Top 10 Emerging Challenges for 2010: Issue 7

Understanding the business role in human rights advocacy

The role of business as a potential advocate for human rights goes back to the preamble of the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights which affirms that "every individual and every organ of society" has a responsibility to promote respect for human rights.

But how, in practical terms, should business promote human rights? Companies can and do take collective positions on issues – for example, by encouraging other businesses to engage in applying human rights in their management systems.

Examples over recent years include cross-sector business groups – such as the Business Leaders Initiative on Human Rights and the newly formed Global Business Initiative on Human Rights which seek to engage on human rights issues both within company operations and as part of broader debates on corporate social responsibility.

Positions taken by the International Chamber of Commerce and the International Organisation of Employers in 2008 can be seen as advocacy in support of the conclusions of the Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary General on Business and Human Rights. A number of national business associations and sector-specific business groups have also spoken on behalf of integrating concern for human rights into business operations.

Such collective lobbying activities are not, however, the only thing expected of business by an increasingly vocal civil society in many parts of the world. As is increasingly seen in global events such as the lead up to the 2008 Olympic games in China, activists are increasingly calling on global business to speak out on human rights issues. There is a wish to see as well that specific companies or business leaders intervene on urgent human rights issues in countries where they operate. Sometimes this affects business operations or the workforce directly. In other cases, speaking out may relate to specific human rights defenders or victims who might not have any immediate connection with the company.

Growing attention to the appropriate role businesses can or should play in countries experiencing wide-spread rights abuses such as in Myanmar, Sudan or Zimbabwe – may be seen as the price of demonstrating 'positive engagement' and continuing operations in such countries. New initiatives such as the UN Global Compact’s work to provide guidance to companies operating in high-risk countries and to those facing calls for more public positions on human rights issues generally point to growing demand for greater clarity on what is an appropriate human rights advocacy role for business.