Page 131 - The Ethics of ASEAN

Ethics of Human Development in ASEAN

37. ASEAN Member States recognise that the implementation
of the right to development requires effective development
policies at the national level as well as equitable economic
relations, international cooperation and a favourable
international economic environment. ASEAN Member
States should mainstream the multidimensional aspects
of the right to development into the relevant areas of
ASEAN community building and beyond, and shall work
with the international community to promote equitable and
sustainable development, fair trade practices and effective
international cooperation.

The relationship between human development and work is essential since adults in
today’s world spend most of their waking hours working. The International Labour
Organisation defined its ethics of work in 1999 under the heading “decent work” going
well beyond work as paid labour. 3

Decent work sums up the aspirations of people in their
working lives. It involves opportunities for work that is
productive and delivers a fair income, security in the
workplace and social protection for all, better prospects for
personal development and social integration, freedom for
people to express their concerns, organize and participate
in the decisions that affect their lives and equality of
opportunity and treatment for all women and men.

Work as human development is an ethical arena where words like freedom, personal
development, social integration and fairness have concrete meaning in the moral
contract between employer and employee. Work is where the rules-based ethics of
human development take on a results-based framework.
For the ASEAN Human Development Organisation, development at work is defined
as a deliverable for organisations, a human goal and obligation that balances the
economic purpose of work as a means to profit or as production.
Development is by definition a difference assessable between the beginning and
end of a work contract or job. The human development deliverable in work is measured
as a “human net positive” result validated through key development indicators (KDI) that
may be qualitive or quantitative.
While this concept of human development as a measurable goal and outcome is
familiar in education, it is still fairly new for work. However, work as human development
is becoming more accepted as a requirement in labour policy, corporate social
responsibility and ethical investing through ESG (environment, social, governance)
where the “S” is basically human development, human rights and social justice.

3 Definition of Decent Work by the International Labour Organisation https://www.ilo.org/global/topics/
decent-work/lang--en/index.htm retrieved 23 July 2023.

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