Human rights and business

Timeline

• In 1839 the w:Anti-Slavery International organization was founded
• In 1900 the International Association for Labour Legislation (IALL), an epistemic community was fouded
• In 1919 the w:International Labour Organization (ILO) was founded by the w:League of Nations, which was superseded by the UN
• In 1976 the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights came into effect
• In 1976 the w:OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises were adopted by the w:OECD. The guidelines have been revised in 1979, 1982, 1984, 1991, 2000 and 2011.
• In 1998 the w:Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work was declared by ILO.
• In 1992 the w:International Programme on the Elimination of Child Labour was created by the ILO.
• In 1999 the w:United Nations Global Compact, a non-binding United Nations pact to encourage businesses worldwide to adopt sustainable and socially responsible policies, and to report on their implementation was announced.
• In 2011 the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs) were adopted
• In 2015 the w:Modern Slavery Act 2015 was enacted in the UK. An amendment called 'Transparency in Supply Chain Provisions' was added that requires UK companies whose turnover exceeds £36 to publicly submit a HRDD report or alternatively state that they haven't done HRDD.
• In 2016 the TISCReport.org was launched. It is the World's largest Open Data Register committed to ending Modern Slavery and supply chain labour abuses, by joining up Transparency In Supply Chains (TISC) reporting globally.
• In 2016 the German National Action Plan for the implementation of the UNGPs for 2016-2020 is published. The Green Party supports a motion calling for HRDD obligations and in 2017 the SPD includes HRDD in their electoral program.
• In 2017 the lower house of the Dutch parliament adopted the Child Labour Due Diligence Bill, but it is yet to pass in the Senate. When it passes it will become legally binding on January 1 2020.

Human rights due diligence

Human rights due diligence or HRDD means giving w:due diligence to the w:human rights aspects of your planned operation.

“Due diligence is an investigation of a business or person prior to signing a contract, or an act with a certain w:standard of care.”

~ Wikipedia on w:due diligence

International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights

The w:International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights is a multilateral treaty approved by the UN General Assembly. It came into force in 1976 and it commits its parties to work toward the granting of w:economic, social, and cultural rights (ESCR) to the Non-Self-Governing and Trust Territories and individuals, including w:labour rights and the w:right to health, the w:right to education, and the w:right to an adequate standard of living. (Wikipedia)

United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights

The w:United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs) were presented in 2011 and are considered to be the first global standard for preventing and addressing the risk of adverse impacts on human rights linked to business activity, and continue to provide the internationally accepted framework for enhancing standards and practice regarding business and human rights.

The UNGPs encompass three pillars outlining how states and businesses should implement the framework:

1. The state duty to protect human rights
2. The corporate responsibility to respect human rights
3. Access to remedy for victims of business-related abuses

Human Rights Impact Assessment

“Human Rights Impact Assessment is a process for systematically identifying, predicting and responding to the potential human rights impacts of a business operation, capital project, government policy, or trade agreement. It is designed to complement a company or government’s other impact assessment and due diligence processes and to be framed by appropriate international human rights principles and conventions.”

~ Wikipedia on w:Human Rights Impact Assessment

See also in Wikipedia

• w:International labour law
• w:Corporate accountability for human rights violations
• w:Labour standards in the World Trade Organization
• w:List of human rights organisations
• w:List of human rights articles by country
• w:List of International Labour Organization Conventions
• w:List of organizations that combat human trafficking

External links to sites dealing with human rights in business

• As You Sow (.org) works in advancing shareholder advocacy and runs the Responsible Sourcing Network (.org) with programs on cotton, minerals and anti-slavery.
• Business & Human Rights in Law (.org)
• Business & Human Rights Resource Centre (.org) runs, among other things the Modern Slavery Registry (.org).
• Corporate Social Responsibility and the Law (.com)
• End Slavery Now (.org) is a US based anti-slavery organization.
• The Ethical Trading Initiative (ETI) .org is an alliance of companies, trade unions and NGOs that promotes respect for workers' rights around the globe.
• KnowTheChain (.org) is a resource for companies and investors to understand and address forced labor risks within their global supply chains.
• Focus on Labour EXploitation (FLEX) (.org) works to reduce human trafficking and labour exploitation.
• The Freedom Fund (.org) is a leader in the global movement to end modern slavery.
• Sedex Global (.com) provides tools for both producers and buyers to improve the responsibility of their business operations and develops the SMETA audit methodology (Sedex Members Ethical Trade Audit).
• Verité (.org) provides knowledge and tools to eliminate the most serious labor and human rights abuses in global supply chains.