Building human rights into the bottom line

National human rights institutions (NHRIs) can play a unique and critical role in preventing and responding to human rights violations committed by corporations, speakers told a major regional conference on business and human rights.

Presenters from government, the private sector, civil society and NHRIs chronicled human rights violations in different parts of the Asia Pacific and highlighted the benefits associated with corporate compliance with human rights.

For example, transnational and Korean companies provided examples of steps taken to promote human rights principles within their parent corporations, as well as their subsidiaries and supply chains.

The conference examined existing international standards related to business and human rights, in particular the 'protect, respect and remedy' framework developed by Professor John Ruggie, Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General on Business and Human Rights.

Participants also discussed the steps that NHRIs can take to implement the framework’s Guiding Principles and shared practical examples of the ways in which they can use their mandate to promote and protect human rights through monitoring, education, advocacy and complaint handling.

Watch a video message for conference participants delivered by UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon.

The Regional Conference on Business and Human Rights, held in Seoul, Korea from 11-13 October 2011, was held as part of the Asia Pacific’s regional response to the 10th International Conference of NHRIs and its Edinburgh Declaration.

The Declaration called on NHRIs to hold regional workshops to consider how they can use their mandates to address corporate-related human rights violations.

Following the conference presentations and working groups, APF member institutions agreed to take a number of steps at the national level, including:

• reviewing and revising their Strategic Plans to ensure that action to address human rights violations by business is identified and prioritised
• reviewing their existing institutional capacity and identify the training needs required to assist them undertake effective action in relation to business and human rights
• creating a focal point for business and human rights within their institutions, if they haven’t already done so
• developing relationships with key stakeholder groups, including government, business, civil society and others in order to hold an ongoing dialogue on business and human rights.

APF members also agreed to contribute to regional and international efforts, including supporting the activities of the ICC Working Group on Business and Human Rights and engaging with the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission for Human Rights, which will shortly undertake a baseline study into corporate social responsibility.

A copy of the conference outcome statement is available on the APF website, along with other key resources on business and human rights.

The conference was hosted by the National Human Rights Commission of Korea and the APF, in cooperation with the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and the ICC Working Group on Business and Human Rights.

Date: 20 October 2011