Mary Robinson

The campaign to mark the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) during 2008 is well underway.  At a time when human rights continue to be under threat around the world, the anniversary is an important reminder that the Universal Declaration belongs to all of us, and is our shared responsibility.

But what does the 60th anniversary mean for business?  Where do we stand on the often controversial subject of business and human rights? 

First, we should acknowledge the progress made by many corporate leaders over the past decade in understanding the relevance of human rights.  In 1998, the Global Compact and other efforts to link human rights to the corporate social responsibility agenda had not yet come into being.  Ten years later, the “business case” is accepted by many corporate leaders who recognize that managing legal and operational risk and reputation, meeting shareholder and stakeholder expectations, and maintaining and motivating staff performance are all good reasons for taking human rights concerns seriously. 

Second, today few question the central tenet that “all organs of society” (as the Universal Declaration puts it), including business, have human rights responsibilities. Business-led and multi-stakeholder approaches to addressing a range of thematic issues – such as labour rights violations, threats to personal security and freedom of expression, among others – are clear signs of broad agreement that human rights are “everybody’s business”.  More and more companies are positively engaged in the effort to address challenging human rights issues, like what to do when operating in countries experiencing violent conflict, or how to do business in a “human rights aware” way even when competitors don’t care or don’t pay a price for doing the wrong thing.  Personally, I have learned a great deal about the business case for integrating a human rights approach as part of corporate sustainability in my role as honorary Chair of the Business Leaders Initiative on Human Rights.

It is safe to say that much has changed over the past decade, and there is much to celebrate in this 60th year of the UDHR. But it is also clear that a great deal of work remains. 

To start, even the most committed managers still need more practical guidance on what human rights mean for them, and how these issues can be integrated within day-to-day operations. Over the past year, I have been pleased to chair the Global Compact’s Human Rights Working Group which seeks to address this challenge.  Since our first meeting during the Leaders Summit last July, the Working Group has made a good start in advancing the business and human rights agenda within the Global Compact.  Our efforts have included engaging with the growing number of Global Compact Local Networks, identifying key human rights relevant dilemmas faced by companies, and developing a process to provide advice on practical ways of overcoming these challenges. 

Many other issues require further attention beyond the immediate scope of the Global Compact.  For example, although it is widely agreed that states are the primary duty bearers in relation to human rights, not enough attention has been given to the role of government in protecting against third-party abuses of rights, including by business entities, through appropriate and universally enforced national regulation. This must change if all companies – small and large, local and international are to modify their behaviors to be consistent with human rights standards. Today, far too many companies still avoid scrutiny, perhaps because they are not major brands, are not listed on major exchanges or are not in the supply chain of responsible companies. This duty of states was clearly identified by Professor John Ruggie, UN Special Representative on Business and Human Rights, in his 2007 report to the UN Human Rights Council.

We need to find ways to engage private and state-owned enterprises from emerging market economies; increasingly these companies are becoming important players on the global stage.  Developing adequate accountability practices which ensure that promising multi-stakeholder efforts gain broad legitimacy in developing and developed economies alike is yet another area requiring renewed focus and joint action.

The 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration presents a key opportunity to address these challenges. We hope the many companies that have not thought seriously about these issues will view 2008 as the time to make commitments to human rights within their spheres of influence. 

There are many ways to get involved.  In cooperation with the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, the Global Compact Human Rights Working Group has offered numerous concrete suggestions for actions that companies can take on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the UDHR, including in their internal policies and practices, as well as with subsidiaries and suppliers (link to www.unglobalcompact.org/Issues/human_rights/UDHR_60th.html). 

The “Every Human Has Rights” 60th anniversary campaign has been launched by The Elders, a group of leaders committed to tackling some of the world's toughest problems. Nelson Mandela and other members of the Elders are calling on each of us to make a pledge to live by the principles of the Universal Declaration. This provides an opportunity for companies to encourage their employees and wider stakeholders to learn more about human rights and take personal action.

On 10 December 2008, we will truly be able to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration if concrete actions are taken in the months ahead to build a stronger international human rights regime that guides all actors in society, including business.

Mary Robinson is President of Realizing Rights: The Ethical Globalization Initiative (www.realizingrights.org). She was the first woman President of Ireland (1990-1997) and more recently served as UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (1997-2002).