Human rights are universal and every person around the world deserves to be treated with dignity and equality. While Governments have the duty to protect individuals against human rights abuses by third parties, businesses are recognizing their legal, moral, and commercial need to get involved. In an increasingly interconnected world, there is closer scrutiny of corporate impact on people and communities. Companies that focus on protecting human rights — and cultivate positive relationships with their stakeholders — can help ensure their business’ continued growth and social license to operate.
The human rights principles (Principles 1 and 2) of the UN Global Compact are derived from the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. We call on companies to respect and support internationally-proclaimed human rights, and to ensure they are not complicit in human rights abuses.