Global Compact Convenes at First Annual Forum on Business and Human Rights

(6 December 2012, Geneva) – The UN Global Compact joined the largest global discussion to date on how governments and businesses are addressing the impacts of business activities on human rights. The first annual Forum on Business and Human Rights engaged participants from 85 countries, including the 50 members of the Global Compact’s Human Rights Working Group, to promote implementation of the Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights.

Endorsed in 2011 by the Human Rights Council, the Guiding Principles are a set of internationally accepted principles which seek to address the risk of human rights impacts linked to business activity. The Forum welcomed 1,000 total participants from Governments, civil society, business, trade unions and multilateral organizations to discuss trends and challenges in the implementing the UN’s “Protect, Respect and Remedy” Framework. Participants also sought to promote cooperation on a variety of issues linked to business and human rights, for example challenges faced in certain sectors, operational environments or in relation to specific rights or groups.

During the three-day Forum, the mainstreaming of human rights within business actions and capacity building of different stakeholder groups were emphasized as impediments in translating the Principles. The UN Global Compact was recognized as a key partner in building the capacity of business and disseminating knowledge about the Guiding Principles. Global Compact Local Networks were also highlighted for their role in framing the different historical, social and political contexts for companies to find the right entry points and levers on critical human rights issues. The Global Compact led sessions on a range of topics, including how to assist new audiences with implementing the Guiding Principles; the gender dimension of human rights; and the role of the UN system to more systematically incorporate the Guiding Principles throughout its planning and advocacy efforts.

In her remarks, Ursula Wynhoven, General Counsel, UN Global Compact Office, noted the complementarity of the Guiding Principles and the UN Global Compact, as the corporate responsibility to respect human rights is the same for both sets of principles. More than 7,000 UN Global Compact business participants in 140 countries have explicitly acknowledged their responsibility to respect human rights and committed to support human rights, and to report progress to their own stakeholders on an annual basis.

In closing the Forum, Sir Mark Moody-Stuart, Co-Chair of the Global Compact Human Rights Working Group, congratulated the UN Working Group on Human Rights and Transnational Corporations and Other Business Enterprises for successfully gathering the various stakeholder groups. ”The level of interest in business and human rights is very encouraging,” he said. “The discussions illustrate the need for further dissemination and mainstreaming of human rights. To reach scale, engaging with the UN Global Compact’s Local Networks on-the-ground will be key.”

On the occasion of the Forum, the Global Compact Human Rights Working Group also met today to advance the group's workstreams – on tools and resources, good practices, special initiatives such as the Women’s Empowerment Principles and support of Local Networks – which were informed by discussions at the Forum.

• About the Forum on Business and Human Rights
• Review the Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights
• Remarks by Ursula Wynhoven, General Counsel, UN Global Compact Office
• Learn more about the Global Compact’s work in Human Rights
• Watch video of the sessions of the Forum

Contact

Marie Wibe
UN Global Compact
wibe@un.org