This research brief examines the relationship between corporate social responsibility and human resource management in enhancing enterprise productivity and decent work. It provides an overview of current literature, explores how aligning social and economic dimensions creates synergies, and identifies key gaps for future research to support sustainable development.

This report analyses child labour trends in Uganda from 2012 to 2021, noting a decline in overall prevalence but highlighting persistent regional, gender, and age disparities. It examines underlying socio-economic drivers and outlines policy implications, recommending expanded social protection, educational access, and gender-responsive multisectoral interventions.

This report analyses the global labour market risks of the Middle East crisis. It estimates significant potential declines in working hours and real labour incomes, highlighting heightened vulnerabilities in the Arab States and the Asia-Pacific region due to disrupted energy markets, supply chains, and transport routes.

The OHCHR Knowledge Gateway provides access to human rights knowledge, practices, and resources to support implementation of international standards.

This report analyses the systemic underpayment of temporary migrant workers in Australia. Surveying almost 10,000 individuals, it reveals two-thirds receive less than their legal entitlements. Employers frequently utilise insecure structures, such as misclassified independent contracting and casual work, to evade their responsibilities under the Fair Work Act.

Responsible investment has moved well beyond principles and pledges. Today’s challenges require practical capability and informed judgement. The RIAA Conference is a must-attend event for finance, sustainability and industry practitioners who want to focus on the key themes for responsible investment in 2026 and what implementation really looks like. Designed as an immersive, hands-on experience, the program focuses on the systems that underpin strong financial performance, and will help you understand how climate, nature, technology, governance and regulation intersect. 

These specially curated companion resources have been recommended by the conference speakers and Altiorem team.

The 2026 Living Wage Dataset by Valuing Impact is a free global database covering 217 countries and eight household scenarios. It uses the Anker and Anker methodology with updated cost-of-living data to estimate living wages for urban and rural households, supporting sustainability, labour practice and supply chain analysis.

Report finds migrant delivery riders in Saudi Arabia and UAE face systemic exploitation via third-party logistics, including coercive employment, wage abuses, unsafe conditions, and restricted mobility. Weak enforcement and outsourcing obscure accountability. Recommends stronger regulation, corporate oversight, and international labour standards.

Equidem is an independent human rights and labour rights organisation working globally to expose injustice and support marginalised communities. It conducts research, investigates abuses in supply chains, and promotes accountability. Through advocacy and partnerships, Equidem develops practical solutions to strengthen labour rights, migrant worker protections, and the wider human rights movement.

The IFC Performance Standards (2012) form part of the Sustainability Framework, setting requirements for clients to identify, manage, and mitigate environmental and social risks in financed projects. They comprise eight standards covering areas such as labour, resource efficiency, biodiversity, and community impacts, and are widely used as a global benchmark for responsible investment.

Strengthening the S in ESG is a research series examining the design and use of social indicators and metrics within ESG frameworks. It provides guidance and analysis to improve how companies’ impacts on people are measured, supporting more decision-useful insights for investors and better alignment with real business practices.

Examines how financial institutions implement human rights due diligence, aligned with UNGPs and OECD guidelines, using case studies. Highlights challenges in data, prioritisation and leverage, and emphasises integrating human rights into governance, risk processes and client engagement to manage impacts across lending, investment and insurance activities.

Global labour markets remain resilient amid uncertainty, but decent work deficits persist. Informality, working poverty and gender gaps remain widespread, especially in low-income countries. Productivity growth is weak, and demographic shifts and AI add risks. Economic growth alone is insufficient to improve employment quality or social outcomes.

This article argues that modern investment strategies fuel economic extraction while often underperforming simpler alternatives. It calls on investors to realign portfolios with productive, community-oriented investments that generate real economic and social value.

The Ethical Fashion Report series assesses fashion companies’ supply chain practices, focusing on worker rights, labour conditions, transparency, and environmental stewardship. Produced by Baptist World Aid Australia, the series evaluates brands’ policies and performance to encourage improved accountability and progress towards a more ethical and sustainable fashion industry.

This guide explains key terms related to fundamental principles and rights at work, including freedom of association, collective bargaining, forced and child labour, discrimination and living wages. It outlines links to trade, supply chains, due diligence and international labour standards, supporting consistent interpretation in policy and corporate practice.