Chaired by Incite Sustainability's Jonathon Hanks, in Santiago, Chile in September, a number of contentious issues were dealt with, marking a significant milestone in the three-year negotiation process.

Unlike other global standards developed by the Geneva-based International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO), such as management standards ISO 9000 and 14001, ISO 26000 is not being drafted by national standards bodies but through the largest ever international multi-stakeholder process undertaken by the ISO. Industry, government, labour, NGOs, consumers and national standards bodies from each of the 80 participating countries have been involved in developing the draft in order to create a global guidance standard applicable to all organisations, covering issues such as human rights, labour practices, environmental management, organisational governance, consumer issues and community development.