UN Guiding Principles and the SDGs

Under the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs), it is a baseline expectation of all business that they avoid infringing human rights, and that they address any harms with which they are involved either through their own activities or as a result of their business relationships. This responsibility cannot be offset by any effort to promote human rights or advance sustainable development.

The UNGPs are the global standard for preventing and addressing the risk of adverse impacts on human rights linked to business activity, and they provide the internationally-accepted framework for enhancing standards and practices with regard to business and human rights. The Human Rights Council unanimously endorsed the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights in its resolution 17/4 of 16 June 2011 presented to it by the Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General, Professor John Ruggie. This move established the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights as the global standard of practice that is now expected of all States and businesses with regard to business and human rights.

While they do not by themselves constitute a legally binding document, the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights elaborate on the implications of existing standards and practices for States and businesses and include points covered variously in international and domestic law.

The United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights are based on six years of work by the former Special Representative, Professor John Ruggie, involving in-depth research; extensive consultations with businesses, governments, civil society, affected individuals and communities, lawyers, investors and other stakeholders; and the practical road-testing of proposals.

The 3 pillars of the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights

The United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights put into operation the “Protect, Respect and Remedy” Framework presented by the Special Representative to the United Nations in 2008. This three-pillar Framework consists of:

The State duty to protect human rights: States have a duty to protect human rights, including through policy and legal frameworks

The corporate responsibility to respect human rights: Companies have a responsibility to respect human rights, including by taking steps to identify and address their adverse impacts

The need for greater access to remedy for victims of business-related abuse.: Affected people should have access to an effective remedy through judicial or other processes

The United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights make it clear that it should always be a priority for organisations to address all adverse human rights impacts associated with its operations and value chain. To establish areas of priority, the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights make it clear that business should first address more severe potential adverse impacts adverse impacts. As a first step, then, business should assess how grave these impacts may be, how widespread, and how hard to remedy. Priority should be given to adverse human rights impacts or risk, regardless of the potential cost or benefit to the business. Nevertheless, there is building evidence that risks to human rights often overlap with risks to business. This convergence is particularly strong where the most severe human rights impacts are concerned.

For more information see:

The Corporate Responsibility to Respect Human Rights: an Interpretive Guide