What are human rights and how does business impact them?
Businesses, regardless of their size, sector, operational context, ownership, or structure, can impact human rights wherever and however they operate. Their impacts can be both positive (such as providing decent jobs) and negative (for example, if employees are injured due to unsafe working conditions).
Human rights are the rights and freedoms we all enjoy as human beings, without discrimination. They are also intrinsically connected and cannot be seen in isolation from each other. The enjoyment of one right very often depends on the enjoyment of others.
Internationally recognised human rights are presented and explained in international instruments such as treaties, declarations and other documents. One of these key documents is the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights. It sets out 30 fundamental rights and freedoms for all and governments around the world have all expressed their support for it. Another key such instrument is the International Labour Organization’s (ILO) Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work, based on the concept of four core labour standards that apply to all workers in countries that are members of the ILO (almost every country in the world). There are, also, many other international human rights instruments that businesses may need to consider which relate, for example, to women, including the Convention on the Prevention of Discrimination Against Women.
While governments have the primary duty to protect human rights, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights states that every individual and ‘organ of society’ should promote respect for human rights and freedoms. Businesses are an ‘organ of society’, expected to respect human rights.
Every business can have negative impacts on practically the entire spectrum of internationally recognised human rights, through its activities and business relationships. It is, thus, important to be able to translate how a business’ activities could lead to negative human rights impacts, including, for example, involvement in modern slavery.
Businesses should understand how they could impact internationally recognised human rights and meet their responsibility to respect them Tweet This!, taking steps to know their negative human rights impacts, avoid involvement in negative human rights impacts through their own activities and business relationships, and address such impacts when they occur.
One important step businesses can take to learn how to address human rights properly is education, including through courses like the GRI Certified course “How to Report on Human Rights with the GRI Standards.” This course teaches participants to understand the relevance of human rights and human rights transparency to business, and how to identify impacts and determine material topics related to human rights.
More information about the course: https://fbrh.co.uk/en/gri-sustainability-courses
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