Human rights and business
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.”
Timeline
- 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- In 1919 the w:International Labour Organization (ILO) was founded by the w:League of Nations, which was superseded by the UN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 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 International Labour Organization
- 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 were adopted
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:
- The state duty to protect human rights
- The corporate responsibility to respect human rights
- 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.”