The Centre for Research on Multinational Corporations (SOMO– nl, Stichting Onderzoek Multinationale Ondernemingen), is an independent, non-profit research and network organisation working on social, ecological and economic issues related to sustainable development. Since 1973, the organisation investigates multinational corporations and the consequences of their activities for people and the environment around the world.
SOMO has expertise in:
# Sectors and value chains
# Corporate research
# Corporate accountability
# Economic reform
The main sectors under research by SOMO are the
electronics
The field of electronics is a branch of physics and electrical engineering that deals with the emission, behaviour and effects of electrons using electronic devices. Electronics uses active devices to control electron flow by amplification ...
,
energy
In physics, energy (from Ancient Greek: ἐνέργεια, ''enérgeia'', “activity”) is the quantitative property that is transferred to a body or to a physical system, recognizable in the performance of work and in the form of ...
&
water
Water (chemical formula ) is an inorganic, transparent, tasteless, odorless, and nearly colorless chemical substance, which is the main constituent of Earth's hydrosphere and the fluids of all known living organisms (in which it acts as ...
,
minerals
In geology and mineralogy, a mineral or mineral species is, broadly speaking, a solid chemical compound with a fairly well-defined chemical composition and a specific crystal structure that occurs naturally in pure form.John P. Rafferty, ed ...
,
agriculture
Agriculture or farming is the practice of cultivating plants and livestock. Agriculture was the key development in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that enabled people ...
&
food
Food is any substance consumed by an organism for nutritional support. Food is usually of plant, animal, or fungal origin, and contains essential nutrients, such as carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins, or minerals. The substance is in ...
,
clothing
Clothing (also known as clothes, apparel, and attire) are items worn on the body. Typically, clothing is made of fabrics or textiles, but over time it has included garments made from animal skin and other thin sheets of materials and natura ...
,
pharmaceuticals
A medication (also called medicament, medicine, pharmaceutical drug, medicinal drug or simply drug) is a drug used to diagnose, cure, treat, or prevent disease. Drug therapy ( pharmacotherapy) is an important part of the medical field and re ...
and the financial sectors.
History
Establishment
In the early 1970s, large groups of Dutch people declared themselves in solidarity with the reform politics of the Chilean President
Allende. At the time, the process of democratising the Chilean economy was threatened by the manipulations of multinational - mainly American - corporations with interests in
Chile
Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in the western part of South America. It is the southernmost country in the world, and the closest to Antarctica, occupying a long and narrow strip of land between the Andes to the eas ...
. The violent overthrow of the Allende government in 1973 elicited mass fury against the
multinationals. Several
Third World
The term "Third World" arose during the Cold War to define countries that remained non-aligned with either NATO or the Warsaw Pact. The United States, Canada, Japan, South Korea, Western European nations and their allies represented the " First ...
organisations and sympathisers decided to establish a research bureau to monitor the activities and interests of these multinational companies. This led, in 1973, to the establishment of Centre for Research on Multinational Corporations (SOMO). Two of the organisations involved in setting up SOMO were X-Y Beweging and Sjaloom.
X-Y and Sjaloom originally financed the wages and other costs of the first researcher. Later on, the growing SOMO organisation was funded for many years partly by subsidies from NCO (now NCDO).
In its early days, SOMO’s main focus was on developing countries. However, from 1975 on, SOMO carried out research in support of workers in the Netherlands who were employed by multinational companies. SOMO provided publications and training for works councils and trade union executive groups of almost all the major multinationals which had their head offices in the Netherlands. Many SOMO employees acted as experts for works councils of Dutch companies during restructuring, mergers and reorganisations.
The rise of
European Works Council European Works Councils (EWC) are information and consultation bodies representing employees in European multinational companies.
Purpose
The rationale behind the establishment of European Works Councils is related to the economic and political ...
s (EWCs) meant that – logically – SOMO had acquired a new, related, field of operation. Drawing up company profiles of multinational companies and providing support in setting up EWCs became a core field of SOMO in the 1980s and 1990s. Research into
multinational companies
A multinational company (MNC), also referred to as a multinational enterprise (MNE), a transnational enterprise (TNE), a transnational corporation (TNC), an international corporation or a stateless corporation with subtle but contrasting senses, i ...
and the business sectors dominated by them was also becoming an important field for research.
Change of work
Around the turn of the
millennium
A millennium (plural millennia or millenniums) is a period of one thousand years, sometimes called a kiloannus, kiloannum (ka), or kiloyear (ky). Normally, the word is used specifically for periods of a thousand years that begin at the starting ...
, work for the works councils decreased, leaving primarily the work focusing on developing countries. Since the end of the 1990s, research work has focused primarily on the themes of
Corporate Social Responsibility
Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is a form of international private business self-regulation which aims to contribute to societal goals of a philanthropic, activist, or charitable nature by engaging in or supporting volunteering or ethicall ...
, labour relationships in developing countries and international trade and investment. Commissions are obtained via subsidies issued by the Dutch government and European government bodies. SOMO’s commissioning parties are
trade unions
A trade union (labor union in American English), often simply referred to as a union, is an organization of workers intent on "maintaining or improving the conditions of their employment", ch. I such as attaining better wages and benefits ( ...
, development organisations and other social organisations.
Establishing networks
The development of the internet is ensuring a wide availability of information, which has meant that the role of SOMO has changed since the 1990s. The added value of SOMO is, on the one hand, carrying out (or commissioning) research into production and labour conditions in various production chains, and on the other on strengthening cooperation between organisations which want to influence businesses and policymakers. By combining research and network coordination, SOMO wants to promote the integration of knowledge and action. SOMO coordinates various networks (
CSR Platform,
OECD Watch,
Coalition for Trade and Development,
GoodElectronics). SOMO also represents various consortia (
makeITfair and
Towards Tax Justice) and is also involved in the
European Coalition for Corporate Justice (ECCJ) and
Tax Justice Network
The Tax Justice Network (or TJN) is an advocacy group consisting of a coalition of researchers and activists with a shared concern about tax avoidance, tax competition, and tax havens.
Empirical results
The TJN has reported on the OECD Base ...
NL. As an extension of its research and network coordination, SOMO is also focusing more and more on increasing the capacity of southern
NGO
A non-governmental organization (NGO) or non-governmental organisation (see spelling differences) is an organization that generally is formed independent from government. They are typically nonprofit entities, and many of them are active in h ...
s (by organising workshops, training courses and developing research methods) and coordinating lobbying and influencing policy.
In the period 2005-2010, the focus was on working conditions and the environment in production sectors, along with initiatives covering economic themes, such as ‘tax justice’ and reforming the financial markets.
From 2010
The intended objectives of SOMO were reformulated in 2010:
* The influence of social organisations on multinationals is growing.
* The policy and practice of businesses serve sustainable and
social development Social development can refer to:
* Psychosocial development
* Social change
* Social development theory
* Social Development (journal)
* Social emotional development
* Social progress or social regress
The word decadence, which at first meant ...
.
* Government regulation is targeted at a fair distribution of
prosperity
Prosperity is the flourishing, thriving, good fortune and successful social status. Prosperity often produces profuse wealth including other factors which can be profusely wealthy in all degrees, such as happiness and health.
Competing notions ...
and
sustainability
Specific definitions of sustainability are difficult to agree on and have varied in the literature and over time. The concept of sustainability can be used to guide decisions at the global, national, and individual levels (e.g. sustainable livi ...
.
Networks
Networks coordinated by SOMO
* GoodElectronics
* Lobbywatch
* MVO Platform
* OECD Watch
*
Tax Justice Nederland
Member of steering committee
*
European Coalition of Corporate Justice (ECCJ)
*
Ta
*
Agribusiness Accountability Initiative
*
Banktrack
*
Clean Clothes Campaign
The Clean Clothes Campaign (CCC) is the garment industry's largest alliance of labour unions and non-governmental organizations. The civil society campaign focuses on the improvement of working conditions in the garment and sportswear industries. ...
*
Dutch Working Group on Sustainable Natural Stone
*
GATS Platform
*
(EADI)
*
European Coalition for Corporate Justice (ECCJ)
*
Our World is Not For Sale
*
Red Puentes
*
Regulate Global Finance Now
*
Seattle to Brussels Network
*
Sociaal Forum Nederland
*
The Global Union Research Network
*
The Northern Alliance for Sustainability (ANPED)
*
Tropical Commodity Coalition
*
Werkgroep Duurzame Natuursteen
References
External links
*
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Foundations based in the Netherlands
Organisations based in Amsterdam
Research institutes in the Netherlands
Social responsibility organizations
1973 establishments in the Netherlands
Organizations established in 1973