CSR added to the UN human rights platform

Corporate Social Responsibility may have just arrived at a newly created higher international definition, depending on how important your feel the governance of the United Nations is in the modern world. When it comes to world security, trade sanctions and the environment the UN continues to evolve in its modern capacity as an organization that might provide the best chance of being an arbiter of global fairness – moreover from what is ideally a position of equity and equality in the first instance.

Whether the United Nations accomplish enough is open to debate but the fundamental goals and objectives are healthy, vibrant and international in scope – therefore how important is the news that the UN have revealed the details of a human rights based CSR policy? Personally I think this is a monumental sign of progression that for many companies will provide the stimulus (pressure) to assess and improve their processes to compete in the global marketplace. The basis of human rights should of course be practiced with due diligence throughout the globe and should connect and unite companies, suppliers and customers. The statement from the UN, in my opinion, could be the great leveler for not only how companies behave but more importantly signal a better way forward for human rights in all charter nations. The official wording is beneath:

In order to identify, prevent and mitigate adverse human rights impacts, and to account for their performance, business enterprises should carry out human rights due diligence. The process should include assessing actual and potential human rights impacts, integrating and acting upon the findings, and tracking as well as communicating their performance. Human rights due diligence:

a. Will vary in scope and complexity with the size of the business enterprise, the severity of its human rights risks, and the context of its operations;

b. Must be on-going, recognizing that the human rights risks may change over time as the business enterprise’s operations and operating context evolve;

c. Should extend beyond a business enterprise’s own activities to include relationships with business partners, suppliers, and other non-State and State entities that are associated with the enterprise’s activities.

The Guiding Principles further say that:

In order to account for their human rights performance, business enterprises should be prepared to communicate publicly on their response to actual and potential human rights impacts when faced with concerns of relevant stakeholders. Those business enterprises with significant human rights risks should report regularly on their performance. The frequency and form of any communications on performance should:

a. Reflect and respond with adequate information to an enterprise’s evolving human rights risks profile;

b. Be subject to any risks such communications pose to stakeholders themselves, to personnel or to the legitimate requirements of commercial confidentiality.

UN HQ in New York

As Forbes Magazine astutely wrote this week, corporations can and should rely upon work from bodies such as the Global Reporting Initiative (“GRI”) to provide the foundation of the principles to properly implement and measure CSR implementation practices. If fully embraced this might be one of the most significant developments in global CSR policy ever rolled out. It can and ought to be the beginning of a new generation of heightened corporate diligence which translates to better human rights for all.

To read more about the UN program please follow this link to their page about the Secretary-General’s commitment to business and human rights.