Convention Watch Fact Sheet

convention watch eiris.orgEIRIS Convention Watch assesses your portfolio against norms and principles enshrined in the UN Global Compact and other international conventions. EIRIS Convention Watch provides a clear understanding of the many allegations made against companies in the media and through NGO campaigns. The product uses a broad framework of global conventions to analyse how well companies are upholding widely-supported principles and addressing the associated material environmental, social and governance (ESG) risks to their businesses. EIRIS Convention Watch was the world’s first service to track corporate compliance with global norms and to assess how companies are addressing the specific and broader issues associated with the allegations made against them.Human RightsUN Global Compact Principle 1: support and respect the protection of human rights Principle 2: ensure non-complicity in human rights abuses Universal Declaration of Human RightsUN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous PeoplesConvention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or PunishmentVoluntary Principles on Security and Human RightsLabour RightsUN Global Compact Principle 3: uphold freedom of association and recognise rights to collective bargaining Principle 4: eliminate all forms of forced labour and compulsory labour Principle 5: abolish child labour Principle 6: eliminate discrimination in respect of employment and occupationILO core conventions - child labour, forced labour, non-discrimination, freedom of association and collective bargaining, plus conventions on working hours and health & safetyEnvironmentUN Global Compact Principle 7: support a precautionary approach to environmental challenges Principle 8: undertake initiatives to promote environmental responsibility Principle 9: encourage the development and diffusion of environmentally friendly technologiesMultitude of national and international laws seeking to regulate polluting activities for specific industries and activitiesBribery & CorruptionUN Global Compact Principle 10: work against all forms of corruption, including extortion and briberyUN Conventions Against CorruptionControversial WeaponsOttawa Landmines Treaty> Conventions and issues coveredEach allegation of convention breach is first assigned a ‘medium’ or ‘high’ risk assessment. Investors can use this to determine how high-profile each allegation is, if the breach is indicative of systemic failures or the result of one-off issues, and if the company has overlooked prior warnings regarding the issue. Precisely-defined indicators are then used to assess companies on their management response to specific allegations according to a clear, four-point scale ranging from 'no evidence' to 'good'. 5. Quarterley review and new allegations addedcompleted and reviewed4. Final assessmentby sign off committeefor response to allegation3. Contact each company 2. Analyse and conduct further research1. Search NGO, trade union and specialist websites ©Copyright 2012 EIRIS Ltd. All rights reserved.Empowering Responsible Investment Boston | Canberra | Gothenburg | Hannover | Jerusalem | London | Madrid | Mexico City | Paris | Seoul | Stellenbosch | Washington, D.C. | ZaragozaE: contact@eiris.org W: eiris.org @EIRISNewsB: eiris.org/blog Or call:Europe: +33 (0)1 48 03 92 24 North America: +1 617 428 0540 UK: + 44 (0)20 7840 5759 > EIRIS Convention Watch methodology EIRIS monitors a wide range of media, NGO and other sources from around the world for allegations of company breaches of international conventions. Our analysts assess which of the allegations are the most serious and then apply our methodology to produce Convention Watch reports for those cases. Each report includes a detailed description of the issue and an analysis of what the company must do in order to address the allegation. A key element of the service is engagement with the company about their response to the allegation. Engagement with companies EIRIS undertakes intense dialogue with companies in order to assess their response to allegations. Analysis by experts Over twenty EIRIS analysts work on Convention Watch. This means a broad range of expertise is applied in our analysis of alleged breaches. High-level approval & sign-offEach new and amended Convention Watch report is rigorously verified and checked by an approval committee. Global researchEIRIS’ global network of research partners helps us tocapture salient sustainability issues at the local level.Experience & qualityConvention Watch draws on nearly 30 years’ experience of responsible investment research. EIRIS' research methodology is accredited to the CSRR-QS 2.1 Quality Standard.Convention Watch reports are based on a robust and transparent research methodology > Features and benefits 3,750 companies researched including 750 emerging market companiesHuge range of global sources checked continuallyClear, four-grade assessment scale of whether allegations are addressed / not addressed Concise reports provide contextual information incorporating the company’s own response to the case Complements a wide variety of responsible investment approachesEasy, cost-effective way to mitigate ESG risk, engage with companies and screen on poor performers Available as a stand-alone service or alongside EIRIS' other products and services Assists with compliance of UN Principles for Responsible Investment > EIRIS Convention Watch in practice Investors use Convention Watch to:> assess compliance with global norms and conventions > engage with companies to improve performance> manage ESG risks by avoiding the most egregious breaches of conventions with the highest potential for reputational damageTracking compliance with conventions can be particularly useful for managers of public assets such as government-backed pension funds. Charities also use Convention Watch to screen potential donors or partners.