The Business and Human Rights Agenda

Concerns about the conduct of business in conflict, where states have failed or when local justice proves inadequate at holding business to account, have led to calls for some form of accountability to international Human Rights standards particularly for multi or trans-national companies.

In 2003, the UN Sub-Commission for Human Rights approved the UN Norms on the Responsibilities of Transnational Corporations with Regard to Human Rights inflaming the debate about voluntary versus regulatory approaches to corporate responsibility. The following year, when the Norms were put before the UN Commission on Human Rights they were not taken forward by the Commission and instead research was called for from the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. This resulted in the February 2005 Report from the OHCHR.

At its 61st session the following year the Commission requested the appointment of a Special Representative on Business and Human Rights. In July 2005, the UN Secretary General Kofi Annan appointed Professor John Ruggie, Kirkpatrick Professor of International Affairs, Harvard University as Special Representative on Human Rights, transnational corporations and other business enterprises. The Special Representative’s mandate is to identify and clarify standards of corporate responsibility and accountability for transnational corporations. Professor Ruggie submitted his interim report to the Commission in February 2006 and he submitted his final report** to the UN Council on Human Rights in April 2007.

The UN Global Compact promotes a voluntary approach to Human Rights through its first and second principles: 1) Businesses should support and respect the protection of internationally proclaimed Human Rights; 2) Businesses should make sure that they are not complicit in Human Rights abuses. And principles 3-6 covering labour rights.

Some businesses - such as those who are members of the Business Leaders Initiative on Human Rights - have recognised the importance of developing tools for business to employ in making Human Rights operational in practice. More information can be found at the indispensable resource site on Business and Human Rights, the Business and Human Rights Resource Centre.

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