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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.

The Business & Human Rights Accelerator

The idea of human rights is as simple as it is powerful: That all people have a right to be treated with dignity.

Businesses often impact the human rights of their employees and contract workers, workers in their supply chains, the communities around their operations and even the end users of their products or services. Whether directly or indirectly, they impact virtually the entire spectrum of internationally recognized human rights.

As a result, companies have both a responsibility and an opportunity to advance human rights across operations, supply chains and beyond. Is your company able to know and show that it supports and respects the protection of internationally proclaimed human rights, and that it is not complicit in human rights abuses?

The Business & Human Rights Accelerator is a six-month programme activating companies participating in the UN Global Compact across industries and regions. The objective is to help businesses swiftly move from commitment to action on human rights and labour rights through establishing an ongoing human rights due diligence process.

 

WHAT YOU WILL LEARN

  • How to identify your responsibilities in respecting human rights and labour rights, expressed in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Labour Organization’s Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work
  • How to establish an ongoing human rights due diligence process in line with international standards
  • How to report and communicate on your human rights due diligence journey, including through the Communication on Progress, the annual public disclosure requirement for all UN Global Compact participants

 

WHAT YOU WILL GAIN

  • An understanding of where your company is on their human rights journey
  • An assessment of actual and potential adverse human rights impacts and the ability to prioritize action
  • The ability to mitigate your human rights impacts, including grievance mechanisms and remedy
  • Ways to engage stakeholders on business impacts
  • An action plan to advance human rights in your company and beyond
  • A network of peers, UN partners and experts to support your human rights journey and work collectively to tackle persistent barriers to human rights due diligence
  • A certificate demonstrating completion of programme

To apply for the Business and Human Rights Accelerator (2023 – 2024), please visit the link below:

APPLY

The Global Compact Network South Africa supports the Minerals Council South Africa in implementing a Human Rights Framework in the sector to ensure that companies within the industry comply with Human Rights standards both in their operations and supply chains. Through the partnership, there will be a host of seminars throughout the year to discuss the contents of the Framework, importance of the Bill of Rights, understanding the South African Constitution, the UN Global Principles on Business and Human Rights, Social Performance and Human Rights, and Responsible Sourcing and Human Rights. The first virtual seminar was held in June 2020 with a focus on the impact of COVID-19 on Human Rights. The second three-day seminar was held at the end of July.

To learn more about Human Rights and view the UN Global Compact library on Human Rights, please visit the link below:

Learn More

The United Nations Global Compact has developed a platform which builds an alliance of companies committed to respecting Human Rights and Labour Rights by leveraging their supply chains and taking collective action to address decent work deficits. For more information or on the Decent Work Toolkit, please go to the UN Global Compact Decent Work in Global Supply Chains.

Learn More