Vision & Goals
To create an enabling BHR platform for Businesses through:
There has been a paradigm shift in the global Business and Human Rights (BHR) framework. While States are tightening regulations and policies on human rights due diligence, investors are eyeing it as a decisive factor for investments. Given the increasing momentum on the subject, it is imperative to create space for businesses to engage with stakeholders and understand the evolving policy landscape, expectations and opportunities around BHR.
An initiative of Centre for Responsible Business (CRB), Business & Human Rights Network aims to simplify BHR concepts, identify opportunities, encourage BHR uptake, and thereby make businesses more competitive and resilient.
To create an enabling BHR platform for Businesses through:
Business & Human Rights Network is a business led multi-stakeholder initiative, with focus on businesses based in South Asia. It will strive to create a robust bank of stakeholders, including Chambers, Policy-makers, Investors, Institutions, Domain Experts, Regional Blocs and International Organisations.
Business & Human Rights (BHR) encourages businesses to ensure human dignity in business operations and across supply chains. The BHR framework was crystallized post a six years multi-stakeholder consultation process and endorsed by the UN Human Rights Office of the High Commissioner in 2011, as the United Nations Guiding Principles (UNGPs) on Business and Human Rights. The UNGPs are considered the global standard for Business & Human Rights and have been widely promoted by States, businesses, trade union networks and civil societies.
The UNGPs provide a three-pillar approach - State’s responsibility to protect human rights, businesses’ duty to respect human rights and the joint responsibility of the State and businesses to provide an effective remedy in case of violations. The underlying purpose of the UNGP is to uphold human dignity and ‘ensure companies do not violate human rights in the course of their transactions and that they provide redress when infringement occurs’.
In furtherance of the UNGPs and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) multiple States have (or are in the process) tabled laws pertaining environment and human rights due diligence across supply chains. The institutional investors have also moved from traditional style of investing to investing in businesses that demonstrate principles of human rights, environment and good governance across operations
