What are the best practices for aligning your company's policies with international human rights standards?
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As a business leader, you want to ensure that your company operates in a responsible and ethical way, respecting the human rights of your employees, customers, suppliers, and communities. But how do you align your policies and practices with the international standards and frameworks that guide human rights due diligence and reporting? In this article, we will explore some of the best practices for integrating human rights into your sustainability strategy and culture, and the benefits of doing so.
The first step to aligning your policies with human rights standards is to understand what they are and how they apply to your business context. There are several sources of guidance and principles that you can refer to, such as the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs), the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises, the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) Standards, and the International Labour Organization (ILO) Conventions. These standards provide a common language and framework for assessing and addressing human rights impacts and risks across your operations, value chain, and stakeholder groups.
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📗 Tamás Mehlhoffer
Sustainability Communication & Reporting || Head of Communication @ Integrity Authority, Hungary II Certified GRI Professional
1. Every sustainability issue whether environmental or social is somewhere a human rights issue. If you destroy a natural living space you destroy someone's right to a healthy life or clean air and water. This perspective is dominant with the GRI standards that place special emphasis on human rights when producing a sustainability report. 2. Compliance: if you are lucky enough to live in a country whose laws reflect the UNGP's, the easiest first step is just to comply with them.
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Bruno Camargo
Partner @ Liance Legal | Global ESG Counsel | Investor & Founder @ Paková Katú | Protecting, creating and sustaining your regenerative growth & impact
- check if and how the respective jurisdictions have or not harmonized international principles locally. -Pitfalls are usually less or more stringent enforcement, so make sure your policy provides a “the stricter always applies”. - above needs also a court precedent check: in civil law jurisdictions purely punitive provisions are likely to be challenged.
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The second step is to conduct a thorough and systematic assessment of your actual and potential human rights impacts and risks, both positive and negative, in relation to your business activities and relationships. This involves identifying and prioritizing the salient human rights issues that are most relevant and severe for your company, such as labor rights, health and safety, privacy, non-discrimination, freedom of expression, and access to remedy. You should also engage with your stakeholders, especially those who are affected or potentially affected by your actions, to understand their perspectives and expectations, and to ensure that your assessment is inclusive and transparent.
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Temiloluwa L.
International Lawyer | Sustainable Development | Policy | Climate Change | Environmental Sustainability | Social/Economic Impact | Human Rights/Security | Governance | SDGs | ESG | Views are mine
In conducting assessments, pay due attention to human rights issues in your supply chain. Generally, identifying human rights issues in your own workforce is the easy part It becomes complicated when it comes to workers in your supply chain or affected communities. Stay vigilant!
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The third step is to develop and implement a clear and comprehensive human rights policy that reflects your commitment to respect and protect human rights in line with the relevant standards and frameworks. Your policy should outline your human rights goals and objectives, your roles and responsibilities, your due diligence processes, your grievance mechanisms, and your reporting and disclosure practices. You should also communicate your policy internally and externally, and provide adequate training and resources to your staff, managers, and business partners to ensure that they understand and comply with your policy.
The fourth step is to monitor and measure your performance and progress on human rights issues, using relevant indicators and benchmarks. You should collect and analyze data and information from various sources, such as audits, surveys, feedback, complaints, and external reviews, to evaluate the effectiveness and impact of your policy and practices. You should also seek feedback and input from your stakeholders, especially those who are affected or potentially affected by your actions, to verify and validate your results and to identify areas for improvement.
The fifth step is to report and communicate your results and achievements on human rights issues, using credible and consistent standards and formats. You should disclose your human rights policy, assessment, performance, and impact in a transparent and accountable way, using platforms and channels that are accessible and appropriate for your stakeholders. You should also highlight your challenges and dilemmas, your lessons learned and best practices, and your future plans and targets. Reporting and communicating your results can help you build trust and credibility, enhance your reputation and brand, and demonstrate your leadership and innovation.
The sixth and final step is to review and improve your approach and strategy on human rights issues, based on your monitoring and reporting results, your stakeholder feedback, and your changing business environment. You should regularly evaluate and update your policy and practices, to ensure that they are aligned with the latest standards and expectations, and that they address the emerging and evolving human rights risks and opportunities. You should also seek continuous learning and improvement, by engaging with experts, peers, networks, and initiatives, and by adopting best practices and innovations from other sectors and regions.