Business and Human Rights

Business activities impact the lives of millions of people around the world. They can be a powerful driver of sustainable development, offering access to social and economic opportunities and a pathway to prosperity. However, the actions of business enterprises can affect human rights, and those most affected are often among the most vulnerable.

The UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs) – the most authoritative and widely adopted set of principles for responsible business, endorsed in 2011 – call on both governments and companies to identify, prevent, mitigate, and remedy actual and potential human rights abuses. The UNGPs are not only a guide to help businesses respect human rights in their operations, they are also a roadmap for businesses to contribute to the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals.

UNDP works with governments, businesses, civil society, human rights defenders, academia and others to implement the UNGPs and advance responsible business practices throughout global supply chains.

Our work on Business and Human Rights (B+HR) is currently supported by the Governments of Sweden, Japan, the European Union, and Switzerland and is part of a wider effort to promote justice and human rights through the Global Programme for Strengthening the Rule of Law, Human Rights, Justice and Security for Sustainable Peace and Development, Phase IV.

What we do

Support the development of National Action Plans and similar policy or normative instruments on business and human rights to promote responsible business practices and corporate accountability.
Convene stakeholders to facilitate regional peer learning, South-South exchange, and capacity building on the UNGPs, including by organizing regional forums on business and human rights.
Engage with companies to ensure respect for human rights throughout supply chains, including offering human rights due diligence training and closed-door guidance sessions.
Develop guides and toolkits to support businesses in managing human rights risks, including heightened risks and impacts in conflict-affected areas.
Support the conduct of national and regional baseline assessments and supply chain analyses.
Promote gender considerations in business operations to strengthen respect for rights of women and non-binary people.
Promote access to remedy to ensure rights-based solutions and prevent future human rights abuses.
Facilitate knowledge sharing to foster action addressing the adverse role of business operations on the environment, climate, and human rights.

LATEST
UPDATES

Event

Registration now open for the 4th UN South Asia Forum on Business and Human Rights

This year, the Forum will bring attention to the workers fueling development in Asia and the role that States and businesses must play to protect and respect workers' rights

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Toolkit

Promoting access to remedy for human rights defenders

A new toolkit for human rights defenders brings together information on how to access remedy in seven countries in Asia

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Training

More than 400 companies engaged through B+HR Academy

Companies, including leading Japanese multinationals, have shown a strong interest in human rights due diligence training under the B+HR Academy

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Video

Environment and the business and human rights agenda

The latest Asia in Focus series looks at the nexus between business and human rights and biodiversity, climate change, and the environment

Watch the series

Publication

UNDP launches baseline assessment on business and human rights in Africa

A new assessment - launched during the inaugural Africa Business and Human Rights Forum in October 2022 – will add momentum to the growing business and human rights movement in the region

Where we work

UNDP currently has field programming on business and human rights in 28 countries in Africa, Asia and the Pacific, Europe and Central Asia, and Latin America and the Caribbean.

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LATEST PUBLICATIONS

Briefing note

Climate change and the business and human rights agenda

Asia is at the centre of the wider challenge presented by climate change. This Briefing Note outlines what governments and businesses in Asia must do to tackle climate change, from a Business and Human Rights perspective. The Briefing Note provides quick and initial findings and recommendations of a much larger report to come.

Cover of the Baseline Assessment on Business and Human Rights in Africa

Publication

A Baseline Assessment on Business and Human Rights in Africa

This report takes stock of the progress and challenges in implementing the UNGPs in sub-Saharan Africa. The findings indicate reasons for optimism, as some States have initiated the development of comprehensive policies to address corporate abuses, albeit slower than in other regions. The good news is that the UNGPs are becoming better known in the region. Therefore, States, the AU and civil society must receive more support to hold corporations accountable for human rights violations through the strategic entry points identified in the report’s conclusion.

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Publication

Reflections and Directions: Business and Human Rights in Asia

This report surveys the status of business and human rights (BHR) across Asia, bringing together different visions and identifying opportunities for the decade ahead. It presents an overview of the status of BHR in Asia and focuses particularly (but not exclusively) on 11 countries demonstrating some progress on BHR namely Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Viet Nam.

UNDP-BRH-Clean-Air-Business-and-Human-Rights-Agenda-2022

Publication

Asia in Focus: Clean Air and the Business and Human Rights Agenda

Read the report for an overview of the current state of air pollution in the region and makes recommendations for policy action, taking inspiration from the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights.

Image of a shopper with cart in front of destroyed shopping center

Publication

UNDP launches guide for businesses operating in conflict-affected areas

Read the UNDP guide for businesses and other actors on how to meet their responsibilities to carry out heightened human rights due diligence in conflict-affected areas.

Find out more