Emerging Markets Research Project

Verité has been providing two of the US’ largest public pension funds -- CalPERS and NYCERS --- with information and analysis of labor protections in emerging markets since 2000. Both funds use this information as one factor to determine if a country can support institutional investment.

The Emerging Markets Research Project offers a ranking of 27 emerging markets countries using a quantitative assessment that employs 42 indicators of labor standards compliance – the first such framework of its kind to be used for investment purposes. Verité's model takes as its foundation the International Labor Organization's core conventions, which provide internationally accepted standards for freedom of association, child labor, forced labor, and equality/non-discrimination. Verité's framework also examines conditions of work – defined as health and safety, wages, and hours of work – as well as contract labor and government monitoring and enforcement capacity.

Labor practices are rated on four criteria: ratification of core conventions of the International Labor Organization; comparison of national legislation to ILO standards; institutional capacity for enforcement; and effectiveness of implementation.

The project's results are the outcome of analysis of information gathered through in-country and document research that incorporates publicly available data, findings from factory audits carried out by Verit é, and confidential interviews with experts from government offices, labor unions, business organizations, and NGOs.

Read Verite's 2006 year-end report to CalPERS : Emerging Markets Research Project .pdf

For more information, please contact Julie Lohr, Research Analyst, at 413-253-9227 or research@verite.org.