Bibliographie sélective OHADA

Née à une époque où la protection de l’environnement constituait un leitmotiv sur la scène internationale, il a fallu plus de trois décennies à la CEEAC pour inscrire expressément cette protection dans son texte fondamental notamment son Traité révisé. Nonobstant cet exploit, des manquements sont observables. D’une part, le Traité considère la protection de l’environnement comme un moyen de l’intégration économique et non comme un objectif à part entière de la communauté. D’autre part, l’environnement est appréhendé de manière sectorielle dans le Traité pourtant, la tendance doit être la globalisation de l’environnement par l’inclusion de celui-ci dans tous les politiques sociaux économiques de la communauté tel que se revendique aujourd’hui le développement durable. A l’épreuve, la CEEAC se doit dans son Traité de rendre à l’environnement toute l’attention et l’importance qui lui sont reconnues aujourd’hui. Born at a time when environmental protection was a leitmotif on the international scene, it took more than three decades dor ECCAS to expressly include this protection in its fundamental text, particularly its Revised Treaty. Notwithstanding this feat, shortcomings are observable. On the one hand, the Treaty considers environment protection as a means of economic integration and not as a separate objective of the community. On the other hand, the environment is understood in a sectoral manner in the Treaty, however, the trend most most be the globalization of the environment through the inclusion of it in all, the social and economic policies of the community such as sustainable development is now being promoted. Under the test, the ECCAS must in its Treaty give to the environment all the attention and importance that is recognized for it today.

L’État Camerounais désireux d’attirer des investissements agro-industriels directs se montre parfois complaisant au détriment de la maitrise des impacts locaux de ces entreprises sur l’environnement. Situation qui est permanemment source de conflit avec les communautés locales qui aspirent à protéger leur espace ressource. Dans un contexte de contestations sociales, les entreprises sont de plus en plus interpellées sur leur engagement à la responsabilité sociétale et leur redevabilité environnementale envers leur territoire d’action. Paradoxalement, alors que le Cameroun a adhéré aux idéaux de développement durable, un foisonnement d’initiatives et d’expérimentations faites sur le terrain mettent en exergues plusieurs insuffisances d’une responsabilité sociétale hybride, intuitive qui ne permet pas véritablement à ces entreprises de contribuer au développement durable de leur localité d’implantation et de satisfaire aux attentes des populations locales. Cette réflexion prendra appui sur l’approche des parties prenantes de la responsabilité sociétale des entreprises afin d’en proposer un modèle co-construit adapté à la préservation des intérêts écologiques dans l’ancrage local des entreprises du secteur agro-industriel au Cameroun.

L’étude ne porte ni sur les actes et pratiques de dépossession totale, ni sur les pernicieuses dégradations sociétales identifiées. Elle se penche plutôt sur la problématique de la RSE au Congo, examinant l’évolution de la mise en œuvre des notions de responsabilité sociétale et de codes d’éthique dans les entreprises opérant sur le territoire congolais. La finalité de l’étude comporte trois visées solidaires. La première concerne la conception et la définition de la RSE au Congo, alors que la deuxième, l’existence potentielle d’une politique de RSE pour toutes les entreprises du Congo. Les résultats recueillis à ce niveau impliquent directement la question suivante, troisième visée de l’étude. Comment procéder pour concevoir et instituer une politique pertinente de responsabilité sociétale de l’entreprise au Congo ? Le traitement de cette question a fait ressortir le rôle majeur de la législation et de l’éthique des affaires (EA) dans la politique de RSE au XXIe siècle. L’étude se présente ainsi comme un appel pressant à la conception d’une politique de RSE pour toutes les entreprises actives sur le territoire congolais. Les réflexions et analyses de cette étude sont réparties en six sections: (1) introduction, (2) cadre juridique de la RSE au Congo, (3) expérience congolaise de la RSE, (4) définition de la RSE, (5) histoire de l’EA et de la RSE et (6) remarques conclusives. L’apport de l’éthique des affaires a éclairé l’étude sur trois thèmes, à savoir la RSE, l’institutionnalisation de l’éthique et la mise en œuvre des politiques de RSE. The study does not concern the acts and practices of full dispossession, nor pernicious societal degradations identified. It rather focusses on the issue of CSR in the Congo, examining evolution of implementating notions of societal responsibility and codes of ethics in the enterprises that operate on Congolese territory. Its purpose has three interlinked aims. The first one concerns the conception and definition of CSR in the Congo, while the second, the potential existence of a CSR policy for all Congolese companies. Results collected at this level straightly imply following question, the third aim of the study. How to proceed in designing and establishing relevant corporate societal responsibility policy in the Congo ? The treatment of this issue has highlighted the major function of legislation and business ethics (BE) in CSR policy in the 21st Century. The study thus presents itself as a pressing call for designing a CSR policy for all active enterprises on the Congolese territory. The reflections and analyses of this study are divided into six sections: (1) introduction, (2) legal framework for CSR in the Congo, (3) Congolese experience of CSR, (4) CSR definition, (5) history of BE and CSR, and (6) conclusive remarks. The contribution of business ethics has shed light on the study upon three themes: CSR, institutionalization of ethics, and implementation of CSR policies.

Previous studies on corporate social responsibility (CSR) in the construction and property-development domain have mainly focused on countries in the Global North with very few studies in the Global South. These prior studies have defined the pyramid elements (economic, legal, ethical, and philanthropic) that make up overall CSR, but none of them have assessed how well corporations performed in relation to each pyramid element, particularly in the property-development industry. Consequently, reflecting on the limited CSR studies in the Global South, this study examines the performance of property-development companies regarding the CSR pyramid elements. The study also assesses the barriers and strategic drivers of CSR among property-development companies. The study employed a descriptive survey research, and questionnaires were administered to 43 property-development companies. Descriptive data analysis was done to rank the relative importance of items from the questionnaire. Results showed that, although companies performed ‘well’ in their legal CSR, and ‘average’ in their economic and ethical CSR, companies performed ‘poorly’ in the area of philanthropic CSR. Lack of support by top management, corruption/lack of transparency, lack of knowledge and awareness by professionals, and lack of regulatory framework were identified as significant barriers to CSR implementation among property-development companies. Vision of founders/support by top management, regulatory framework, stakeholder activism, and good relationship-building are potential key strategic drivers of CSR implementation programmes among property-development companies. Given the findings, it is recommended that property-development companies should integrate CSR principles into their vision and mission statement and consider it to be a business function. This can be done by mitigating the barriers identified through the adoption of strategic drivers as postulated by this study.

La RSE peut s'immiscer en droit des sociétés OHADA au travers des codes de gouvernement, pourvu qu'ils adoptent un changement de paradigme ou de la vision dominante limitée à l'organisation des relations entre les actionnaires et les dirigeants sociaux. Or, pour intégrer les enjeux de la RSE, ces codes doivent élargir leur champ aux différentes parties prenantes à la vie de l'entreprise, notamment des salariés, clients, fournisseurs, créanciers, populations locales et l'État. Un tel changement de paradigme peut se fonder sur la conception mixte de l'intérêt social et la récente consécration du reporting extrafinancier dans l'espace OHADA. Ceci implique par ailleurs que les organisations représentatives des entreprises fassent participer les parties prenantes, en amont, au processus d'adoption et en aval, au contrôle d'application de codes de gouvernement d'entreprise à travers, par exemple, un comité RSE ou ESG.

This study primarily aims to identify the social responsibility of Libyan and Palestinian telecommunications companies and their contributions to addressing the negative effects resulting from COVID-19. The study focuses on the companies’ efforts to alleviate the burden on the state and citizens, exploring the most significant social contributions made by these companies in response to the pandemic. To answer the research questions and test the hypotheses, the researchers employed a descriptive and analytical approach. After obtaining the necessary data, a validated and evaluated questionnaire was distributed to a sample of 53 individuals, including financial managers, internal auditors, financial analysts, and accountants working in Libyan and Palestinian telecommunications companies. The results of the study indicated that Libyan telecom companies did not contribute significantly to mitigating the negative effects of COVID-19 by activating their social responsibility roles. This conclusion is supported by the respondents' answers, which reflected a moderate degree of contribution, with a mean value of 3.08 and a relative weight of 61.69%, along with a standard deviation of 0.85 and a significance level (Sig) of 0.686. Similarly, Palestinian telecom companies also did not significantly contribute to mitigating the negative effects of the COVID-19 pandemic through their social responsibility roles. Respondents’ answers indicated a moderate level of contribution, with a mean value of 3.24, a relative weight of 64.85%, a standard deviation of 0.849, and a significance level (Sig) of 0.256. The study recommends that Libyan and Palestinian telecommunications companies should enhance their social roles in mitigating the negative effects of the COVID-19 pandemic by actively implementing social responsibility initiatives.

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) and green marketing adoption is a twin trend that is fast becoming a global tendency amongst world economies, irrespective of socio-economic outlook. This paper pedagogically links the two concepts in the Nigeria business climes and explores, through a panoramic view the rate of adoption of CSR and green marketing in Nigeria. This study adopted an exploratory research design vis-à-vis a qualitative research approach. Based on the findings, this paper posits that corporate social responsibility in the Nigerian context is highly “localized” to reflect realities in the Nigerian socio-cultural space. However, green marketing adoption is near impossible for the average Nigerian organization; this is due in part to the enormous funds necessary for implementation of green marketing strategies in their businesses. This study therefore recommends the setting up of trust fund for companies (especially, small scale business) by government; this would give the companies the opportunity to fully develop and adopt green marketing strategy

This study aims to understand the accounting effects of the Corona pandemic in more depth and clarity, where the study explores the accounting choices during the pandemic period and the impact of the firm's strategic orientation and its social responsibility performance on those choices. Using data from non-financial Saudi companies, the accounting choices divided into aggressive accounting strategy and conservative accounting strategy, and regression models used to examine the study hypotheses. The results of the study provide a clearer and in-depth vision about the nature of accounting practices during the pandemic and indicated that business strategy affects accounting choices, while corporate social responsibility does not affect. The results can imply useful information for the market regulators that help them in controlling and stabilizing the market, as well as for professional accounting organizations to help them issue guidelines for accounting work during crises.

Since the earlier indirect Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) provisions failed to hold investors responsible for human rights abuses, the recent hardening process of direct CSR clauses has resulted in incorporating CSR clauses under sections or chapters entitled “investors obligations” and tying CSR obligations to binding human rights and environmental prohibitions, as well as to human rights obligations established by the host state's legislation. This paper provides a non-exhaustive analysis of recent developments in treaty practice based on research primarily sourced from investment agreements concluded between 2012 and 2021, doctrinal input, and normative analysis. As shown in this paper the hardening process has not yet been completed, and reformations are necessary. Specifically, new investment agreements should enshrine investor human rights obligations as legally binding obligations, consider violations of these CSR obligations as part of investment disputes and provide direct remedies to victims. This study contributes to the literature on the international responsibility of TNCs with regard to human rights by examining the process of hardening up the CSR obligations within investment agreements as an approach that could lead to effective human rights protection.

This paper discusses the practice of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and its challenges in Sub-Saharan Africa. The main purpose is to highlight and clarify the gaps between CSR regulations and human rights abuses caused by business organizations.

Left alone, economic integration initiatives, which aim to promote growth through investment and trade liberalization, do not automatically generate win-win outcomes for all stakeholders, or lead to the inclusive economic growth and sustainable development of participating countries. This situation which is due among others to possible market failures and externalities of corporations’ activities, has increasingly become a matter of concern with the numerous corruption scandals; human rights violations and environmental degradation involving corporations observed in a recent past. How therefore to continue promoting economic integration while ensuring socially responsible conducts from businesses in societies where they operate? One approach that has recently gained traction is the institutionalization of corporate social responsibility (CSR) clauses in trade and investment agreements. This paper analyses 10 African regional trade and investment agreements concluded between 2000 and 2020 to determine the extent to which they converge with this trend and the approach adopted in regulating CSR. The research complements the literature on the nexus between international law and CSR in the African context. Laissées à elles-mêmes, les initiatives d'intégration économique, qui visent à promouvoir la croissance par la libéralisation commerciale et économique, ne génèrent pas automatiquement des résultats gagnant-gagnant pour toutes les parties prenantes, ou ne conduisent pas à la croissance économique inclusive et au développement durable des pays participants. Cette situation, qui est due entre autres à d’éventuelles défaillances du marché et à des externalités des activités des entreprises, est devenue de plus en plus préoccupante avec les nombreux scandales de corruption, de violation des droits de l’homme et de dégradation de l’environnement impliquant des entreprises. Comment donc continuer à promouvoir l'intégration économique tout en garantissant des comportements socialement responsables des entreprises dans les sociétés où elles opèrent ? Une approche qui a récemment gagné du terrain est l'institutionnalisation des clauses de responsabilité sociale des entreprises (RSE) dans les accords de commerce et d'investissement. Cet article analyse 10 accords régionaux africains de commerce et d'investissement conclus entre 2000 et 2020 pour déterminer dans quelle mesure ils convergent avec cette tendance à l’institutionnalisation des clauses sur la RSE, et l'approche adoptée dans la réglementation de la RSE. La recherche complète la littérature sur le lien entre le droit international et la RSE dans le contexte africain.

L’objet de cet article est de révéler un modèle de RSE issu du discours des entrepreneurs en contexte africain. Les concepts de justification et de légitimation, associés à l’approche du mécanisme conciliateur sont mobilisés pour analyser le contenu des entretiens menés auprès de dix entrepreneurs de TPE implantées au Cameroun. Il apparait que, dans ce contexte, l’entrepreneur perçoit sa responsabilité en se situant à la fois dans des mondes domestique, marchand et spirituel. Le modèle de la RSE qui émerge est tridimensionnel. Il correspond à une agrégation des responsabilités généalogique, géo-économique et spirituelle, chacune étant ancrée respectivement dans un des mondes suscités. Les discours et pratiques de RSE à promouvoir sur ce continent pourraient s’en inspirer.

Qu’il soit de substance, issu des textes internationaux, le principe de précaution ne définit aucune règle d’incrimination précise en droit interne ; ce qui contraste avec le principe de légalité qui dispose qu’on ne peut être condamné pénalement qu’en vertu d’un texte pénal précis et clair. Ce qui rend, en principe, le principe de précaution inopérant sur le terrain de la responsabilité pénale. Cependant, le juge peut, dans une certaine mesure, insinuer le principe de précaution dans certaines incriminations afin d’accorder une meilleure protection aux victimes d’accidents, tel que celui de la médecine, suite à l’incertitude que contiennent les innovations de la science et de la technologie.

Dans un contexte marqué par le développement durable, le législateur OHADA n’a eu de cesse d’être accablé de toutes parts pour son statisme vis-à-vis de la montée des problématiques sociétales. Au lendemain des reformes du système comptable OHADA, les problématiques sociétales ont une fois de plus raté le rendez-vous de la normalisation. Toutefois, de nombreuses entreprises continuent à publier leurs informations sociétales parallèlement à leur communication financière. A cet effet, le problème que soulève cet article est celui de la compréhension des modes de production et de diffusion des informations extra-financières en l’absence d’une réglementation en la matière. Une étude empirique de nature descriptive est menée auprès d’un échantillon de 120 entreprises diffusant leurs informations sociétales au sein de l’espace OHADA. Il en ressort que le site internet et l’implication dans le développement de la communauté locale sont apparue respectivement comme support et thème de diffusion les plus utilisés dans l’espace OHADA en matière de reporting sociétal sous la pression de certaines parties prenantes notamment les associations consuméristes, les départements ministériels en charge de l’environnement, du travail et de la sécurité sociale. In a context marked by a widespread awareness of the needs of sustainable development, the OHADA legislator has been constantly burdened on all sides for its statism to the rise of societal problems. However, After the reform of the OHADA system, sustainability problems once more did not met up with the appointment of normalization. However, several enterprises continue to publish their societal information in parallel with their financial communication. As such, the problem raised by this article is that of understanding the mode of production and disclosure of non-financial information in the absence of a regulatory framework. A descriptive empirical analysis is carried out with a sample of 120 enterprises which propagate their societal information in the OHADA zone. It reveals that internet websites and implication in the development of the local community are respectively the medium and theme of the most used disclosures in the OHADA zone with regards to sustainability reporting under the pressure of some stakeholders especially consumer associations, ministerial departments in charge of the environment labor and social security.

As globalisation intensifies, the environmental burden of economic development is being shifted to poor countries. This development manifests in waste trade involving the transboundary shipment of toxic waste from developed to developing countries. This article evaluates the strategies with which waste trade is being perpetuated to the detriment of sustainable development and human rights values in Sub-Sahara Africa. It argues that capitalism has influenced massive generation and commodification of waste, especially in industrialised countries. It has also established that globalisation has made the transboundary shipment of waste easy. Moreover, foreign investments in the waste industry in developing countries appear to be a means by developed countries to perpetuate waste shipment to developing countries, which helps waste traders to avoid stringent regulations and high costs of waste management in developed countries. Therefore, such investments in developing countries should not always be viewed as a breakthrough in attracting foreign investments. The findings made include that despite the existence of the Basel and Bamako Conventions at global and regional levels, respectively, waste trade has continued in different forms in Africa, where waste merchants exploit the low-cost facilities, cheap labour and weak regulatory frameworks. The trend includes the reckless dumping of hazardous industrial waste, electronic waste as well as ostensible investment in “dirty industries” in some African countries. It concludes by urging the states to individually establish robust mechanisms that protect the environment and enforce environmental rights. These measures will help complement the collective efforts they have made in multilateral and regional agreements.

This research questions the capacity of the OHADA accounting system to report on the societal commitment of companies. To carry out such a study, we are interested in the companies of the Douala Stock Exchange, which permanently publish green operations. The analysis was done at two levels: the first level of analysis highlighted the categories of green operations reported by the companies of our sample. The second level of analysis consisted in analysing the financial statements produced by these companies, in order to see in which accounts green transactions are recorded. The analysis reveals that, apart from some additional clarifications to be made in the appendices, the financial statements produced according to OHADA do not specifically highlight green information.

L’analyse des enjeux de la responsabilité sociétale des entreprises (RSE) des firmes TIC en Afrique se fait en tenant compte du degré de structuration de chaque Etat (démocratique ou non) qui en influence la forme et détermine le type de RSE. Partant du postulat selon lequel la RSE peut être le palliatif d’un Etat défaillant, l’objectif de cette étude est d’analyser l’impact sur les populations pauvres et vulnérables des politiques sociétales des firmes. L’enjeu scientifique de cette analyse, à partir d’études de cas africains, et du Congo en particulier, est aussi de réfléchir sur l’ambivalence de l’impact des politiques sociales des firmes TIC en Afrique, afin de montrer l’opportunité qu’offre le développement exponentiel des nouvelles technologies de la téléphonie dans la mise en oeuvre des politiques sociales dans ces pays. Aussi, en filigrane, ce travail questionne la prise en compte, dans les politiques relatives à la RSE de ces firmes, des conséquences du processus de production des consommables et accessoires TIC sur les populations, en l’occurrence les jeunes enfants travaillant dans les mines. Analysis of the issues of the corporate social responsibility (CSR) of the ICTs in Africa companies is done taking into account the degree of structuring of each State (Democratic or not) which influence the form and determines the type of CSR. Starting from the premise that CSR can be the palliative of a failed State, the objective of this study is to analyze the impact on poor and vulnerable people of firm’s societal policies. The scientific issue of this analysis, based on studies of African cases, and the Congo in particular, is also to reflect on the ambivalence of the impact of social policies of the ICTs firms in Africa, in order to show the opportunity that offers exponential development of NICTs in implementation of social policies in these countries. Also, implicitly, this work questions taking into account, in policies on CSR of these firms, of the consequences of the process of production of consumables and accessories ICT on populations, in this case young children working in the mines.

L’objectif du présent article est d’essayer, à travers une étude théorique, de mettre en évidence les principaux cadres théoriques d’inspiration des recherches en contrôle de gestion et  le pilotage de la performance organisationnelle à l’ère du contexte actuel, caractérisé par une grande tendance des entreprises vers l’adoption et l’intégration de la RSE. Il ressort de la littérature une diversité d’approches et des courants de contrôle de la RSE.  Ainsi, les résultats escomptés stipulent qu’un grand nombre de recherches en contrôle de gestion et le pilotage de la performance organisationnelle à l’ère de la RSE, se réfère à la théorie des parties prenantes, la théorie de contingence, le cadre théorique de Simons (1990, 1991, 1994, 1995) et la théorie néo-institutionnelle. Ces théories constituent la référence fondamentale pour comprendre les déterminants du dynamisme, les évolutions voire les reconfigurations des systèmes de contrôle de gestion. Selon la littérature, les apports de la théorie des parties prenantes et ceux de la contingence permettent d’expliquer les tendances des entreprises vers la prise en compte des dimensions autres que financières et économiques de la performance. Aussi, la théorie de contingence fournit à l’entreprise une diversité des facteurs sur la base desquels elle peut concevoir les dimensions de sa performance organisationnelle élargie. Ainsi, le cadre théorique de Simons est une référence fondamentale pour comprendre la relation entre les stratégies des entreprises, leurs modes de pilotage et de contrôle, et les dimensions visées de la performance organisationnelle.

Encyclopaedic Corporate Governance (CG) is now a mainstream issue of concern in the business world. Yet, there has been no systematic investigation of CG practices in general, allowing for a distinction between the profit and non-profit organizations. In this regard, this article aims to investigate the nuances in the application of sound governance principles across different types of organizations in general, together with the understanding and applications of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and Corporate Regulation (CR) in the context of the OHADA zone. With CSR envisages as a model of CG that extends the fiduciary duties from fulfilment of responsibilities towards the shareholders of the firm to fulfilment of analogous fiduciary duties towards all the firm?s stakeholders. Thus, after considering the place of CSR in the debate about alternative CG modes, a full-fledged social contract foundation of the multi-stakeholder and multi-fiduciary model is present. The article, therefore, shows that CSR is a social norm that would endogenously emerge from the stakeholders? social contract seen as the first move in an equilibrium selection process that reaches the equilibrium state of a CG institution; and as a global trend involving corporations, states, international organizations and civil society organizations. Besides, the article portrays the trend of CSR in three ways: as a regulatory framework that places new demands on corporations; as a mobilization of corporate actors to assist the development aid of states and; as a management trend. With each of these portraits suggesting certain actors, relations, driving forces and interests as being central. These multiple identities may partially describe the trend?s success, but could equally well describe its contestation, fragility and fluidity. Based on the argument that CSR is not just a fashion but rather the future from another angle, the article explicitly explores the nexus between CSR, CG and CR as appreciated in the OHADA zone. It also presents fresh insights into the applications of CG and CSR principles under the OHADA perspective that has not received systematic attention and consideration in the literature and, thus, provides policy recommendations to mainstream a viable CSR framework in the OHADA zone.