Human Rights

The first two principles of the UN Global Compact, which are derived from the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, are:

• Principle 1: Businesses should support and respect the protection of internationally proclaimed human rights; and
• Principle 2: Business should make sure that they are not complicit in human rights abuses.

Human rights remains one of the most challenging areas of corporate citizenship. In part, this is because human rights have traditionally been the concern of states, and international human rights law has generally been addressed to them only. As more companies come to realize their legal, moral and/or commercial need to address human rights issues within their own operations and activities, they are confronted with a number of challenges. For example, there is the need to come to grips with the human rights framework and how a company’s own activities might relate to it. In addition, companies are often uncertain how to avoid complicity in human rights abuse and where the boundaries of their human rights responsibility lie.

Whatever one's stance in the ongoing business and human rights debate, it is clear that there is a keen demand for tools and guidance to help companies with their implementation efforts. The Global Compact Office hopes to bring more clarity to this debate by highlighting the relevance of human rights for business, demonstrating the business case for human rights, emphasizing practical solutions, and pointing to useful tools and guidance materials. Our goal is to show that advancing human rights is not just about managing risks and meeting standards and expectations, it is also about realizing new opportunities.

What does the Universal Declaration Say?

Equality

The Declaration begins by laying down its basic premise that "all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights." The Declaration then goes on to give content to its understanding of equality by prohibiting any distinction in the enjoyment of human rights on such grounds as race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status.

Life and Security

The rights to life, liberty and security, and the right to be free from slavery servitude, torture or cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment further develop the notion of personal dignity and security. The rights of the individual to a just national legal system are also set out. The right to recognition as a person before the law, to equal protection of the law, to a judicial remedy before a court for human rights violations, to be free from arbitrary arrest, to a fair trial before an independent court, to the presumption of innocence and not to be subjected to retroactive penal laws are all set out in the Declaration.

Personal Freedom

Rights protecting a person's privacy in matters relating to family, home, correspondence, reputation and honour and freedom of movement are all part of the Universal Declaration. The right to seek asylum, to a nationality, to marry and found a family and the right to own property are also proclaimed by the Declaration. Freedom of thought, conscience and religion and freedom of opinion and expression are set out along with the right of peaceful assembly and association and the right to take part in government.

Economic, Social and Cultural Freedoms

Touching other aspects of the daily lives of people, the Declaration proclaims the right to social security and to the economic, social and cultural right indispensable to human dignity and the free development of each individual's personality. These rights are to be realised through national efforts and international co-operation in accordance with conditions in each state.

The right to work is set out, and to equal pay for equal work and to just and favourable remuneration ensuring for the worker and the worker's family am existence worthy of human dignity (which can be supplemented if necessary by other means of social protection). The Declaration also recognizes that right to form and join trade unions, the right to rest and leisure, reasonable limitations on working hours and periodic holidays with pay. The right to a standard of living adequate for health and well being, including food, clothing, housing, medical care, and to social services and security, if necessary, are also proclaimed as are the rights to education, and to participate in the cultural life of the community, and to the protection of the moral and material interests resulting from any scientific, literary or artistic production.

Global Compact Principles One and Two call on business to develop an awareness of human rights and to work within their sphere of influence to uphold these universal values, on the basis that responsibility falls to every individual in society.