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Business: obligations under international human rights law (2002)
Introduction
The private sector increasingly accepts that it has social and moral responsibilities. In recent years many companies have introduced codes of conduct and other forms of voluntary initiatives. But do private companies have a legal responsibility to respect human rights? In the last 50 years the world’s governments, particularly through the United Nations, have agreed dozens of standards that define and guarantee basic human rights and freedoms. To what extent might these standards – originally aimed at states – create binding legal obligations on companies?
This report sets out the legal obligations of states when business activity has an impact on human rights, and explores the degree to which companies might have direct obligations under international human rights law.
Research team
Biographical affiliation was accurate when research took place.
Research director
David Petrasek, Research Director, ICHRP, 1998-2002. For more information on this project, please contact Fairouz El Tom, Outreach and Publications Coordinator, ICHRP.
Lead researcher
Nicholas Howen, was at the time of the project an international human rights lawyer who has studied and practised law in Australia. Mr Howen has also served as Director of the Human Rights Division of the United Nations Peacekeeping operation in Angola. During the 1990’s, Mr. Howen was the chief legal counsel at Amnesty International, where he headed the International Secretariat’s Legal and International Organisations Programme. He has also worked as a human rights consultant in Asia, dealing extensively with human rights issues in Tibet and was a co-founder of the Tibet Information Network.
Advisors
Christopher Avery, international lawyer; independent researcher.
Sumitra Dhanarajan, Business Standards Advisor, Oxfam, United Kingdom.
Virginia Leary, Professor, international law; member of ICHRP; has worked with the ILO.
Deepika Udagama, Professor, international law, University of Colombo; Alternate Member of the UN Sub-Commission on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights.
Researchers
Maria Socorro I. Diokno, Director, Free Legal Assistance Group (FLAG), Philippines.
Caroline Dommen, international lawyer, International Centre on Trade and Sustainable Development, Switzerland.
Tamás Gyulávári, lawyer, Hungary.
Sarj Nahal, lawyer, private law firms in Britain and France.
Romina Picolotti, lawyer, Director of the Centre for Human Rights and the Environment (CEDHA), Argentina.
Usha Ramanathan, lawyer, independent law researcher, India.
Lene Wendland, consultant on international human rights issues.
Sam Zia-Zarifi, Senior Research Fellow, Department of International Law, Erasmus University, the Netherlands.
Documents
Report
Summary
Working papers
Business and Human Rights in Hungary
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Human Rights Concerns Arising from Corporate Activity in the Philippines
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Human Rights Mean Business: Broadening the Canadian Approach to Business and Human Rights
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Protection without Protectionism Linking a Multilateral Investment Treaty and Human Rights
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Funders
Links
A chronology of events since September 11, with links to analysis
Business & Human Rights Resource Centre
Human Rights and Business Project
International Labour Organisation (ILO) Special Action Program against Forced Labour (SAP-FL)
Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR)
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)
Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE)
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“It will constitute a significant contribution to the debate and will become a standard reference source.” Peter Muchlinski, Professor of Law and International Business, University of Kent, and author of Multinational Enterprises and the Law
“This a valuable and challenging report, central to the current debate on the future role and responsibilities of companies in a more critical world. The arguments are set out with admirable clarity.” Sir Geoffrey Chandler, Founder-Chair, Amnesty International UK Business Group 1991-2001; former senior executive Royal Dutch/Shell Group