BHR

NGO Chief: Universities Must Pursue BHR Agenda in China

May 30, 2017

Robert Precht of the nongovernmental organization Justice Labs has authored an article calling on American universities operating in China to follow the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (BHR) by performing due diligence and reporting on potential human rights violations to which they may contribute by working with the Chinese government.
UK Committee Seeks Prosecution, Liability for BHR Violations

May 25, 2017

A recent report from the UK Parliament's Joint Committee on Human Rights calls for legislation providing for the criminal prosecution of corporations that violate the business and human rights (BHR) agenda in other countries and permitting foreign victims of alleged BHR violations to sue UK companies in British courts.
FIFA Joins Human Rights "Steering Committee"

May 24, 2017

The Institute for Human Rights and Business (IHRB) has announced that the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) has joined the Steering Committee of the IHRB's Mega-Sporting Events Platform for Human Rights, a consultative body intended to pressure sports bodies and companies to implement the business and human rights agenda.
Microsoft, UN Partner on Rights-Monitoring

May 17, 2017

The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and technology giant Microsoft have announced a five-year partnership to use enhanced technology to monitor human rights violations around the world and to promote broader corporate adoption of the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights.
Lawyers: CSR Statements Heighten Legal Risks

May 09, 2017

Miles Pittman and Rick Williams of the law firm Borden Ladner Gervais LLP write that Canadian courts are increasingly accepting business statements in favor of corporate social responsibility (CSR) and participation in business and human rights initiatives as grounds for holding companies responsible for alleged harms caused by their foreign subsidiaries.
Activists Demand Transparency in Textile Supply Chains

April 26, 2017

A coalition of unions and advocates has published a report calling for apparel and footwear companies to disclose the overseas factories used in their supply chains to increase transparency and ensure compliance with the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights.
NGO: Governments Should Assist Foreign Nationals in BHR Cases

April 19, 2017

The nongovernmental organization Business and Human Rights Resource Centre has published an article calling on governments to assist foreign nationals seeking to sue transnational companies for alleged business and human rights (BHR) violations.
FRA Issues Opinion on Potential EU BHR Policies

April 12, 2017

At the request of the EU Council, the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) issued an official Opinion on how the EU can coordinate policy between member states on business and human rights issues in order to improve victims’ access to remedies.
UK Parliament Committee Recommends Enforceable BHR Penalties

April 12, 2017

The UK Parliament’s Joint Committee on Human Rights has released a report on the country’s progress in achieving Business and Human Rights (BHR) goals, concluding that companies and affiliated parent companies should be required to “prevent human rights abuses” or face substantial penalties.
NGO Coalition Praises French "Corporate Vigilance" Law

April 05, 2017

A press release from the European Coalition for Corporate Justice applauds the decision of the French Constitutional Council to uphold most of the provisions of a new law requiring corporations to perform due diligence regarding their human rights impacts, while eliminating some civil penalties, and calls for all other European countries and the EU to adopt similar legislation.