Governments must consider the risks of sending migrant workers to conflict zones

This month, officials from India’s largest state, Uttar Pradesh, and Haryana (which neighbours Delhi) are hosting a delegation of Israeli businesses seeking workers from the two states for jobs in Israel. The Israel Builders Association requested...

Can Davos talk help move climate finance in the right direction?

The dark clouds gathering over Davos at the end of the World Economic Forum are not just of the snow-bearing variety (although it is due to be a very chilly minus 17C tonight). The heaviness comes from a growing sense of an unravelling international...

The DEI backlash is growing, but Corporate America must stand firm

It is remarkable how quickly the controversy around what constitutes permissible campus speech has turned into a full-frontal attack on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) in the United States.

Most recently, what started as robust criticism of...

Three criticisms of human rights that should be challenged

75 years ago, Eleanor Roosevelt and the other members of the drafting committee presented the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) to the still very young United Nations meeting in war-torn Europe at the Palais de Chaillot in Paris.

Human...

Achieving a living wage for garment workers needs price-squeezing to stop

Grossly inadequate wages, workers protesting for increased pay, and harsh retaliation by employers are not new in the garment industry in Bangladesh, the world's second biggest producer of fast fashion.

In recent weeks, negotiations over a new...

When does conflict become a company’s business?

When an armed conflict as divisive and destructive as the one ongoing in the Middle East dominates public debate, what is the impact on business? Does the private sector have any role to play in such situations?

Arguably, a business leader could...

Recruitment fees are holding back sustainable development - how can this practice be stopped?

Migrant workers sending money to home countries and communities can be an enormous driver of development. But ongoing exploitation of migrant workers during recruitment places severe limits on the benefits of migration.

In 2023, remittances - money...

What human rights responsibilities do media companies bear during conflict?

Two weeks ago, Hamas extremists staged a surprise raid into Israel, in which more than 1,000 people were killed, and over 200 hostages were taken.  Israel’s response has so far reportedly killed over 3,000 people in Gaza. A grave crisis is...

Slavery is ever present - the UK must step up

Last week saw the much-delayed appointment of the 3rd UK Anti-Slavery Commissioner, a position that has been  vacant since April 2022. The appointment of Eleanor Lyons, a former Government Advisor, is timely. 

On Anti-Slavery Day, the UK and many...

Respecting the rights of Indigenous Peoples and local communities can advance the energy transition

In Norway this past spring, headlines showed protesters demanding the removal of wind turbines at the state’s Fosen wind park. The renewable energy project caused disruption to the reindeer grazing grounds of the Indigenous Sámi population and was...

Existential risk or tool for inclusive prosperity? AI’s future needs human rights

Headlines are currently dominated by record-breaking heatwaves, catastrophic flooding, massive wildfires, and other extreme weather patterns in many regions. Responding to the climate crisis requires unprecedented actions and new forms of...

Human rights is essential teaching in every business school

We have come a long way from the time when companies argued that protecting human rights were only issues of state obligations, and corporations did not have any responsibilities or legal duties.

After years of civil society campaigning, reports by...

Diversity needs defending - can companies rise to the challenge?

Companies that pursue diversity, equality, and inclusion programmes as part of their hiring and staff development strategies will likely face new scrutiny in the wake of last week’s U.S. Supreme Court decision ending affirmative action policies in...

Pride 2023: A turning point for companies

Historically, companies have had to respond to activists denouncing their inaction related to the human rights of minorities in the countries in which they operate. 

This year the discussion suddenly reversed.

June is Pride Month globally, and...

Air pollution – the human costs are too great to be ignored

In 2010, I spoke at a conference on business and human rights to a corporate audience. At the end of my presentation, someone asked: “where’s the list of the human rights we need to consider?”

I responded, noting, the (soon to be) UN Guiding...

It’s time to mainstream the Just Transition

If there is a reason for why our next energy transition needs to be ‘just’, think no further than the 1980s in the UK. The country’s transition out of the coal industry divided communities and left regions and their people stranded and...

Uganda’s anti-homosexuality law: it’s time for business to speak up

There have been steady signs of progress in advancing LGBT rights over the past five years with countries decriminalising same sex relationships and some countries legalising same sex marriages. Many companies have embraced LGBT rights...

We need new strategies to redesign agriculture and food systems for people and planet

The role of business is crucial in shaping truly regenerative food systems that are better for human rights and a decarbonised future. This includes prioritising the agency of farmers, workers, and farm communities in the design of regenerative...

We asked ChatGPT about its impact on human rights and business. Here’s what it told us

ChatGPT won’t be able to stop its own misuse. It’s up to companies to place human rights principles at the core of machine learning AI.
 

The attention that ChatGPT has received in recent days has prompted a great deal of discussion about the...

Protecting migrant workers includes protecting the right to change employers

Throughout 2022, IHRB is marking ten years of the Dhaka Principles for Migration with Dignity with guest commentaries from representatives of business, trade unions, civil society organisations, and the UN system that reflect on the continuing...