联合国文件/第592部分 (共1000部分)

This background information was followed by a presentation of the main elements of the background documents, “Guidance on corporate responsibility reporting in annual reports” (TD/B/COM.2/ISAR/41) and “Guidance on corporate responsibility reporting in annual reports: the information needs of stakeholders and the selection criteria for core indicators” (TD/B/COM.2/ISAR/42).

Those documents, it was explained, provided draft guidance on corporate responsibility reporting in annual reports, including details about users of the information, the selection criteria for the indicators, an explanation of the latter, and a methodology for compiling and reporting on the selected indicators.

The two documents provided a revised and finalized version of ISAR's deliberations on this subject, including material developed for, and delegate feedback during, the twenty-first, twenty-second, twenty-third and twenty-fourth sessions of ISAR.

The guidance included a detailed methodology for compiling and reporting each of the selected core indicators on corporate responsibility.

This methodology includes four fundamental elements: (1) a background description of each indicator; (2) definitions of technical terms required for standardizing preparation and reporting of each indicator; (3) instructions on compiling each indicator; and (4) instruction on presentation and disclosure of the compiled information.

The resource person observed that these four factors combine to create a practical and standardized step by step process for understanding, compiling and reporting each indicator.

After these initial comments on the background document, the Chair introduced a panel of experts to discuss the background document and corporate responsibility reporting.

The panellists provided a mix of professional and geographic perspectives.

The work of ISAR on corporate responsibility reporting was commended by the panellists for its usefulness and the robustness of its methodology.

A number of panellists also highlighted economic development orientation of many of the selected indicators, and observed that ISAR's approach to corporate responsibility reporting would fill gaps in existing reporting frameworks.

The panellists from developing countries provided a unique perspective on the increasing need for corporate responsibility reporting in developing countries, and the relevance and importance of ISAR's selected indicators.

A panellist from industry observed that corporate responsibility reporting in general was becoming increasingly important for enterprises, and the ISAR guidance provided a concise, comparable and easy to use set of indicators.

In the discussions following the presentations by the panel, a number of issues were raised concerning broader issues of corporate responsibility and the role reporting can play.

For example, several delegates raised questions about the relationship between corporate responsibility and philanthropy and how reporting on these issues should be treated.

There were also questions on the relationship between corporate responsibility reporting and corporate governance disclosure, with a number of panellists remarking that these two fields, while still distinct, were becoming increasingly interconnected.

There were also questions on the relationship between corporate responsibility reporting and corporate governance disclosure, with a number of panellists remarking that these two fields, while still distinct, were becoming increasingly interconnected.

Many delegates engaged the panel in broader discussions on the current state of corporate responsibility reporting in developing countries and the development dimension of corporate responsibility.

These discussions highlighted the importance of economic development as an integral issue of corporate responsibility for many delegates.

In addition to general discussions on corporate responsibility reporting, a number of technical questions arose regarding the measurability of indicators and comparability over time, as well as reporting related to the tax treatment of philanthropic donations.

Many delegates commended the work for its usefulness and quality and suggested that it should be published and widely disseminated.

2007 Review of the Implementations Status of Corporate Governance Disclosures

The Chair introduced the agenda item and gave the floor to a member of the secretariat who presented the findings of the “2007 Review of the Implementation Status of Corporate Governance Disclosures: an inventory of disclosure requirements in 25 emerging markets” (TD/B/COM.2/ISAR/CRP.6).

The representative of the secretariat highlighted a number of important trends influencing corporate governance disclosure, including: increased pressure on investment funds and other institutional investors to disclose their voting on proxy statements; the impact of electronic technologies on shareholder voting and corporate governance disclosure; increasing convergence among national corporate governance standards around the world; and a global wave of stock exchange mergers that is adding pressure for convergence in corporate governance practices.

The representative presented the findings of the 2007 review, which showed that nearly all of 25 the markets in the study required the disclosure of more than half of the 53 items in the ISAR benchmark on good practices in corporate governance disclosure.