Many companies are committed to International Corporate Social Responsibility and sustainable supply chain management. Society and the Dutch and Flemish government expect this from them. In addition, this is enshrined in international guidelines and obligations such as the United Nations Business and Human Rights Principles, the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises and the core labor standards of the International Labor Organization (ILO).

If a company finds that, for example, it is involved in child labour, or causes or contributes to environmental pollution, there are usually possibilities to do something about this itself. But often these are complex problems further down the chain in emerging markets and developing countries, to which companies may be linked through business relationships. In these situations, local authorities often fail to protect rights and (individual) companies can usually only provide part of the solution to a problem. Together with other companies and other parties, the chance of a solution is greater. This is where the TruStone Initiative can provide added value.