BHR

NGOs Publish Principles of Ideal BHR Treaty

October 27, 2016

Basing its recommendations on a series of consultations with nongovernmental organizations promoting the global human rights agenda, a pair of human rights coalition groups have produced a set of legal principles for inclusion in a binding UN business and human rights treaty that would require countries to impose robust BHR requirements on their businesses.
NGOs Blast Report on Corporate BHR Cooperation

October 27, 2016

Signaling the desire by a growing group of activists to replace corporate cooperation on the business and human rights agenda with unilateral regulations and criminal liability, such activists have condemned a report from the British group Charities Aid Foundation on corporation contributions to the human rights agenda by arguing that it "whitewashes" corporate exploitation.
Study Provides Global Guidelines on BHR "Due Diligence"

October 27, 2016

The law firm Norton Rose Fulbright and the British Institute of International and Comparative Law have published a study containing research on current corporate practice in assessing human rights impacts and making recommendations on how businesses can properly and legally perform "human rights due diligence."
NGO Pushes EU Involvement in BHR Treaty Talks

October 26, 2016

Aisha Dodwell of the nongovernmental organization Global Justice Now writes that the EU must participate in UN talks to create a binding international treaty that would force countries to implement the global business and human rights agenda and hold business leaders personally liable for their companies' BHR impacts.
Legal Observers Call for Lower EU Barriers to BHR Lawsuits

October 24, 2016

A set of proposals from legal academics and practitioners involved in the Human Rights in Business research project calls for legal reforms in the EU and its member states to make it easier for alleged victims of business and human rights violations to sue European companies for their BHR impacts and those of their subsidiaries.
Swiss NGOs Call for BHR Constitutional Amendment

October 24, 2016

A coalition of Swiss nongovernmental organizations report that they have gathered 120,000 signatures in favor of their Swiss Responsible Business Initiative, which proposes a constitutional amendment requiring Swiss companies to investigate their human rights and environmental impacts in line with the UN's business and human rights agenda.
Policy Brief Seeks BHR Treaty Role in Remedy

October 20, 2016

A policy brief published by the South Centre describes potential options in a binding UN treaty on business and human rights for bolstering remedies available to alleged victims of BHR violations, including by mandating national legislation on corporate liability and providing for certain BHR-related extraterritorial obligations of governments.
Global Security Standards Group Begins Monitoring Role

October 20, 2016

Members of the International Code of Conduct for Private Security Service Providers’ Association, including governments, security companies, and nongovernmental organizations, recently voted to initiate the organization's efforts to monitor security providers' adherence to global human rights standards.
Activists Support Wide-Ranging BHR Treaty Negotiations

October 19, 2016

As the second round of negotiations over a binding UN business and human rights treaty approaches, the Business & Human Rights Resource Centre has published a summary of contributions by activists and academics showing support for a treaty covering all human rights violations by all companies, regardless of size, across the globe.
ILO Report Targets Companies on Garment Suppliers

October 18, 2016

A report on the garment industry published by the International Labour Organization and the International Finance Corporation demonstrates how international organizations are placing the responsibility on companies, through the business and human rights agenda, to improve working conditions among their suppliers in developing countries.