BackThe Universal Rights Group is pleased to announce the publication of a major new report on the implementation, by businesses, of the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. The report features the results of a global survey of 853 senior corporate executives, exploring their views on the corporate responsibility to respect human rights and ways in which they are fulfilling that responsibility. The survey questionnaire was developed in consultation with the United Nations Working Group on Business and Human Rights.
Over the last decade, the field of business and human rights has seen a dramatic evolution, from a situation in which companies and human rights activists were at odds, to one in which stakeholders have begun to approach a common understanding of the risks, challenges and opportunities involved. However, spectacular failures of human rights protection still claim headlines and whilst many in the business community are more focused than ever on human rights the debate continues on how best to apply the UN’s Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights.
The new report, published on 16 March 2015 by The Economist Intelligence Unit, shows that a large majority of executives (83%) believe that human rights are a matter for businesses, not just for governments.
"The road from principle to practice: Today’s challenges for business in respecting human rights" is sponsored by: DLA Piper, Lilly, Global Business Initiative, Mazars, Telenor Group and Universal Rights Group; and supported by: International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), IPIECA, International Organisation of Employers (IOE), Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and The Foreign & Commonwealth Office.
The report also finds that 71% of business leaders say that their firm’s responsibility to respect human rights goes beyond simple obedience to local laws.
While this response suggests corporate attitudes are evolving quickly, only 22% say they have a publicly available human rights policy in some form, and 44% say that human rights are an issue on which CEOs take the lead.
The most common barriers to progress, according to the respondents, are lack of understanding of their company’s responsibilities (30%) and lack of training and education for employees (25%).
Aviva Freudmann, the editor of the report, said: “Clearly companies are still coming to grips with their human rights responsibilities. Businesses acknowledge that it’s not just a role for governments—and they want to take an active role in respecting human rights. But concrete actions are still lagging behind the intentions.”
The report also shows that companies do not see a business case—focused on immediate costs and benefits—for human rights, but rather see respecting human rights as helpful in building good relationships with local communities (48%), protecting the company and brand and reputation (43%); and serving moral/ethical considerations (41%).
Source: Universal Rights Group
