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March 22, 2000
Businesses Play Key Role in Human Rights
Amnesty International reports on improvements in the human rights records of corporations, and
finds much work still to be done.
SocialFunds.com --
As the forces of globalization continue to gain momentum, human rights are becoming a key component
of the debate on corporate responsibility. From maquiladoras in Mexico to slave labor in Burma,
companies are increasingly being held accountable for the human rights implications for their
operations overseas. A recent report from Amnesty International UK puts this new accountability
into context.
"Business and Human Rights in a Time of Change" was published by the
Amnesty International UK Business Group, a division of the international human rights organization
devoted to making companies aware of their impact on human rights. The report is "an essential
guide to the greatest challenge facing the corporate world in the 21st century," said Sir Geoffrey
Chandler, Chair of the Group.
"My aim was to pull together, in one place, information
about the good work that so many people and organizations are doing on this subject, and to give a
sense of how much more work has to be done," said Chris Avery, author of the report. Avery was
Legal Advisor and senior manager at the International Secretariat of Amnesty International for ten
years, and works independently on issues relating to business and human rights.
Avery's
report begins by identifying recent trends that have a bearing on the interaction of business and
human rights, from changes in business thinking that put a positive light on human rights
accountability to growing demands from an informed public. Then he goes on to identify positive
steps that companies have made in their human rights policies and principles, including external
auditing of company practices.
"Business and Human Rights" focuses on Nike as a case
study, following the company's evolution from the 1996 allegations of sweatshop conditions in their
Asian factories to recent positive policy changes they've made. Nike provides a vivid example of
the varied responses companies make to human rights challenges, from denial, to damage control, to
apparent compliance with accepted standards.
The Nike example also illustrates the knotty
nature of human rights issues, and how positive changes implemented by companies are never the last
word. Despite reported improvements in overseas workplace health and safety issues, there is
continuing concern about wage levels, worker treatment, and monitoring.
The role of
socially responsible investing in promoting human rights figures prominently in "Business and Human
Rights in a Time of Change." In particular, shareholder resolutions based on human rights concerns
have been a major force promoting human rights accountability among companies operating overseas.
"I'm convinced that the only way to achieve meaningful change in the way companies
approach human rights issues is for there to be constructive dialogue as well as sustained pressure
from many directions," said Avery. "This will involve consumers, shareholders, governments, the
United Nations and other intergovernmental organizations, human rights and development
organizations, and enlightened business people."
"Business and Human Rights" has 521
footnotes, enabling readers to refer to the wealth of websites, articles, and books used in
compiling this 108-page report. Although it is designed to provide corporate managers with
background and sources of information for the development of company human rights policy, the
report is a valuable resource for investors, NGOs, or anyone concerned about the future of human
rights in a globalized world.
©
SRI World Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
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