registration for participation in the actual CWA). Comments can be submitted to the workshop secretary support Ms Yolanda Noort – NEN, by 8 April 2022. You are kindly requested to use the commenting form below.
Download the documents:
