The Business and Human Rights Resource Centre has launched an information hub providing the UN Secretary-General Special Representative on business & human rights a portal where all the documents, commentaries, and submissions about the framework can be found.
In 2005, the UN Secretary-General appointed a Special Representative – John Ruggie − to tackle the incredibly complex issue of what role businesses should play in human rights. Since then the Special Representative has proposed a framework that specifically attempts to define the proper roles that each actor should play. On the one hand, it’s unfair and unrealistic to make corporations assume responsibility for things the state should be doing, and on the other hand, corporations need to be aware of the areas in which their actions may infringe upon human rights. Therefore, the framework is based on a three-tiered system: “the state duty to protect against human rights abuses by third parties, including business; the corporate responsibility to respect human rights; and greater access by victims to effective remedies”.
Special Representative Ruggie said of the portal, “This portal is an indispensable tool that enables real-time exchange of information and dialogue to take place between the mandate and stakeholders all over the world. It constitutes our own version of an ongoing global town-hall meeting, where everyone can be heard and participate in the strengthening of the international human rights regime as it relates to business.”
In 2005, the UN Secretary-General appointed a Special Representative – John Ruggie − to tackle the incredibly complex issue of what role businesses should play in human rights. Since then the Special Representative has proposed a framework that specifically attempts to define the proper roles that each actor should play. On the one hand, it’s unfair and unrealistic to make corporations assume responsibility for things the state should be doing, and on the other hand, corporations need to be aware of the areas in which their actions may infringe upon human rights. Therefore, the framework is based on a three-tiered system: “the state duty to protect against human rights abuses by third parties, including business; the corporate responsibility to respect human rights; and greater access by victims to effective remedies”.
Special Representative Ruggie said of the portal, “This portal is an indispensable tool that enables real-time exchange of information and dialogue to take place between the mandate and stakeholders all over the world. It constitutes our own version of an ongoing global town-hall meeting, where everyone can be heard and participate in the strengthening of the international human rights regime as it relates to business.”